Master Duck @ Pandan Indah

We noticed a new place specialising in ducks opened up recently in our neighbourhood, Master Duck @ Pandan Indah when we were waiting for our seats in Win Win Western Food for dinner one evening and decided to check it out for an early lunch the following week.

Apparently they have another branch in Kepong but the shop here occupies a pretty small space with probably about 10+ tables inside...and that's because a major portion of its frontage space is taken up by a display cabinet (where the ducks are hung to dry) and their action counter (where the meats are chopped and prepped).

As the name implies, they're obviously a specialist in ducks...and that's the first thing that greets you when you walk into the restaurant.  On the left, you'll find ducks being hung to air dry (probably to crisp up the skin and for flavours to develop) before being roasted.

Right at the entrance, on the right, you'll see the already prepped and roasted ducks hanging deliciously to entice your palate.  Judging by the plentiful ducks on display, they must be doing good business.

Although I saw pics of wantan mee and curry mee (when I googled the restaurant), I didn't find any noodles on their menu.  Perhaps when they started a few months ago, they had that on the menu but they aren't offered now.  So our only option is to have the roasted meats with rice...and when it comes to duck, we (as a family) hardly ever never order a whole duck (coz only both of us eat duck) nor half or a quarter duck (as both of us only want duck breast)! ;D

My husband went for the Roasted Duck Rice @ RM10 with a request for duck breast and an add-on braised egg @ RM1 (he said the egg is rather cheap and I certainly agree).  I've to say the duck meat is rather meaty but tender while the skin is just lightly crispy.

As for the braised egg, the looks of it tells the story...I wouldn't call that a braised egg as the braising liquid hasn't even clung onto the egg. >_<

Taste wise, the duck was certainly decent.  Just to forewarn you, the meat marinade has a herbal flavour coz I know some people do not like roast duck with a herbal flavour (like my husband).  I too prefer a non-herbal duck but, luckily, the herbal flavour was not strong at all (in fact it's not so evident in the meat) but you can certainly taste the dong guai in the sauce underneath.  My only wish was for the duck meat to be a little juicier and perhaps a tad more flavour.

My son had the Char Siu Rice @ RM10 with a request for a half lean half fat cut of char siu.  The char siu was very tender with the meat falling apart like pulled pork.

The key to a good char siu is in the marinade and how well it's roasted.  This one met half its brief, commendable for being well roasted but the marinade could be better.

As for me, what's the best way of sampling more of their roasted meats...well, order a trio (of course) of Roasted Duck Mix Three @ RM17 of duck, char siu and siu yuk.

I asked for duck breast too...and you already know what I think of the roast duck and char siu.  As for the siu yuk, it had a fairly crispy skin and I wouldn't say it was superbly fragrant or savoury either.  I found both the skin and meat lacking in flavour.  So, it was the least successful of the 3 roasted meats I tried.

Duck (though I asked for breast, got some bones this time >.<) and char siu is what I like to get when I'm here since these two meats are preferred to the siu yuk.  It's what I usually have on my subsequent visits + I can share some of my char siu with my husband. 

At RM10 for a plate of roasted duck (breast) rice, I think it's great value with a sizeable portion.  The portion is (surprisingly) even heftier when I tapau (pack) coz they gave the bony parts as well under the breast...just look at that amount (I wasn't able to finish)! :O

Glad to come across a fresh chilli dip that's thick and spicy as many of the ones out there can be rather diluted (our second visit the chilli dip wasn't as thick but still decently thick).  It was good but could do with just a little bit more lime juice in the mix.  

I included a side dish of Choy Sum with Minced Pork @ RM8 which was just a small bowl of stir-fried finely chopped choy sum with a tiny amount of minced porked.  It was nicely executed and a good accompaniment for our otherwise meaty affair.  When I find this dish at the chap fan place in my neighbourhood, I will not hesistate to get it.  I don't particularly like choy sum but enjoy it when it's cooked this way (all chopped up).

On my second visit, I managed to try this recommended dish of Winged Beans with Dried Shrimp @ RM8 (it was not available on my previous visit) for the vegetable component of our meal.  The four angled beans was nice and crunchy although I would have preferred it to be cut a little thicker for an even crunchier bite.  Just note that the portion of vegetables is really small for RM8.  You can do an add on vegetable (for RM2) to your single meal of roasted meat rice...my husband joked "would that me one spoon of vegetables?"...lol!

