Pigeon’s Tale of Flavour

Nutritious, tender and uniquely fragrant. The pigeon is well-loved by Cantonese people with an old saying “one pigeon is better than nine chickens.”, meaning the nutrients of one pigeon are equivalent to nine chickens. The crisp and juicy Roasted Pigeon is one of YUE’s classic signature dishes in Hong Kong. 

Acclaimed for traditional Cantonese fare with a contemporary twist, Chinese Executive Chef Jacky Chung at YUE gleans inspirations from classic dishes and reinterprets them using meticulously sourced pigeon and Cantonese culinary artistry in creative ways. A Pigeon’s Tale of Flavour includes 11 dishes to celebrate the popular poultry, available during dinner period.

A devoted pigeon connoisseur, Chef Jacky has always been fascinated by the humble poultry. He studied the bird for years, wrote a dissertation exceeding 10,000 words and even went for an extra mile to ask the pigeon farm to feed a certain diet to the birds to ensure the quality and the weight of the birds meet his standard. The breed “White Jade Pigeon”, Chef Jacky’s pick, has a balanced meat and fat content, even the bones are aromatic, which lend layers of flavors and depth to each dish. 

Chef Jacky uses four kinds of pigeons at different weights and age – “King of Pigeon”, “Top Pigeon”, “Big Pigeon” and “Big Squab” for all 11 dishes, as their flavours differ need to be brought out with the right cooking method.  

As its name has suggested, King of Pigeon is the oldest and has the most profound yet tougher meat, which is ideal to be cooked longer to break down the texture and release the flavors. Lo Hei with Simmered Pigeon in Soy Sauce has refreshing pomelo, julienned preserved turnip, cucumber and taro to counter-balance the pigeon meat. Drunken Pigeon with Huadiao Wine where the wine and pigeon fuse harmoniously and leaves a lingering taste on palates.   

Top Pigeon and Big Pigeons are the meatiest and perfect for hearty dishes. Stir-fried Minced Pigeon and Shiitake Mushrooms served with Chinese Lettuce and Claypot Rice with Minced Pigeon and Shiitake Mushrooms are using Top Pigeon as it offers the most flesh.

The former is a famous Hong Kong classic and the latter is an elevated version of clay pot rice, another adored local comfort food.

Big Pigeons are used in Wok-fried Pigeon with Yunnan Ham, a decadently meaty dish; Steamed Pigeon with Astragalus and Codonopsis Wrapped in Lotus Leaf,  a qi supplementing dish with a subtle herby aroma from the leaf; Braised Pigeon and Pork Liver with Spring Onions served in a Claypot, diners can sink their teeth into the caramelised pigeon and pork liver that are fried with bold flavoured sauce from the sizzling claypot and last but not least, Chilled Pigeon Aspic with Chinese Herbs, a modern take on the traditional stewed pigeon soup, the bounciness of the jelly gives a pleasing mouthfeel.

Big squab means 20 to 22-day-old pigeons. Roasted Marinated Pigeon is the proud, flagship dish of YUE and Chef Jacky. The young pigeon is brined thoroughly in the complex marinade that contains more than 30 types of spices and herbs.

Then air-dried and deep-fried to perfection. Guests can eat directly with their hands and bite into the papery and brittle skin, and the juicy flesh. Double-boiled Pigeon and Sea Cucumber with Gourmet Mushrooms is an award-winning, labor-intensive soup in which Chef Jacky debones the tiny bird to stuff the ingredients and boils it to capture all the essence of the bird and gourmet mushrooms such as morels, sacrodon aspratus mushrooms and bamboo fungus, resulting in a flavorsome soup for guests to savor every ingredient without the need of navigating tiny bones.

Be surprised by the dessert, Candied Pigeon Egg, which Chef Jacky takes inspiration from Candied Hawthorn, a traditional northern Chinese snack. He turns the tiny, precious egg into an edible gemstone with a hard candy shell to contrast the gelatine and silky texture of the egg.