KEN HUNTS FOOD: What The Duck Restaurant @ Nagore Road, Georgetown, Penang.

Friday, December 26, 2014

What The Duck Restaurant @ Nagore Road, Georgetown, Penang.

Deliberately set out with a quirky and playful name that will be easily remembered by the general public, What The Duck Café cum restaurant is a humble start up by Chef Daniel Tan. The modern-Asian-fusion restaurant churns out delicate creations from Chef Daniel, particularly using Duck meat as the main ingredient. The concept is simple, to provide a healthy, affordable but delectable culinary journey suitable for all age groups. What The Duck has quite an extensive menu, covering both Western and Asian delights; some of the restaurant’s signature dishes include Balinese Crispy Bek-Bek, Duck Confit, Hainanese Yam Duck etc. Prices are wallet-friendly, truly a place for a well-subsidized fine-dining meal. What The Duck Café is located at Nagore Road, opposite to the famous Continental Bakery. Full set of menu can be viewed here.

A common dish at posh restaurants, I did not expect to see this dish here but it appears to be Chef Daniel’s signature dish- Duck Confit served with Kumaran Mashed Potato and Roasted Garlic (Rm 18.50). The slow-poached Duck Leg had its fat rendered and perfectly cooked with crispy edges. It was deftly seasoned with an agreeable amount of spices and herbs for the essential flavors. The meat was meltingly tender that it falls off easily with the slightest touch of fork; the flaky, easily-shredded texture is one of the criteria in judging for a good Duck Confit. Traditional recipes call for Duck Fat but Chef Daniel replaced it with Vegetable Oil, as a result of that, a milder flavor but definitely healthier.

Chef wrapped up the meal with another signature dessert of his- Sizzling Brownie with Special Ice Cream served with Caramelized Banana Sauce (Rm 15). A generous cut of Brownie was placed on top of a sizzling hot plate, topped with Chef’s home-made Salted Egg Ice Cream and completed with Caramelized Banana Sauce. The hot and cold combination works for me, Brownie was chocolaty with a nutty texture, though a little crumbly; the addition of Salted Egg Ice Cream adds another delightful sweet and savory touch to the dessert. It was quite sweet on its own, sharing will definitely be recommended.

Set Lunch

On my second visit, I’ve decided to try out their Set Lunch. For Rm 12.90, I got a glass of drink, a starter- Soup of the Day, and a main. Top up Rm 5 for a dessert. I started off with Vegetable and Potato Soup, completed with some Croutons. The Soup was comforting, it was served at the right temperature and right thickness (neither too creamy nor watery for a start); it has a sleek of vegetable-sweetness.

For main, I had A-La Vodka Grilled Chicken Pasta (Rm 12.90), a Tomato-Cream based sauce infused with Vodka and topped with some Grilled Chicken and Cheese Powder. The sauce has a nice acidic tilt but it lacked of an element to wow me. Chef did play a twist by adding in fresh Shitake Mushroom and to fry them with Duck Fat; but it was not strong enough to give the dish a distinctive character.

Sweet ending (a top up of Rm 5 is required) was Chocolate Cheese Cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream, the Cheese Cake was chocolaty with bitter end, a perfect balance to the sweet and refreshing Vanilla Ice Cream.