For drinks, I was intrigued by the Salted Coffee and Barley Coffee on the menu, not something often offered in other restaurants.  Not knowing what it was and how it would taste, I ordered the Salted Coffee @ RM4.90 (still a safer bet than Barley Coffee I reckon).  Well, it turned out super enjoyable.  Lightly salty to counter the sweetness of the coffee (note that I didn't ask for less sweet coz I wasn't sure if the saltiness would be too much).

On my second visit, I gave Barley Coffee a thought, just for a split second (but the taste of barley in coffee doesn't quite sound as attractive or intriguing enough), before ordering the Salted Coffee again coz it was just too good to not have again.

When leaving the restaurant, lo and behold, I found the coffees being sold at the entrance.  Oh, apparently it's instant coffee from a sachet (so I can't ask for less sweet even if I wanted to)...and the brand is Uncle Wong from Taiping (since 1874!).  Well, I was tempted to cart a box home...but NO, especially not after I've read the content of sugar and salt (let's leave this for once a while indulgence when I'm here for the duck rice).

My Personal Opinion

Overall, it was a pleasant enough dining experience with the roasted meats...probably one of the better roasted duck (if not the best) we have in our taman for now though it's not among the better ones out there. Of the 3 roasted meats I tried, two were like supporting cast members to the main star as the roasted duck still came out tops (it goes without saying that they're still a master of ducks)!

It's a nice addition to the neighourhood of a standalone duck rice place (with roasted meats) where one can dine in a more comfortable environment (that's not a stall in a coffee shop)...and I'm happy that I can have my duck fix without venturing too far.  Above all else, it's really great value for duck coz at only RM10 a plate, the portion is pretty good (even bigger if you tapau). ^_~

Master Duck Roasted House

47G Jalan Pandan Indah 4/6B

Pandan Indah

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 011-5174 9741

Jing Hoe Mei (Dai Chow) @ Pandan Indah

Jing Hoe Mei @ Pandan Indah started out as a specialist of steamed dishes like fish, pork and egg.  During the initial months after opening, they were drawing full crowds almost every day, especially during the weekends where waiting for a table was the norm.

I only started eating here when the crowd subsided but in just two visits, I practically tried their entire menu (and that's when I noticed the crowd began to lessen).  After all, their entire menu is limited to steamed fish (done a few ways with different sauces), steamed pork, steamed eggs and (3 types of) blanched vegetables with oyster sauce.

Then I noticed a banner introducing their claypot fish curry and also dai chow dishes a while later.  I guess they realised they had to add more choices to their menu, otherwise the crowd will continue to dwindle down as diners need more variety to get them coming back on a more frequent basis.  That is why they're now also a dai chow place offering a variety of dishes that you can eat with rice.  These were just some of the dishes we had over four visits.

Claypot Pork Belly with Salted Fish @ RM23 - although we couldn't really taste salted fish in the mix, the sauce had good flavours and you can taste some heat with the dried chillies.

Thai-Style Mango Chicken Chop @ RM22 - loved the fresh, tangy taste that the shredded mango, onions and chillies brought to the dish with the crispy chicken in a lightly spicy and sweet sauce.

Dry Fried French Beans with Minced Pork @ RM15 - not quite the calibre of Esquire Kitchen's version but a very decent rendition and our family's favourite vegetable dish from here.  Definitely a dish worthy of repeated orders (which we dutifully complied).

Chinese Watercress Soup @ RM9.50 (or Sai Yeung Choy Tong) - there are two soups of the day, one with pork and one with chicken.  This one was obviously for me only (pork ribs and chunks of pork belly double-boiled with sai yeung choy).  I love double-boiled soups...I find them so much tastier than standard boiled soups.

Kung Po Mantis Prawn @ RM25 - deep-fried mantis prawn meat tossed in kung po sauce with crunchy red and green capsicum, onions and dried chillies but the sauce left us wanting (as it's not among the better kung po sauce we've had).

Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables @ RM25 - nailed the tenderness of the pork belly and (sweetish) mui choy but the sauce (again) could be better.  Sauces are very important in Chinese cooking as their success can make or break a dish.  I suppose it's the same in western cooking as well that they even have a specific position for a Saucier in a commercial kitchen whose role is as important as the Chef de Cuisine or Sous Chef.  Sauces bring life to a dish! ^_~

Pan-Fried Egg Foo Yong-Style @ RM18 - a simple dish of fried omelette with char siew (sometimes it's made with lap cheong but I always prefer the char siew version), prawns and shredded vegetables (usually onions, capsicum, carrot, chillies and spring onions).

Braised Eggplant with Garlic & Chilli @ RM16 - another frequently ordered dish since the first time we had it.  Bits of minced pork tossed in a garlic and chillies sauce with braised and softened eggplant.  Manyak sedap (as some Chinese would say)! ^.^

Stir-Fried Roasted Pork @ RM23 - this is a dish one would usually make with leftover siu yuk or siu yuk we buy from the market (they aren't as good grade as those siu yuk from roasted meat stalls + they're cheaper too).  At home, we'd simply fry them in thick dark soy with lots of garlic (not that I've done it before since there's never ever leftover siu yuk in my house!).  The one here stir-fried with onions and spring onions, the sauce tastes much better than just dark soy.

Steamed Egg with Tofu & Fresh Prawns @ RM18 - this was a dish we tried on an earlier visit at a time when they specialised in only steamed dishes.  The first thing I noticed was just how much bigger the prawns were this time (I think this coincided with the time of a reported drop in prices of prawns by 40% in the market).  If I had known then, I would have ordered more prawn dishes....lol.

Stir-Fried Kangkung with Belacan @ RM12 - a vegetable dish that's regularly ordered at a dai chow place is this ma lai chan ong choy that's a firm favourite of many.  I did like the ma lai chan lat chiew but wish the dish was a bit drier.

Stir-Fried Beef Slices with Mushroom in Black Pepper Sauce @ RM26 -  I was in two minds about ordering beef at a Chinese restaurant as some can be quite chewy.  Luckily I was proven wrong with this tender beef stir-fried with red and green bell peppers, onions and shimeji mushrooms.  The black (peppered) sauce was delicious too though I wouldn't mind a heavier dose of black pepper seasoning.  Yummmm! ^o^

This was the dish that impressed me the most from what I've tried here so far...and I'm sure it'll be regularly ordered from now on.  The price of RM26 for this dish is a real steal since beef is expensive.  I've had a similar but less stellar beef dish (recently) that cost me three times more! >_<

Tofu with Minced Meat in Chilli Sauce @ RM20 - a take on the ever popular mapo tofu but the sauce was a bit too wet and didn't have that authentic, true blue spiciness of the real deal.  Not something we'd order again.

My Personal Opinion

This has now become our go-to dai chow place since there aren't really that many dai chow restaurants to pick from in my neighbourhood.  Although I can't say they're good in every dish (that we tried) but I can certainly say they nailed some of them which have become our favourites.  Their decision to provide more variety than just steamed dishes is certainly a step in the right direction and this change bodes well for them as the place is back to packing in the crowds.

Let's face it, steamed dishes have limited fans coz the majority (children especially) wants a choice of food with sauces or food that is deep-fried and dai chow is always a welcomed family dining choice (especially with children in tow).  So, it looks like Jing Hoe Mei is not just a one trick pony at only steamed dishes, they're equally adapt at cooking other favourite dai chow dishes as well.

I hope they go from strength to strength as I certainly wouldn't want to lose a dai chow restaurant, a type of restaurant that's already sorely lacking in my neighbourhood.  It's a type of meal that's very ngam for my family (especially my husband who prefers to eat rice than anything else).  I also like that the food portions aren't too big and at the right prices too (of around RM22 - RM25 for meat, RM18 - RM20 for egg & tofu and RM12 - RM15 for vegetables), so we end up ordering four dishes for the three of us (the variety of which means everyone is bound to get a dish they like).

Update: The place has since closed (which came as a big surprise) seeing how they were doing very good business (always crowded with the need to wait for a table).  Unconfirmed rumours for the closure was due to a rift between the bosses and/or that profits/income weren't enough to make it worthwhile after paying off all expenses.

