A Hidden Culinary Gem in Singapore’s Industrial Heart
Address: 705 Sims Drive #07-01, Shun Li Industrial Complex, Singapore 387384
Rating: 3.8/5 Overall
Price Range: $3.50 – $4.50 per dish
Nearest MRT: Aljunied (EW Line)
The Discovery
While Five Star Hong Kong Style Handmade Dim Sum has gained considerable media attention for its flagship outlet at Mei Ling Street coffeeshop, few food enthusiasts know about their best-kept secret: a hidden branch tucked away on the seventh floor of an industrial building at Sims Drive. What makes this discovery even more remarkable is that this industrial outpost offers the same quality dim sum in an air-conditioned environment—a luxury rarely found in traditional coffeeshop settings.
The mastermind behind these handcrafted delicacies is Chef Yiu Wah Tai, whose impressive 30-year culinary journey spans prestigious establishments including Shang Palace at Shangri La and Jiang Nan Chun at Four Seasons Hotel. This pedigree brings legitimate Hong Kong dim sum expertise to an unexpectedly humble industrial setting.
Ambience & Atmosphere
The Industrial Charm
Stepping into the seventh floor of Shun Li Industrial Complex feels like discovering a speakeasy of the dim sum world. The location itself is part of the charm—surrounded by warehouses and light industrial operations, this dining spot offers a stark contrast to the typical mall food court experience. The journey up the industrial elevator adds to the anticipation, making each visit feel like uncovering a local secret.
Interior Setting
The space maintains the no-frills aesthetic of a traditional coffeeshop while benefiting from modern air-conditioning—a welcome relief from Singapore’s tropical heat. The interior is functional rather than decorative, with simple tables and chairs that prioritize comfort over style. Fluorescent lighting illuminates the space evenly, creating a bright, clean environment that focuses attention on the food rather than elaborate décor.
The ambience is decidedly authentic, reminiscent of the dim sum halls found in Hong Kong’s working-class neighborhoods. There’s an honest, unpretentious quality to the space that immediately signals this is about substance over style. The sounds of sizzling woks and steaming bamboo baskets from the kitchen provide a comforting soundtrack that builds anticipation for the meal ahead.
Service Environment
The industrial location means fewer crowds and a more relaxed dining pace compared to the bustling Mei Ling Street outlet. Service is efficient and straightforward, with staff who understand the menu thoroughly and can make recommendations based on your preferences. The atmosphere encourages lingering over tea and conversation, making it ideal for both business lunches and casual family gatherings.
Menu Analysis & Pricing Strategy
Curated Selection
Unlike typical dim sum restaurants that overwhelm with extensive menus, Five Star’s Sims Drive outlet offers a focused selection of just 18 items. This deliberate curation ensures each dish receives proper attention and maintains consistent quality. The limited menu also allows the kitchen to specialize in perfecting each offering rather than spreading resources across dozens of mediocre options.
Pricing Philosophy
The pricing structure reflects excellent value for money, with most dim sum items ranging from $3.50 to $4.50. This positioning makes quality dim sum accessible to a broader audience while maintaining the premium ingredients and preparation methods that Chef Yiu’s background demands. When compared to hotel dim sum that can cost $8-12 per basket, these prices represent exceptional value.
Unique Offerings
What sets this outlet apart from other Five Star locations is the inclusion of zichar dishes, herbal soups, and claypot specialties alongside traditional dim sum. This expanded menu makes it suitable for dinner service and provides options for diners seeking heartier meals beyond the typical dim sum experience.
Signature Dishes – Detailed Analysis
Siew Mai (烧卖) – 4.2/5 – $4.50
The crown jewel of any dim sum meal, these open-topped dumplings showcase Chef Yiu’s technical expertise. Each piece is generously sized and expertly pleated, with a perfect balance of pork and shrimp filling. The texture is notably plump and juicy, indicating proper seasoning and optimal steaming technique. The filling maintains moisture without being greasy, while the wrapper provides just enough structure without overwhelming the delicate interior flavors.
The seasoning demonstrates restraint and sophistication—subtle soy sauce, rice wine, and white pepper create depth without masking the natural sweetness of the seafood and pork. A light garnish of crab roe adds both visual appeal and a briny complexity that elevates this beyond typical coffeeshop offerings.
Har Gao (虾饺) – 4.2/5 – $4.50
These translucent dumpling purses represent the pinnacle of dim sum craftsmanship, and Chef Yiu’s version doesn’t disappoint. The wrapper achieves the ideal balance of translucency and strength, allowing glimpses of the pink shrimp within while maintaining structural integrity during steaming. Each dumpling contains substantial whole shrimp pieces rather than minced filling, providing satisfying texture and clean, oceanic flavor.
The pleating work is meticulous, with each dumpling featuring the traditional 12-18 pleats that indicate proper technique. The shrimp filling is seasoned minimally to preserve natural sweetness, with just touches of sesame oil, white pepper, and cornstarch for binding. The result is a pure expression of quality ingredients elevated by skilled preparation.
Char Siew Cheong Fan (叉烧肠粉) – 3/5 – $4.00
While this dish shows generous portioning of char siew within silky rice noodle sheets, it falls short of the excellence achieved in the dumpling offerings. The char siew itself is well-prepared with proper caramelization and tender texture, but the accompanying sauce tends toward excessive saltiness that overpowers the delicate rice noodle wrapper.
The rice sheets demonstrate proper technique—smooth, elastic, and appropriately thin—but the sauce imbalance prevents this from achieving the harmony expected from such a fundamental dim sum dish. Despite this flaw, the generous filling and reasonable price point make it acceptable value for money.
