The Dead Cockroach: Chuan Kee Boneless Braised Duck Rice @ Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre

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Chuan Kee specializes in braised duck meat and is one of the more popular stalls at Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre. It was included in the Michelin Bib Gourmand for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019.

Not that the inclusion in the list matters (not to me anyway) because with or without it, Chuan Kee have no lack of customers coming for their signature braised duck. The French tyre simply caused frustration in people who have to cope with the queue they created.

You can have the braised duck with either rice, noodle or porridge in three sizes ($3/$4/$5).

I was actually hesitating whether to give them a try. I mean, I do like braised duck rice but I prefer having it with white rice and a non starchy sauce like what Cai Ji and Ah Xiao are serving.

Despite Chuan Kee serving their braised duck with a dark colored looking rice and starchy sauce which is not really what I like, I still decide to go ahead and ordered for myself the $4 braised duck rice set.

Apart from the braised duck meat sitting on the mound of rice, the set includes half a hard boiled egg, half a piece of tau kwa and some groundnuts - all braised.

I do not really care for the sides as I do not like hard boiled egg and tau kwa. I would have ordered my duck rice as it is without any sides if I could.

My plate of braised duck rice is heavily smothered under a layer of starchy sauce that gathers in a pool around the bottom of the rice. What I initially thought to be yam rice turns out to be rice cooked in the braising sauce then topped with even more sauce.

With the amount of sauce involved, I thought the rice would be all soft, wet and sticky but on the contrary, the grains are all fluffy and I could feel the individual grains in my mouth not sticking together. Now, how do you describe 粒粒分明 in English?

The sweetish sauce has infused the rice with its rich, aromatic flavors and it really took me by surprise that I would take to it this well.

The thinly sliced duck meat is tender with no gamey smell. I particularly enjoy chewing the meat together with the skin while relishing the release of the juices. For a different experience, dip the duck meat in the chili sauce for that tang and spiciness.