Roast Goose & Bowl: The Strikin’ Geese Take on the South China Athletic Association

If you don’t have a South China Athletic Association (SCAA) membership, go get one right now. No, this isn’t like the American Club or Carlyle & Co which requires you to sell plasma or beg your bozo British boss for significantly more than your measly expected 3.5% raise just to afford a membership. And, you don’t have to forcefully mingle with people named ‘Tavis’, ‘Blaire’, and ‘Zac’ (‘‘Z-A-C’ does not spell Zack, what the eff is with all that?’’ – Big D & The Kids Table) while discussing Instagram follower counts, Bali beach club bottle service, and other “wannabe Hi-So expat drivel.”

The SCAA is the most affordable club membership in Hong Kong, starting at just HK$130 per month for ‘visiting members’ or HK$250 per year for ‘ordinary members’. Even better, a lifetime membership will only run you HK$3,000. So, if you’re planning to live more than 12 years, this is an absolute steal. And, your membership allows you to bring 3 people at any given time. Simply walk in, fill out a short form, and you’re now a full-fledged member, all in under 10 minutes. 

You now have access to one of the most underrated sports complexes and organizations in Hong Kong. 

If you’re not already jazzed up enough on your own personal driving range, billiards room, and of course 60-lane bowling alley (that’s just the beginning), you’re going to scream like Buddy the Elf when he thought the original Santa was making an appearance at the mall when you learn that the SCAA houses a dim sum and Cantonese restaurant, rowdy sports bar with outdoor seating, and one of the city’s best roast goose and fatty char siu (BBQ pork) haunts. 

So, grab your crew, lay off the McDonald’s nuggets and McDoubles the night before, and head on over to the SCAA for a day of “goose and bowl”. I recently did, with my newly named bowling team (just a duo) – ‘The Strikin’ Geese’. And no, ‘The Strikin’ Geese’ are not underprivileged inner city waterfowl who come together to form a rag-tag group of underdog bowlers – however, I could see ‘Hardball’ being remade with an all-Anatidae cast (still with Keanu…obviously). 

“Who Do You Think You Are? I Am” – Pete Weber

The team was originally meant to be called ‘The Strikin’ Gooses’, which I know is not grammatically correct but it gave me a good laugh. Let me know what you think.

I first went to the SCAA to bowl and smack a few balls at the driving range back in 2013 with my crew of ride-or-dies. We slugged unlimited Coronas while channeling our inner Pete Webers after one of us was lucky enough to bowl a strike or spare – “Who do you think you are? I am!”. I’d also be remiss not to mention that one of my top dawgz just so happens to bowl like a cartoon villain sneaking up on a talking moose and squirrel. 

We also hit the driving range to crack a few golf balls and make fun of one another’s horrendous swings – except our one buddy who played Division 1 golf and made us all look like one of those babies in the “Baby’s First Putter’ commercials. 

While the crux of this article is breaking down “the bowl” and “the goose,” I think it’s prudent to list out all the facilities that you’ll have access to.

• Artificial turf pitch,
• Billiards,
• Bowling center, 
• Dance room,
• Fencing room,
• Golf driving range and golf simulator,
• Gym, fitness center, and yoga room,
• Judo and karate dojo,
• Indoor shooting range,
• Spots hall,
• Swimming pool,
• Tennis courts and table tennis room.

And, as mentioned above, you’ll enjoy a fully stacked billiards snack bar, a traditional Cantonese/dim sum restaurant, a bustling sports bar, and a roast goose mecca. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: Keep in mind that your membership grants you access to the facilities and there is still a ‘rental’ fee that you pay for whatever sport or activity you decide on. This, however, is typically nominal and when split between friends, really only works out to HK$20 to HK$50 per hour. 

To be honest, things can get stale in Hong Kong. But that’s not because of Hong Kong’s doing, rather it’s because of this bizarre box of stagnation and lack of adventure that we often place ourselves in. So, after complaining to one of my best buddies about how I feel like all I do is go out to eat, drink, eat, drink, pretend to like the people I’m talking to on Peel Street, have them pretend they like talking to me, give another platitudinous greeting to the Pure front desk staff, rinse and repeat – he proposed that we head over to the SCAA for a day of bowling and roast goose/char siu. 

And boy, what a suggestion.

As ‘The Strikin’ Geese’ have a hard and fast rule that no 11-pounders are to be picked up and hurled at pins until their stomachs are replete with waterfowl, we stayed true to the name and loaded up on some goose first.

The Goose is On the Loose: The Ultimate Goose Cheat Code

The reason roast goose and bowling are synonymous with one another is because Kamcentre Roast Goose is literally located within the bowling alley. As soon as you enter, it’s impossible to miss Kam’s signature giant orange and black sign (which can be found at their Wan Chai location as well). I’m not sure what’s better than scoping out your competition while going to town on some of the city’s top goose.

Kam’s may not have invented the fraction but they did invent fractional servings of roast goose, offering up both upper and lower quarter cuts, a half goose, and full goose. My recommendation for two persons, a half goose should be more than sufficient, especially if you pair it with char siu or crackling pork belly (Kam’s also has a number of goose combos – which are extremely economical). 

Prepare yourself, because once you eat at Kam’s, you’ll inevitably remark to whoever you’re with that you can’t believe you don’t eat more roast goose every day due to how delicious it is. Next to lamb and caribou, I consider roast goose (and duck) to be the most underrated meat out there. 

