What the Duck

Hubs: Where are we going for dinner?
Me: What the Duck.
Hubs: Huh? I know you're grumpy but there's no need to swear in front of Bubs.

It took a lot of explaining that What the Duck is a newly opened modern European Asian fusion restaurant at Nagore Road. At least it's a very easy to remember name ;) The wallet friendly prices (most dishes range from around RM15) for fine dining quality with a heavy emphasis on duck dishes - hence the name - ensures that the place is filled to the brim with customers on a near daily basis. Reservations are recommended, particularly if you're going at peak time. For those that aren't a fan of the gamey taste of duck, there are vegetarian, chicken and fish dishes available as well.

I was surprised to see Duck Confit (RM18.50) on the menu as it's not am easy dish to prepare. The beautifully plated dish was exquisite: the slow poached  meat tender whilst the duck skin was crispy. It was served on a bed of kumaran mashed potatoes that Bubs was crazy about, roasted garlic, wilted greens and had a tiny serving jug of - get this - longan sauce! Amazing, much?

Hub's choice was the Balinese Crispy Bek-Bek (RM14.50). We've never tried Balinese food before so we've nothing to benchmark this dish against but Hubs remarked that this was well worth returning for. The crispy duck went fantastically well with the soft, white rice, chopped tomatoes, onions and the creamy spicy sauce.

We were intrigued with the idea of salted egg ice cream, how could something that is traditionally associated with Asian savoury dishes be used in ice cream? We found out with the Sizzling Brownie (RM15) which was served to us with a dramatic flourish of pouring the caramelised banana sauce. Be warned: this dessert is VERY sweet and even with the 3 of us, I was struggling to finish this.

It's nice to see how Nagore Road has evolved over time. The place now has a reputation as being filled with hipster cafes and family restaurants. Across the road from What the Duck is a new retail concept where heritage houses are restored on the outside and gutted hollow inside for stall owners to rent and sell their wares.

 

It's an interesting idea and a few enterprising stall keepers were selling items ranging from handphone covers to home baked cookies. With interesting paintings and rustic, brick exposed walls, this is going to be a popular place for OOTD bloggers :)

What the Duck
Telephone: 604- 227 8840
Address: 40, Nagore Road, 10050, Georgetown, Penang.
Business Hours: 11: 30 am to 2: 30 pm; 5: 30 pm to 10: 30 pm. Closed on Wednesdays.