Dao Ji (People's Park Complex)

Glad to see this 60 years old Cantonese roast meat stall is revamped and continued legacy by the grandson . You can see my full detail review here

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1027250091113198/permalink/1066984783806395/

I’m a modernist, my philosophies in life are heavily dictated by maintaining relevance and relinquishing the obsolete, which has rewarded me with glimpses of the future, consequentially making me the god I am today. That being said, my reverence for the oldest of establishments that pioneer a generation of culinary feats knows no bounds; practice makes perfect, and a place like Toh Kee which happens to be Singapore’s oldest roast meat stall (since 1926) exemplifies that.
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📍THE PLACE
Located on the first storey of the famous People’s Park Complex, the stall is instantly recognisable with its bold black and gold calligraphic letterings, as well as roasted ducks on display that are actually darker on the surface than most, due to the fact that they are charcoal grilled
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🍽 THE FOOD
1️⃣ 3 Types of Roasted Meat (烧味三拼) ($24/28) - one can hope to test the waters of the stall’s prowess by ordering this, a platter of the famous trifecta of roast duck, roast pork and char siew. Their roast duck is marked by the charcoal grilling, lending a crisp skin and a subtle smokiness that most roast ducks lose in the process of service.
2️⃣ Roast Duck with Rice($6/9) - if you’re looking for a meal for one at this quintessential spot for roast meat, this would be the prime choice
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🤔 THE VERDICT
Excellent meats, fast and efficient service that is no doubt proof that practice indeed makes perfect after 93 years of consistent effort.

Roast meat always a better idea for this stall.
叉火饭
Only $6 for this simple plate of char siew & siew yok, covering fluffy rice.
Yummy indeed.

Watch my video review of the stall: https://youtu.be/HaepIhXvQVw

With almost a 90 to 100-year history, Toh Kee is possibly the longest surviving Cantonese roast meats business in Singapore, but it has an uncompromising old-school taste which you’ll either love or hate, with less sweet accents and hardier meaty textures. The business started out about 1918, when the original proprietor walked around the Chinatown area, selling his roast ducks on poles. The family business proper started in 1926 and has been in existence ever since.

For many decades, they were touted for having some of the best roast ducks in Singapore, but that reputation has somewhat faded due to better roast ducks from other stalls and whispers of inconsistent management and rotating chefs of late.

The roast ducks here come darker and more charred, and it is partially due to the over 60-year-old charcoal steel roaster that is apparently impossible to build these days (they didn’t say why). Ducks are marinated in garlic, spring onions, salt and five-spice powder for about one and a half hours, then immediately after roasting, malt syrup is brushed on the skin to crisp it up.

The roast duck is still supremely good with a nice crisp skin and a robust, meaty texture that still retains its moisture. Compared to other stalls, the texture of the meat here is meaty as opposed to it being soft which is something you’ll either love or hate. The meatiness is intentional as the older generation prefer their meats with a bit more bite.

The same applies to their char siu which has gotten a lot of flak as it comes relatively lean and not a lot of fat. It comes with a fair amount of red colouring and taste-wise, more savoury and not as sweet. Texture-wise, there is still a fair amount of juiciness even though the meat is lean, which is impressive, to say the least.

The siu yok (roast pork belly) is pure perfection with a slightly charred, crispy skin, juicy meat and is cut into thick pieces. A soy reduction — made with fermented soybeans — comes on every plate has an old-school intensely savoury taste with a thin consistency and a prominent five-spice powder aroma. No plum sauce is available, but the smooth chilli sauce comes well-balanced with a fresh sweetness and a slight amount of tang.

Interesting bit of trivia: they used to serve sliced cucumbers with their roast meats but switched over to roasted soybeans as they felt the moisture from the cucumbers affected the crispness of the duck skin.

It's almost right at the end so it's quite hard to find lol

Well I can guarantee the quality and the taste are extraordinary but whether it's that much better than normal to be deserving of $22bux is up to individual discretion

Siobak was perfect in my eyes, superbly crispy skin, slightly smoky, meaty bite with good amounts of fat and salty enough. Do eat this quickly as the thinner skin will lose its crispiness after a while

Charsiew was also perfect to me with caramelised bits outside, and a good fat to meat ratio inside while being supremely tender. The sweetness is also not overpowering.

While the duck may be overshadowed by the other two meats, it is certainly not a scrub. It's mind blowing how ducks can be so juicy where liquid just gushes out after u take a bite. Good thing about a platter is that they give you a leg which is really the best part to justify the price. Very very flavourful but needs a little more crisp in the skin to reach the next level. Right now only certain parts of the skin is crispy enough.

Rmb having ribs here that was overpriced and not very impressive.

This time round i shall recommend the char siew. What can i say is the char siew when the stall owner roast it i really saw the layer of fats in it. This is what i call a good charsiew. @cccfoo if you want a good charsiew meat this will be my recommendation. Normal Charsiew is hard & the meat is nt that tasty. If u want the address pls refer to my previous post on the roasted duck & sio bak.