Talk about Roast Goose in Hong Kong and everyone would think of the usual names—Kam’s Roast Goose, Yat Lok Roast Goose, Yung Kee Restaurant etc.

But Joy Hing’s Roasted Meat is hardly at the top of mind. It is a shame because this humble eatery in Wanchai actually has one of the best roast geese in Hong Kong. And the service isn’t as atrocious as that of Yat Lok’s.

A meal at Joy Hing always pleases and it is one pit stop we’d always make in Hong Kong for an affordable and very heavenly roast goose.

Tucked away in Wanchai, Joy Hing’s Roasted Meat is a Cantonese roast stall that serves excellent roast meats—char siew, roast duck, roast goose, soya chicken and the likes.

There is nothing fanciful about this place; just your typical Hong Kong-style ”rundown” eatery with tables and chairs that are all cramped up so there is barely space to move. But hey, that’s quintessentially Hong Kong, right?

We still love a meal at Joy Hing; we always do. It has one of the most affordable prices in Hong Kong; a plate of roast goose rice is HK$47 while half a roast goose will only set you back by HK$220.

The beautiful poultry is roasted to produce a shiny, crisp skin; the inside is very tender and very fatty. Dip it into the homemade sweet plum sauce for an explosion of flavours in your mouth.

The most common order of Joy Hing’s Roasted Meat is the Three-Treasure Rice (HK$25) which comprises soya sauce, roasted duck and char siew atop steamed white rice. Three types of glorious meats all on one plate; that is sheer enjoyment.

You’d be happy to know that the staff at Joy Hing’s Roasted Meat are (mostly) friendly. You wouldn’t be subjected to verbal abuse and all that shouting like you would at the other (in)famous eateries.

Joy Hing’s Roasted Meat
265-267 Hennessy Rd,
Chong Hing Building,
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2519 6639
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 10am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Causeway Bay

Kam’s Roast Goose – famous roast goose restaurant from Hong Kong – is opening in Singapore at Pacific Plaza this October.

First, it was the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant Tim Ho Wan. Then it was followed by many popular Hong Kong restaurants and eateries including Mak’s Noodle, Honolulu Cafe andTai Cheong Bakery. Very soon, Singaporeans can look forward to the opening of another reputable Hong Kong establishment.

This time round, it is none other than the popular Kam’s Roast Goose – one of the best roast goose restaurants in Hong Kong – and saying that we are excited would actually be an understatement.

It is evident that every foodie in Singapore can already hardly contain their excitement – and we are no exception. After all, Kam’s had always been one of our favourite Hong Kong restaurants. We are glad that we no longer have to fly abroad just to satisfy our roast goose cravings.

Kam’s Roast Goose Restaurant is actually founded by one of Yung Kee’s grandsons. For those not in the know, Yung Kee is a household establishment in Hong Kong renowned for its internationally acclaimed roast goose.

Politics aside, we have actually always been very impressed by the consistent mouthwatering roasts served at Kam’s Roast Goose Restaurant. Our numerous trips to Hong Kong over the past years have granted us the opportunity to dine at both and honestly speaking, we have to admit that it is the succulent roast meat at Kam’s Roast Goose Restaurant that we prefer.

Kam’s Roast Goose Restaurant had effortlessly won the hearts of its patrons and even gained the recognition of the prestigious Michelin guide. Despite gaining a Michelin star, the eatery remains unpretentious and continues serving one of the best roast goose one would ever have. It seems like founder Hardy Kam Shun-yuen is really continuing his grandfather’s legacy.

In the meantime, we can only cross our fingers and hope that Kam’s Roast Goose Restaurant in Singapore would be as divine as the delicious food served in their flagship store in Hong Kong.

The plot twist now? That they may not serve roast goose just yet. Mr Robert Chua, the man who is bringing Kam’s Roast Goose, says that they are still trying to find a reliable goose supplier, and if they cannot find one in time for the restaurant’s opening, they will serve roast duck instead.

It was originally reported that Kam’s Roast Goose was slated to open in end 2015, but because they couldn’t find a supplier, the opening was postponed. Now that they are finally opening on the street level of Pacific Plaza (which can sit up to 80 people), we can only hope the issue of roast goose will be resolved.

Otherwise, Mr Chua’s team has been working on making roast ducks taste “almost like roast goose”, and that they have conducted several blind taste tests among Hong Kongers as well as Singaporeans living in Hong Kong – of which many “cannot tell the difference”, he said.

We are hoping to see them bring in the signature Prince Kinsen Noodles too. We cannot wait for the opening of Kam’s Roast Goose in Singapore!

