Yat Lok Restaurant (Central) — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

Entirely undeserving of its Michelin star.

The shop may lure a flurry of tourists to try due to their Michelin star and “local” looking interior that make tourists think they are having an authentic Hong Kong experience. But it is far from it.

Before you enter you’re expected to wait in line for an unspecified amount of time. If you go up and ask they will respond loudly with an “I don’t know”. Whilst this behaviour is totally fine normally, I AM VISITING A 1 MICHELIN STAR ESTABLISHMENT! If you want the honour of a Michelin star you better ACT like a Michelin star, or return the star.

So after the unspecified wait time (1 hour), I was ushered into a table that already had a family of four seated at it. These tables are not big, probably could fit 4 grown men at best. So here I am with my partner squished up against a bewildered father that is pressed up against his son who is crushed up against a wall. Sharing tables in Hong Kong is common but this was bordering on cage home levels of sharing. NOT REFLECTIVE OF THEIR 1 MICHELIN STAR!

The goose is good and well made. Tender and flavourful with a good balance of fat and meat. But the praise stops there. They give an insanely small portion. 4-5 bites at best FOR $118hkd ($23USD). The only part of this experience that is somewhat reflective of 1 Michelin star is their prices. I’m all for maximising profits but this is beyond criminal.

Overall, this establishment suffers from a cash grab syndrome. They got their pity Michelin star for being some kind of culturally relevant piece of history and are maximising profits until people catch on that their product is nothing but overpriced garbage.

Skip this place if you’re a tourist, skip it if you’re a local looking for lunch, skip it if you are a Michelin man checking in on the star you blindly handed to them. Only go if you’re having too much fun in life and want to piss yourself off.

Also, Michelin guide if you are reading this: Please stop sending yellow fever reviewers that cream themselves anytime they eat something even slightly “oriental”. I can guarantee you that any local in HK will tell you Yat Lok is not...

BE WARNED: The mixed reviews should have been a red flag, but on the recommendation of a friend, we decided to try this place. Clearly- she had visited on a 5 star day. We wondered later that there was more than one cook and shift of wait staff. I worked in hospitality for many years, so I understand the difference that one crappy cook or manager can make. It seems our visit coincided with the one-star shift.

Our party of three lined up for 10 minutes to get in; not too bad for a much anticipated Michelin star food experience. But we were yelled at on the way in by a grumpy hostess for not moving quickly enough through the narrow entrance way( barely enough room for one person to pass, so we were waiting for some folks to exit. Had to share a table with three strangers, which is not unusual for a busy popular place. Was still looking forward to some great food, though. We each ordered the goose, for which Yat Lok is supposed to be famous, mine was with noodles. All three meals were cold. The noodles were hard, undercooked, and way too salty. The roast goose was the most disappointing: skin was chewy not crispy, my five bony pieces of goose had less than one mouthful of meat combined. We felt pressured to order, eat, and leave as quickly as possible. Indeed, we were in and out in less than 20 minutes. For which we paid over $100HKD each. We will definitely not ever be going back. And I HIGHLY DISCOURAGE trying this place. Risk is not worth the paltry reward. The party of three on the same table as us said the same. Hostess had yelled at them too. Later research shows YLG no longer qualified for the Michelin rating, so they are trading on former glories. I really hope for their sake that they lift their game. But for us -...

Yat Lok: One Michelin Star, But Just One O in “Good”

Ah, Yat Lok—the legendary one Michelin-starred Cantonese BBQ joint in Central Hong Kong. For over a decade, it’s been hailed as one of the cheapest Michelin-starred meals you can get. But does “cheapest” automatically mean “worth it”? I decided to find out by ordering the three-meat combo with rice—roast pork, BBQ pork, and roast goose—to set the standard for all my Hong Kong meals to come.

It was good. Not gooood, just good.

Let’s start with the price. At around $25 USD, I expected to be spiritually moved by these meats. Instead, I was mildly entertained, like watching a movie that’s just okay but gets way too many award nominations. The portion size was… let’s just say, Michelin-starred portions are apparently optimized for people who eat for taste, not survival.

Now, the meats:

BBQ pork (char siu) – A bit dry and not particularly exciting. Maybe it had a long day, maybe I caught it on an off moment. Either way, I wouldn’t write poetry about it.

Roast pork (siu yuk) – The star of the plate! Tender, well-balanced layers of crispy skin, fat, and lean meat. A bite of this and I finally understood why people dream about Cantonese roast pork.

Roast goose – Juicy, slightly gamey, and flavorful, but missing that deep, smoky aroma that would have elevated it. It’s often described as a fattier version of duck, and yeah, I can confirm that’s true.

Final verdict? Would I come back? Sure, but more out of curiosity than devotion. Would I rather explore other roast meat spots in Hong Kong? Absolutely. Yat Lok is good, but it’s also a reminder that not every Michelin star means life-changing food—sometimes, it just means you’re paying a little extra...