Jing Hoe Mei

No 38 Jalan Pandan Indah 1/22

Pandan Indah

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 011-3190 3753

Yit Yee @ Pandan Indah

It was by chance that I parked where I parked which made me had to walk past this shop, Yit Yee @ Pandan Indah, enroute to my hairdresser, and realised that they sell one of my favourite noodles.  I drive past this road all the time but have never noticed the shop as its view is usually obstructed by the blinds and parked cars in front of the shop.

So, it was inevitable that I would stop by after my haircut.  I was told by the lady boss they started out as a Teochew braised duck shop (just before the MCO struck) but business wasn't particularly encouraging, so they changed to making chicken rice and kai see hor fun instead (sometime mid last year).

Of course I must start with my favourite noodle of Kai See Hor Fun @ RM9.  This shredded chicken kway teow soup was alright, not the best I've had, not the second best, possibly not even in the top five of my list...lol.

But it's certainly the most respectable bowl of kai see hor fun I can find in my neighbourhood for now.  The bowl of noodles came with 3 small to medium-sized prawns which were moderately fresh, shredded chicken, beansprouts, a bit of garlic chives (gow choy), chopped spring onions and (crucially) house-made fried shallots.

A sip of the soup and I found the flavours a little lacking...not enough of crustacean goodness in the soup base.  The all-important fragrant prawn oil was was there but rather scarce.

The hor fun was good enough for KL standards.  The portion of noodles was more than sufficient and the liew (ingredients) adequate.

Where there's kai see hor fun.....you're bound to find poached chicken too! ;)  I got a side order of a Poached Chicken Thigh @ RM5 (RM5.50 with rice) which was a very, very reasonable price.  Some may even say it's cheap.  I think so.

The poached chicken thigh was tender and fairly wat (smooth)...a decent poached chicken by any standard. The only letdown for me was the less than stellar taste of the soy sauce accompanying the chicken.  It was on the saltier side and not as fragrant but I really have no cause for complaint for a lesser quality soy sauce for the prices they charge (no worries, just mix the ginger paste with the soy for better taste).

If you think the chicken thigh was cheap, what I'm going to share with you next will shock you to your core! O_o  The Poached Chicken Breast Rice @ RM4.50 is shockingly cheap (I don't think you can even get a packet of chicken rice for anything under RM6 these days!).

I noticed the prices on my first visit but found it hard to believe, so I returned the following week to check it out!  I guess you have to see it to believe it (I did).  Look, look...you might think that the portion will probably be miserable (that was what I thought too) at such a price...and it clearly wasn't.

If you thought the chicken breast rice was cheap, let me tell you the Poached Chicken Wing Rice @ RM4 is even cheaper.  What do you call prices like these?  Dirt cheap is what I call it...I would think it's not normal to see such prices in this day and age! :O

As you can see, the portion sizes (of both the chicken breast and wing, served separately from the rice) weren't meagre at all as I initially expected based on the price point.  I thought my chicken wing portion was decently smooth (perhaps not as smooth as some other poached chicken specialists out there)...but I will take it bearing in mind the price...lol.

The rice (as you can see) is also of an acceptable standard, perhaps not as flavourful as one would like it. There are higher priced chicken rice that I've eaten where the rice quality is not even like this one.  Note that you can also order the chicken wing and breast separately without the rice (which will cost RM0.50 less). Only RM0.50 difference for the (chicken flavoured) rice...you can't ask for more, right? ^.^

Even at such low prices, a blended ginger paste is still provided.  We don't even get that at places where the chicken rice cost more.  The fresh chilli dip is a bit on the spicier side and though the blended ginger paste was a bit coarse, the dips were still within acceptable standards.

Besides all things chicken, they also offer pork noodles, lam mee, pork innards soup with salted vegetables (chee chap tong), pork stomach pepper soup, seaweed soup with egg and a few types of porridge as well. This was the Pork Innards Soup with Salted Vegetables @ RM11 (RM12 with rice).  Good to see they weren't stingy with the soup or the liew.

The soup was filled with all the requisite pork organs like stomach, intestines, tongue, heart and also pork slices (no kidneys or coagulated blood cubes, no problem, not missed and not wanted either) along with tofu cubes, tomato wedges and salted vegetables (ham choy), of course.  I found myself liking the thin cut, big pieces of pork that were mostly lean but with a layer of fat on top (most probably pork belly) as they were tender and delicious.

