The Dead Cockroach: Cai Ji Boneless Braised Duck Rice Porridge @ Seah Im Food Centre

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Duck meat is not my favorite choice of poultry as I dislike the texture especially the breast meat. In Cantonese terms, I called it 嚡熠熠 (hai3 sab4 sab4).

That is why I do not usually eat duck unless there is a craving for it.

But all that is set to change after my discovery of this braised duck stall at Seah Im Food Centre!

Among the very few braised duck rice that I have eaten throughout my life, none could excite me as much as Cai Ji Boneless Braised Duck Rice Porridge can!

It all started when I saw a photo of it on Instagram. Just like the photo I took above, it was a plate of braised duck rice with several coils of braised pig's skin.

In all honesty, it was the pig's skin and not the duck meat which tempted me at that time.

I visited the stall and order the same combo of braised duck rice with braised pig's skin. There is the option of white rice and yam rice. I opt for the former.

Apart from pig's skin, they also have duck gizzard/liver, fish cake, bean curd, braised egg, fried bean curd, preserved vegetable, and various parts of the pig like the belly, ears and head.

Add-ons are subjected to additional costs, of course. My order of braised duck meat with white rice ($3.70) and pig's skin (50¢) came up to be $4.20.

While ordering, the auntie was telling me that her pig's skin for the day might be a tad tough and checked with me whether I still wanted it. She had noticed a couple of customers leaving their pig's skin untouched. I gave her the go-ahead since I am already there.

I started with the pig's skin first as that is the main reason for coming to the food centre. After popping a piece in my mouth, I must say that auntie's worries are unfounded.

The pig's skin is not good but excellent! The texture is soft with a bite and such a delight! The flavors of the lor have fully permeated within the skin while the surface is also free from those prickly hairs.

The braised duck meat did not fare too badly either with its tender texture. Just like the pig's skin, it is full of flavors unlike the usual tasteless ducks I had.

Apart from the tough meat, another thing which I dislike about having duck is the type of lor they drizzle over the meat.

I particularly dislike the sweet and sticky kind thickened with starch but the lor which Cai Ji drizzle over the rice is rather light and have a very delicious old school taste.

As for the herbal soup, it is rather diluted with mild flavors of the herbs but I enjoyed it immensely. I drank straight from the bowl and finished every drop.

Cai Ji's comforting braised duck rice is definitely one of those hidden gems waiting to be discovered!