Kam’s Roast Goose 甘牌燒鵝 @ Hong Kong

Singapore has its fair share of sibling rivalry in the F&B world. Here’s the Hong Kong version of sibling rivalry in roast goose.

Roast goose is a must try in Hong Kong, especially when it is not available in Singapore. Kam’s Roast Goose, which earned a Michelin star almost immediately after it opened in 2014, is most certainly one of the most popular and one of the best. And there’s the perennial queue for their roast goose, no kidding, I waited for one whole hour.

The founders of Kam’s are the third generation of the Kams. Mr Kam Shui Fai 甘穗煇 was the founder of the reverent Yung Kee. Established in 1942, Yung Kee is an integral part of Hong Kong’s heritage and culinary landscape and has become an illustrious dining destination for residents and tourists alike. And along the way, the family amassed a fortune, and a Michelin star along the way.

Mr. Kam Kinsen 甘健成, the eldest son, continued to run Yung Kee with Mr Ronald Kwan, the second son. To cut the long story short (you can read the business case study here), the descendants of the two brothers fought in court for control of Yung Kee, nobody won, the company was wounded up, with Ronald owning the brand.

Kinsen’s son, Kevin Kam went on to start Kam’s in 2014, and the rest is history. Not only did they get back the star in the 2015 edition, they have retained it since. By the way, there’s another Kam’s, Jacky Kam 甘焯霖, who is the cousin, started another roast goose restaurant, Kamcentre Roast Goose, with the ex-head chef of Yung Kee, Fung How Tung 馮浩棠.

Central and Wan Chai is Ground Zero for roast goose, with no less than 20 different roast goose stores that can claim to deliver the real deal. The inside of this store is no different from any other roast goose stores in Wan Chai, so they can only win people over by tastes.

Kam’s imports its geese from a very specific region in China. It uses the same techniques, marinades, recipes, and cooking techniques as the ones used at Yung Kee, passed down from Kam’s grandfather. The one difference is that Kam’s uses a gas oven, whereas Yung Kee is still able to use its “grandfathered-in” charcoal oven.

I wanted the “lower“ part 下庄 of the roast goose, but instead got the “upper” part 上庄 instead as they had sold out for this batch. The lower part is the drumstick and thigh and is fattier and darker meat than the upper part, which is mainly breast and wings.

The roast goose at Kam’s has a wonderful aroma that comes from the fatty, roasted skin. The meat was juicy and tender, and came with the subtly sweet plum sauce. While it was not swimming in its own juice, the skin was not as crispy as I would have liked. Kam’s acknowledges that its skin is not as crispy because its focus is on the tender meat flavour.

The suckling pig was crackling and rather hard. As I get order I cannot appreciate such hardness anymore, but it was definitely crispy. Strangely they didn’t provide me with the sweet sauce for the suckling pig.

The back story was that this noodles is boss Kevin’s favourite when he was young, as his grandma would make this for him when he was nosing around the restaurant when he was small. Cooked in goose fat, it has all the flavour you need and comes with a bowl of shrimp stock.

The noodles I had that day was a bit “lum” 冧 (overcooked) and lacked the bite that these types of noodles usually command. Thankfully it also did not have the strong alkaline tastes too. I left the choysum along because they had seen better times.

The place is always packed and the seating arrangement may not necessarily be comfortable. The only positive is that you do not need to share a table with others even if you are dining along. Worth the wait? Only if you have not tried it before.

Kam’s Roast Goose 甘牌燒鵝
226 Hennessy Rd, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
灣仔軒尼詩道226號寶華商業中⼼地下, 香港
Tel : +852 2520 1110

Michelin Hong Kong Guide 1 Star 2015-25