For roast duck, Loong Foong in PJ is the place to go.
LOONG Foong Restaurant, near Paramount Garden in Petaling Jaya, serves one of the best siew ngap (roast duck) around.
Personally, I feel that this is one of the ?must go? makan places in the Klang Valley
.
But, before I go into the details, here?s a side story: Back in the old days, the siew ngap was a traditional dish served during Chinese festivals, and preparing it is truly an art form.
In the 1970s, when I was growing up in the Raja Bot market where my late father used to operate a grocery shop, our back row neighbour was a specialist in preparing the siew ngap.
Their family business spanned three decades before the head of the family decided to call it a day.
I used to watch the slaughtered ducks being dressed, and prepared for roasting.
The first thing was to remove the feathers (these were collected and sold as stuffing for blankets and pillows). Then, the ducks were dipped in hot wax to remove their fine hair and roots.
Food colouring was rubbed on the skin and the ducks’ innards were marinated with salt and five spices powder.
The ducks were then roasted over slow heat and the result was a perfect golden brown roast.
When I was small, my family would only buy the siew ngap as a special dish for dinner on Chinese New Year?s eve.
As a treat, my father would buy
a pair of duck wings at 20 sen for me to chew on.
The simple joy of gnawing on the bony wings and their tough meat really made my day back then.
Fast forward to the present. I first tasted the roast duck at the Loong Foong Restaurant (N 03 06.368, E 101 37.539) off Jalan 20/14 in Paramount Garden a decade ago.
Recently, my wife Michelle and I, along with her parents, had dinner at the restaurant.
We ordered half a duck (RM27), curried phai kuat (pork ribs) and a serving of steamed ikan tapah (giant river catfish) head.
As usual, the duck was excellent and I can say the same for the fish. But the pork ribs were a disappointment. You would need the strength of a bear?s jaw to chew the meat off them.
On the Samo-scale, I would rate Loong Foong?s Siew Ngap an 8 out of 10.
The roast duck is available only after 6pm and there is a steady dinner crowd at the restaurant.
So, if you plan to give this makan place a try, be sure to get there early.
