Duck and Waffle 6 months on...

Frois Gras and Nutella

When Duck and Waffle hatched last August there was a lot of buzz around Sushi Samba's younger, more accessible sister, but 6 months on, is it still worth a visit or has receded into the hall of famous food fads?

duck and waffle

The characteristically subversive headline act of confited duck leg, waffle, duck egg and mustard maple syrup (heart attack aside) is pleasant in the same way as pancakes and bacon. However, like that American breakfast, it is all a bit brown and greasy feeling for the evening or a date with a beautiful view. It is more the food of a lazy, decadent, hungover Sunday but then at that point I'm not sure how well the vertiginous elevator ride and pricey bill would go down either.

Signature dish aside, I preferred the frois gras and Nutella, which doesn't have quite the same ring to it. In this dish of Nutella slathered brioche,  frois gras, bacon, quails egg, and deep fried balls of black pudding, the rich irony liver melts into the chocolate before being brought back into the realm of savory by lashings of Worcestershire sauce. Yum.

Unfortunately the beef cheek doughnut following the waffle and brioche turned our meal into a story of stodginess. The melty beef cheek to doughnut ratio just wasn't meaty enough for me and it ended up reminding me of a stingy Char Sui bun. What was interesting was the somewhat challenging combination, and the delicious cinnamon and smoked paprika sugar coating. 

Beek cheek doughnut

My favourite thing came at the start - a dish of pollock meatballs with a lobster foam. Despite the foam really being a creamy sauce, this was delicious in that potent cheesy, lobster bisque-y French way. Having been concerned that these meatballs would be like fishcakes (i.e more potato than fish) I was pleasantly surprised to find the balls made up of fish mixed with lobster and chives, giving it the texture of a beautifully steamed dumpling filling. 

This was scrumptious but a bit much to be followed by a doughnut and two breakfast dishes lathered in maple syrup and Nutella. Next time, I think I'd order more off the 'raw' section of the menu which had some interesting sounding dishes such as tuna, watermelon basil and balsamic. 

So, what is the verdict? Well, Every reviewer will tell you that you can eat better for less, and if it were on the ground floor no one would have made a fuss about it. However, the fun factor of the great glass elevator rocketing up to the 40th floor as if into space is surely worth something, as is the view. It gives you that refreshing holiday feeling of being a tourist in London or any other big Cosmopolitan city. 

So... if you don't have vertigo or hate the idea of sweet things with meat, give it a go (if you haven't already). Just make sure you request a window-side table since two of the walls are frosted glass. You wouldn't want to go all the way up there for nothing. 

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