Yue Kee Restaurant     裕記大飯店  

After visiting a friend residing at 'Sham Tseng ', we were looking for dining options and Yue Kee was promptly suggested for it seemed like the local area highlight and 'Must Try' places to go to. We arrived just before the peak dining period at 6ish and we were able to get a table for 3 without a reservation, barely.

It was later did I realize that Yue Kee was featured in the Hong Kong Michelin Guide 2013, with a 'Bib Gourmand' where it was categorized as 'Inspectors' favourite for good value'. Apparently over 40,000 geese are needed each year to satisfy demand to this second-generation family business, which started opening doors for business in 1958. The geese were being sourced from 8 different farms in Mainland China and if contentment is indicated by the amount of noise generated within the restaurant, then the customers sure showed much appreciation for these roast birds.

Roast GooseWhen the dish was plated and served to our table, the glisten atop the roast goose skin was tantalizing to say the least. It flashed a 'Eat Me' shout-out to the three hungry diners at the table. The skin of the goose was thin and crisp. Surprisingly, there was only a thin layer of fat underneath the skin, which certainly delighted the healthy-conscious us and this was certainly a large appealing factor. The thigh meat tasted more scrumptious than the breast portions which were slightly dry by our standards. We were more than willing to look past that for it simply looked too good to resist!The home made plum sauce was everything to crave for. It had the right level of viscosity perfect balance of sweet and sour flavours to supplement the roast goose. It just worked beautifully in unison with the roast goose in terms of taste.

Mixed PlatterThe mixed platter consisted of various items, such as cold jellyfish, intestines, goose wings and feet. The bittern marinade where the associated parts were soaked in was delicious and had the right level of salinity. Overall, each of the 5 appetizers were pleasing to our palate even though we were not particular fans to start with.For those with an appetite for something fiery, this self-concocted chili sauce will not fail you.

Stir-fried kailanLike how any cuisine should ideally round up, we ordered a plate of kailan as our sole source of greens for the meal. Well, it was stir-fried like how it should have been, with a slight crunch remaining to the stems. A good but expected dish.

We are utterly disappointed in this place and will never ever go back. the owner rush us 5 times over a 1 hour stay. Plus, she implements a new broadcast system and makes announcements over the microphone every 10 minutes,. Would you eat there? The restaurant is very rude - I wouldnt want anyone to experience what we did. Try Chan Kee or Nung Kee next doors, you have a much better chance of enjoying your evening. - sunday 6pm July 10

燒鵝

Came here straight after getting off the plane, in need for some chinese food There were lots of people waiting outside, even though the restaurant was quite big itself. Goose tasted very special - quite different from the usual cooking - so I guess I could see why this place is famous. Tofu had a soya-type of flavour. The soup was very tasty - all the ingredients could be tasted well.

I have visited this joint a few times and so far, my experience here has always been good. However, I was initially worried that I might be disappointed this round. As you know, sometimes shops are around for ages, and they gradually start to decline in standards. For yesterday's visit, there were 6 of us, we ordered:

1. Roast Goose - An entire goose! Just like my previous visits, this was cooked to perfection, crispy skin and juicy flesh. This was served with a side of plum sauce. This was the perfect start to my meal.

2. Salt & pepper cuttlefish - never tried this before & decided to give it a try. The cuttlefish was fried till it was just cooked. Biting into it, it was still soft. They give you a side bowl of Worcester sauce to dip the cuttlefish in and this helps to cut into the grease.

3. Goose livers cooked in Chinese wine - This dish was unexpected delight for me. Generally I don't enjoy or take innards of animals. As this was highly recommended by the waiter, we decided to give it a try. The dish was extremely well prepared. Slices of goose liver were served in Chinese wine lukewarm. The insides were just done medium, when you bite into the liver, the texture was soft, melty and oozed a soft hint of the wine.

