MORE than 36 years ago, Kok Hin Keong, 62, began his journey in the food business by helping his brother-in-law at a stall selling Teochew-style stewed duck.
Prior to that, he had worked in a hardware store after moving to the Klang Valley from his hometown of Kuala Kangsar in Perak.
In August 1980, Hin Keong took his first step into entrepreneurship by opening a stall in SS2 selling the same dish. He has not looked back since.
He reinvented the recipe to one he could call his own and serves it at his stall – Fatty Duck – which is located in Restoran Okay, SS2, Petaling Jaya.
Every morning, his 30-year-old son Kok Yu Joe starts preparing the duck at about 9am. The cleaning process takes an hour.
A potent broth of various Chinese herbs and soy sauce is set to boil and the ducks are then cooked in the concoction for more than an hour.
Game meat is an acquired taste, mostly because of its distinct smell, and Hin Keong says the secret to eliminating the odour is to use lengkuas (galangal) to marinate the meat.
The plant commonly used in Asian cooking, eliminates the smell without altering the flavour of the dish – provided the right amount is used.
“Lengkuas gets rid of the smell but if too much is used, it can overpower the flavour of the stewed duck,” said Hin Keong.
The Kok family has clearly mastered the measurement of lengkuas needed as the stewed duck here has no odour.
In addition to the main highlight, the stall features more than 10 other dishes that complement the game. So, while the ducks are being stewed, these other dishes are prepared.
At 4.30pm, the stall opens for business. Between then and the closing hour of 11pm, they sell 15 to 20 ducks a day on weekdays and 25 ducks on weekends.
A plate of stewed duck with white rice costs RM9 per person and is well worth the price. The rice is no ordinary accompaniment as it is cooked with oil, ginger, onions and garlic, giving it extra bursts of flavours.
For large groups of diners, ordering a whole duck would be more appropriate and this costs RM56.
Another signature of this stall is the chilli paste that comes with the stewed duck.
“Our regular customers always ask for the chilli paste,” said Hin Keong.
This comes as no surprise because the paste is unique and quite unlike the usual one that comes with an order for chicken or duck rice.
The paste is made using garlic, ginger juice, onions and two types of chillies.
At the review, we also tried several other dishes – mushrooms, pork intestine, salted eggs and cabbage.
These additional dishes are priced from RM2 to RM10. While each dish was equally good, the stewed duck is rightfully the highlight.
Hin Keong hopes to eventually retire as he is confident that his son and nephews – Tan Yan Hui and Tan Yean Chong – are ready to take over the business. The three young men currently handle most of the tasks at the stall.
The Fatty Duck stall is located in Restoran Okay in SS2 and opens daily from 4.30pm to 11pm. Closed on alternate Wednesdays.
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