Tham’s Roasted Delights: Affordable Peking duck in the heartlands, and carved tableside, too

You’re probably used to having Peking duck in more formal settings — perhaps at special occasions at established Chinese restaurants during special occasions, such as Imperial Treasure or Peony Jade.

But here’s somewhere you’ll enjoy it at a far more affordable setting, right in the heartlands. Located at an Ang Mo Kio hawker centre is Tham’s Roasted Delights, where Peking duck is made refreshingly accessible.

In fact, this might just be one of the most affordable Peking duck options you’ll find in Singapore — no special occasion (or splurge) required.

Bringing Peking duck to the everyday crowd

Peking duck traces its origins to Beijing, China, and has long been associated with luxury or as a status symbol.

That’s exactly what owner Tham Yiew Hang, 38, set out to change — at least within the Singapore setting. It’s a dish not everyone would have had exposure to, or experience with.

Yiew Hang is a former restaurant chef, and had spent seven years at Imperial Treasure for seven years and another year at Crystal Jade, working extensively with the Cantonese cuisine. 

But over time, he found the experience across these establishments somewhat similar, and wanted to challenge himself with something new.

Moving from high-end restaurant kitchens to running a hawker stall wasn’t easy. He says that it was a chance to take on the full scope of things — from food and operations, to branding. He was excited to learn the ropes of running an entire business end-to-end.

Tham’s Roasted Delights opened in 2023, initially serving only classic roast duck dishes.

While the stall may call it the “Beijing” duck, that’s more for familiarity than origin. The ducks are sourced from Malaysia — a practical decision that keeps costs low.

As Yiew Hang explains, sourcing directly from Beijing wouldn’t make sense at this price point. In reality, many versions of Peking duck elsewhere, too, don’t come from Beijing either.

The goal here is straightforward. As Yiew Heng puts it, it’s about letting more people be introduced to this — making something traditionally seen as a luxury more accessible, regardless of occasion or budget.

Peking duck at a hawker centre

It’s especially interesting to see how Yiew Hang translates his fine-dining background into a hawker setting.

Your Peking duck is still served in a recognisably traditional way — carved tableside. Yes, even in a hawker centre.

The duck is wheeled out to you, where it’s expertly carved on the spot. You’ll see thin sheets of crisp, crackling skin sliced with precision, then plated neatly atop crackers.

The rest of the duck is taken back to the stall, where it’s portioned and plated, then served — sans the usual presentation with crepe skins.

The Peking duck (S$27 for half, S$52 for whole) here delivers where it matters. 

The paper-thin skin is crisp and deeply flavourful, served with egg, duck gravy, and cucumbers for that classic combination — just pared down into a more hawker-friendly format.

The meat itself, too, is a highlight. It’s succulent and juicy, with a satisfying thickness to each slice, and carries that depth in flavour you’d expect from something far pricier. 

Importantly, it’s clean-tasting across the board in all its dishes, with none of that gamey note you sometimes get with duck.

Portions are generous, too, making it easy to share.

Duck gravy is always a must for me. And here, it hits the spot. It leans slightly sweet and savoury, and ties everything together beautifully — whether you’re dipping the meat in or drizzling it over.

I especially loved that it’s largely boneless, which makes it all the more easy to enjoy without having to work around it.

If you’re after something a little different, the black truffle roast duck (S$29 for half, S$57 for whole) is a speciality at the stall.

The truffle note is subtle. It’s there, but doesn’t overpower — something we were initially afraid of. The quality of the roast duck itself is still the highlight.

You get that same well-executed roast: Crisp skin, juicy meat, and savoury flavours.

It’s on par with the Peking duck, and it’s hard to pick a clear favourite between the two.

And again, it’s mostly boneless, which makes it really easy to keep going at it.

This one isn’t always available, though — we happened to get lucky during our visit. If you’ve got your eye on it, you should pre-order, at least a day in advance, through their mobile number.

Individual dishes

If you’re not here for a full duck feast, there are plenty of smaller plates that work well for solo diners.

We had the roast duck noodles (S$4.80), a simple but satisfying bowl. The roast duck is tender and pairs nicely with springy noodles that have a good bite. The chilli adds a nice, light kick to the noodles.

One thing for sure: Its portion is, once again, generous for what it’s priced for.

There’s also the honey char siew rice (S$4.30). It’s nothing fancy here like some of the other dishes, but that’s part of the appeal.

It’s sweet, familiar, and comforting — a straightforward, everyday dish you’d happily come back for. My dining companion, in particular, really enjoyed this one.

You could go for other platters too, such as its honey char siew and roast pork in a wide range of portions — from 100g (S$6), to 500g (S$30), and up to 1kg (S$60).

There’s also the steamed kampong chicken, offered whole (S$26), half (S$14), or by parts — upper (S$7) and lower (S$9).

More individual dishes include roast pork noodles (S$4.80) and steamed kampong chicken rice (S$4.30). You’ll also find simple sides on the menu, such as poached vegetables (S$3.30).

It’s admirable what Tham’s Roasted Delights is doing. It takes a dish that’s typically seen as exclusive, and brings it to the everyday crowd, right down to the kind of hawker you’d find below your block. 

You don’t need a special occasion, or a big spend, to enjoy Peking duck. And still, it comes in great form, centring what people love most about the dish.

If you’re looking for a spot to have a good, shareable meal with the family, this one is worth checking out.

For more ideas on what to eat, read on places to go for Peking duck and places to eat at Lentor Modern food, the new AMK mall.