Lim Seng Lee Duck Rice: Cheap no Good, Good no Cheap
With Damien
I guess it is part of the Singaporean character to look for things that are cheap and good. This is especially true when it comes to food. However, many foodies are also ready to fork out their cash when they come across really good food. The fact is that the "Good" is not cheap and it is compounded by the fact that the "Cheap" is not as good as the "Good" that is not cheap.
There are only a handful of hawkers in Singapore who can actually command such unquestioning allegiance from their customers. Their food is so good that their customers don't mind paying the premium as well as suffer potential verbal abuse in order to have their taste buds tickled. According to Damien, this is one of them.
I was of course skeptical. How good can braised duck really get? I have yet to find a braised duck that I could have a craving for.
Well, all that is about to change. The duck here is actually very enjoyable. The meat was moist and tender and the unique, sweet vinegar chilli was the perfect accompaniment for the duck. It was actually quite shiok! 4.5/5 Just one problem, the plate small plate of thinly sliced duck costs $5 and if you go during peak periods, the wait can be pretty long.
Conclusion
Really nice braised duck with a shiok chilli sauce dip. Good enough to get me thinking about traveling all the way out West to eat it, but not quite that good enough for me pay a premium and still suffer a long queue for.
Lim Seng Lee Duck Rice
38 South Buona Vista Road
10.30am to 8.30pm
64759908
28 comments:
I like this new layout!
Oh, I used to go there years ago. We Teochews love braised duck. Some of my friends are such big fans. Yah, the duck's good. Sambal kangkong is popular too.
Is this the duck rice that is situated in a standalone coffeeshop?
I remember going there once a few years back and the only thing I remember was that it was VERY EXPENSIVE for a small serving.
I didn't quite like the gluey gravy either - Teochew braised duck usually doesn't come with gluey gravy but the darker watery ones. This I assumed is either the Cantonese or the Hokkien version - but I might be wrong.
I am amazed at the rating you gave this outlet. This place is just over-hyped and expensive. If this scores 4.5, many others would be scoring 5 on your rating
sorry - this one dont do it for me.
one of the most overrated braised duck stalls ever in Singapore.
i ll give it a 3 rating.
sorry.
Oh so surprising that so many people don't like this stall.
As to whether this is a Teochew style braised duck, what I can say is that the owner is Teochew. Stylewise, as with all Singaporean food, it can be a little mixed.
Well, the ultimate braised duck is supposedly the one at Tekka Market that smart is raving about. They are going to close Tekka for reno soon and the stall may not reopen. So I definitely have to blog it before it becomes another piece of Singapore food history.
Erhem, ieat, my post in cheok kee duck rice commended Ah Seng at Sgoon Gdns, don't waste your calories at Tekka, the duck meat there is dry and tough. If you only interested in the loh taste then go for that is the only redeeming feature now. My makankakis already sweared off Tekka one. Xing Ji in Kelantan is better compared to Tekka.
I believe you are referring to Heng Gi Roasted Goose and Duck Rice - whom the husband and wife team serve up the rice in a bowl.
Their meat might tend to be slightly tough and some will complain that the duck is roasted for too long, and thus too salty, and the gravy too oily, but I find that the meat does goes well with my rice, and the meat was luscious and full of flavour.
However I think the biggest problem is they are only open 2-3 days a week usually wed-fri.
You can read my review below
http://hisfoodblog.blogspot.com/2006/11/hawkers-galore.html
ate at the Serangoon Gdn stall some months back n found the meat tough.Somtime is it difficult to judge. Can it be the 'time' when the ducks are brougnt in.
Found another duck rice stall at Geylang Est 'Ah Xiao Teochew duck rice'. The poster claimed it was from Ellenborough Mkt. Ate there 2 x found it good especially the 'belly pork'. Good sauce n 2 types of chilli. They have another stall at Ah Sia Eating House Yio Chu Kang Rd but learnt that both stalls braise their duck at the stall itself.
I last ate there years ago and had since banned myself from going there after they had over charged me.
4 of us went there, ordered the "infamous" duck, toufo, kangkong. Billed us for over $50.
Asked the boss to break down the cost and he muffled they had served a whole duck at $... I argued with him as the portion was not as what he had claimed to be a whole duck, as if I had not seen a whole duck before.
Had not, and had been "de-recommedning" kakis from going there.
I had been there quite a few times. The price usually comes up to about $8 to $10 per head if you order some of the side dishes with the duck. Quite standard.
Even though the taste is quite ok it is not a die die must eat place. The one at Thomson Long House is good and the prices are acceptable.
The duck rice at Long House is pretty good too. Pricewise, very similar too.
