Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
We’ve been mocked for being a country who adores queuing, no matter the wait, as long as we get that freebie or a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy. But more often than not, we queue for an arguably nobler cause — to get our fill during the hectic lunch hour.
Maxwell Food Centre in Chinatown is one of those well-loved hawker places both locals and tourists flock to, where snaking queues are not uncommon.
It’s home to the famous Tian Tian Chicken Rice which shot to fame after being victorious over Gordon Ramsay in the friendly Hawker Heroes Challenge and other stalls that see the same competitively long queues.
Having covered a few stalls at Maxwell, we couldn’t help but notice Hock Soon Roasted Duck Rice And Noodles’ consistently long queue each time we returned. Seeing a queue at the stall even before it opens at noon is apparently a daily affair, having been featured in Hawker Spotlight 2017.
We finally got our food after an excruciatingly 30 minutes later, largely due to some customers having whopping huge orders of up to what seems like ten packets of rice.
Such a sight definitely reaffirmed the thought that all the wait will eventually be worth it.
We ordered the Roast Duck Thigh Noodles (S$6) which came with springy mee kia in dark sauce. The duck thigh was a little smaller than we expected, but the crispy thin skin still made it look nevertheless promising. It didn’t disappoint, being juicy and tender.
While definitely one of the better ones I’ve tasted, I wasn’t exactly blown away by it, having a personal preference of roasted duck with a herbal flavour or an accompanying sauce that elevates the taste of the duck meat.
The gleaming gloss of the char siew definitely looked promising. It had a thicker than average cut and was even a little fatty, which I appreciated.
Unlike the duck, it looked better than it tasted. The char siew was slightly sweeter than regular versions and the charred flavour was not as pronounced as I would have liked. Despite that, the char siew was tender and soft.
Besides being a little dry and not as juicy as some others I’ve tasted, Hock Soon’s Roasted Pork Rice (S$3.50) checked all the other boxes for good roast pork.
For starters, the crackling of the pork skin was ASMR-worthy. Cut into thicker slices than the char siew, it had a good fat-to-meat ratio. As aforementioned, it was a pity that the juices and sweetness of the pork were not retained, as it was a little dry.
Considering how the meats are the star of the menu, there initially didn’t seem to be a need to mention the accompanying rice. After all, plain rice doused in sauce seems pretty no-fail. I was quite wrong when the rice was shockingly bland despite being drenched in sauce.
It was admittedly a small slip, considering how the meats definitely made up for less-than-perfect rice.
It was a tough call between both the roast pork and duck. Though equally enjoyable, it was difficult to pick one over the other considering the minor faults of each one. Sadly, while the long queue is rather justifiable, there was nothing memorable that would convince me to join the queue again during lunch hour.
If you’ve always been wanting to try, but the long queue is always a deterrent, head down about 11.45am before the stall opens, and with a bit patience, I’m sure you’ll be quite duly rewarded. Besides the hearty roasts, their efficient service is definitely a plus after all the waiting.
Expected damage: S$3.50 – S$6 per pax
