Kai Duck may be a newer name along Orchard Road, but it has quickly built a following for its contemporary spin on Cantonese roasts and comfort classics. The restaurant is helmed by Chef Fung Chi Keung, known for reworking traditional Chinese dishes with a modern touch.
Kai Duck at Ngee Ann City is the spinoff of Chef Fung’s upscale Kai Garden Cantonese restaurant located at Marina Square. It is a casual dining concept offering accessibly-priced cuisine.
Kai Duck has just rolled out a lineup of National Day promotions in celebration of Singapore’s SG61, among them: 50% off its Half Roasted Duck Cheong Fun and 61% off one signature dish, such as the Signature Peking Duck.
Curious to see if the food lived up to the buzz, we dropped by for a weekday lunch.
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Kai Duck’s Classic Interior, Contemporary Cuisine
The restaurant is nestled on the fifth floor of Ngee Ann City. We were able to quickly identify the restaurant through the emerald-green accents on the façade. The interior is reminiscent of a Hong Kong cha chaan teng but without the hustle and bustle of one. There are roasted meats and dim sum baskets on display.
The restaurant is spacious and offers comfortable arrangements for various dining groups: from booth seats and tables that seat two to circular tables that seat between 4–6 diners.
We were invited to pick two mains and one dim sum from the Special Selection Lunch Set, in addition to the Half Roasted Duck Cheong Fun that the restaurant was serving. We went for the Peking Duck Salad Hand Roll with Roasted Sesame Sauce and Beef Brisket with Clear Soup for the mains and chose the Steamed Xiao Long Bao with Black Truffle Sauce as our dim sum.
Half Roasted Duck Cheong Fun
Let’s start with the Half Roasted Duck Cheong Fun. Hailing from the streets of Guangzhou, the dish traditionally pairs roasted duck or goose with cheong fun noodles, and Kai Duck’s version stays close to its roots: silky rice noodles topped with roasted duck and finished with a light soy-based sauce.
The portion is generous, enough for 3 to 4 people if there are other sharing dishes. The meat was juicy and the skin crisp, with a thin layer of fat in between for added richness. The noodles soaked up the sauce well — perhaps a little too well, as we were left with none by the end of the meal.
Beef Brisket with Clear Soup
The standout was the Beef Brisket with Clear Soup, a classic Cantonese dish. Blanched beef brisket is simmered with aromatics and spices such as sliced ginger and star anise in a light stock, before white radish pieces are added and cooked further. The soup is garnished with spring onions before serving.
The dish sounds unassuming, but the first spoonful we took brought a smile to our faces: it was light, refreshing, and nourishing. The beef brisket was tender and could be pulled apart with our chopsticks. Overall, it was a dish that exceeded our expectations and something that we would come back for.
Peking Duck Salad Hand Roll
The Peking Duck Salad Hand Roll showcases the creativity of Chef Fung. Instead of the usual soft spring pancakes, this dish uses a crisp wrapper, holding the filling like an ice-cream cone.
The chef also swaps out the traditional sauce (usually made with hoisin sauce or sweet bean paste) for a roasted sesame sauce, and uses lettuce instead of cucumber. It was a pleasant combination of textures and flavours: the crisp wrapper delivering a satisfying crunch on the first bite, the roasted sesame sauce and lettuce adding balance to the richness of the Peking duck.
Steamed Xiao Long Bao with Black Truffle Sauce
The Steamed Xiao Long Bao with Black Truffle Sauce was well executed; the dumpling skin was thin but held the filling well. The black truffle added just enough umami without overpowering the pork filling.
Final Thoughts
Kai Duck makes a strong case for itself beyond the promotions. The Beef Brisket with Clear Soup was the dish that stuck with us most: simple on paper, but the kind of quietly excellent cooking that’s easy to underestimate until you taste it.
The Peking Duck Salad Hand Roll and Xiao Long Bao also held their own, showcasing Chef Fung’s playful approach to Cantonese classics. Our only real quibble was the Cheong Fun running dry on sauce before we’d finished the noodles, though the portion size more than made up for it.
With the National Day deals running through lunch, it’s a good excuse to go and judge for yourself.
Promotions at Kai Duck
Special Selection Lunch Set
Choose from two dim sums and two mains, at $18.80 per pax. The set comes with rice, ice-cream, and dessert. Available from Monday to Sunday, 11.30am to 2.30pm. Diners will have to call in to reserve.
Lunch Promotion
Kai Duck’s Half Roasted Duck Cheong Fun at $18.80 (U.P. $38), with a minimum spend of $88. Available from Monday to Sunday during lunch. Diners will have to call in to reserve. Terms and Conditions apply.
SG61 National Day Promotion
Enjoy Kai Duck’s 8 Signature Dishes at 61% of its original price. Dishes include their Signature Peking Duck with Braised Bee Hoon, Steamed Yellow Croaker with Pork Patty in Superior Soya Sauce, and the Crispy Fried Prawns in Laksa-infused Dressing.
Simply follow Kai Duck on social media to enjoy the discount at checkout. Terms and Conditions apply.
Kai Duck
Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Road, #05-10/11, Singapore 238872
Telephone: 6235 5419
Operating Hours:
Mondays to Fridays: 11.30am to 3.30pm (last order at 3pm); 5.45pm to 10pm (last order at 9.30pm)
Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays: 11am to 4pm (last order at 3.30pm); 5.45pm to 10pm (last order at 9.30pm)