4. Century Egg with Pickled Ginger - This was nice, the type of century eggs I enjoy, slightly runny in the centre.

5. Steamed shrimp balls on tofu - Great everday dish that was non-greasy and helped to clear the tastebuds a little.

6. Steamed Fish - Fresh, timed right, served in soy sauce and coriander.

7. Vegetables in fermented bean paste - Crunchy and crisp veggies with bean paste.

All meals are served with complimentary dessert, nothing to write home about but the fruit was a refreshing change to the heavy meal.

The meal was great and the service was even better. In all my visits here the waiters are always friendly and helpful. Always willing to comply to any extras we needed...extra sauce, extra tissue, etc.. Certainly better than the over priced and hyped Yung Kee in the City.

After a big detour, we ended up in Yue Kee (裕記大飯店) in Sham Tseng. I guess this was the old favorite, even though my friend who lives in the area had warned me that despite the reputation, the roast goose in Sham Tseng is only so-so. Oh well, you never know until you try!

We ordered a whole charcoal oven roast goose (炭爐燒鵝) to start. Well...the skin was crispy, but I thought they had over-roasted the bird. The skin was a little too charred in some places, which I definitely did not want. In terms of the goose meat itself, it was OK but not really outstanding. In fact the noodle shop a few steps from my office can probably beat this place in terms of roast goose on any given day...

The double-boiled watercress and goose gizzard soup (鵝腎西洋菜湯) was OK. Watercress soup is always good, and the gizzards have been boiled for so long that they were starting to turn a little mushy.

The deep-fried smelt (椒鹽白飯魚) was pretty good. Slightly spicy and tasted great. I wouldn't have minded if I took half the plate myself...

De-shelled prawns stir-fried with egg (滑蛋蝦仁) is a classic dish. This was OK, with yellowed chives to provide additional flavors.

I had no interest in the Chinese-style beef steak (中式牛柳) nor the stir-fried goose offal in black bean sauce (豉椒鵝腸什), so I didn't touch them.

The pan-fried salty fish (煎咸魚) was very good. Pretty salty and a little smelly, but everything you wanted out of the preserved fish. As I wasn't eating any rice, I just sampled a small piece to satisfy my taste buds.

The stir-fried kale (炒芥蘭) was OK. The sauce of the clay pot lettuce looked like fermented tofu (腐乳), so I chose to stay away from this one, too.

Hopefully, my next trip to Sham Tseng for roast goose will yield better results...

original blogpost with pictures: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/2010/02/famous-sham-tseng-roast-goose.html

We went there for dinner last night. Ordered 5 dishes and 1 of them was roast goose. It was pretty good. The staff were friendly and we didn't have to wait for too long which was good.

Will go there again.

Four of us went hiking yesterday afternoon. The sky was overcast and the monsoon wind brushed our faces without mercy. We started from Tsuen Wan and ended in Sham Tseng. All of us were very tired and hungry after 4 hours walking along the trail. When we were walking down the hill to Shum Tseng, a light breeze carried a familiar smell of roasted goose and our salivary glands were stimulated at the same time. We knew that by that time we would have our dinner after 4 hours of our hard work.

Environment: I was too tired and hungry and did not take particular note on its environment. My "vague" impression is that there's enuf lighting and space. The seat was comfortable as well.

Taste: No second thought. It must be the most famous roasted goose. The key to make roasted goose delicious is the timing when it is served. The roasted goose was served at the most appropriate time. It was warm enuf to intensify the stimulation of your sensation in smell as a result of the accelerated vaporization of goose fat. At the same time, it was not too warm for putting the whole slice into your mouth. I was greedy enuf to put a large slice into my big mouth. You don't need to chew the flesh hard. It is quite easily digested.

Service: Very efficient service. The food was served shortly after (around 15 min) we had placed the order.

Price: The price of the set dinner (4 ppl) is $438 plus a litre of free "Mr. Juice". The set dinner includes half roasted goose, broccoli with scallop, a steamed fish, a hot pot with mushroom, small abalone and duck foot and a standard Chinese soup. There's also a 1-litre Mr. Juice for free. Every dollar you pay worths more than a dollar.

Cleanliness: Generally acceptable but I was nearly confused with men and women's washrooms.