Review of Soon Kee Duck Rice @ Springleaf MRT Exit 2 ● Upper Thomson Road

Haven't been back at the area around Springleaf MRT for a decade already. I was first here in the 1980s. It's an ulu (outback) place but people were already coming here for the "Ampang" yong tau foo stalls (they are still here today).

Stall name: Soon Kee Duck Rice

Address: 08H Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 787114

Nearest MRT: At the doorstep of Springleaf MRT station exit 2

Tel: 997 68 9925

Hours: 9:00am - 4:00pm

There was also Soon Kee Duck Rice which we often ate at and sometimes tabao (takeaway).

Glad they are still here too.

The row of shops here were surrounded by greenery as it was at the fringe of the nature reserve. Today, Soon Kee Duck Rice is right at the door step of Springleaf MRT station exit 2. Took this picture while eating my lunch 😄

There's still a bit of rustic charisma or whatever there is left of it. The coffeeshop still has the gritty dingy charm of old. 

The ceiling fans whirling above made a clicking sound which I thought at first was from the idling car engine just beside me.

This is the $5 set of yam rice, braised duck and a soup.

I asked for duck breast, my favourite cut of duck.

The meat come in small pieces and cubes of odd shapes and sizes though I prefer my duck in thin slices.

This was chopped (literally chopped) by a staff. The boss was still busy in the kitchen.

The meat was tender, moist, with a bit of soft chewy bite, natural duck sweetness, and subtle gaminess which I appreciate.

The brown sauce was mainly savoury salty, and a little flat.

I actually enjoyed more those parts of the duck which were relatively untouched by the sauce. Perhaps, next time I shall ask them to separate the meat and the sauce. I shall use the sauce as a dip instead of letting the sauce drench the duck like a dressing even though it was relatively mild and didn't completely overpower the duck flavours.

The rice was sweet with the savoury salty overlay of flavour from the sauce. Didn't noticed any yam.

The watery soup is savoury salty with a bit of duck bone taste.

The chili sauce was savoury salty sourish.

As I was walking back to the MRT station, I couldn't help but stopped to take photos of the beautiful flowers outside.

An old man with white hair like mine came up to me and said, I paraphrase, "yeah last time when we were young and busy making money a living, we didn't notice the beautiful things around us. Now, we have the time to enjoy them."

I agree with him. That everything includes good food 😄😋

I like to have my Ampang yong tau fu in Ampang 👈 click 😬

Written by Tony Boey on 5 Apr 2023