Kam’s isn’t even one of the OGs (original geese) on the block and is considered a relative newcomer in Hong Kong’s roast goose scene – having only opened in 2014. However, that’s not to say that the craft hasn’t been honed with years of practice and precision, as it’s the brainchild of the venerable, honest goose merchants of ‘Yung Kee’ (which I can personally vouch for as “extremely sound goose”). 

There’s over 70 years of goose history that goes into Kam’s, so much so that this goose excellence earned Kam’s its first Michelin star within just several months of opening.

Side note: Goose is just such a great word. That’s all.    

Roast Goose, Fatty Char Siu, & Brotherly Love

Consistent goose consumption is difficult in Hong Kong’s gastronomic landscape due to the overwhelming lines you’ll find outside of most major goose haunts in the city (including Kam’s Wan Chai location). However, if you’re looking for the ultimate ‘goose cheat code’ to speed run your way to goose glory, Kamcentre in the SCAA is the answer. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: The beauty of it all is that if Kam’s is slam-packed (which in my several trips here has always been surprisingly empty), just bowl a game or two while you wait (you can pay by game or by hour).

Kam’s takes a slightly different approach to traditional goose preparation, using a gas oven rather than charcoal to cook the bird. This yields, in my humble opinion, a cleaner, less greasy exterior and a juicy, tender interior. The profile of the meat isn’t overly gamey, especially when paired with the semi-sweet plum sauce (which I also prefer to splash over my accompanying bowl of white rice).

The only real difference between Kam’s goose to other spots in the city that I’ve honed in on is that the skin definitely doesn’t crisp up to the degree it typically does with charcoal (which is typically used at most roast goose haunts), meaning if you live for the skin to crack upon your first bite, this might not be the spot for you. 

The skin, however, is somewhat fatty which ultimately renders down from the intensity of gas, yielding a more silkier, savory texture and taste. You’ll find both dark and white meat when you order a half or full goose. With goose, keep in mind that the white meat is still several shades darker than chicken or turkey breast white meat and you will run into the occasional tougher, chewier slice – but that’s the price you pay for the other 90% which is juicier. 

Frankly, I’m alright with that trade-off. 

In my six-year plus Hong Kong tenure, Kam’s emphatically is behind my favorite goose in the city.

Kam’s fatty char siu is the second dish that shouldn’t be slept on. It’s essentially a marbled, smoky, caramelized meat candy – and one of the best I’ve ever had. This baby melts in the mouth thanks to its 80% plus fat content. It reminds me of if the Chinese candied fruit ‘Tanghulu’ (fresh fruit dipped and glazed in sugar syrup) took an already savory, sweet pork cut and glazed it with brown sugar.

However, it’s extremely rich in flavor and not something you want to over-order. Even for two growing boys, a single plate of fatty char siu was more than enough and by the last few slices, I was already feeling my heart begin to clog (but in the best way possible). 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: I first wrote about how much I love the SCAA and its facilities in my post breaking down unique dates ideas in Hong Kong. I recommend reading that article for a list of other activities that aren’t just great for couples but can be done solo and/or with a crew of friends as well. 

A Combined 250 For ‘The Strikin’ Geese’

“Oh, you went bowling? Glad I couldn’t make it.” – Jim Gaffigan

Although my first-grade birthday party was held at a bowling alley in Raymond, New Hampshire, I’m no bowling Casanova and have at points in my bowling career gone several frames in a row without knocking down a single pin. It often rises to the point of being so statistically improbable that I consider purchasing a Mark Six lottery ticket on the way home. 

But we’re not really there for the sport itself, are we? It’s all about the bowling brotherhood. “And when the wind blows hard and the sky is black, ducks geese fly together.” 

While it might seem intuitive to pay by the hour at the SCAA, I strongly recommend paying by the game, as there’s nothing worse than having your game cut off and the lane powered down just as you enter the 9th frame. Pony up the extra bit and pay by the game – you’ll thank me later.

My dawg and I took our time to warm up, with the first several games being used as “feelers” to find the appropriately sized and weighted ball. It was only in the third game that we caught our stride, bowling a combined 250, which felt like a major win in itself. The fourth game unfortunately entailed several draft beers from Kam’s and any hope we had of matching or exceeding that score was abruptly quashed. 

The drop-off was so sharp, that even Denise, a random twenty-something local whose name I learned reading the screen in the lane next to us, seemed concerned at what she was witnessing in Lane 42. 

But it was a blast.

Be a Silly Goose in a World Full of Serious Ducks

When living in Hong Kong, it’s incumbent on oneself to actually take proactive steps to do something outside the norm. We both know that your Thursday through Saturday closed loop to Peel Street, Motorino, and home has lost its luster and isn’t doing the trick anymore. 

The SCAA is the perfect spot to break out of this sad, sad existence (one that I also live) and remind yourself that you do have free will – and if you fail to exercise it, your existence in Hong Kong is going to be a bumpy ride.

So grab your dawgs or dawgettes, pool together some change to buy a membership, and get on over to the SCAA for some goose and bowl. Be a silly goose in a world full of serious ducks. 

If you’ve been to the SCAA, let me know in the comments. Are you more of a bowler or driving range person? Have you tried Kam’s Roast Goose? Or, let me know your favorite roast goose and char siu restaurant in the city. 

And, if you have any questions about finding the SCAA or signing up, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email (info@palealetravel.com). It’s truly a “hidden gem” in the city and can really provide a much-needed reprieve/refuge from your daily banal routine and activities. 

Bowl and eat well everyone,

Big Body (aka one-half of The Strikin’ Geese).