At this show-stopping Cantonese restaurant, four floors of dining rooms heave with 1,000 diners every lunch and dinner. Make a reservation or be prepared to join the throng and wait in line. There’s a real buzz in the atmosphere with locals, expats and tourists alike crowding in. The retro décor isn’t going to win any awards, but Yung Kee is clean, polished and pleasant. Private rooms on the fourth floor afford solitude to those eager to indulge behind closed doors.

There’s a reason why the famed and the fortuned all come here, from George W Bush to Ferran Adria, Angelina Jolie to Hu Jintao: everyone wants a piece of that lovingly roasted goose. Our serving of goose had a glossy shine to the skin which was fragrant and had a light chew to it, and the gamey meat was unctuous, tender and incredibly rich. Another house special is century egg- a dark brown jelly cradling the oozing sticky yolk, paired with zingy pickled ginger. A simple yet polarising dish, Yung Kee’s century egg is one of the best. Steamed garoupa had a sweet, almost translucent flesh and was flattered by the texture and savoury tones of Chinese Ham. Yung Kee’s succulent and perfectly glazed barbecue pork is another knockout. The menu is expansive with the first seven pages dedicated to award winning dishes, followed by crowd pleasing Cantonese classics. It caters well to smaller parties, even tables for two, which is unusual for a Chinese restaurant. Diners can choose to dine like an emperor on more luxury Chinese fare including abalone, bird’s nest and hairy crab, as well as simple comfort foods, such as noodles, roasted meats with rice, which are offered as takeaway dishes as well.

The list is extensive, up to date and well-priced, with house wines going for HK$50 a glass. The French wine selection is impressive, ensuring that those who want to celebrate are lubricated in style. A well-edited New World wine selection is also on offer.

The dishes arrive Chinese style, that is, as the kitchen prepares them. The manager is helpful and the service is efficient and attentive.

A hearty meal with five or six dishes, including a couple of Yung Kee’s signature dishes costs about HK$450 per person.