The Place Located in an industrial complex in Sims Drive, Aljunied is Five Star Hong Kong Style Handmade Dim Sum, a nondescript and hidden Dim Sum restaurant tucked away from the hustle and bustle. A brief background of Five Star Hong Kong Dim Sum – it was started by chef Yiu Wah Tai in February 2021 at its first outlet in 158 Mei Ling Street, before it opened a few more outlets including this Sims Drive location.  

The location is quite ‘ulu’, and is best accessed by a car, making it somewhat a destination dining. I took a cargo lift to level seven, where the space of Five Star Hong Kong Style Handmade Dim Sum excudes an old-school nostalgic/throwback to the 80s’ vibes. The protocol is to grab any table you fancy in the air-conditioned space, then proceed to order at the counter where you will be given a buzzer.  

The Food A quick glance of the menu with less than 30 items is that the prices are extremely affordable, with most items averaging S$3.50 – $4, a range which is rare in today’s context in Singapore. This is despite the fact that chef Yiu has more than 30 years of Cantonese culinary experience at various established restaurants like Shang Palace at Shangri-La Hotel, and Jiang-Nan Chun at Four Seasons Hotel previously. 

I started with the Siew Mai (S$4.50) and Har Gao (S$4.50), my usual dim sum staples. I do not have high expectations for this meal despite the chef’s accolades as contradictory as it sounds. The Siew Mai is surprisingly good. I like the plump filling where there is a very good bite to the dish, and it tasted fresh too.

Similarly, the Haw Gow did not disapppoint with its thin-layered skin and generous prawn filling. 

The Salad Prawn Dumpling (S$4), also known as ‘Min Xia Jiao’ in Chinese, meet expectations with its crispy texture.  

The BBQ Char Siew Pau (S$3.50) is a mixed bag from the table, as I find that the char siew is not flavourful enough.  

Skip the Mushroom Cheong Fun (S$4), where the sauce is lacking in flavour though the cheong fun texture is not too bad. I prefer cheong fun with a thinner texture than a thicker texture.  

If you love your chicken feet, the Black Pepper Chicken Feet (S$3.50) here is a black pepper flavour, hence the colour is darker. This is a twist from the traditional dim sum style, and if you dislike black pepper, do not order this as the black pepper taste is quite overpowering.  

Rants The service at the ordering counter is quite messy, so exercise some patience. Overall, some hits and misses for the dishes I had.  

Will I Return Again? Do not need to come out of the way for this. Head here if you like nostalgic dim sum dining vibes at very affordable prices, where there will be some dishes which you love and hate.   

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 3/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5

Five Star Hong Kong Style Handmade Dim Sum 
Shun Li Industrial Complex 
705 Sims Drive 
#07-01 
Singapore 387384 
 
Opening Hours 
Monday to Sunday: 8am to 8:30pm 

Ranted by The Ranter