THERE is nothing extraordinary about roast pork (siew yuk). Hung on hooks, these slabs of roasted pork flanks with their crackly orangey skin are a normal sight at any Chinese coffee shop with a chicken rice stall or at the morning markets. But finding good siew yuk is another matter altogether.
This is because roasting is a science. The fire has to be just right. Too hot and the skin will turn black. Not hot enough and the meat will smell like it has been exposed to burning joss sticks – the smoke has seeped into the meat.
Goose and duck talk: William Low holding up his crisp, golden skinned duck to show off a perfect roast. For a sampling of how a premium roast should taste, head over to Yummy Duck, a roast house in Jalan Kuchai Maju, Kuala Lumpur.
Here is where you’ll experience a slice of heaven when you sink your teeth into the crackly skin and the rest just melts in your mouth. There is a beautiful balance in the layering of fat and lean meat, and the marinades are done just right, leaving a nice flavour and without an oily aftertaste.
The char siew (roasted pork shoulder) here is equally good, too. Lean, well done, slightly chewy and beautifully covered with a caramelised soya coating, what little bit of fat here has a translucent shade, a sign of the roaster’s skill.
It would be an injustice to leave out the roasted goose with its crisp, flavourful skin. This is quite a show stealer as it is ceremoniously brought from the kitchen to the front where it is expertly cut by the chef.
While many assume that the secret to a good roast is in the marinade – in Yummy Duck’s case, it includes salt (to make the skin crackle), five spice and garlic powder, and lam yue (red preserved bean curd) – the base ingredient, meat, is equally important.
Yummy Duck get their meats fresh, with the best cuts of pork belly for siew yuk (the hardest to source) costing them as much as RM17 per kg.
Ultimately, Yummy Duck, which was opened about three months ago, is a testament to the culinary skills of its director William Low, who is very fussy about quality.
Triple play: Noodles with a combination of siew yuk, char siew and roasted duck To explain, Kang Moon, Low’s older brother, mentioned the springy egg noodles which are specially imported from Hong Kong. Despite constant urgings to order more to cut down on shipping costs, Low is steadfast about bringing in only enough for the restaurant, says Kang Moon.
Low’s reasoning is that ordering large batches will give the supplier the impression that they are doing a wholesale business, which might encourage them to offload their old stock on them. Low’s insistence seems to be paying off as the egg noodles have a wonderful springy texture.
Low, a 41-year-old father of two, began his career in the food business as a commis in Regent Kuala Lumpur’s Lai Ching Yuen (the present Grand Millenium). At that time, it was under the charge of Chef Mak Thong, who is now lecturing in Tunku Abdul Rahman College. Thong is well known for being a stickler for details and this, evidently, has rubbed off on Low.
After two years with Thong, Low left to open a chicken rice stall near the market in Sentul, KL, with a partner. Fifteen years later and pressured by six of his older siblings to move to somewhere safer and more permanent, Low set up Yummy Duck, so named because the original idea was to brand his restaurant as the place for roasted ducks. But as it turned out, it was the siew yuk that would become more popular.
Setting a contemporary tone with plenty of gold and woody notes, the interior of Low’s restaurant is definitely a far cry from the chicken rice stall in Sentul where diners had to make do with folding tables and plastic chairs and only a large tree for shade.
Thankfully, prices are still friendly. A plate of egg noodles with a combination of siew yuk, char siew and roast duck is only RM11.80 either dry or in a soup. The spicy version costs an extra RM1.
Added attraction: Yummy Duck has become popular for its delicious roast pork. Considering the generous portions of meat, this is a pretty fair price. The siew yuk is RM18 per portion. The roasted goose is the most expensive item here at RM150 for a whole bird and RM80 for half. Again, Low justifies this with his insistence in using only fresh meat.
Apart from the roasted meats, Low also offers side dishes of deep fried silver fish (RM8) and soft shell crabs (RM12), and chicken wings stuffed with glutinous rice, char siew, sliced Chinese sausage and dried shrimp (RM12).
Do try the unique green coloured chili sauce which comes with the roast goose. Made up of finely-chopped green chillies and lime powder, this specially concocted dip is a surefire way to add some zing to your meal.
For dessert, try the tong yuen (glutinous rice balls) in either soya milk (RM5) or ginger syrup (RM3.80).
Yummy Duck is open from 11am to 10.30pm and is located at 9, Dinasti Sentral, Jalan Kuchai Maju 18, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, (03-7981 6299).
Published in The Star, Sunday Metro on Nov 15th 2010
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