This famous restaurant is traditionally known for its roasted goose, but since the dispute of the Kam family which led to the separation of the brothers opening their own restaurants, I have not visited them. Today, I came to Yung Kee to see what has changed over the years.
The décor has a modern and neat design, totally not the type you would expect from a Chinese restaurant that has opened since 1942. Seated at a table at the far end, with windows on the side offering a glimpse on Wellington Street, it is pleasant and comfortable.
We have a combination of the signature dishes plus the seasonal chef’s selection, starting with their famous Signature Charcoal Roasted Goose 正宗炭燒黑鬃鵝 ($300). This normal portion is good for 2-3 people, with the goose not fatty and the meat quite tender. The taste on its own is nothing special, but after adding a bit of plum sauce it is better. I found the skin is not crisp and honestly, I think the quality of its goose has deteriorated, and inferior to Kam’s Roast Goose or the ones in Sham Tseng.
Next, we have Almond and Pig’s Lung Soup 杏汁滋補豬肺湯 ($180 each). The soup has a delicate almond note, with the lungs washed thoroughly so there is no weird taste. There are other ingredients like gingko, pork, and bean curd sheet added too. While it tastes good, it is less delicious than another traditional restaurant Lin Heung Tea House that I recently visited. And in my opinion the soup will be better if it can be served steaming hot.
From the seasonal menu this dish caught my attention. The Stir-fried Frog’s Stomach 皇冠翡翠戲藏龍 ($380) is using the special ingredient - frog’s stomach, which looks like large pearls, with a nice crunchy bite. Together with asparagus, gingko, yellow ear, brown fungus, pine nuts and Tonkin jasmine, it has a nice, delicate taste and is a great dish for summer. After the slight disappointment from the first two courses, this one helps to rescue some marks.
Another dish on the main menu is Braised Garoupa's Belly with Yanmin Sauce 銀棯醬炆鮮斑腩 ($450). Served in a sizzling hot pot, the large grouper flesh is tender and seasoned well, highly fragrant from plenty of shallot and ginger, and not greasy nor does it feel too oily. The yanmin sauce has provided slight acidity to help balance the flavours. Fantastic and this is my favorite one on the night.
We have also Fried Rice with Mini Crab Roe and Ginger 禮雲子薑米炒飯 ($320). Another of my favourites, the fried rice is very nicely cooked, not oily and with each grain distinct, the chef has added the prized mini crab roes, which must have taken meticulous effort to get from the small crabs, to give an amazing umami taste. With some small pieces of chopped ginger and scallions to add fragrance and balance, the portion is good for four bowls, and we basically finished them all in no time.
For dessert, my wife has Red Bean Sweet Soup with Aged Tangerine Peel 遠年陳皮紅豆沙 ($55) while I go for Black Sesame Sweet Soup 生磨綿滑芝麻糊 ($50). Both sweet soups are nice, not too sweet, with good fragrance from quality aged tangerine peel and the grinded sesame respectively.
Service is good, with the staff attentive, but again, as I have shared frequently, should introduce more details to allow the diners to learn and appreciate the dishes more. The bill on the night is $2,172. Overall, still a nice Chinese restaurant but given its fame I believe there are more expectations, and the roasted goose is honestly a bit disappointing.