Kam’s Roast Goose
Pacific Plaza
9 Scotts Road
Singapore 228210
Nearest Station: Orchard

Singaporeans love to eat. We really do. In fact, stories of Singaporeans travelling across international borders just for food is extremely common. We, too, live by the motto of “will travel for food”.

And Hong Kong is one of the preferred destinations amongst Singaporeans for the F&B scene in the city is outstanding to say the least. They have amazing trends, sexy places, and food that are nothing short of interesting.

Over the past years, we have seen several openings of successful Hong Kong food establishments right in Singapore; many more to come, because here in Singapore, we are always up for great food.

From Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan to the famous Tai Cheong Bakery, here are 10 Popular Food Brands From Hong Kong That Have Opened or Are Opening Soon In Singapore.

#1 HONEYMOON DESSERTS

Honeymoon Desserts first started in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, before expanding at full force. Today, there are 400 outlets worldwide and the chainstore has successfully brought a slice of Hong Kong’s dessert culture into Singapore.

Customers can expect a plethora of tantalising Hong Kong-style desserts such as mango pudding, glutinous rice balls and snow fungus soup.

Various locations

#2 HONOLULU CAFE

Hong Kong’s famous cha chaan teng Honolulu Cafe is opening in Singapore! Famous for its egg tarts with flaky pastry, it will open a 1,500 sq ft restaurant with 50 seats at The CentrePoint in Orchard Road this April. We will go out on a limb to say that Honolulu Cafe has the best egg tarts in Hong Kong.

#3 JENNY BAKERY

Jenny Bakery is renowned for their freshly baked delicious butter cookies and iconic teddy bear tin boxes. With its existing legion of fans, Jenny Bakery has chosen to open its shop in the heartlands of Ang Mo Kio instead.

422 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3
#01-253/4
Singapore 560422
Tel: +65 9235 7320
Mon: Closed
Tue to Sat: 11am – 8pm
Sun: 12pm – 6pm

#4 KAM’S ROAST GOOSE

Despite its glorious Michelin star status, Kam’s Roast Goose restaurant remains unpretentious and continues to serve one of the best roast goose one would ever have in his or her lifetime.

Kam’s Roast Goose is set to open an eatery in Singapore during the first quarter of 2016, but both the exact opening date and location remain unknown to the public. We can’t wait already!

Read: Guide to Hong Kong’s Best Roast Goose Restaurants.

#5 MAK’S NOODLE

Mak’s Noodle is a household name amongst Hong Kong natives and even foreigners; where it made a special appearance on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations TV Series.

The world-famous restaurant opened an outlet in Singapore in July this year, where Wellington Street’s 70-year-old head chef has relocated to Singapore to oversee the kitchen for the next two years. It is their first overseas outpost.

176 Orchard Road
The Centrepoint, #01-63/64
Singapore 238843
Tel: +65 6235 5778
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

#6 MR RICH BAKERY

Mr Rich Bakery’s unbelievably fluffy Butter, Coffee Almond, Choco-Marshmallow and Matcha Latte cookies are currently up for grabs at its officially appointed distributor Asia Food Mart’s retail space at TripleOne Somerset.

The good news is that the beloved butter cookie brand from Hong Kong is currently looking for a location in Singapore and will be opening its first flagship retail shop by the start of the second quarter of 2016.

111 Somerset Road
#02-04, Asia Food Mart
Singapore 238164
Nearest Station: Somerset

#7 TAI CHEONG BAKERY

Founded in 1954, Tai Cheong Bakery is a perennial favourite amongst native Hongkongers, expats and even tourists. After serving their irresistibly tasty egg tarts for over half a century, the Hong Kong-based establishment has decided to open a shop in Singapore; they sure know we Singaporeans love them. We can, too, expect Bo Lo Bao and other Cha Chaan Teng dishes etc.

Location to be confirmed

#8 THE BUTCHER’S CLUB

The Butcher’s Club was only founded in 2013, but has already quickly gained the recognition of locals and expats alike for being Hong Kong’s best burger joint. The Butcher’s Club opened its first restaurant in Singapore at Clarke Quay in October 2015.

With an emphasis of introducing dry-aged premium beef from Australia, diners are in some really mean burgers. We highly recommend their Red-Eye Reduction Burger (S$28+).

3A River Valley Road
#01-01B, Block A, Clarke Quay
Singapore 179020
Tel: +65 6837 0675
Sun to Tue: 12pm – 12am
Wed and Thu: 12pm – 2am
Fri and Sat: 12pm – 3am
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

#9 THE COFFEE ACADEMICS

Voted by CNNGo and Vogue as one of the best coffee shops in the world, The Coffee Academics is truly the go-to place for your caffeine fix. The cafe takes up 3000 sq ft and sits within OnPedder at Scotts on level 2.

