Ming Fa Duck Rice – Tender Braised Duck & Pork Belly at Hainanese Village
March 15, 2021
With just a simple signboard, Ming Fa Duck Rice might not look like they have a lot to offer. But as they say, don’t judge a book by its cover. The stall has a lot more than you might know.
As I was waiting to order, I observed some uncles who were regulars walking away from the stall with huge platters of things like pork belly, pork skin, egg, tau kwa and tau pok. I was intrigued and excited because my one true love is braised pork belly. When it was my turn to order, I asked the aunty how does the platter work. She just said, “你喜欢吃什么跟 aunty 讲我叫 uncle 加进去.” (Tell me what you want and I’ll ask uncle to add it in). Dang. It was a tough one as there was no menu but I just told her I’ll get the same as what the uncle in front of me got, except that it’ll be for one pax, as she doubted my ability to finish what I didn’t even know I was ordering. Oh well.
In my duck rice platter($6), there was braised pork belly and duck, tau pok, and a whole egg. It came with a plate of braised rice and a large bowl of soup too. I thought the platter was quite affordable!
While waiting for my order, the aunty told me to take their sambal chilli with ikan bilis and the garlic chilli. While saying that, she scooped a whole chunk into a take away plastic bag for the customer in front of me and the people after me were scooping it to their heart’s delight. It’s interesting to see people being so obsessed with this chilli.
Now, here’s the review. TLDR: it’s so good, just get everything they have to offer.
I’ll start with the braised duck, their signature. I could tell why they have a consistent long queue at the stall. It was so well marinated(非常入味and the duck was tender and juicy too! It was not like any others that I’ve tried before. It gets off-the-charts shiok when you pair it with both their chilli sauces.
I would say the same for the braised pork belly as well because it’s just as tender and seasoned. The pork fats and skin almost melted in my mouth!
Remember to have the ikan bilis with the sambal! You might want to be aware of your cheeky friends who might just snap a photo of you while you try to eat it. Although it may be a mouthful to handle, it’s worth the unglam-ness~ The sambal was quite sweet, with a good spicy kick. The ikan bilis was slightly juicy and you can even taste the sweetness of it and a little of the fishy oil as you bite into it. It’s basically a party going on in your mouth with the sambal+duck +rice combo.
The garlic chilli on the other hand was watery but not diluted. I personally prefer this over the sambal chilli combo because I love how addictively spicy it got as I worked my way through the meal. Every drop packed a strong spicy punch, and even a little bit of it would hit you hard on the first bite. The garlic chilli might be a common thing for chicken rice stalls, but it makes a very good pairing with the duck rice here!
The soup was on another level too. It was not just a basic bowl of clear soup. It consists of different vegetables, chicken and carrots! It looked like a sweet or salty soup from far, but in actuality, it was slightly bitter and had a pungent aftertaste. It might be an acquired taste but it’s still a very enjoyable bowl of soup for me!
The usual $3 duck rice, on the other hand, comes with just the duck and half a braised egg.
The firm grains of rice are very well separated. You can literally pick up just one grain of rice easily without it breaking apart. It was quite sticky as well. The rice on its own was flavourful enough. 10/10 would just order a plate of rice someday.
The minimum wait is about 15 to 20 minutes. Fret not when you see a long queue as it moves quite quickly! The stall is located all the way in a corner of the hawker centre which makes queueing a less awkward affair. However, be there early! The stall closes once they are sold out for the day, which is around 12 to 2 pm.
Ming Fa Duck Rice
Address: 105 Hougang Avenue 1 #02-01, Hainanese Village Centre, Singapore 530105
Phone: 6123 4567
Mobile: 8278 1251
Area: North East
Opening Hours: 7 am to 12 pm or when sold out Tuesday to Saturday. Closed on Sunday and Monday
Cuisine: Chinese
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mingfayafan/
MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.
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