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

Nasi Lemak Stall @ Taman Maju Jaya

One of my favourite "Nasi Lemak" (fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk) stalls is the one in front of HTN Car Service Centre in Taman Maju Jaya, just a stone's throw away from Pandan Indah.

This Malay kakak has been plying her trade at this spot for more than 20 years and has managed to put her children to university...gutsy lady indeed!

 

The Nasi Lemak Stall @ Taman Maju Jaya is one of the few stalls I have come across where their customers would diligently queue up, in an orderly fashion, to buy their nasi lemak....which is great (first come, first served).  So, if you do come here, don't crowd around the stall but take your place in the line and await your turn.

 

Their best seller is their "sotong sambal" (chilli squid).  Their sotong is cooked till very tender....just the way I like it!
 

Look......it's only 9am but their sotong is already scrapping the bottom of their "periuk" (pot) already!

 

The nice thing about this nasi lemak is their 3 types of sambal, one the fiery red sambal, the other, a yellowish type, and if you ask for sotong, you get the 3rd kind which is the sambal from the sotong.  Mix all 3 of that into the nice, fluffy, well separated grains of rice and you will have a spoonful of yumminess in your mouth....but don't worry, it's not very spicy!
 

The other thing I love about this nasi lemak, apart from their 3 types of sambal, is their fried ikan bilis.  These were slightly salty, crispy and fragrant, unlike the hard ones (some super hard) that you get from most nasi lemak stalls.

 

This is the Nasi Lemak Sotong @ RM3.20 awaiting to be "bungkus" (packed)....can't wait!

 

Here's how the mouth-watering nasi lemak looks like before I devoured it and it's all gone in a jiffy!!

 

And, if you want more (and you definitely will), you can add on more rice for an extra RM0.50....yay, more....more nasi lemak!!!  The mix of the 3 types of sambal brings an explosion (of the good kind) of flavours in your mouth and you find yourself returning to this nasi lemak stall time and time again as you will be hungry for more!

 

My Personal Opinion

 

A simple, no-fuss, uber delicious nasi lemak.....a very affordable breakfast indeed!

 

Nasi Lemak Stall

(in front of HTN Car Service Centre)

Jalan Bunga Melati

Taman Maju Jaya, Cheras

56100 Kuala Lumpur