The Fat Duck – Tasty Singapore/Malay Cooked Meats!

Update (13FEB23): The Fat Duck is no longer in operation.

Roasted duck, crispy pork, chicken and rice…these are a few of my favorite things. Fortunately they are easy to find in Bangkok. These are also dishes that are done very well in Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine. A friend who is very particular about such Singapore/Malay dishes recommended that I check out a new food stall that recently opened at the Suan Plern Market food court called The Fat Duck เป็ดอ้วน (official Facebook page). I’m so glad I listened.

The honey roasted duck, bamboo steamed chicken, and red cha siew (BBQ Pork) were juicy and succulent. While the siew yok (crispy roasted pork belly) had the perfect ratio of meat/fat and a light/puffy crispy skin. What amazed me was that with jasmine rice, and homemade sauces, each meat dish was incredibly priced at only 60 baht! I also had a chance to try one of their newest dishes, stewed chicken feet with shiitake mushrooms–a delicacy you have to work for.

With prices like that why not try them all, right? My stomach’s just not that big, though. But after a couple of spread out visits I feel like I’ve covered their menu well. Let me show you!

Chowing down…

There’s plenty of duck, chicken, and pork options on the menu. But for this sampling I chose the honey roasted duck, the red cha siew (BBQ Pork), the siew yok (crispy roasted pork belly), the vinegar stewed pork, and stepping out of my usual culinary comfort zone, their chicken feet dish. If you want the meat with a rice, each is 60 baht. Many of the dishes also have a noodle option (dry or with soup) for the same price, too. Plates of just meat are 90 baht (as they give you extra meat).

At these prices you’d expect to be given some cheap, starchy, filler rice. Au contraire! The rice is a special Jasmine rice sourced from Surin. It’s cooked with chicken broth, ginger, and garlic and topped with fried garlic–so it’s very flavorful. The sauces are also homemade (no store bought cheapies here!) and go well with any dish you order. The sauces are: a spicy chili and lime, a fresh ginger paste, and a secret sweet/savory sauce.

Let’s start with the duck…

Seriously juicy duck!

I knew I was in for a treat when the gal pulled down a whole roasted duck off the hook and set it on the chopping block. She took her large butcher knife and first made a small incision. Dark juice began to immediately gush out alleviating any concerns I might have had that this was going to be a dry bland bird.

She thinly sliced the meat into long strips and carefully laid it on the plate. It then received a generous ladle of sweet/savory sauce over the top. Looking at this picture now of the Singapore Honey Roasted Duck (90 baht) I feel that it doesn’t adequately capture just how damned delicious this dish was. But this is some seriously delicious duck with tender meat and honey sweet, thin, crispy skin.

Crispy pork, please!

The Singapore Siew Yok version of crispy pork differs from the Thai Moo Krob version. In the Singapore version the pork belly is roasted, not fried. This allows the fat to render off of it more, and the crispy skin is light and puffy, as opposed to the jaw rocking crunchy of its Thai counterpart.

If you’re a fan of really meaty crispy pork, I highly recommend you give The Fat Duck’s Crispy Roasted Pork Rice (60 baht) a try!

Stewed Vinegar Pork

Khao Kha Moo is one of my favorite street food dishes. This stewed pork leg dish is very different from its Thai counterpart, but delicious on a different level. The pork legs are stewed for a day with a special (and rare) black vinegar. The fat is super tender, the meat is as well with a bit of chew, too. This sauce, though. Wow!

Bring on the BBQ!

For a super tender red BBQ pork, I highly recommend Fat Duck’s Honey Roasted Pork Rice (60 baht) dish. The pork is cooked low and slow so the meat is very tender and juicy. They smother the sliced meat with the same secret sweet/savory sauce that they put on the honey roasted duck.

But for a real treat, go for the Honey Roasted Pork Noodle Soup (60 baht) option!

Not only do you get the super tender flavorful honey roasted pork, you also get this rich chicken and anchovy based broth. I highly recommend this option!

Chicken Feet

Let me be honest here. Chicken feet are amongst my least favorite things to eat. Not because of the taste. It tastes fantastic! But all those teeny tiny bones are such a huge pain in the butt to eat. You have to navigate around a load of tiny bones and bits of cartilage for just a little morsel of goodness. I think this is the reason it’s a favored dish amongst the old aunties and uncles who have the time to engage in eating it.

That being said, this is one of the more delicious chicken feet experiences I have had. Stewed for a day with shiitake mushrooms the flavor is delicious. The Stewed Chicken Feed Noodle (60 baht) is also a pretty good deal with large shiitake mushrooms and chewy sesame oil seasoned noodles. But still a hassle with all them bones. We have boneless chicken…why can’t we have boneless chicken feet? C’mon scientists, get on this!

A chat with the owner…

During my visit I had the chance to chat up the owner, Genevieve Pendrageon. Originally from Kuala Lumpur, Genevieve has been calling Bangkok home for the past 9 years. She’s always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and during her time in The Big Mango she’s founded several media and tour company ventures. In her words, “I’m in the business of making businesses“.

This project with The Fat Duck is a completely different experience for her. The idea originated from her desire to eat Singapore/Malay dishes that she felt she wasn’t able to find in Bangkok. Genevieve decided if she couldn’t find the authenticity she was looking for then she’d make it herself and also sell it to others who might be craving it, too.

Thus far it’s been a success story. Though only open since October, 2019 from they have built up a following of repeat customers and regularly sell out daily. To keep their menu interesting The Fat Duck creates regular special limited time special dishes. I’m looking forward revisiting to try their upcoming offering of Hakka style pork!

Genevieve told me that the secret to The Fat Duck’s rapid success was simple: use great ingredients, cook it right and consistent, and sell it at a fair price. If you do those 3 things then word of mouth from happy customers will do the rest!

The duck and pork are locally sourced with agreements that the pork belly have the proper meat/fat ratio. The chickens are herb fed, and hormone/antibiotic free. The cooking methods are derived from perfected recipes and are consistent to ensure the same dining experience. The price? Well it’s pretty wallet friendly at 60 baht a meal!

I’m hungry. Where is it?

The Fat Duck stand is located in the center area of Suan Plern Market food court on Rama IV. They are opened from 11:00am to 6:00pm. Parking is available at the Suan Plern Market complex. If you’re feeling lazy you can also order on the LINE, Grab, Lalamove Move, and Wongnai delivery platforms.

Talk to me!

If you’re a fan of roasted duck, crispy pork, or chicken and rice then I know you’ll love this place. Should you decide to visit The Fat Duck I’d love to hear your feedback in the comment section below, directly to me, or via message on either the Chow Traveller Facebook page or Chow Traveller Instagram. However you choose, I’d love to hear from you!