There’s lots of prestige behind the Tim’s brand, which spans three cities across Asia (Macau and Shanghai being the other two). Chef and founder Lai Yau-tim started his chain of private kitchens a little over ten years ago, and since then he’s amassed not only a loyal following but also a bundle of international accolades and recognition as a renowned Chinese chef.

Tim’s Kitchen Hong Kong (relocated a block down from its original Jervois Street location) sits on prime real estate—a ground floor unit on a busy street in Sheung Wan. The front is all glass and the lights are bright, so diners look like specimens in a fish tank to the outside observer; the conspicuous display also doubles as a permanent, glorious advertisement for passersby.

There are some dishes you need to order a day in advance, like the roast suckling pig, roast farm goose and various types of chicken and seafood. We were going to go for the crispy chicken, but day of, we received a call saying there was no supply due to a citywide ban on live poultry—thanks, bird flu. We opted for the goose instead, which turned out to be a dangerous combination of crispy brown skin, artery-clogging fat and golden meat.

We went all-heavy and accompanied it with a savory stewed eggplant with minced pork (gooey and glorious) and a dish of massive deep-fried frogs’ legs topped with a dash of sliced red chilies (satisfying—but what isn’t when it’s deep-fried?). A bright and weightless fried rice with conpoy helped close the deal.

There’re many more things we’d like to try here, including the much talked-about crab claws and, of course, the chicken—so we’re sure to be back for round two.