Grew up eating at Lim Seng Lee, thus, the duck always reminds me of my salad days :)
Very normal only la, but very expensive. I fully agreed that it had been over-rated.
The only place in Singapore where I would eat duck rice...
Good to know that this stall has its supporters!
Over rated, like someone said, if this store is give 4.5 then a lot of stores out there deserves 5.
So which stalls will Mr. Annonymous give a perfect 5?
Agree with most that its over-rated. Again taste is personal but I'd rather not have the gooey sauced braised duck. Perhaps the 3 better ones I know of are:
1) Serangoon Gdns Market
2) Circular Road (next to Killiney Kopitiam)
3) Blk 22 Sing Ming Dr (Makan sutra recommedation for Kiam Chye ark at this stall, but duck is pretty darn good)
Yup, taste is indeed subjective as I love sauce over my duck rice. Love the duck at Circular Road however, find the ones at Serangoon Gardens Market and Sin Ming Dr a tad too dry.
There are two stalls at Hong Lim that I'd recommend that is very similar to the Serangoon Market one - opposite Ah Kow Bak Chor Mee and the other 3 rows away.
Yes of course taste is subjective and it is definitely affected by the price and the level of service you get as well.
There is one objective gauge to the standard of the duck though. That is the size of the duck they use. Bigger ducks are more expensive. And stalls that want to serve really good duck rice usually opt to go for the big ducks. Because there is less meat in a duck compared to chicken, you really need a big duck in order to be able to slice up the breast into nice big slices.
Both the Tekka Mkt and Lim Seng Lin uses big ducks. So to me that is a real plus point that is not subject to the individual taste buds.
Yap, agree with Damien that the duck at Long House is rather similar. But I think it's cheaper, and the store holder is more courteous :) service is big for me. A suggestion to ieat: Why not also start rating the level of service of the places you visit?
Got what. 2 categories. Food Nazi and non Food Nazi
The whole duck here costs a whopping $40. However I think it's worth its 4.5 rating. The duck is very very good - at least to me. Perhaps the expensive price goes into the effort of slicing the duck so thinly goes really really well with the porridge I normally eat with. I also like the kang kong :)
It's outta way and find a place to park can be tricky during lunch hours.
I love the duck rice here..The 'lor' is so tasty. I m a teochew. I eat this duck rice since young. Nv grow sick of it. I don't think its extremely overprice.My bf n i both of us have 2 rice 2 porriage duck for 2 and toufu and 1 can of coke cost us ard $20. I think the way he slice it is really good. The meat is really soft! I love it!
The first time I eat this Lim Seng Lee Duck Rice can trace back to 1993/94, my colleague package this duck rice for lunch, it is good to eat and the chili was fantastic. Since that I have a very good impression with their boneless braised duck rice and we intermittently patronized them until now, either during lunch time or with my family for dinner; we usually order with sambal kangkong, bean curd and lime juice, it is simple and easy. It seems like not as good as last time now, but could be just me; however we still visit them once awhile.
There’s a place I eat braised duck also, Teochew Cuisine Restaurant (http://www.teochew-cuisine.com/), they are more expensive. Thinking of package half a duck and bring home one time...
I like to eat duck meat than chicken; I remember my mother cooked the十全大補汤 with duck meat last time, and I enjoy it very much, so long have not eaten this, craving…, now where to eat this in Singapore??
lujia: The closest to that duck dish you mentioned is perhaps found in Dian Xiao Er. But it's not soup version, rather it is roasted with the herbs.
Yes, I have yet to try the duck at Dian Xiao Er. Heard it is good.
Hi Holy Drummer, ieat,
Thanks for the response and recommendation; I will try the Dian Xiao Er’s duck meat next time…,
The dish I mentioned “十全大補汤” is cooked together with plain duck meat is of dark soup type, definitely not roasted. Google translated as “Shiquandabu duck soup” or “Shiquan Dabu Tang”, :-)
Anyone has eaten this dish in Singapore may wish to keep us informed… Thanks and best regards.
Cheers!
For info,
I found few websites related to “Shiquandabu duck soup”, or may be called “ten tonic duck soup”, see when I can go down to try this duck rice…
From: http://www.goodfood.sg/duck_rice
Rochor Duck Rice (Shi Quan Ya Tang) 梧槽鸭饭 (十全鸭汤 / 羊肉汤)
327 Beach Road #00 -00 Golden Mile Food Centre Singapore 199561
From: http://www.ieatclub.com/earth-jar-treasure-2011/review.htm
Earth Jar Treasure 瓮中宝
22 Sin Ming Road Singapore
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