Lung Wah Hotel, Hong Kong
Address: 22 Ha Wo Che Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
The restaurant at Lung Wah Hotel is famous for its roast pigeon. From their website: "Please note: Lung Wah Hotel’s pigeon dishes is the best and famous among all. It looks good as well as the taste, but also nutritious. There was also this praise 'you did not visit Hong Kong if you have not tried the Lung Wah pigeons.'
Roast goose for lunch ... roast pigeon for dinner! A brilliant idea.. So I took the East Rail from Tsim Sha Tsui East MTR station, connected by a lengthy walkway to Tsim Sha Tsui station, past Sheung Shui, Fanling, Tai Po stations until I arrived at Sha Tin station. From there caught a taxi 15 minutes to the Lung Wah Hotel carpark.
From the carpark there is an overpass (over the rail line) with steps down to the foot of Lung Wah Hotel where I encountered this Chinese gate straight out of some 1980's Kung Fu movie. In fact, according to the Hotel, Bruce Lee stayed here while filming the movie "The Big Boss".
Straight to the main course: no nonsense 18-day old roast pigeon.
This bird is quite tasty. Biting through the crackling skin and munching on the succulent meat is a lesson in culinary skill. Pigeon tastes neither like chicken, turkey or goose. No wonder so many people like this meal - it is certainly unique.
Another unique gastronomic entity: pigeon eggs. Has one really lived until one has eaten pigeon eggs?
With a full stomach and a light heart, I dawdled my way out the Hotel, down the steps, past the gate and toward the nearest train station. Keeping me company was this neon sign, proclaiming to one and all that here in all its storied glory sits the famous Lung Wah Hotel.