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Amongst the fowl that I’ve tried, duck ranks pretty high on my list. It’s not as universally accepted as chicken because of its “gamey” taste, but I can’t get enough of it. I’m fairly certain there’s a point where even I will find a piece of duck too “ducky” for me, but today is not that day. I read about Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice in Tekka Centre, and decided to give this stall a shot.
I arrived bright and early to ensure I was able to choose from everything they had on offer, since they’re known to run out of ingredients during the lunch rush.
Although it has “goose” in the name, Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice no longer sells goose (which makes me very sad) and focuses solely on its braised duck now. They’ve been around for at least 70 years and have a loyal following for their food. Two stickers lauding their recommendation in the Michelin Guide are visible: One in 2022 and one in 2024. Time to see what the fuss was about.
What I tried at Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice
A portion of Duck Rice starts from S$4, with Duck Drumstick Rice being S$7. Tofu and Eggs are available at S$0.70 each. There’s also a selection of offal available, although I didn’t see their prices on the stall. I decided to order Duck Rice, and add on an Egg as well as a side of duck liver for S$1. The total came up to S$5.70, which was still within the realm of reason for me.
The rice is served in a separate bowl, with the meat, egg and liver on another platter. Both are generously showered with the braising liquid or sauce. I also helped myself to their fiery red chilli, which was in a large metal tub at the front of the stall. I noted that the consistency was extremely liquid and had a strong vinegar smell.
Several of Heng Gi’s reviews mentioned that the portion of duck meat seemed to be quite woeful of late, and they don’t seem to be completely unfounded. At a glance, I was given more liver than duck meat – it evened out, I suppose.
The Houson Duck: Award-winning Teochew duck rice from my childhood
For the duck meat, I was served the breast portion. Most people I know prefer the drumstick, but the breast is my favourite cut of the duck. While the meat was tender enough, I found it a touch dry. The sauce was very salty and overpowered the other flavours present.
The duck liver had varying textures in each slice. Some slices were creamier than others, and some were bordering on overcooked. Despite the inconsistency, the liver had a good flavour and didn’t taste bloody or “off”.
I decided to taste the scary-looking chilli as-is. Instead of being met with hellfire in my mouth, I was hit with sourness so strong my cheeks felt like they were being vacuumed up from the inside. There was definitely some heat, but it faded just as quickly as it arrived.
I dipped a piece of duck meat into the chilli and layered it on some rice. The combination worked perfectly, with the sharp tartness of the chilli playing up the meatiness of the duck. Like a moth drawn to a flame, I kept going back for more and more of this extremely sour and spicy concoction. Reviews had talked about how the chilli sauce was way too sour, but I loved it.
The accompanying soup was a simple affair and had a strong herbal note compared to the braising sauce. It was a bit thin and lacked body, though.
Final thoughts
While I can’t definitively say what a Michelin-recommended braised duck should be like, I felt that Heng Gi’s rendition wasn’t quite it. It was far from a bad plate of Teochew braised duck, and the chilli was good, but it failed to wow me. Sometimes I wonder what the criteria for getting a Michelin recommendation are, but I guess only the folks at Michelin would know.
Expected damage: S$4 – S$7 per pax
Tai Dong Teochew Duck Rice: Traditional braised duck rice with over 30 years of history
