[invite] Bianca: Team FFS has made a fairly sizeable dent in Chippendale’s Kensington Streets dining district and we’re now 4/5 in the Old Rum Store. Housing some of our favourite restaurants on the strip. Finally adding to the list is Holy Duck, with heavy hitters Din Tai Fung & Chef’s Gallery as a pre-cursor to this endeavour I was eager to check them out.
An excellent telltale sign, a busy Wednesday night trade. Come 7pm almost every table was taken, with a steady stream of deliveries being sent out simultaneously. Joining me tonight was honourary 4th FFS member Felicitations. Who happens to hate duck, oops…
We started our duck extravaganza with the Spring Rolls -w/duck, mushroom & vegetables (2pc) $8. Generous pieces of duck and vegetables with a crispy outer coating, remind us why spring rolls are a classic favourite!
The Steamed Duck & Pork Dumplings -w/ a Shanghainese sauce (6pc) $14 were delicate morsels packing a flavour punch. Immediately hitting the palate was a burst of sweetness, followed by a bold umami-rich porkiness (I apologise for that word).
I thought I’d ease Felicity into the duck by ordering a fairly ‘user-friendly’ dish. The Roast Holy Duck! Deboned – served with 6 steamed pancakes, hoisin sauce, cucumber & shallots $30. A fairly generous amount of crispy, luscious duck. This could easily serve 3 people, I would have liked a bit more cucumber & shallots but a minor quibble. I’m sure if I asked they would have brought more.
We were both obsessed with the Sichuan Style Crispy Battered Zucchini -w/ a honey dressing $16. These were amazing! Turning a run of the mill vegetable like the zucchini into little nuggets of gold! The honey dressing had an interesting sour vinegar note that lingered on the palate, along with a nice kick from the chilli.
And the final savoury Stir-Fried Noodles with Wagyu Beef $18. Flavourwise it reminded me of a char kway teow. The beef was tender, the noodles had a bouncy bite.
And finally, to finish the Coconut Cheesecake Stack -w/strawberries & salted caramel $14. A lovely light cream cheese flavour, excellent texture of the pastry and all tied together by the fresh berries & salted caramel.
I’d definitely be back if I was looking for a Chinese fix, the menu is fairly sizeable and I had my eyes on the crispy pork belly.
Bianca
*For Food’s Sake dined as guests of Holy Duck.
Their neon signs look uber cool! The duck spring rolls sounds awesome! Been meaning to visit Holy Duck.
Deboned duck, that’s my kinda duck, all the hard work is done. Every dish looks so good, salivating. I was in Kensington St last Friday and the line to get into Holy Duck was pretty long. A good sign!