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Alexandra Village Food Centre: Lao Ban Zhai Roasted Duck Rice – So Good It Makes Me Fly!

Rating:

By Veron Ang

I have this whole love affair with hainanese chicken rice. There’s something about the fragrant combo of chicken fat and sesame oil that I find irresistible! But, there is one time when I would willingly push away a plate of chicken rice for duck rice. That’s when it’s from Lao Ban Zhai Roasted Duck.

For as long as I can remember, my mom always buys the roasted duck from this stall at Alexandra Village Food Centre for our Sunday lunches, a whole duck each time. She says it’s because I love it, but I think it’s her secret indulgence too.

The dark sauce is the clincher here and those of you who have tasted it before would know exactly why. Seriously, it’s the sauce that makes this duck rice stand out from the crowd and easily one of the best in town!

Roasted Duck Rice

Roasted Duck Rice
S$3.50
Rating:

The sauce is more like a thick paste, with the most delicious sweetness. The hawker would normally drizzle it generously over each plate of rice, covering it like a sheet of blanket. But we had asked for a more “photogenic” plate of duck rice so he gave us a separate bowl for the sauce instead. No complaints there — we get a whole bowl of sauce!

But of course, the duck meat itself is juicy and tender too, char-roasted to perfection. It is served de-boned and cut into thick slices. Look carefully and you would notice the layers of fat that are unashamedly attached. A little sin does add to the taste.

Char Siew (Sweetened Barbequed Pork) Rice

Char Siew (Sweetened Barbequed Pork) Rice
S$3
Rating:

Despite the roasted duck being the signature dish, the sidekick of char siew (sweetened barbecued pork) is good too. The burnt caramelized pieces of meat are totally yummy and flavoursome! (though, of course, I remain loyal to Fatty Cheong, who holds the unofficial title for the best char siew in town.)

Don’t worry about missing out on the awesome sauce. You also get it with the char siew rice!

Roasted Duck & Char Siew (Sweetened Barbequed Pork) Rice

Roasted Duck & Char Siew Rice
S$3.50
Rating:

If you ask me, I would want the best of both worlds any day and go for a plate of rice with both duck meat AND char siew. To people that are not too bothered with health, this plate is sheer bliss :)

Well, roasted duck is probably a difficult dish to master. Ask about the best chicken rice in town, and anyone can easily rattle off a whole list of names. But when it comes to excellent duck rice, it becomes more of a challenge. Can you think of any good ones?

Lao Ban Zhai Roasted Duck Rice
Alexandra Village Food Centre
120 Bukit Merah Lane 1
Singapore 150120
Tel: +65 6274 5561

Bus services: 14, 33, 51, 93, 100, 195, 197
Nearest MRT: Queenstown

Opening hours: 11am – Sold out (Closed on Saturdays)

Tags: Alexandra, Alexandra Village Food Centre, Chinese, hawker centre, lunch

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About the Editor

Veron Ang is the Founder and Chief Editor of Sparklette, a Singapore restaurants guide, lifestyle and travel blog. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and runs a web design firm at Sparklette Studio. To get in touch, head on over to the contact page or follow @Sparklette and @VeronSG on Twitter.

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Responses Leave a comment

CRS
1 comment

your food pix are droolsome, as always. Plugged your post here. Thanks for previously allowing us permission to do so.
Reply
Posted November 13, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Melissa
45 comments

My fave duck rice is Lim Seng Lee in Clementi. The braised sauce is very very nice!! Unfortunately they seem to be a bit commercialized these days and standards seem to have dropped a little. Nevertheless still worth checking out if you stay in the west. Many of the places you feature are in the west so I’m assuming that’s where you stay haha
Reply
Posted November 13, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Veron
3439 comments

CRS: No, thank YOU! It’s a privilege to be listed on eCitizen :)
Melissa: Commercialisation either makes or breaks a business. The Boon Tong Kee Hainanese chicken rice chain is one name that comes to mind. Having eaten there, I can never understand what’s so great about the food!
Thanks for telling me about Lim Seng Lee. Clementi isn’t too far from where I live hehe so I might just check it out!
Reply
Posted November 13, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Danny
1 comment

Hey Wanting, it’s been a while. How’s everything? Your blog is still growing impressively, keep it up!!
Reply
Posted November 14, 2008 at 1:09 am
Terence
14 comments

i love duck rice!! :)
hmm.. i miss the old duck rice stall at former Toa Payoh Lor 1 Market. They serve big slices of duck meat with specially cooked rice. Herbal soup too. +____+
Reply
Posted November 14, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Veron
3439 comments

Danny: Hey Danny! It’s been a while since anyone addressed me by my Chinese name over here. Wow. Thanks for dropping by! Let’s catch up soon over some good food :)
Terence: Aww! If they’re still around it’d be really convenient for me to go patronise the stall. I work in Toa Payoh!
Reply
Posted November 14, 2008 at 10:08 pm
XWings
50 comments

Hi Veron,
This is great !!
Nothing beats combo slices of juicy meat on a plate of pipping hot rice with delicious chilli sauce….finished the meal with a bowl of double boiled herbal soup or a cup of Tea-C…..NICE !!
These are stuffs that remind us of Singapore when we are overseas…..
Feels really hungry now…
: )
Regards
Reply
Posted November 15, 2008 at 7:41 am
Walter
72 comments

Hey Veron,
Noticed that quite a few of your reviews are pretty close to my neighbourhood which is the Redhill/Bukit Merah/Alexandra area. Are you living in that vicinity? Its a great place to be and glad to know so many yummy places in ABC market and Alexandra Village.
Reply
Posted November 17, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Veron
3439 comments

XWings: No, your vivid and detailed description makes us all hungry!
Walter: You’re sharp! Yes you’re right. I live nearby ABC Market and Alexandra Village. Lotsa yummy goodies there, so we’re both pretty lucky!
Reply
Posted November 18, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Vincent
1 comment

Hi there, my family does Roasted food too. We are specialise in Hong Kong Roasted food. Our specialty is the Roasted Duck Drum stick. Ask for the sauce! It would be nice if you can come down and try out. We do have tonic soup too. Give us a visit at Sim Min Rd BLK 22, facing the blk, at the rightmost coffeeshop, Hong Kong Specialty. Hope to see you there. Cheers. =D
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Posted March 5, 2009 at 10:54 am