Roasted Duck By Pa Ord

A row of glistening, perfectly roasted ducks hanging behind the counter is the first thing you’ll see at Roasted Duck by Pa Ord. The restaurant itself is tiny, occupying the original Pa Ord Noodle space in a Thai Town strip mall. With just three small tables and some bar seating along a counter, the whole setup is functional and built primarily for takeout – a fact reinforced by the constant flow of people picking up orders. This place is a collaboration between veteran restaurateur Lawan Bhanduram and Chef Bob Vongsanikul, who spent fifteen years perfecting this single recipe. He started with his father’s Kunming-style roast duck from Bangkok, adapting the Chinese preparation for Thai palates with different seasonings and vinegar-based sauces. The meticulous process involves brining the duck, air-drying it overnight, and then roasting it for an hour to get a bird that’s consistently tender and juicy with incredibly crisp skin. The duck is the main event, and it comes a few different ways. You can get it simply served over rice, floating in a noodle soup, or stir-fried with chile and basil. The Roasted Duck Special is the classic order, served with a choice of rice or jade noodles and two distinct sauces – one is a mix of sour and spicy notes in meat juices, the other is the pure, unadulterated roasting juices. While crispy pork and a few curries fill out the menu, everyone is here for the duck. A half-duck portion is usually the right amount for two people. The shared parking lot is small, and there’s a small discount if you pay with cash.