Mention the name Yung Kee and most Hong Kong residents will tell you it is a super expensive restaurant in Hong Kong island serving your traditional Cantonese fare. The name might also ring a bell in the last 2 years for being in a family asset court case squabble. There were even rumor that the restaurant will close down and the family assets being split up. Well, I did not follow the case fully as it felt too much like a typical Hong Kong TVB drama series but 2 years has past and the restaurant is still here. One well known fact however is that one of their competitor Kam’s roast which has acquired many Michelin awards is actually owned by Yung Kee’s founder’s son.
If you choose to come over during dinner times, be prepared to wait especially during weekends. No doubt the restaurant is not considered cheap, there are still many families in Hong Kong choosing to come here for family dinners, gathering or celebrations. The usual wait during peak hours is around 30 mins to 1 hour.
The interior of the restaurant is typical of a Cantonese restaurant with dragon and phoenix pillars and golden embellishments all over the restaurant. The restaurant itself has seating halls over 3 floors and all are lighted up in orange hues and red carpets
At the front of the restaurant on the first floor, you will be able to see a semi opened kitchen where the chefs work hard at chopping their famous goose to feed endless order from the guests.
The first floor itself has minimal open seating and houses a few private rooms. There is also a counter where customers can buy some of their dried goods which are equally famous.
Some of the items which is worth the trouble lugging back is the cured sausages and meats especially the cured goose liver sausage which is fantastic on it’s own or steamed together with plain rice. You can even have it as a accompaniment to whiskey just like cured bacon. You can also buy home the century egg to eat as a snack at home.
The roast goose here is very succulent and juicy as well and comes with a red bean and peanut sauce. Personally, I felt that the sauce did not complement the meat of the goose and the natural taste of the goose felt short.
We ordered the roast piglet which is a popular dish for the Cantonese during wedding or celebratory dinners. The roast pig was very well done with very crispy skin and a thin layer of fats and succulent meat.
The century egg here is equally runny in the center and as good as the ones at Kam’s roast.
The mushroom with vegetables were done very well at least it catered very well to my palate. The flavours were on point and matches extremely well with rice. The vegetables were blanched nicely and not too over cooked.
Overall, Yung Kee is a fine Cantonese restaurant serving very good dishes to the general consumer. Some might find the roast goose very good although personally I liked the one at Kam’s roast much better. The price is on the high side so a dinner here for 2 person can set you back to SGD 150 to SGD 200. We had wanted to order a lot more food but the server refused to let us order anymore as he told us from experience the dishes will be sufficient. He was indeed right as we were stuffed when we finished our dishes.
Address: 32-40號 Wellington St, Central, Hong Kong
Operating hours: 11 am to 11.30 pm
Nearest Station: Central MTR Exit D2
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