HONG KONG, Aug 19 — What makes a great roast goose?
Within the Cantonese culinary realm of siu mei (roast meats), a chef hasn’t earned his stripes until he or she is capable of turning one out. A truly exceptional roast goose or siu ngoh must possess crispy skin with a flavourful layer of fat beneath and tender meat that isn’t too gamey. Even the traditional plum sauce it is served with must pass muster: not too sweet or acidic.
There’s no better place to enjoy roast goose than Hong Kong. Whether one orders an entire bird or a half portion to share, whether one eats it with rice or noodles, everyone seems to be crazy about this dish here.
Two of the most popular destinations for roast goose in Hong Kong are Yung Kee and Kam’s Roast Goose. The former was started in 1942 by the late Kam Shui Fai, originally from a dai pai dong (open-air food stall) on Kwong Yuen West Street; the latter, which was established by one of the Yung Kee’s founder’s grandsons, Hardy Kam, earned a Michelin star within four months of its opening in 2014.
Any restaurant with a Michelin star that doesn’t take table reservations means only one thing: a long queue. Or at least that would be the case, say, in Tokyo, where the lines are lengthy but orderly. Here, despite the best efforts of the staff giving out queue numbers, the situation is more chaotic.
In Hong Kong, the rules are different apparently. Still it does make people watching as a sport all that more accessible with the crowd hanging around all over the place. Everyone couldn’t help but chuckle when a frustrated tourist explained to her mother that their turn won’t come faster just because she kept inching towards the entrance.
We know her feeling: the thrill of a much anticipated meal is often tempered with the reality of plenty of other people present for the exact same thing as us.
The first thing you see, upon entering any decent roast goose shop, would be rows of whole birds on display, hung from hooks awaiting orders to be retrieved and broken down into bite-sized chunks. Though they look the same to the untrained eye, Yung Kee’s geese are roasted in old-school charcoal ovens while gas ovens are used at Kam’s.
Seating depends a bit on your luck: at Yung Kee, we have a tiny table for two to ourselves; at Kam’s, we share a round table with two other couples. We observe that everyone at our table is a fellow foreigner. Being multilingual Malaysians, inadvertent eavesdropping sometimes can’t be helped; the Indonesian Chinese couple speaking Bahasa Indonesia, the Beijing couple with their thick northern accented Mandarin.
We order in Cantonese, receiving a smile from the harried server for our efforts. Small touches like this count, on both sides. Even in a busy restaurant where you may be expected to daap toi (share a table) and the waiters have to deal with demanding customers (or, conversely, the customers with curt servers), there is still room for some grace.
Of course, even the most disgruntled customer would be placated when the magnificent birds arrive at the table.
Every bite is a delight... provided you’re into roast goose. After waiting in line for half an hour or more, most diners are definitely into their roast goose, and whatever else they happen to have ordered. Queueing is a great way to work up an appetite!
Both Yung Kee and Kam’s favour the tenderness of the roast goose’s meat over the crispiness of its skin. The exact preparation, such as the traditional way of airing and drying the geese, is a family secret, naturally. But it’s clear that more marinade is used, retaining more of the moisture for juicy meat.
Yung Kee’s plum sauce is perhaps more tart; Kam’s is sweeter, fruitier. The main difference might be the charcoal-smoke aroma of Yung Kee’s roast goose. It’s all a matter of preference, really, in the end. Both shops sell around 100 whole birds a day so it’s good business either way.
In Hong Kong, everyone’s crazy about roast goose, both locals and visitors.
Besides roast goose, other staples include si yao gai (soy sauce chicken), char siu (caramelised barbecued pork) and siu yoke (crackling roast pork). Both restaurants have their own signature dishes, naturally. At Kam’s, these include their luscious century eggs and Prince Kinsen Noodles sauced with a light consommé and roast goose drippings.
Clear soups are a part of every Cantonese meal; Yung Kee offers a wide variety including double-boiled South African abalone soup with matsutake mushrooms, frog soup with preserved egg and parsley, snakehead fish head soup, and their ever-popular soup of the day. Not into soups? Cool off with some chrysanthemum tea or lemon Coke instead.
For visitors short on time, there is a branch of Yung Kee at the Hong Kong International Airport. Located at the Departures Level food court (in the Gates 40-80 wing), this outlet is an opportunity for travellers looking for some takeaway roast goose to savour at home or to give to family and friends. A savvy move on Yung Kee’s part, their “Flying Roast Goose” is even served on board Cathay Pacific flights (first and business class only though).
In Hong Kong, at least, even the roast goose can fly.
Kam’s Roast Goose
Po Wah Commercial Centre, 226 Hennessy Rd, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 9:30pm
Tel: +852 2520 1110
Yung Kee (HQ)
32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Open daily 11am-11:30pm
Tel: +852 2522 1624
Yung Kee (Airport)
Food Court (Gates 40-80), Departures Level, Terminal 1, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong
Open daily 11am-10pm
Tel: +852 2261 0593
