Braised Duck, Beancurd, Egg, Peanuts, Salted Vegetable, White Rice.

Came across Chiam’s Lor Ark — an online-exclusive establishment that is brought by the same folks behind Saveur an it’s multiple concepts such as Gallery Bistro, Bread & Butterfly and MediumRare. Orders can be made via Oddle Eats, with delivery and self pick-up options available — all through Hair of The Dog at The Cathay (also formerly known as FrapasBar by Saveur).

Pre-ordered this for lunch on a day when a trip to the office is needed; made the order a day before to do a self pick-up on the subsequent day. Coming with several elements typical of your typical braised duck rice, Chiam’s Lor Ark is pretty much more of an establishment that prides itself serving over a heritage family recipe since 1941 than a modern, hipster brand serving up zhng-ed variants of a local classic. If anything, it was the braised duck, beancurd and the chili that really won us over with this variant — commercial variants of braised duck rice often featuring dry, grainy slabs of thinly sliced, almost skinless duck meat but here its beautifully done. Think juicy slices of duck that comes with silvers of fat underneath the skin for every piece; carries a good bite without tasting any bit gamey nor grainy, while the beancurd comes smooth and springy. The chili comes somewhat emulsified here — a smooth, micro-foam texture that is incredibly zippy and garlicky; tickles the tastebuds even for those who can deal with moderate levels of spiciness. The braised egg here is also pretty commendable; the egg yolk and the egg white carries a consistent texture without being overly dry and clumpy within. Not sure if it is because of the fact that it is taken away, but the braised sauce drenched over the rice seem dried out — the flavours being a little faint though notably earthy; would really like to see how punchy it was when first drenched onto the rice. Other elements such as the salted vegetables provided a refreshing crunch, though I would not be able to comment on the braised peanuts since I should not be having them. 😅

While the Lor Ark Bento suits folks who are looking for an individual portion like me, Chiam’s Lor Ark does serve up quite a variety of items that would suit those who are looking for a family feast — including sets that are good for either two or four, and also offers their braised duck in whole or in halves as an ala-carte item. For those looking for something special and exclusively available online to try during this stay-home period — Chiam’s Lor Ark is probably something to add to the to-try list.