HONG KONG FAMOUS YUNG KEE CENTURY EGGS

2 March 2009

YUNG KEE RESTAURANT
32-40 Wellington Street
Central Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2522 1624
www.yungkee.com.hk


During my March trip to Hong Kong, we had to have a dig of Roast Goose and the recommendation was to try Yung Kee famed for its goose but little did we realise that the Century Eggs are the "star" delicacy of the restaurant, the taste that is supremely the best of all century eggs.

Yung Kee is easy to find, being 4minutes away MTR Central Station EXIT 22 but we had a hard find at first having taken the wrong turn and it was the passing police who came to our assistance. Well they were pretty friendly at least.

We were rather early before the shop opens at 11am and yet the queue was already forming outside and obviously they were Asian tourists who like us, simply must try before we head home. The moment the door opened, everyone was rushing in and I noticed that our senior minister Goh Chok Tong had also dined here once, given the pictures of dignitaries that lined the walls.


The roast goose, to me wasnt that fantastic as I have tried before in lesser known places but the accompanying starter dish of CENTURY EGGS with the pickled ginger is simply heavenly. I have never encountered such creamy, bouncy gelatinous translucent egg white, a misnomer, should be black and the greenish-blackish egg yolk slightly runny just like the Japanese precision in executing their version of perfect 6minutes-runny eggs. Ironically the pungent smell which comes from the ammonia (NH3) gave way to a fragrant smell and the soothingly gelatinous egg paired so well with the pinkish pickled ginger and this is the best century egg of "the century", I must admit.



After coming back, I have missed the taste of this special century eggs from Yung Kee and thanks to Cactus, he has brought me a box when he came back from Hong Kong.



Thanks a million, it was superb and the taste is just so remarkably good. I had also shared one egg each with two frens (one who says a bit enuf and end up commenting that it was the darnest best century egg, the star and the next best thing he did was to ask me for the address and another whose sister works in Wan Chai and yet never heard of this; obviously she will have to handcarry back in her next trip).




Next was Holydrummer who had profusely apologised that he delayed sending me a box of the Yung Kee Century Eggs when he too went to Hong Kong and had just delivered to my doorstep over the weekend. Well the point is Century Eggs do bridge friendship too, haha, no worries, it was very thoughtful not only to carry all the way but even if it spoilt, the eggs must have tasted the best.

How are Century Eggs made? Why is it black and why do we continue to enjoy them. Yes we should NOT have too much of it but once in a while enjoying such Chinese delicacy is alright.




Centuries egg are not really century old or you would have stayed away from the more than pungent smell. In fact, it the whole process takes about 30days only as the eggs or soaked in saline water and the pungent smell comes from ammonia which may be emitted. The pickling consists of water, sodium chloride and sodium hydroxide which are boiled and cooled before soaking the eggs therein. These are stored in a cool place for about 10days, the pickled eggs are then rinsed and dried naturally. Then coat the eggs with mud mix with the saline solution and rolled in rice husk and aged in two weeks time.





Simply the best CENTURY EGGS OF THE CENTURY !!