Duck prepared the traditional way

DUCKING TYCOON RESTAURANT,
Lot 2A-0, 2nd floor, North Block,
Wisma Selangor Dredging,
Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: [phone] 9819
Business hours: Mon to Sat, (10.30am-3pm,
6-10.30pm). Sun and public holidays,
(10am-3pm, 6-10.30pm).

DINING at DucKing Tycoon Restaurant in Jalan Ampang is a culinary delight with its array of delicious and affordable Chinese dishes.

From the humble porridge to glistening BBQ meats, it is clear that DucKing serves more than just duck as suggested by its name.

But, who can really give the duck a miss especially when there is an ongoing three-month promotion for its Traditional Salt Baked Eight Treasure Duck?

Signature dish: The Traditional Salt Baked Eight Treasure Duck is full of goodness.

Priced at RM98++, this whole duck can feed a minimum of five people.

Ducking Sdn Bhd director Jimmy Liew said the labour-intensive effort required in cooking the duck was a traditional skill that was becoming increasingly rare among cooks these days.

“Many don’t want to cook it because of the amount of work involved,” he said.

“But we wanted to preserve such a tradition; it is a shame if one can no longer find it.”

It is said that this cooking method came from Suzhou or Guangzhou in China, whereby many different herbs and ingredients are stuffed inside the duck to enhance its flavour.

However, traditionally salt was not used to fully encase the duck. Liew admitted that DucKing had modified this aspect with the inclusion of salt.

DucKing operation director Woo Chee Mun said the duck had to be deboned before being stuffed with glutinous rice, wolfberries, mushrooms, shrimps, BBQ pork and over 10 other ingredients to make the duck a wholesome, filling meal on its own.

Wrapped in foil paper before being encased with salt, Woo said the entire process took about six hours.

“The duck has to be carefully ‘handled’ to avoid tearing the skin, which is a skill on its own.

Seafood treat: The Sauteed Slice Eggand Wok Baked Crab Claw with Butter.

“Also, the birds cannot be kept overnight so we only make limited number a day,” he added.

Being a fan of duck, I waited in anticipation for Woo to ‘knock’ down the salt before cutting open the bird to reveal its treasures.

The meat was flavourful and second helpings are a must! There is an accompanying sauce that you can choose to drizzle over for extra taste.

We were also served the Baked Golden Coin Meat, where the lean and fat pork meat were creatively cut to resemble the shape of a coin, before being skewered and barbequed for 45 minutes. “This is another traditional dish,” said Woo.

Next up was the Braised Shark Fin Soup Ala ‘Tam’ Style, served piping hot in individual bowls.

The thick and milky broth is unlike the usual clear shark’s fin soup, and is a pleasant departure.

“The Tam style refers to a sifu (master) by the name of Tam, believed to have created this style of broth,” said Woo.

Done differently: The Braised Shark Fin Soup ala ‘Tam’ style that is more milky and creamy in taste.

The broth is boiled for six hours, containing prized ingredients like fish maw, crab meat, ham and, of course, shark’s fin.

I also like the Sauteed Slice Egg and Wok Baked Crab Claw with Butter. The crab claw was fresh and tender, delicious when eaten together with the sauteed egg drizzle.

The Pan Fried Pork Roll Wrapped with Enoki Mushroom ala ‘Japanese’ is another good recommendation, for its imported pork from Japan is tender and flavourful.

We also sampled the Deep-Fried Four Season Duck, that is crispy and unpretentious. Without the thick flour coatings that would have put many off.

Finish the fulfilling meal with desserts like Coconut Pudding or the Durian Tempura — the former is lovely for its clear, refreshing taste after the heavy main courses.

“Our sister outlet is in Jaya One, known as Ducking, with the same menu. As for the Tycoon moniker at this outlet, it’s to denote that we do banquets,” said Liew.

This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.