I love the pieces of heart and tongue (I think that was what they were) though it was missing the small intestines (fun cheong) which I love (just as much) as it came with large intestines (which I don't eat) as it has lots of fat around the inner walls unlike the texture of small (layered) intestines.  

So, on another visit (for a take-away), I asked for the intestines to be omitted but they still came with it and I was surprised to find small intestines given this time, so it's not standard as to what kind of intestines you'll get.

The soup base was sufficiently peppery (like the ones you get with any pork stomach soup) if you ask me.  If you ask my husband, can be even more peppery.  I believe they've a non-peppery version too since the lady boss asked if I wanted my soup to be spicy (as in pepper-spicy).  The salted vegetables were nicely soft and not too salty.  Overall, this was a very good pork innards soup which my husband was slurping away, something we can't find in our neighbourhood.

Seeing that their pork innards soup was a success, I thought their Pork Noodles @ RM9 should be just as good. Another option I see is Pork Root Noodles...what is that?  This is probabaly lost in translation (as in poorly translated to English).  The photo showed some fatty pork so I'm assuming this could be pork belly noodles.

This bowl of pork noodles was abundantly filled with porky ingredients of liver, intestines, lean pork, minced pork and pork balls finished with a topping of fried pork lard bits (that weren't particularly crispy nor fragrant) and crispy garlic.  The liver was fairly thick cut and cooked right but the lean pork and minced pork didn't have that smoothness I seek.  The pork balls were good though.  The intestines, unfortunately, were the same large ones used in the pork innards soup, not the standard small intestines you'd find in other pork noodles.

The soup base was also lacking the sweetness of the porky liew that I seek.  Overall, this was just a passable pork noodles which cannot compete with the many good ones I've had, heck it doesn't even stand a chance against my go-to pork noodles in my neighbourhood.

The Pork Stomach Pepper Soup @ RM14 (RM15 with rice) is something both my husband and I enjoy.  For the price charged, I thought they were more than generous with the portion of pork stomach since pork stomach (and intestines) are two of the more pricier innards.

The soup base (like the pork innards soup) was adequately peppery by my husband's standards but a bit too peppery for me towards the end (which stopped me from drinking more).

Between pork innards soup and the pork stomach soup, the latter is still easier to find as it's usually also offered by shops selling bak kut teh.

I've never been a fan of Lam Mee @ RM but someone (a hawker stall's boss) mentioned that he heard that their lam mee is good.  So, out of curiosity and based on his recommendation, I decided to get one to try but soon regretted my decision.  The plate of lam mee arrived looking the part with shredded chicken, prawns and crunchy beansprouts in a fairly thick but not overly starchy broth with eggy strands (I noticed the broth was also slightly lighter in colour than usual ones).  

But the noodles turned out overcooked and too soft (I chose a mix of meehoon and kway teow) but what was worse was that the broth was totally bland.  Coming from someone who doesn't like her food heavily flavoured, I can imagine how tasteless this would be to the norm.  Luckily, there was the fresh sambal to kick up the flavour a notch but even that couldn't save the dish ultimately.

The Iced White Coffee @ RM4 was way too sweet.  I didn't ask for less sweet as it was probably those 3-in-1 versions where the sweetness level is already set (not sure if they added more milk/sugar).  Tried the Iced Kopi-O @ RM2.10 on another visit and it was very thin (kopi-o pok) with hardly any coffee aroma and taste (although RM2.10 is insanely cheap when most traditional coffee shops sell them at RM2.50 - RM2.80).  Suffice to say I won't be ordering anymore coffees from here. ;P

My Personal Opinion

Their forte definitely lies in their poached chicken rice first and foremost with a taste and portion that's competitive with most chicken rice stalls....but at insanely low prices that will knock your socks off...I don't think such prices can be matched anywhere else! :O

A good place not only for those with a limited budget but also those who are limiting carbs in their diet as you can get double portions of just chicken without rice (RM4 a portion for breast and RM3.50 a portion for wings).  Heck, at such prices, you can even go triple portions if you like and it would still be very affordable!

I'm also happy that there's now a very decent chee chap tong and pepper pork stomach soup (both of which my husband is a big fan of) in my neighbourhood.

Restoran Yit Yee

37G Jalan Pandan Indah 1/23

Pandan Indah

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 012-632 2838