KLANG, June 5 — Tradition is upheld at Restoran I-Po where their bestselling roast duck is still cooked the old-fashioned way using a strong charcoal fire. Operated by second generation owner Alex Tan Kok Wai and his wife Wong Wee La, this place in Klang draws the crowds who come for their juicy roast duck with crispy skin.
Some of their customers have even packed their roast duck back to India, Thailand, Japan, Sabah and Sarawak. Their customers also include expatriates who have been brought here to eat when they took a trip with Star Cruises.
The business was started by Alex’s late father about 18 years ago. His father was in the transport business before that and the family relocated to Ipoh. As his father loved roast duck, he would often buy it for Alex to eat.
After his business closed, his father returned to his hometown in Klang to start his restaurant business serving his favourite item, roast duck. He picked up his skills from local cooks and those who worked in China and made Peking duck, tweaking it to suit our local tastebuds. Instead of using a wood fire, they used strong charcoal fire to roast the duck which imparted the birds with a different flavour.
In 2002, Alex joined his late father to learn the ropes. Previously, Alex worked in marketing at a local casino company. It was a long apprenticeship as in the beginning his father only let him handle menial tasks like washing the ducks, making the sauces or chopping the roast duck for customers.
It was only after Alex’s son was born in 2008 that his father felt he was ready to learn how to roast the duck. He recalls his first roasting experience was when his father left for a holiday in China.
Just based on a few simple verbal instructions from his father, Alex managed to roast the duck that his sister proclaimed was ‘not bad’ for a first-timer. Nevertheless, his father was still cautious and wouldn’t let him fully take over the roasting.
It was only after his father died in 2011 that he took over the roasting process. In 2012, he officially took over the restaurant from his family and today he manages it with his wife. His younger brother moved on to another outlet known as New I-Po over at Bandar Botanic Klang. There he is assisted by Alex’s mother and sister. Each brother uses a different level of heat to roast their duck so you will taste slight differences, should you dine at both outlets.
You will notice that the roast duck’s meat is succulent and finer here unlike other places that tend to use older ducks which yield slightly tough meat that smells gamey. There are no such issues here since Alex insists on using very young ducks; just a little over a month old. He also prefers using smaller ducks weighing 2.3 kilograms to achieve that fine textured meat that melts in your mouth.
The preparation for the roast ducks start a day before. From 5pm onwards, he will clean and marinate the ducks. They are hung to dry and a fan will be used to blow air on the ducks continuously. The next day, Alex starts at around 6am to roast the ducks himself. It’s an incredibly hot and gruelling process, as he prefers using high flames that almost reach the ceiling to achieve that crackling golden brown skin.
Alex is pretty particular about the quality of his roast duck. Should there be a season when the ducks he sources from the farm in Perak be not up to par, he would rather just close his place since he will be deluged with customer complaints.
He also believes you need good charcoal sourced from bakau trees to achieve the super high heat needed for the perfect roasted duck. Without these two elements, it’s impossible to produce good roast duck just based on skills.
Some restaurants around Klang also order his roast duck to use for Peking duck, where the crispy skin is savoured with pancakes while the meat is fried with noodles or a vegetable dish. The roast duck is also ordered for prayer ceremonies, where it must remain whole with the legs and head. These pre-orders are best made a day in advance.
For a more superior taste, Alex recommends the san sui duck that is reared with mountain water. Only available on occasion from his supplier in Perak (he has no say in the supply for this duck), these ducks are prized for their sweeter tasting meat. Alex also does roast goose (RM89 per bird) using locally reared goose. Unlike those frozen imported goose, the local variant has less fats. This is only available for pre-order.
Dip your duck into the sauces served on the side. They are all handmade by Alex’s wife and contain no preservatives. The sweet thim cheong pairs well with the duck. For those who like a more spicy taste, their chilli sauce uses the same base as the thim cheong.
Pair your meal with other roasted meats — char siew, siew yoke and pork ribs. It’s only the chicken that is shallow fried in oil, as that’s the style preferred by the locals. There is also an assortment of cooked dishes to accompany your meats that you can pick from the counter. Each dish tastes like mother’s cooking.
On special days, there will be stuffed bean curd puffs since Alex’s wife is Hakka. On a daily basis, you have their salted vegetable or ham choy, kiam chai boey made with pickled mustard greens, and beancurd puffs with minced meat. A popular item is the simple stir fried long beans with brinjal in dark soy sauce. We managed to score a seasonal special, the fried baby lala with their paper thin shells that is delectably sweet.
When you dine here, there’s a choice of air-conditioned or non air-conditioned seating in the restaurant. About three years ago, Alex decided to add the air-conditioned section for the comfort of his diners. The whole roast duck is RM52 and RM27 for a half duck. Prices are inclusive of GST.
Restoran I-Po
No. 180, Jalan Batu Unjur 1, Bayu Perdana, Klang.
Tel: 03-3324 2295 / 012-538 4680.
Open: 8.30am to 5pm. Closed every second Wednesday of the month.
