KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — What looks like a hanbagu but isn’t quite a hanbagu?
If you’re in the vicinity of Taman Bukit Indah in KL (Happy Garden to longtime residents), the answer might well be the Duck Burger Patty at MW Signature along Jalan Lazat 2.
(To clarify, the full name of the restaurant is MW Signature Premium Ducks Roasted To Perfection but given that this is quite a mouthful, most regulars just call it MW Signature.)
Served with rice, some greens and a sunny side up, the patty calls to mind the Japanese-style hanbagu steak that is typically made from a mix of ground beef and pork, and served with rice instead of burger buns.
The restaurant is packed during lunch hour. — Picture by CK Lim
The hanbagu is synonymous with Japanese-style Western cuisine known as yoshoku (as opposed to truly traditional Japanese cuisine or washoku), which would make sense that adaptations will always be part of the ever-changing foodscape.
As such, why not a duck hanbagu?
Fortunately, this is far from a gimmick: the duck patty is deeply flavourful despite its pale colour and is as juicy as a classic beef-and-pork hanbagu.
No surprise then, that the restaurant is packed during lunch hour given the high quality of the food served, albeit simply and without much frou-frou.
Iced drinks (right). Pork Lard and Minced Meat Noodles (right). — Pictures by CK Lim
To begin, we decided on iced drinks given the sweltering noonday weather. The trio of beverages — Hainam Cham, Jasmine Green Tea and Salted Lime Juice — were all suitably refreshing.
There are a number of noodle dishes, designed for solo diners or those needing a quick meal, topped with roast duck, cha siu or siew yoke.
Simplest is best here as their Pork Lard and Minced Meat Noodles had all the right ingredients: crunchy pork lard, savoury minced pork, chewy noodles and not too much sauce so that every strand is slick with seasoning rather than drowning in broth-like gravy.
Mini Yam Rings. — Picture by CK Lim
The appetisers all offer an irresistible crunch that comes from the deep-frying: Dragon Beard Duck Rolls, Duck Rolls with Taro Paste, and Mini Yam Rings.
The last one is what we ordered, a scaled down version of the Chinese banquet staple that is just as beguiling and far less guilt-inducing given it’s helpfully bite-sized.
Time for the main course, so to speak.
Our friendly server showed off a whole roasted duck to us, cheekily asking us which part we preferred (we went for the lower half, naturally, for the much sought after duck drumstick).
Nothing is wasted, even if customers have specific preferences as to their favourite parts of the duck. The carcass as well as any residual meats that are sliced off during the preparation process is well employed in the classic leftovers dish, Spicy & Sour Mustard Greens (labelled as the “Emperor’s Dish” in the menu here).
Nothing is wasted, from a whole roasted duck to the classic leftovers dish, Spicy & Sour Mustard Greens. — Pictures by CK Lim
Known as choy geok in Cantonese, this is something my mother would make every Chinese New Year. It’s a period when we must feast well, which means there will be plenty of delicious leftovers, especially roast meats.
What better way to reinvigorate appetites that might be a tad strained after days of heavy eating with something that is hot and sour? That is the premise behind this zero-food-wastage standard and MW Signature’s version works a treat given all the flavourful meats being served.
Not that there would be much wastage given how everyone orders the Signature Roast Duck. (A quick glance at the tables surrounding ours confirmed this.)
It is, after all, in the name of the restaurant. So how does their roast duck fare?
Everyone orders the Signature Roast Duck. — Picture by CK Lim
Honestly, it is a worthy addition to any Cantonese roast duck map for enthusiasts; possibly better than many more well-known establishments in the Klang Valley. The meat is surprisingly moist and tender, a far cry from the dry and chewy offerings I have had elsewhere.
In fact, the de facto duck connoisseur at our table had only one complaint: that the dish lacked a more prominent duck aroma. This, for some of us (myself included), isn’t a drawback; not everyone appreciates a strong parfum de canard so we were quite satisfied.
What we all agreed on was MW Signature’s excellent cha siu or Crystal BBQ Pork, as it’s labelled in the menu.
MW Signature’s excellent ‘cha siu’ or Crystal BBQ Pork. — Picture by CK Lim
“Crystal cha siu” isn’t something new — one of the best I had was at Restoran You Kee XO in JB — but I find most versions in the Klang Valley to err heavily on the side of cloyingly sweet. One slice is perfection; more will be quite jelak.
There is no danger of that feeling of having eaten overwhelmingly rich food here; their cha siu is just right, as per the Goldilocks Rule.
This is a restaurant we’d happily return to and recommend to others — for their duck hanbagu (which is what I insist on calling their burger patty), their fantastic cha siu and, above all, for their impressive service. Don’t miss out on this one.
MW Signature Premium Ducks Roasted To Perfection
56, Jalan Lazat 2,
Taman Bukit Indah, KL
Open daily 10am-2:30pm; 5:30-8:30pm
Phone: 03-7971 2787
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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