When news broke that Sydney was getting an outlet of Tim Ho Wan (the Michelin-starred dumpling house from Hong Kong) people predictably went bananas when it opened back in 2015 – the queues stretched out the door and down the stairs for a taste of their famous baked buns filled with barbecue pork.
But it looks like the love affair was short lived, because the Chatswood restaurant has now been stripped of all the original branding and is being called TJP on Deliveroo. What's interesting is that the menu is pretty similar (there are pork-filled baked buns still at the top of the list). You can also get yum cha favourites like prawns wrapped in rice noodles, steamed siu mai and sticky rice parcels filled with chicken and egg.
Photograph: Jordan Kretchmer
The news of Tim Ho Wan's departure isn't surprising given the former site of the Hello Kitty café still remains vacant, and Petaling Street and Mrs Dippity have also shut. But don't worry, because there's still plenty of ace cheap eats in Chatswood if you know where to look.