Prawn Cheong Fan (虾肠粉) – 3.5/5 – $4.50
An improvement over the char siew version, this dish benefits from the natural sweetness of prawns that better balances the salty sauce. The prawns are fresh and properly cooked, maintaining their tender texture and bright flavor. The rice noodle preparation remains consistent with the char siew version—skillfully made with proper texture and thickness.
The ingredient-to-wrapper ratio is commendable, with substantial prawn pieces ensuring each bite delivers satisfying protein content. While the sauce issue persists, the prawn’s natural flavor provides better overall balance than the char siew variant.
Xiao Long Bao (小笼包) – 3.5/5 – $3.50
These soup dumplings represent an ambitious addition to the menu, requiring advanced technique to achieve proper soup-to-filling ratios. Chef Yiu’s version delivers flavorful marinated pork filling with adequate soup content, though the wrapper tends toward thickness that impacts the traditional eating experience.
The filling demonstrates proper seasoning with apparent attention to texture and flavor development. The soup component, while present, could benefit from more gelatinous stock preparation to achieve the signature burst of flavor expected from quality xiao long bao. The thicker wrapper may be a practical consideration for maintaining structural integrity during steaming, but it compromises the traditional delicate bite.
Mala Dumpling (麻辣水饺) – 3/5 – $4.00
This modern interpretation attempts to incorporate Sichuan flavors into traditional dumpling format. While the dumpling itself is generously sized with quality filling, the mala sauce lacks the characteristic numbing sensation and complex heat profile that defines authentic Sichuan preparations.
The dumpling wrapper and filling construction demonstrate solid technique, with proper pleating and adequate filling distribution. However, the sauce component needs development to achieve the fragrant, complex heat that makes mala preparations distinctive. The portion size provides good value, but the flavor execution doesn’t match the technical proficiency shown in traditional offerings.
Additional Menu Items
Salted Egg Custard Buns
These steamed buns represent the modern dim sum trend toward sweet applications of salted egg yolk. The execution focuses on achieving proper custard consistency within fluffy steamed bun exteriors.
Char Siew Pau (叉烧包)
Traditional barbecue pork buns that showcase the same char siew preparation used in the cheong fan, but in the classic steamed bun format that allows the filling to shine without sauce interference.
Congee Selection
Various rice porridge options provide comfort food alternatives to the dim sum focus, extending the menu’s appeal for different dining occasions and preferences.
Carrot Cake
Local-style fried radish cake that bridges traditional dim sum with local coffeeshop favorites, demonstrating the outlet’s adaptation to Singaporean tastes.
Value Proposition & Recommendations
Best Value Selections
The Siew Mai and Har Gao represent exceptional value, offering hotel-quality preparation at coffeeshop prices. The Xiao Long Bao, despite minor execution issues, provides substantial value at $3.50 per basket.
Ideal Dining Strategy
Focus on the traditional dim sum strengths while exploring the unique zichar offerings that distinguish this outlet. The air-conditioned environment and limited crowds make this perfect for leisurely meals and business discussions.
Who Should Visit
This location appeals to dim sum enthusiasts seeking authentic preparation without hotel pricing, food adventurers interested in hidden gems, and anyone looking for quality Chinese cuisine in an unconventional setting.
Practical Information
Getting There
From Aljunied MRT (EW Line):
- Take Exit A or B
- Cross road to bus stop 81081
- Board bus 137
- Alight after 2 stops
- Walk along Sims Drive to destination Total journey time: ~10 minutes
Operating Hours
Daily: 8:00 AM – 8:30 PM
Reservations
Contact through Facebook page for updates and potential reservations
Final Verdict
Five Star Hong Kong Style Handmade Dim Sum at Shun Li Industrial Complex represents a unique dining proposition in Singapore’s culinary landscape. While it may not achieve perfection across all menu items, the combination of authentic preparation, reasonable pricing, and distinctive atmosphere creates a memorable dining experience.
The restaurant succeeds in its primary mission: delivering traditional Hong Kong dim sum in an accessible, comfortable environment. Chef Yiu’s expertise shines through in the signature dishes, while the industrial location adds character that chain restaurants cannot replicate.
For those seeking Instagram-worthy presentations or luxurious ambience, this may not be the ideal choice. However, for food enthusiasts who prioritize authenticity, value, and the thrill of discovering hidden culinary gems, Five Star’s Sims Drive outlet offers an experience that justifies the journey to this unexpected seventh-floor sanctuary.
Recommended for: Dim sum enthusiasts, value-conscious diners, business lunches, authentic food seekers
Best avoided by: Those seeking luxury dining experiences, Instagram-focused diners, accessibility-dependent visitors
Must-try items: Siew Mai, Har Gao, any zichar specialties unique to this location
Skip: Mala Dumpling, Char Siew Cheong Fan (unless you specifically enjoy saltier sauces)
- Limited Information: Most establishments appear to be dine-in focused
- Takeaway Available: Several hawker stalls and coffee shops
- No Delivery Mentioned: For most locations
Tourist Accessibility:
- Highest Value: Maxwell Food Centre, Tong Ah Eating House, Original Katong Laksa, Atlas Bar
- Moderate Accessibility: Most hawker centres and established restaurants
- Advance Planning Required: The Ampang Kitchen, Burnt Ends reservations
Cultural Significance:
- Historical: Tong Ah (1939), Singapore Zam Zam (1908), Song Fa (1969)
- Heritage Preservation: Kim Choo Kueh Chang, Tan’s Tu Tu Coconut Cake
- Modern Innovation: Burnt Ends, Cloudstreet, % Arabica
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