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Monday, 23 March 2015

BBQ Kong Meng (Duck Rice) @ Taman Maju Jaya

I was first introduced to this place by an ex-colleague of mine about 8 years ago and I've been frequenting this place ever since as it's just a stone's throw away from where I live.  But if you're not from the area, the place is a bit isolated as it's not visible from the main road.

But I haven't been here for a while now and (so) decided to revisit Restoran BBQ Kong Meng @ Taman Maju Jaya recently.  The restaurant is just a small old shop but, at least, it's air-conditioned with a few tables outside.

Although this restaurant is a barbecued meat place and serves "siew yoke" (roast pork) and "char siew" (barbecued pork), they're most famous for their "siew ngap" (roast duck).  Just look at that beautiful display of roast ducks!

Of course, a must-order here is the duck.  This is the Quarter Duck @ RM18 which can feed 2 - 3 people but some can even wallop this on their own! ;D  And that sauce that you find at the bottom of the plate...it's liquid gold, very flavourful.  Spoon it over your rice, don't waste a drop!

What I love most about this roast duck is the super crispy skin...and that's because they bathe it in hot oil just before serving (if you're seated inside the restaurant, you'll notice the ducks passing you by to the back of the kitchen for this very purpose).

And because of this extra step they're willing to take, the duck comes out with a beautifully crisp skin every time.

Here's a close-up shot of the crispy skin I removed from the piece of duck above....yumsss!

Other than the skin, I really, really like the taste of the tender meat.  I've eaten many ducks where the inside is rubbed with too much five spice powder (with a combination of some other herbal spices) rendering the meat salty and with an overpowering taste of spice.  This was not one of those :)

The third reason why BBQ Kong Meng's duck is a standout for me is because there's very little fat between the meat and skin, especially the breast meat.  I hate those with a lot of fat trapped between the meat and the skin (and I've eaten my fair share of those before).  And if there should be a wee bit more fat, it'd be in the drumstick portion.

You know me, I'm not a "breast" person and I never ever order chicken breast when I have chicken rice but with duck, it's a whole different ball game.  Somehow, with duck breast (which is also easier to eat), it doesn't come off as dry + the ones here are very tender.  So, I love, love, love breast when it comes to duck! ;D  [#Tip: If you were to pack an individual packet of duck rice and asked for the breast, it'll cost you more!]

The price for their roast ducks has increased steadily over the years and the prices are stated (on the menu on the wall) in Chinese...and since I don't know Chinese, all I remembered were the numbers I saw...31, 45 and 60.  So, my guess would be....half a duck costs RM31, three quarters is priced @ RM45 and a whole duck will set you back RM60...certainly not one of the cheapest around!

I find the dipping sauce to be on the salty side, so I would usually not have any with my duck.  But the fresh chilli dip...I want!  The fresh and tangy chilli dip goes very well with the duck.  [#Note: However, sometimes I do detect a hint of bitterness in the chilli sauce and that's because they've added lime skins into the mix.  Lime zest is great coz it brings an intense citrus flavour but if you're not careful and you cut too deep into the lime skin, you get the white pith which tastes bitter.]  You also get a bowl of complimentary soup and the rice is just plain white rice (not complimentary though).

As usual, we would always order a plate of greens to accompany our duck and I like the simple Stir Fry "Yau Mak" with "Fu Yue" @ RM8.  The "yau mak" (romaine or cos lettuce) that is stir fried with "fu yue" (fermented bean curd) and bird's eye chillies is crunchy (with a hint of heat) and delicious.  They also do a respectable stir-fry mushroom dish that I often order as well.

My Personal Opinion

BBQ Kong Meng is definitely a roast duck specialist and ranks among some of the best roast duck restaurants in KL...a must-try if you love roast ducks ;-)

It's my favourite roast duck simply for 3 reasons.....1) crispy skin, 2) tender meat and 3) not too fatty.