Read: Guide to Hong Kong’s Best Cafes & Coffee Shops.

Lvl 2 Scotts Square
6 Scotts Road
Singapore 228209
Daily: 10am – 4pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

#10 TIM HO WAN

Tim Ho Wan was a hole-in-the-wall Hong Kong eatery that defied all odds and caught the attention of Michelin inspectors.

Today, the one-Michelin-star restaurant has several outlets across Singapore and we are glad that there is even one at Aperia Mall that opens round the clock! Do not go to Tim Ho Wan without ordering their signature Baked Bun with Barbecue Pork.

Read: Guide to Hong Kong’s Best Dim Sum Restaurants.

#01-29 Plaza Singapura
The Atrium @ Orchard
68 Orchard Road
Tel: +65 6251 2000
Nearest Station: Dhoby Ghaut

For more recommendations, read our guide to the best places in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s legendary Yung Kee Roast Goose Restaurant is set to close after the descendants failed to reach an agreement.

Back in November, Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal released a statement announcing that Yung Kee might possibly be wound up. On Wednesday (16 December 2015), the city’s highest court rejected a request – by Ronald Kam, one of the sons of the restaurant’s founder - to extend a liquidation deadline which was set to expire.

For those who are not familiar with Yung Kee’s long-running family dispute, the death of Yung Kee’s founder Kam Shui-fai in 2004 sparked a bitter war between the heirs Kinsen Kam Kwan-sing and Ronald Kam Kwan-lai. Ronald owned 55% of the overall shares while Kinsen possessed the remaining 45%.  Things escalated quickly when Ronald implemented changes to Yung Kee Holdings Limited’s board of directors, where Kinsen had been excluded in the management despite holding 45% of the shares.

Read: Kam’s Roast Goose Restaurant – By Hardy Kam, the grandson Yung Kee’s Founder.

Kinsen had simultaneously offered to buy out Ronald’s shares or to sell his shares, but neither happened. Kinsen then took it to court in 2010 to file for a petition against Ronald. – which led us to the current court liquidation order.

It was reported that the late Kinsen’s family – who applied for the court liquidation order – demanded HK$1.3 billion for their 45% stake in Yung Kee. However, Ronald was only willing to pay HK$1.1 billion in cash and almost HK$100 million worth of assets. Who would have thought that the difference would eventually lead to the downfall of Yung Kee!

A liquidator will take over the holding company to find buyers for its assets, including the iconic roast goose restaurant and the Yung Kee building in the Central district.

Fans of Yung Kee Roast Goose, however, do not have to worry that Yung Kee Restaurant will be gone immediately. It is said that the liquidation process will take months, if not years, and as a subsidiary of Yung Kee’s holding company, the restaurant can continue its daily operations.

Read: 6 Best Roast Goose Restaurants in Hong Kong.

Everyone in Hong Kong knows Yung Kee Goose Restaurant for two reasons – their delicious roast meats and its ongoing family feud. The infamous fight over the restaurant’s ownership had reached a dramatic climax when the Court of Final Appeal released a statement announcing that Yung Kee might possibly be wound up. The fate of Yung Kee will be sealed in 26 days and only an agreement amongst the descendants can prevent it from being auctioned.

Founder Kam Shui-fai built the restaurant empire from scratch and converted a humble eatery to a billion-dollar establishment. Today, the 73-year-old restaurant’s worth is estimated at HK$1.5 billion.

Unfortunately, the death of Shui-fai in 2004 soon triggered a bitter war between the heirs Kinsen Kam Kwan-sing and Ronald Kam Kwan-lai. The biological brothers have been involved in a series of high-profile court cases over the dispute of shares.

The family-owned business has been in spotlight for many years and the turbulent politics were eventually sparked off by the imbalance possession of shares. Both brothers Kinsen and Ronald initially inherited 35% each of Yung Kee’s shares.

Kinsen’s mother, Mak Siu-Chun, had given Kinsen her 10%, while Ronald purchased the other 20% from his younger siblings. As a result, Ronald owned 55% of the overall shares while Kinsen possessed the remaining 45%.

Photo source: WiNG

Who would have thought that the 10% difference of shares could result in fallout of the entire Kam family! Things escalated quickly when Ronald implemented changes to Yung Kee Holdings Limited’s board of directors, where Kinsen had been unfairly excluded in the management.

Kinsen had simultaneously offered to buy out Ronald’s shares or sell his shares, but neither happened. Kinsen then took it to court in 2010 to file for a petition against Ronald.

