EATING OUT

Edible memories

Childhood favourite still turning out tasty, simple fare

VANNIYA SRIANGURA

Jib Kee, Nakhon Sawan Road, opposite Nang Loeng market, Tel 02-281-1283, Open daily 9am-3pm : Ever since I can remember, my family has been a customer of Jib Kee, and at some point we were regulars there. Most of the time we had take-aways, which always included ped toon, or braised duck soup - one of my favourite childhood foods.

Jib Kee is an 80-year-old restaurant opposite Nang Loeng market. The restaurant specialises in grilled pork and duck, which is basically all they serve.

Over the past few years, just because of the way my life has changed, Jib Kee and I seem to have grown apart. But that doesn't make me think any less of the place. The soothing aroma of duck soup with a hint of cilantro still lingers in my mind.

Last week, I went back. Jib Kee still occupies a three-unit, non-aircon shophouse and, unlike most age-old food joints, it looks very clean and well-maintained. The walls have simply been retiled while the sets of old-style wooden tables and stools remain unchanged.

We got there at 11am sharp, parked on the street right in front of the restaurant and found that the place was half packed. Jib Kee and its staff were, as always, humble and cordial. Most of the customers appeared to be regulars, the majority well-dressed and elderly. At noon, however, the restaurant had a bit of a turnover. Suddenly the place was filled with government officers and office workers from the neighbourhood.

The six-item menu is listed on the wall. The grilled duck is 320 baht for a whole bird; 160 baht for half; 100 baht for a large order and 50 baht for small. The barbecued pork, or moo dang, and roasted pork, or moo yang, are 30-60 baht per order.

Duck intestines, as well as the duck liver and gizzard, is 30 baht a plate, while my yearning for ped toon - amazingly cheap, I must say - is only 15 baht a bowl. A bowl of rice costs five baht and a plate of rice topped with your choice of meat is 30 baht.

Most regulars know that the duck soup and the intestines are the first two items to be sold out daily. So either get there early or place your order as soon as you arrive to help guarantee the most fulfilment.

The duck soup - a decent cut of meat, with its bone and skin intact, bathing in clear broth sprinkled with cilantro and nothing else - still presented the pleasant fragrance of which I was so fond. Yet, I found the soup a bit milder than I remembered. Salt and pepper certainly helped, though.

The fine, soft and transparent intestines looked like pieces of flimsy rubber sheeting, yet it was chewable and crisp. This truly enjoyable treat came with the duck gravy.

The grilled duck was, as usual, lean yet very succulent and tender. Its gravy was not like that thick set and gooey sweet duck gravy found at many duck places. It was quite thin and not too sweet, but very flavourful.

We had, and you can too, a combination of moo yang and moo dang in one order. If you are a fan of very thick, moist and fatty moo dang, Jib Kee's style of barbecued pork might not be what you're after. Here the barbecued pork is very lean, served in quite thin slices and absolutely delectable. The grilled pork, on the other hand, comes with layers of fat and crispy skin, which was just as good as it has been for decades. Both meats are great with or without the accompanying sour dark soy sauce.

Though you could easily skip having dessert at Jib Kee, you can still easily find a delightful treat to finish off your meal, or maybe to haul home. Across the street from the restaurant, in the Nang Loeng fresh market, a wide array of traditional sweet delicacies and old-fashioned snacks await.

Though parking might seem problematic to a first timer, it's actually pretty straightforward. Just park on the street right in front of the restaurant, where a BMA officer will collect a parking fee of 10 baht per hour.

Bangkok Post
Friday February 02, 2007