Time Out says
Mon Sep 17 2012
When compared to its blingtastic sister Sushisamba two floors immediately below, Duck & Waffle is the plainer sibling. It still has an entrance bar with great views, but no outdoor deck or lounge bar like its elder; the dining room lacks the double-height ceiling of Sushisamba, and it’s far more conservatively styled in look. Not all the restaurant seats have a view, and that view may only consist of the urban sprawl towards Essex. But the prices seem almost affordable when compared to its neighbouring multiplex.
Duck’s European menu is certainly on-trend – too many trends, perhaps. Offal seems strewn all over the menu, from lamb’s tongues to porchetta di testa (a salami made from pig’s head). A slider (high-five, NYC) is served with harissa (ahlan, North Africa). Some dishes are roasted ‘in a brick oven’, others served as large sharing dishes. Yet while Sushisamba’s menu is a carnival of Latin and Asian influences, Duck & Waffle has British ingredients at its core.
'BBQ-spiced crispy pig ears' showed a flair for presentation, with the thin, chewy strips of cartilage presented in a brown paper bag, like a clandestine takeaway of pork scratchings. 'Chip shop cod tongues' also slightly overdid the styling with some superfluous newsprint and a bottle of Sarson’s vinegar on the side, but the four little bites of cod ‘tongues’ – actually from the side of the head – resembled scampi, served with a pleasingly sharp tartare sauce.
The low point was the shellfish pot roast. Pot roasts are meats slow-cooked to soften tough cartilage – a technique that ruins most seafood dishes. The ’nduja – a spicy pork ‘sausage’ used as a flavouring – obliterated other flavours, while the scallops in particular weren’t as fresh as they could have been.
The ‘small plates’ menu requires you to order several dishes each, so those menu prices aren’t the bargain they might at first seem. But the desserts restored our faith in the kitchen, with a good peach melba and eton mess – simple, but always effective dishes.
The clue to Duck & Waffle’s main attraction lies in the name. They're open 24-hours, with waffles by night, duck by day. This makes it the best London restaurant to be serving meals after 1am, though the kitchen does take a break from 4.30-6am. The dining room remains open at this time, but serves no alcohol after 1am.
Comments & ratings