KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 — There are few sights in this life more tempting than a bird bronzed to perfection, and among poultry’s noble ranks, the roast goose sits on the throne.
In KL, chicken and duck are the everymen of the table, reliable and familiar. But goose? Goose is tantalising, sultry, and impossible to resist.
It is the Jessica Rabbit of poultry, a sex symbol for roasted birds if ever there was one, standing as the very pinnacle of crisp-skinned indulgence.
It’s always been possible to find decent — even good — roast goose in KL, if you know where to look or are willing to fork out for it.
But the newly-opened Hong Kong Roasted Goose King in Pavilion Damansara Heights takes the searching out of the equation (though not, unfortunately, the cost).
They’re the ‘king’, but you can’t even see the geese from outside.
Conveniently located on the first floor, right next to The Food Merchant Prelude, it offers temptation in plain sight.
Well, not quite. For a place that prides itself on roast goose, they’re awfully coy with the actual prize.
Out front, there’s little more than plain signage and a few buntings promoting the opening, with a picture of the goose that hints at the real thing the way a pinup poster might.
Beautiful specimens hanging at the window.
You have to actually look inside — and when you do, and see those magnificent specimens hanging in the window, glistening with their perfect, golden skin, it’s impossible not to feel the pull. They’re practically purring at you.
These birds (flown in from China) are roasted over an open flame, a deliberate choice by the sifu, a Malaysian who spent decades in Hong Kong mastering the art.
According to a feature in Nanyang Siang Pau, he began in 1976 at the now-closed Lung Fung Tea House in Mong Kok, Kowloon, a place famed for its roast goose lai fun, a true Hong Kong classic.
The sheen afforded by the goose fat allows the skin to glisten under the light.
We ordered half a goose (RM178), and it arrived looking every bit the prize it promised to be. For that price, it had better impress.
I sank my teeth into that lacquer-like skin, and the first thing that hit was the fat — a luscious, indecent mess. It splashed across my tongue, coated my lips, dribbled down my chin.
The plum sauce felt like an afterthought next to all that juicy decadence, though the sliced cucumber and braised peanuts made for a nice reset between bites of rich, savoury goose.
There’s no guilt here; only pleasure remains.
The soy-sauce chicken here carries a strong note of Chinese rose wine.
Not content with just goose, we moved on to the soy-sauce chicken, which came highly recommended by the manager, one Mr Kar Fai (Tong, not Leung), on account of the Chinese rose wine used, flown in from Hong Kong no less.
In fact, the backers of the restaurant seem to have spared little expense in importing a slice of Hong Kong, with everything from the ovens to the century eggs brought in.
As a result, half a chicken (RM58) costs a pretty penny, and while its delicate savoury depth made for a deft contrast to the richness of the goose, the sweetness might be a little much for some.
‘Char siew’ here is true to Hong Kong style.
The char siew (RM30), on the other hand, was less convincing. It wasn’t bad, but it lacked the deep caramelisation and yielding tenderness that makes Malaysian char siew so much better in comparison.
Yes, hot take: I think the best places in Malaysia roast char siew, and siew yoke for that matter, better than Hong Kong.
Our version leans darker, stickier, almost melting into each bite. True to the Hong Kong style, this one felt a little too polite by comparison.
A far more satisfying dish was the steamed minced pork with preserved vegetable (RM26.80). Hand-minced with a cleaver rather than ground by machine, the rustic texture of the pork was so springy it practically snapped back with every bite.
It doesn’t look like much, but the steamed minced pork with preserved vegetable is an excellent dish.
The mui choy, also specially flown in from — you guessed it, Hong Kong — was crunchy and sweet, adding a lovely contrast.
When it comes to carbs, the options don’t disappoint. There’s the smooth, velvety porridge, milky white and proper Cantonese style. Or the springy wanton noodles, a solid choice if you want something more substantial.
But with the prices here, you’re better off ordering a single portion of roast goose with rice for RM32.80. It was the most popular choice across tables both times I visited.
You don’t choose which part of the goose you get, but with that moist, fatty bird, it doesn’t matter. It’s excellent either way, and you’ll be happy to sample her highness.
Oh, and don’t leave without getting either the red bean or green bean with tangerine peel (RM12) dessert.
They’re hearty and, most importantly, not too sweet, with the citrusy hit from the peel rounding it out perfectly. It doesn’t get more Hong Kong than that.
烧鹅大王 Hong Kong Roasted Goose King
Lot 1.17.00, Level 1,
Pavilion Damansara Heights,
Damansara Town Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Open daily, 11am-9.30pm
Tel: 010-286 8632
Facebook: Hong Kong Roasted Goose King
Instagram: @hkroastedgooseking
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and mildly self-deprecating attempts at humour.
