New on the menu: Pipa Duck at Kam's Roast

Since opening in May 2018, Kam’s Roast has already enticed thousands of customers with its delicious golden roasted duck or beautifully glazed char siu — all glistening in its sweet, savory goodness.

Six months in and Eric Dee — the man responsible for bringing “affordable luxury” to Manila — and Foodee Global Concepts has added something equally delicious to their carefully curated menu.

Enter Pipa (pronounced ‘pei pa’) Duck. Made from freshly slaughtered ducks that are not frozen and imported from China, the Pipa Duck could very well be considered the cousin of the glorious peking duck or roasted goose, which earned Kam’s Roast of Hong Kong its prestigious Michelin Star. 

The dish got its name from the shape of the duck. It resembles the shape of a Chinese musical instrument called the Pei Pa, with its round, thick body and long, slender neck.

While it does resemble other roasted poultry, the Pipa Duck is different in terms of preparation.

The process of making the Pipa Duck is so painstaking, taking almost half a day to complete. It starts with butterflying the duck, which ensures that it cooks evenly and also increases the surface area for the flavor to be absorbed.

And then the duck is marinated in a special brine which includes obscenely expensive orange peels that have been aged for at least 25 years.

After a couple of hours of marinating, the duck is hung to air-dry, allowing as much moisture to dissipate so the skin will crisp up once fried.

Then, it is roasted at a low temperature to make sure the meat stays tender. Lastly, the roasted duck is bathed in hot oil to crisp up the skin. And oh boy, does it crisp up nicely.

The golden brown — almost translucent dark amber — skin clings onto the tender and juicy duck meat.

One bite and the skin gives in, wonderfully breaking into a thousand delicate shards of crispy duck skin. 

The insanely tender meat needs minimal effort as it readily breaks apart in one bite. The play on textures have been masterfully crafted and executed.

The aged orange peels gives the duck a depth of flavor that borders between fresh and savory, dangerously piquant. The flavor of the duck goes well with the braised noodles with shrimp roe.

When the duck gets to be a little too rich, a nice palate cleanser is their Marinated Cucumber in Vinegar and Garlic. Speaking of sides, make sure to order some Century Egg. The addition of the sweet pickled young ginger to the creamy and dulcet aged egg makes all the difference and will turn any dubious diner into a devout believer.

Marinated cucumber in vinegar and garlic

Wash it all down with their homemade Barley drink — get it cold to give your taste buds some sort of refreshing shock, readying them for the next bite filled with delicately crisp skin and succulent meat.

Of course there are very many other must-tries, the Soya Chicken (ridiculously tender and flavorful, get it with some noodles), Hong Kong White Chicken (a limited edition offer that should not be missed), and the Char Siu, which is also available in a more fatty pork belly variant called “Toro”.

The delicious Char Siu

The list will become longer come December: the famed roasted goose from Kam's Roast's secret menu will be available then, for private dining and take out. — LA, GMA News

Pipa Duck is available at Kam’s Roast daily. You can order it whole for P3,300 (good for 4-5 hungry people) or half for P1,800.

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