Tim Ho Wan snares Merivale chef Eric Koh

With the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant a confirmed starter in Sydney next month, the missing part of the puzzle has been who will oversee the food at Tim Ho Wan?

The Sydney start-up of the Hong Kong restaurant has landed a big local fish, with Eric Koh - the chef Merivale lured from London's Hakkasan to head dim sum at Mr Wong - jumping to Tim Ho Wan as its acting executive chef.

Koh has quietly flown overseas to work with Tim Ho Wan founder Mak Kwai Pui, and word is he'll be rubber stamped in the position fulltime after impressing with his grasp of Mak's diminutive delicacies.

The first of three planned Tim Ho Wan stores to open in Sydney will launch above the railway station in Chatswood in early March.

A Burwood outlet will be next cab off the rank in April, followed by a flagship venue, on George Street in the CBD, later in the year. A Melbourne store is also planned.

With everything made fresh to order, Tim Ho Wan quickly gained a passionate following in Hong Kong before gaining wider fame with its Michelin star. Australia was chosen for expansion before Europe or the US because our palates are more tuned to Asian food.