Yat Lok

Yat Lok is a small Cantonese roast meat shop on Stanley Street in Central that has built a reputation far beyond its size. It was founded in 1957, and the Chu family has been roasting meat for more than 60 years. The restaurant has been at its current address in Conwell House since 2011 and holds one Michelin star in the 2026 Michelin Guide Hong Kong.

Roast goose is the speciality. The birds are marinated with a secret recipe and go through more than 20 preparation steps before they are chargrilled. Goose is sold by the quarter, and a popular way to eat it is with lai fun, thick rice noodles, in a clear broth, which makes a filling one-bowl lunch. If you are sharing, order a quarter goose alongside the other roasts recommended by the Michelin inspectors: char siu, roast pork belly and soy-marinated chicken.

The shop is open daily from 10am to 8.30pm. Turnover is quick, and it can be busy at lunchtime when nearby offices empty, so arriving at opening or in the mid-afternoon is the easiest way to avoid a wait. Credit cards are not accepted, so bring cash or check other payment options before you go. Bookings are handled by the restaurant directly. Prices are moderate, especially for a Michelin-starred meal.

Yat Lok suits solo travellers, couples and small groups who want an authentic plate of Hong Kong roast goose. A meal here rarely needs to be long, so it fits easily between sights, and a bowl of goose with lai fun is a good choice if you are eating alone and want to try the speciality without ordering a large plate.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board also features the restaurant, noting that the family has run its meat-roasting business for more than six decades, which shows how closely the name is tied to the city's roast meat tradition.

Stanley Street is in the heart of Central, a short walk from Wellington Street, where Mak's Noodle serves wonton noodles. It is worth comparing Yat Lok with Kam's Roast Goose in Wan Chai, another family-run roast goose specialist, if you have time for two roast meat meals during your stay. Afterwards, Tai Kwun on Hollywood Road is nearby for an afternoon of heritage buildings and galleries.