RESTAURANT REVIEW — When a Chinese man from Guangdong migrated to Thailand in 1878, aside from hopes for a fresh start, he brought along a Cantonese roasted duck recipe with him.
When thinking about where to eat the best Pet Yang or roasted duck, in Bangkok, one of the top names locals would mention is Prachak Pet Yang, a street-side stall in the Chinese-influenced community of Bang Rak. Years after Choy Kaung built himself up from hawking noodles, he brought his wife and kids to Bangkok and opened the roasted duck stall in 1909.
Formerly, the stall used a simple Chinese name that simply meant “new shop,” but the name was changed in the second generation when a Thai man called Prachak married into the family and took over the restaurant in the 1920s. Prachak thought his Thai name would catch on with local customers because it rolls off the Thai tongue.
Described by his children as a visionary man, Prachak made connections and brought the restaurant to fame by catering to many Thai socialites and politicians back in the day. He continued to run the restaurant until 1998.
Now passed down to its fourth generation, Prachak Pet Yang has not changed much — aside from the fact that the stall is now air-conditioned. The tiled walls, old ceiling fans, and display of juicy, roasted ducks out front make the dining experience feel like a step back in time.
Without hesitation, I ordered a dish of roasted duck with rice. My first thought was the portion was too small, but then again the dish was only THB40 ($US1.30).
When it comes to how Cantonese food is served, one of the unique, small details that I notice about street stalls in Thailand is that they always remove the bones from the meat they serve, unlike those in Hong Kong or Singapore, and this is also the case with Prachak.
The duck is very soft and not chewy at all. The skin is also soft, while the sauce is flavorful enough that you don’t need to use the chili dipping sauce they provide on the table. Is it one of the best roasted ducks I’ve ever had? Yes.
I finished the whole plate in less than 5 minutes. If you come in a group, I recommend ordering a large plate of duck (starting at THB100) to share, which you can put atop rice or noodle bowls.
Still feeling hungry, I ordered pork and shrimp dumplings (THB20) and was surprised when they served me this sad, dry stick instead of the freshly-steamed dumplings in a basket as pictured. So, there’s nothing special about Prachak’s dim sum, since you can find dumplings of this quality on any street of Bangkok.
Aside from roasted duck, the restaurant also sells Cantonese-style crispy pork and barbecue pork on top of rice or noodles. They also had a la carte dishes such as tom yum kung, fried rice and raad na (noodles in gravy).
As I was leaving and waiting to pay, a worker wearing a food delivery app’s uniform barged into the tiny stall. So it seems Prachak Pet Yang has got with the times, all while retaining the restaurant’s classic vibe and century-old recipe.
FIND IT:
Prachak Pet Yang
Opens daily, 8am – 8:30pm
Charoenkrung Road
BTS Saphan Taksin
