He Ji Braised Duck: Long queues for braised duck rice & kway chap in West Coast Market Square

During my previous visits to West Coast Market Square, I noticed that a particular stall in the middle of the hawker centre had a constant long queue of customers. He Ji Braised Duck has always easily been the most popular stall in the market; it always stood out because of the line that snaked between the tables for its duck rice and kway chap. 

Duck rice isn’t a dish I usually order, but it does hold a special place in my heart as one of my childhood meals. So naturally, I was curious to try what He Ji Braised Duck had to offer. Would the fare be worth waiting for and the consistently long queues finally make sense? There was only one way to find out: by joining the line myself.

While the food preparation process wasn’t exactly speedy, I arrived at a good time when there weren’t too many people waiting before me. The prices of the dishes were clearly stated on their signboard, though I wish they had displayed the prices of add-on ingredients as well.

For greater grab-and-go convenience, saucers of sambal had been placed on a tray at the front. I also observed another customer taking away duck rice ask for chilli to be added to his order.

What I tried at He Ji Braised Duck

Braised Duck Rice with soup costs S$4/S$5, but there’s another option for a Duck Rice Set Meal (S$4.50) that includes egg and tofu. He Ji also offers Kway Chap (S$4.50 per set) and Braised Duck Porridge or Noodle (S$4/S$5) if you’d like something different!

I took a moment to admire the heaping plate. The ingredients and rice were doused in a thick brown gravy that glistened invitingly in the light. 

It felt only right to start with the boneless braised duck. One bite proved it rich and tender, with meaty and juicy flesh. There wasn’t a lot of skin or fat on my plate of duck, which I didn’t mind since I prefer lean meat. For the pieces that did, the skin and fat were thick and soft and needed several chews. 

Coated in sticky and flavourful gravy, the slices were very umami and quite enjoyable. Typically, I’d opt for more meat but judging by the proportions of the dish and its ingredient quantities, this seemed fairly reasonable.

The yam rice packed some savoury flavour, though not very strong. While the grains mostly clung together, they were light and cooked well, leaving them soft right through. Each grain picked up the thick gravy well, and I noticed it was very viscous, possibly because of a lot of cornstarch.

The Houson Duck: Award-winning Teochew duck rice from my childhood

Soft and smooth, the firm tofu had a beany flavour that matched the rest of the umami well. The fresh cucumbers added a pop of freshness to the dish, though I wish He Ji Braised Duck had given more of them. 

My order also came with half a braised hard-boiled egg. The eggy flavour, being another savoury component, was a palatable addition to the gravy and rice.

I’d added Braised Peanuts for S$0.80 and received a pretty generous portion. My request convinced the auntie who ordered after me to do the same, and I can imagine she must’ve been happy with the choice.

I’m glad I did because the braised peanuts were delish! Soft and fragrant, they gave the dish another layer of sweet nuttiness that went with the earthy rice nicely. 

Dipping the duck into the sambal, I found that it provided impressive heat. The notes of belacan and garlic were quite powerful and I only needed a bit of the chilli for the spice to kick in.

The dark soup tasted stronger than the rice and sauce. Spring onions had been sprinkled into the piping hot bowl, giving it a very pleasant herbal aroma. There was a tinge of sweetness either from the spices and herbs or sugar, making it a great complement to the main dish.

Final Thoughts

My first experience eating at He Ji Braised Duck was a positive one! It was a pleasure to have a decent plate of duck rice to fulfil my lunchtime hunger. I would have liked more meat in my dish, but after taking into account the amount of the other ingredients, I found the portion quite reasonable.

If you like braised duck with very thick gravy, I recommend you give this stall a shot. Just come down early before the lunch hour, since the queues can get pretty long!

Expected Damage: S$4 – S$5.30 per pax

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