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My love for roast duck goes all the way back to my childhood days growing up in Penang. Every Sunday morning, I would share a quarter roasted duck with my family and fight over the juicy crispy roast duck skin with my sibling. This was paired with what I think is the best stew in the world, the chai boey made of roast pork, mustard greens, and leftovers.
So when I came across a social media post about Jiang’s Duck Restaurant, a shop that supposedly sold the juiciest roast duck in Petaling Jaya, I was thrilled. And it’s a mere 15 minutes away from where I reside. I couldn’t wait any longer and headed straight to Aman Suria where the restaurant is located.
Imagine my surprise when I walked into the restaurant to see all the chairs stacked up. So no dine in? What a bummer! I definitely wasn’t aware about this but didn’t want it to hinder my roast duck experience. I placed my takeaway order of Roast Duck Drumstick Rice (RM18), Spicy Sour Mustard Greens (RM7) and lastly, a one-person portion of Char Siew and Siew Yoke (RM11).
While waiting for my takeaway, I couldn’t help but notice an array of iconic yellow toy ducks in all sizes, as well as ceramic ducks huddled on the counter. I chuckled, Jiang’s Duck Restaurant is a true ode to this delicious fowl. Duck packed, and it was time for me to head home and dig into my childhood meal. Ah, nostalgic waves hit me hard.
What I tried at Jiang’s Duck Restaurant
Before I touch on how the taste of the roast duck was, let me tell you what made this duck extra sexy. Yes I’m sticking to using that word to describe the duck. Right before the owner slices the duck, she swings the duck vertically letting the juices flow into a cup. And once the duck is served on the rice, she drips these juices onto the duck, giving it a beautiful glistening look. This was my first time observing a duck being prepared that way, and needless to say, I was blown away.
A little background story— I have a habit of eating roast duck. I eat the meat first and the crispy, fatty skin later. Jiang’s Duck meat was so succulent and tender, I honestly fell in love at first bite. Then I greedily bit into the roast duck skin and it was a euphoric experience. It was crispy, fatty and instantly brought me back to my happy childhood days.
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Next was the Spicy Sour Mustard Greens soup. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I was looking forward to chai boey where you have your leftover duck carcass. Instead, this was a purely salted preserved vegetables stew. Unperturbed, I took a sip. I have to admit that it was delicious— super savoury and tangy. This was definitely a hearty dish with intense flavours and spicy and sour undertones. It’s an absolute comfort food with the juicy roast duck and hot rice.
Now, despite being a duck restaurant, Jiang’s also has Siew Yuk and Char Siew to feature in their repertoire. I knew I couldn’t miss out on trying these dishes. The siew yuk was salty, but the skin being gloriously crispy, gave off an audible ‘crunch’. Gotta love that crunch!
To be honest, I didn’t care much for the char siew— it was rather sweet and I felt like I’d definitely had better elsewhere. I would recommend you to stick to the roast duck and siew yoke instead.
Final thoughts
Having operated for more than two decades, it’s no surprise why Jiang’s Duck Restaurant is loved by the folks in Petaling Jaya. It was one of the nicest roast ducks I’ve had in a long time— flavourful and undeniably amazing. In fact, the customer before me ordered a whole roast duck (RM70) so you know they’ve gotten the recipe right. If you’re planning a feast at home with your family and friends and want to impress them with a beautiful glistening duck, Jiang’s Duck Restaurant is the place to purchase this delicious fowl.
I also wish they would open for dine-in, but I understand the safety is of utmost importance with the Covid-19 virus still lingering about. I’ll definitely be back to tapau more of that roast duck. When you make a trip there, don’t forget to spot the adorable duckies!
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