Good cha xui (Chinese BBQ Pork) can be difficult to come by, with many being overly fatty, not flavourful enough or excessively dry and with almost every Chinese restaurant serving it in one form or another, chances are you will have a bad experience. Before arriving for my holiday, some of my reading had included some great food bloggers, and I discovered a few great recommendations from Hong Kong local blgger Cha Xiu Bao but unfortunately couldn’t get to every place that had been listed.

The West Villa Restaurant, located in the Cityplaza II mall slightly out on Hong Kong Island from Causeway Bay is pretty easy to get to with the ever efficient MTR. The restaurant is large by Hong Kong standards with my quick calculations estimating it capable of easily holding 200 people. The décor is bright and the tables spacious with a focus being the traditional fishtank holding large fish out back. For a late lunch it was still pretty heaving and filled with families, was a good sign it was a good local.

Although the staff have difficulty speaking English, getting by with the English menu, a bit and a bit of pointing seemed to the do the job and my order for cha xiu in the three different styles including sliced, steamed and baked buns was on its way. As you can tell from the pictures, the sliced version is the best indicator for the quality of the cha xiu in its original form.

The chared edges are a good indicator that it had been cooked with care, the fat not out of proportion with the meat, and the red colouring at least indicating the presence of some marinating instead of simply being basted. Oddly enough, the succulent flesh was not overly sweet, and so they served it in an orange marmalade sauce to which you could overdose on the sugar if you wished.

The steamed and baked bun varieties of the cha xiu did not disappoint at all either. It was the first time in Hong Kong that the cha xiu bao filling had something other than the cha xiu (in this case onions), but they had been cooked well and so only added to the overall sweetness.

The steamed bun dough was superb, and was probably the lightest steamed bun dough that I’d had for quite some time, literally melting in your mouth. The dough was white, sweet and went well with the filling. The baked variety was slightly stranger, combining both the uncommon onion-cha xiu filling with a bun that was topped with the sweet crunchy crust of the “…” buns you commonly find in Chinese bakeries.

After almost overdosing on cha xiu in one sitting, I was still overly satisfied that I had made the extra effort to visit this restaurant. I will say though, that even not being especially close (i.e. walking distance) to any major tourist attractions, the MTR line leading directly into the heart of the mall still makes it especially accessible. The restaurant probably serves mean dim sum, and is a nice atmosphere to dine in, especially if you are after cha xiu.

Details: West Villa Restaurant
Found On: Shop 208, 2nd Floor, Cityplaza II, Taikoo Shing (easily accessible via the MTR)
Contactable On: (852) 2522 1624
Highlights: Fantastic char xiu of especially high quality
The Kua Rating:8 out of 10

In Hong Kong, it is not surprisingly that there is no shortage of Chinese food and the range and variety of the different cuisines and qualities can be overwhelming. I was lucky that I’d had enough chance to do my research and had a few good ideas of where to go to get some decent food.

Yung Kee is one such place that you will no doubt first pop up on any searches for Chinese food in Hong Kong. It is one of Cathay Pacific’s collaborating restaurants for the “Best Chinese Food in the Air Promotion”, and major tourist guidebooks such as the Lonely Planet list this place as highly recommended. The books rate this restaurant most famous for its Roast Goose, many of which you can see simply hanging from its street side windows.

The restaurant itself is lavish, richly decorated in golden paint and bright lights and mirrors giving it a modern and spacious appearance. When you step in, you are welcomed by one, if not two, people who will quickly find out if you have a booking or simply stepped by to sit down. If you are there for dinner or with a large party, I highly suggest that you book in advance to avoid disappointment, but I personally found it easy to slip in for a late lunch at 2pm.

Ordering was trivial, with an English menu and prompt attendants who quickly took my order for Roast Goose and Rice. It comes in both the smaller bowl size, and the larger plate size, but not being particularly hungry I opted for the smaller bowl size that was still very filling and good value at only around HK$50-60. Whilst I waited for my order, I really enjoyed sipping on some tea and watching the bustling crowds coming in and out of the doors. Large families came to visit, but more frequently at this time, many individuals popped in to chat with a friend, and many businessmen just to chow down a quick lunch.

I was extremely pleased when my lunch arrived, the bowl being much larger than I thought it would be, and the chef considerate enough to accompany it with a few stalks of Chinese vegetables. A sweet dipping sauce came with the goose, not that I think it really needed it, especially with the rich dark colour of the skin alluding to the taste that would be unleashed when you put some into your mouth. Yung Kee’s goose, much like any other duck meat, is particularly fatty, but their version is bursting with excellent flavour that is definitely worth spoiling yourself with.

Details: Yung Kee
Found On: 32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Contactable On: (852) 2522 1624
Highlights: Delicious roast goose that was at affordable prices
The Kua Rating:8 out of 10