Where to eat in London.... Rawduck, Hackney!
A casual dining restaurant in London Fields, Rawduck (the sister restaurant to the well renowned Duck Soup in Soho), has recently been receiving a lot of great reviews, hence I had to try it out myself to see if it really did live up to the hype. Let's just say I wasn't disappointed!
First thing that struck me as we entered was the amazing architectural decor - a big open space, with lots of concrete, large oak tables, and an impressive wine menu, featuring new and interesting natural and biodynamic wines from a variety of regions, written out in chalk on the wall.
As we sat down, we took a look at the unusual but very appetizing menu. Although I'd say the menu has a Japanese-esque vibe, you certainly can't categorize Rawduck within a particular cuisine. Indeed, they claim to take inspiration from all parts of the world, with a focus on seasonal cooking and robust flavours.
Given it seemed to be their specialty, we went for the 'assortment of ferments and pickles' to begin with. Three delicious plates, consisting of White Cabbage and Caraway Kraut, Fennel and Chilli, and a Seaweed pickled salad - all made in fresh in house - were perfect to top off the fresh sourdough bread and salted butter, which was brought to us complimentary from the kitchen.
Although we selected that as more of a starter, Rawduck focus more on sharing dishes, therefore instead of traditional 'Mains', the menu feature 'Plates'. Perfect for me, as it meant I didn't have my usual struggle of deciding which option to order - this time it was more than acceptable to go for a few!
Firstly we decided on the buttermilk fried chicken. Crispy but grease-free, flavorful but not overpowering, served with a punchy yet not too spicy sauce, and slice of lime, it couldn't have been better executed.
The next dish that arrived to the table was the butterbean salad. Not one we originally planned to go for, however after the waitress recommended it as one of her favourites we thought we'd add it on to our list... and glad we did! A mix of butterbeans, cavelo nero (a type of kale), chilli and salted cheese, although neither of us are huge cheese fans, this combination of flavours and textures certainly hit the spot.
Third dish up was the Razor Clams, served with cimi di rapa (a sprouting green veg from the brocolli family) and orzo pasta. Despite this being the dish I was most looking forward to, although I enjoyed it, I can't say it was my favourite. There was nothing wrong with it - the clams were fresh and juicy, and the al-dente vegetables gave a nice additional texture to the moist pasta. It was nice, but not outstanding.
At least, not when you compare it to our last dish (which I'd actually forgotten we'd ordered, but was pleasantly surprised when it arrived to the table!). Rare venision, chanterelles (a rare variety of mushroom), covered in a miso glaze with flakes of the bonito fish. Earthy yet tender, this dish had to have been the star of the evening! A MUST order for when you go.
After polishing off the delicious mains, we were both feeling pretty full .... yet couldn't help but succumb to the temptation of the 'puddings' on offer, therefore we decided to share the 'Dark chocolate and sour cherry slab'.
Picturing a somewhat decadent brownie-style desert, when we were presented with what appeared to be a broken chocolate bar (above), I have to say we were both somewhat disappointed. That is until we tasted it, however! I don't know how they made this chocolate, but it was honestly the best I have ever tasted. The phrase 'melt in your mouth' has never been so applicable!
I dread to think of the calories.... but a desert like this would be worth becoming obese for :P
All in all, a fantastic evening all round. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, weekend brunches and Sunday roasts, a typical dinner will cost around £30 a head. Considering the fresh ingredients, creative menu, delicious food and fantastic service, it's more than worth the money. With the manager telling me I HAVE to come back to try the brunch, I hope it won't be long before I revisit!
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| Rawduck, Hackney |
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| Wines |
As we sat down, we took a look at the unusual but very appetizing menu. Although I'd say the menu has a Japanese-esque vibe, you certainly can't categorize Rawduck within a particular cuisine. Indeed, they claim to take inspiration from all parts of the world, with a focus on seasonal cooking and robust flavours.
 |
| Menu |
Given it seemed to be their specialty, we went for the 'assortment of ferments and pickles' to begin with. Three delicious plates, consisting of White Cabbage and Caraway Kraut, Fennel and Chilli, and a Seaweed pickled salad - all made in fresh in house - were perfect to top off the fresh sourdough bread and salted butter, which was brought to us complimentary from the kitchen.
Although we selected that as more of a starter, Rawduck focus more on sharing dishes, therefore instead of traditional 'Mains', the menu feature 'Plates'. Perfect for me, as it meant I didn't have my usual struggle of deciding which option to order - this time it was more than acceptable to go for a few!
Firstly we decided on the buttermilk fried chicken. Crispy but grease-free, flavorful but not overpowering, served with a punchy yet not too spicy sauce, and slice of lime, it couldn't have been better executed.
The next dish that arrived to the table was the butterbean salad. Not one we originally planned to go for, however after the waitress recommended it as one of her favourites we thought we'd add it on to our list... and glad we did! A mix of butterbeans, cavelo nero (a type of kale), chilli and salted cheese, although neither of us are huge cheese fans, this combination of flavours and textures certainly hit the spot.
Third dish up was the Razor Clams, served with cimi di rapa (a sprouting green veg from the brocolli family) and orzo pasta. Despite this being the dish I was most looking forward to, although I enjoyed it, I can't say it was my favourite. There was nothing wrong with it - the clams were fresh and juicy, and the al-dente vegetables gave a nice additional texture to the moist pasta. It was nice, but not outstanding.
At least, not when you compare it to our last dish (which I'd actually forgotten we'd ordered, but was pleasantly surprised when it arrived to the table!). Rare venision, chanterelles (a rare variety of mushroom), covered in a miso glaze with flakes of the bonito fish. Earthy yet tender, this dish had to have been the star of the evening! A MUST order for when you go.
After polishing off the delicious mains, we were both feeling pretty full .... yet couldn't help but succumb to the temptation of the 'puddings' on offer, therefore we decided to share the 'Dark chocolate and sour cherry slab'.
Picturing a somewhat decadent brownie-style desert, when we were presented with what appeared to be a broken chocolate bar (above), I have to say we were both somewhat disappointed. That is until we tasted it, however! I don't know how they made this chocolate, but it was honestly the best I have ever tasted. The phrase 'melt in your mouth' has never been so applicable!
I dread to think of the calories.... but a desert like this would be worth becoming obese for :P
All in all, a fantastic evening all round. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, weekend brunches and Sunday roasts, a typical dinner will cost around £30 a head. Considering the fresh ingredients, creative menu, delicious food and fantastic service, it's more than worth the money. With the manager telling me I HAVE to come back to try the brunch, I hope it won't be long before I revisit!
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