Yeah, back in London for a short weekend break. You surely never get tired of this city, even though I have pretty done must of the touristy stuffs in the past. Yet, there are so many food places to explore 😉
Finding a good restaurant to dine is quite a challenge. Some nice restaurants can be booked days or not even weeks in advance. We were lucky that we got one table at “The Duck & Rice” in Soho on a Saturday evening. Apparently, the last spot for that day.
If you have been living in the UK for a while, then you might have heard about the high-street restaurant chain called Wagamama. It serves Asian food but not in a typical “Asian style” restaurant, that you might know with lampions, lucky cat and Asian staffs. Wagamama has more of a “western culture” restaurant style. And so, does “the Duck and Rice” but more on an upscale level. Both from the same owner.
I don’t really like Wagamama, that’s why I was bit sceptical with this one. However, we decided to give it a go.
We started off with Edamame (£4.50), Fried chicken wings (£7), and Crispy duck roll (£7.60). 
I must say, amazing starter. Especially, positively surprised with the crispy duck roll 😀
Maybe this just made our “expectation” bit too high for the main courses… 
Kung Po chicken (£12) – I was super disappointed with this one. It’s a highly popular Sichuan dish in China. And this one was way to overdone with soy-sauce and everything. I would change the dish menu name since this one has nothing to do with the authentic one. 
Stir-fried vegetable udon (£10.50) they surely added too much oil into the food. I found it a bit too greasy.
Gai lan with ginger (£9.90), which was okay from the taste. 
Overall Experience: 6/10 same with Wagamama, I don’t really understand the “hype” behind the Duck & Rice concept. Surely, it’s a nice ambience with some good vibes to dine. But food wise… I don’t know. I think for people, who have never been to China and don’t know how authentic Chinese food taste, it’s a nice place. It looks posh and people dress nicely. But for me the taste of the food is more important.
Good to Know: A discretionary service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill. Oh, and reservation is recommended!
Location Details:
The Duck & Rice
90 Berwick St, Soho, London W1F 0QB, UK
Phone: +44 20 3327 7888
Website: www.theduckandrice.com