Kinsen’s petition in 2010 to force Ronald to buy his shares or have Yung Kee wound up was unsuccessful, as the court had no jurisdiction to take such orders. Kinsen passed away in 2012 in the midst of the lawsuit, and the ordeal spurred his sons – Hardy and Kevin – to severe ties with Ronald’s family.

Hardy and Kevin went on to open their own eateries – Kam’s Roast Goose and Kam’s Restaurant – while their mother, Leung Sui-kwan had decided to not let the matter rest. This time, her appeal was a success.

Yung Kee will be automatically placed under a wind-up process if neither parties can come to a solution – whereby one side will have to buy out the other. Even the Kam family’s third generation are involved in this dramatic episode and both sides have spoken up about the long battle. Ronald’s son had proclaimed that they “have given [Kinsen's family] an offer” but were rejected. That statement was then rebutted by Hardy who said, “they didn’t give us a price”.

Torn apart by money and power, communication breakdown and accumulated discontentment are evident in the estranged family. Shui-fai’s mother had even allegedly blamed Ronald as being the cause of Kinsen’s passing.

For better or for worse, the long battle over the ownership of Yung Kee restaurant might soon end in a month’s time, but at a hefty price of having the family company placed on auction by the appointed liquidator.

However, even if a winding-up order is in progress, Yung Kee’s daily operations will not be interrupted.

Read: Kam’s Roast Goose (by Hardy Kam) is better than Yung Kee Roast Goose Restaurant.

So everyone associates Yung Kee with the best roast goose in Hong Kong. But do you know about Kam’s Roast Goose at Hennesy Road in Wan Chai?

Said to be the up and coming brand, Kam’s Roast Goose is actually owned by the Kam family too! We will get back to this story in a bit, because more importantly, we have heard so much about how Kam’s Roast Goose is way better than Yung Kee.

Of course, we had to make a trip down to develop our own conclusion. So, is Kam’s Roast Goose really better than internationally acclaimed Yung Kee’s?

If you are still confused, the Kam family started off with Yung Kee. Their reputation is built on decades of accolades and positive media coverages, but as with many other successors’ family politics, the Kam family had their own family drama, with the founder, Kam Shui Fai’s sons – Kinsen Kam Kwan-sing and Ronald Kam Kwan-lai - getting into disputes about the business and eventually leading to falling out.

Hardy Kam Shun-yuen, the son of the Kinsen Kam, then started Kam’s Roast Goose to continue his father’s legacy, and though Kam’s Roast Goose has only been in operations for slightly past a year, it has earned its 1-Michelin Star already.

Now, the difference between Kam’s Roast Goose and Yung Kee is glaring. The former is a small, simple and unpretentious outlet that sits not more than fifty, and has a concise menu that focuses on its roasts; the latter is now a multi-level restaurant that sits on the prime Wellington Street, with a full menu of Cantonese dishes on top of the regular roasts. And sure, their roast goose is good.

But Kam’s Roast Goose is no less fatty, juicy and fragrant; even better with the subtly sweet plum sauce! A regular portion costs HK$135, and needless to say, we finished the portion in the blink of an eye.

We tried the Char Siew (HK$55) as well, but this disappointed us quite a bit. Not too sure about you, but to us, a plate of heavenly char siew has to be chewy and juicy with a good ratio of fats, while boasting a slightly charred skin. But the ones here are Kam’s looked lacklustre and tasted mediocre. It could fundamentally do with more sweetness and oil.

What you really have to do when dining at Kam’s is to ditch the white rice, and go straight for the Prince Kinsen Noodles (HK$35). The price tag might set you back a bit, but know that you are in for a real treat. The plate of unassuming noodles is not your regular Hong Kong-style noodles.

Instead, look forward to a surprising braised flavour, because your egg noodles are cooked al dente, then tossed in the essence of a roast goose drumstick’s – its prized oil and juice. Forget about being healthy for now, and just enjoy the signature Prince Kaisen Noodles with their famous roast goose.

And back to the poultry. Here’s the million dollar question – does Kam’s Roast Goose really roast better geese? There are many versions of the verdicts, and we do think Kam’s is the winner. The overall experience of dining at the small outlet is more pleasant as well, with the staff being more hospitable and helpful with your questions and requests.

Nothing unnecessarily pretentious about dining at Kam’s; just sheer satisfaction from savouring the classic Hong Kong roasts. And yes, Prince Kinsen’s Noodles. Damn, we’ve got cravings again.

Kam’s Roast Goose
226 Hennessy Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2520 1110
Nearest Station: Wan Chai