If you live in HK you’ve heard of Yung Kee and the courtroom battles of the family feuding over ownership splashed across the pages of newspapers.  Yung Kee, which specializes in roasted goose, was founded by Kam Shui Fai in the 1940’s and over the years have become a multi-million empire.

When Kam passed away, he left the shares of Yung Kee to his children, with his 2 sons, Kinsen and Ronald equally receiving the majority (45%).  Long story short, Ronald somehow gained majority holdings of Yung Kee (55%) and a management dispute arose between the two brothers.  Kinsen went to court applying for liquidation of the company if Ronald wouldn’t buy out his shares, and lost in 2012.

Kinsen passed away before the court ruling and Ronald now has management control of Yung Kee.

Kinsen’s son, Hardy, opened Kam’s Roast Goose this year and just received a 1 star from the Michelin Guide a few days ago.  Yung Kee on the other hand lost its Michelin star in 2012 and has yet to gain it back.

I heard of Kam’s Roast Goose opening it’s doors a few months ago and put it on my Evernote list of to-try restaurants since then.  And when hubby dragged me to Wanchai Oriental 188 last weekend, I suggested to go to Kam’s Roast Goose for dinner afterwards.

When we went, this tiny restaurant was pretty full, but we were lucky enough to snag a small table without a wait.  Now that Kam’s received this prestigious star, I would expect queues to start forming outside the restaurant soon enough.

Ok, enough of the background, let me get onto what I thought of Kam’s.  Needless to say, I had to try the Kam’s family well-known preserved egg and pickled ginger.  Century eggs are more of an acquired taste, but I’ve always loved them.  The one at Kam’s had a slightly bitter and creamy yolk encased in transparent jelly-like whites.

The roasted skin on the goose was slightly crispy that melted in my mouth.  The meat was succulent, tender and juicy, but it lacked the aroma that makes this bird unique.  I guess the obvious question would be, how does it compare to Yung Kee’s?   I never thought Yung Kee’s goose was awesome, they are definitely good, but not out of this world.  In terms of taste, I think Yung Kee might have a slight edge, but if you factor in the price, I would choose Kam’s over Yung Kee.

With the roast goose being so heavy, we ordered the Chinese Sausage with less fat.   Surprisingly with less fat, it was still very soft.  But, flavor-wise it wasn’t anything worth mentioning.

Kam’s is a small modest shop that can seat 30 people and mainly offers roasted meats such as roasted goose, char siu, roast pork and soy-marinated  meats.  With limited seating, I can see they are also hoping to target to do a lot of takeaway meals.  If I lived in the area, I think I would be a regular in buying some roasted goose as an add-on dish to a weeknight dinner!

Dinner Total:  $289 (for 2 ppl)
Address: G/F Po Wah Commercial Center, 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai / Tel: 2520 1110
Website:  http://www.krg.com.hk

The Bill
1/4 Roast Goose….$120
Preserved Egg and Pickled Ginger ….$10
Chinese Sausage ….$38
Marinated Goose Web and Wings ….$75
Steamed Rice x2….$20