Sauce for the goose

Having worked in the Eastern district for more than eight years, Walter Kei Hiu-wah knows exactly where to find good food in the area. When the celebrity chef and food columnist shows up in Yue Wan Market in Chai Wan in a simple blue shirt with his signature pair of circular glasses, he spends no time in leading the way to Chan Kee Marinated Goose, where he is warmly welcomed by the wife of the stallholder.

"I think it's the human touch in this market that makes it so special. Chai Wan is a small community. Everyone is so close and friendly, and that's why I like coming here a lot," Kei says.

He has been a regular at Chan Kee Marinated Goose for more than five years, drawn by the special sauces that the stall owners have had on the brew for more than 20 years, which makes the taste concentrated with a hint of pepper and star anise.

The store owners wake up at 4am every morning to prepare the geese, pigs' ears and intestines. They do not count how many pieces they sell, but Kei says the geese are so popular that they usually sell out by about 11am. "The sauce is the soul to the geese. The geese absorb every bit of it, but the texture remains tender," Kei says. "I like to serve the geese [as take away] with wine. They go very well with each other."

After picking up a box of goose meat from Chan Kee, Kei heads for another of his favourite restaurants, Lin & Chuen Kitchen on Shau Kei Wan Main Street East. "I love this place for its originality and simplicity. The chef designs the recipes himself, and the flavours are unique," he says.