Sunday, February 27, 2011

Hong Kong Roast Goose

 Roast Goose in North Point
 Roast Goose in Fairwood
 The Best - Fairwood
 Showing my admiration for "mi amore" - Fairwood Roast Goose
North Point Roast Goose Take Out
 High End Roast Goose from Yun Kee at Central


My trips in Hong Kong usually only has two objectives. Shop and eat Roast Goose.  For anyone who has tried Roast Goose, it's one of the culinary treasures oft the world!! The crispy lacquered skin , soft flavorful flesh,  and the rice topped with the drippings is orgasmic!!


Roast Goose is different from Roast Duck and Peking Duck. Roast Goose is bigger. It's a totally different specie. It's also cheaper. Historically, roast goose is more commonly seen in Hong Kong and Guangdong or in western terms Cantonese cuisine. This is the cuisine that we commonly associate with Chinese food. Roast Goose is also cooked similarly to Peking Duck but roast goose only has a spice rub in the cavity. The cavity is not sewn and sealed. Then it is chopped into pieces when served. Placed on top of rice with a "kaylan 'then the drippings of the duck is poured over. The best rice topping meal in history!!

Roast Duck or Peking Duck is a Beijing or Northern Chinese specialty. It is roasted the same as a Roast Goose but the preparation is different. The Peking Duck is more tediously prepared. The cavity is inserted with a mix of different herbs and spices and sewn up. The skin is "blown"...or a tube is inserted beneath the skin so that air is blown and the skin separates from the meat.  Then the Peking Duck is air dried. This results in a crispier skin. Then is served sliced with pancakes, hoi shin and leeks.

I can never imagine a trip to Hong Kong without eating roast goose. A couple of years ago when they had the SARS scare and the Bird Flu scare they banned the sale of poultry or anything edible that had feathers. I used to go to Hong Kong with my family almost every year. During the poultry ban not once did me and my family consider going to Hong Kong. A trip to Hong Kong without Roast Goose is a trip not worth taking. No Roast Goose...No way!!!

Recently, the ban has been lifted and going back to Hong Kong is now desirable. On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I swore to make it a Roast Goose food expedition. To find the best Roast Goose!! In a four day stay in Hong Kong I had Roast Goose eight times. Thats eight meals in a 12 meal period. The only time I didn't have goose was during breakfast.

Here are the ones worth mentioning:

http://www.hungrygowhere.com/hongkong/guangdong_barbecue_restaurant/
Firstly, I tried the Guangdong Roast Goose Restaurant near Hankow Street at the Tsim Sha Tsui area. It's usually the first Roast goose restaurant that tourists go to when they arrive in the area. It's good. It's a good first roast goose restaurant to wet you roast goose appetite. It's great but not really the best. The quality is better than the other street side roast duck or BBQ restaurants you find all over Tsim Sha Tsui up to the Mong Kok area.

Second, there's  a roast goose haven in North Point in the Hong Kong area. it's in the middle of causeway Bay and Central. Once you get up the MTR exit, you'll see the rows and rows of the BBQ stand. They dont usually serve it with rice. Great with take out and bringing home as pasalubongs. I don't really recommend it bringing home   Roast Goose to Manila. I just really feel the Roast Goose is best eaten with the hot rice and the drippings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairwood_%28restaurant%29
Thirdly, there's Fairwood. Fairwood is my personal favorite Roast Goose restaurant. I've eaten there several times and I've always been extremely happy with my "BBQ Roast Goose Breast Part please..." meal. Fairwood is a fast food chain in Hong Kong but I usually frequent the one in Central. The Roast Goose is usually new, the skin is cripsy and the meat very tender and tasty. The rice is also very good. The rice in itself is a meal. Great texture and really good taste. Something about Hong Kong rice that we Filipinos can't imitate. Fairwood Roast Goose is great value for money and surprisingly very good quality. 


http://www.yungkee.com.hk/history/history-e.html
Finally, there's Yun Kee Roast Goose Restaurant. It's the Michelin Star Roast Goose restaurant that's famous all over the world. Their specialty is Roast Goose for 80 years now. It's a high end chinese restaurant that also commands high prices. Very costly but the Roast Goose is hmmm....ok. For such a high price, you can get better or at par Roast Goose for a fraction of the price. I also don't like the fatty liquid that they pour over the Roast goose. It softens the skin and makes it "umay" or very rich.

Personally, I love the Fairwood Roast Goose best. The give better value at such a high quality. The generous portions, the nice cripy skin and also the great texture of the meat is really exceptional. Plus, they have a branch at the airport for a "spend the last traces of the HKG $" before going home meal!! Best despidida for yourself!!


1 comment:

  1. I went to Fairwood last weekend because I read your blog, and they didn't have any goose and didn't appear to sell any usually???

    ReplyDelete