Tim Ho Wan, the dim sum place with the famous BBQ pork buns, is now open in Irvine

Tim Ho Wan, the Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant from Hong Kong, opened last week in Irvine at the Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center.

It’s the first Southern California location of Tim Ho Wan, which has 47 outposts in nine countries, with U.S. restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas and Hawaii.

The restaurant earned worldwide acclaim when it opened in 2009 as a 20-seat dim sum restaurant in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, earning a Michelin star a year later. The restaurant has continued to earn a star for nine consecutive years.

Tim Ho Wan is best known for its baked BBQ pork buns, made with a sweet, sticky char siu (barbecued pork) encased in a cloudlike fluffy bread with a sweet, crunchy top. In addition to the buns, there are the usual dim sum favorites, including har gow (steamed shrimp dumplings), siu mai (steamed pork dumplings with shrimp), braised chicken feet with abalone sauce, congee with pork and preserved egg, steamed egg cake and fried turnip cake.

The restaurant is known as much for its long wait times as it is for the famous pork buns, but it may be a little easier to get those buns at the Irvine location: The restaurant plans to open a takeout window in the next couple of weeks. When it opens, it will be the first in the U.S. to offer this service. So with any luck, you’ll soon be able to order those BBQ pork buns and fried turnip cakes to go.

2700 Alton Parkway, Irvine, (262) 888-8828, timhowanusa.com.