I've eaten their other roasted meat like siew yoke and char siew but they're no where near good, so I would give that a miss and just stick with the duck!

Restoran BBQ Kong Meng
No 11 Lorong Bunga Melati 2A
Taman Maju Jaya
56100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9282 4818

22 comments:

  1. You are right about how some people can wallop 3/4 duck by themsleves hee..hee... Yeah, I find duck breast to tender and moist. A far cry from chicken. There's one roast duck stall near my office and one duck goes for RM55.00 at the moment.

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    1. ooops...1/4 but then again....LOL!

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    2. At first, I thought 3/4 was a typo error...but then again.....I think 3/4 duck is just about right for you and your brother...kekeke!! ;D

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  2. Oooo...I love duck! I would go for this sometimes when I eat out...because we do not eat duck at home. Missus would not touch it! :(

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    1. Yeah, nothing like a good duck...with crispy skin :)

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  3. Looks familiar one that shop, I think I know which one! :D

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    1. Yes, I should think you know where it is since it's quite near your family home. Have you eaten it before?

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    2. Yes, but never dine in. I tapao-ed a few times while my mom was at a shoe shop on the opposite ordering her custom made shoes.

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    3. If you tapau just a packet of duck rice, it's ok but I won't recommend that you tapau a whole duck coz the skin looses its crispiness after a while...it's best to eat there if you want crispy skin.

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  4. the duck looks fab ... very fleshy, not bony - exactly how i like it! i must confess i have absolutely no idea where taman maju jaya is though, heh :)

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    1. Yup, it was indeed fab...always has! If you're not from the area, you'd probably would not know where it is but if you want to eat this fab duck, you have to make the extra effort to find out....hee...hee! ;D

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  5. I love to eat duck for their gamey taste which tastes like liver to me. So I will definitely try this if I am around that area. So far, Whole duck leg rice is always more expensive than duck breast rice. That's what I encounter so far. Usually I just eat one or two pieces of skin and discard the rest, I know fans of crisp duck skin will shoot me for this. ;p The price seems ok when compared to other places such as Sunrise Roast Duck.

    Have you eaten Sunrise Roast Duck in SeaPark, PJ before? If yes, how does this compare to that?

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    1. Yes, the duck drumstick is the most expensive part but if you ask specifically for duck breast, it's also pricier than the other parts. There'll be a lot of people jostling to sit next to you to help you eat up the crispy skin :D

      And yeah, I've heard about Sunrise Roast Duck and have been meaning to try it for ages but they don't seem to open in the late mornings (coz that's usually the time I'm around PJ areas, after church, and we don't venture out to PJ in the evenings once we get home). I thought RM60 for a duck is already quite expensive...you mean Sunrise's duck is even more expensive....wow!!

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    2. But Sunrise Roast Duck does not open in the evening. It opens for lunch only from about 11.30am to about 2ish pm when everything is sold out. Maybe on Sundays, it does not open at all. A few years ago, a whole duck is MYR60, now I am not sure how much for one.

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  6. I like the 'liquid gold' at the bottom of the plate too.

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  7. Love roast duck.. We always buy our favourite roast duck at Desa Aman, Cheras there.. Few vans selling roast ducks.. Reminds me of the char siew rice, Meng Kee Glenmarie, yummzzz..

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    1. I've noticed a few vans selling roast duck too on my way to Cheras Leisure Mall. Ah, Meng Kee's char siew...one of the best around :)

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  8. I love roast duck. Yum......These are "hum ngap"(Salted duck) or "tim ngap"(sweet duck)? I love the salted ducks but many places selling the sweet version nowadays

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    1. Sweet duck? I've not come across sweet ducks before. I thought there's only roast duck or roast goose. The one here does not taste sweet at all....even the sauce is salty.

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  9. Great write up, you should try their sotong as well. A bit on the spicy side tho

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    1. Thanks for your kind words...and thanks for dropping by and commenting. Will surely try their sotong the next time I visit.

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