We may have moved into 2015, but I couldn't leave 2014 behind without mentioning the amazing lunch me and the hubbie had at Duck and Waffle in early December.
I had been eager to go to Duck and Waffle for the whole of 2014 but due to the over whelming success and popularity of Duck and Waffle, coupled with our mis-organisation we never managed to secure a reservation. I had been practically drooling over the menu, restaurant reviews and pictures of the fantastic looking food, when Jun told me that he had booked the day off work to take me to lunch at Duck and Waffle (what a sweetie - major husband points for that!). It is an understatement to say that I was a little excited.
Duck and Waffle is located in the Heron tower in Liverpool Street, if you are scared of heights you might want to close your eyes for the glass elevator ride as you you whiz up 40 floors to reach the restaurant and spectacular views of London.
We were lucky to be seated next to the window in order to admire the sprawling views beneath us and quickly got to grips with the menu, although we already knew what we wanted.
We ordered from the all day menu as we were arrived at 3pm and kicked off lunch with the violet artichoke and parmesan focaccia, which was delicious and scoffed within minutes, washed down with a lovely glass of rose.
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the yummy violet artichoke and parmesan bread is just visible[/caption]As it was lunch (ish) time we were advised to choose three small dishes and finish with a large main course dish, which we shared.
We opted for the Spicy Ox Cheek Doughnut, which I absolutely loved, the ox cheek was soft and spicy but not too hot and the doughnut was soft and chewy with a sweet paprika sugar, it came with an apricot jam which was both sweet and sour which complemented the spices wonderfully. I could have happily eaten this to myself.
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Spicy Ox Cheek Doughnut with apricot jam[/caption]
Jun had had his eye on the Foie Gras Crème Brûlée with butter roasted lobster and toasted brioche, which was rich and creamy and very sweet when spread over the sweet brioche, Jun soon finished it this off, I think it was his favourite over the Ox Cheek.
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Foie Gras Crème Brûlée - apologies for the blurry pic, I was too eager to eat it[/caption]We also chose the ‘east end eels’ which was smoked eel with horseradish and samphire, which was our favourite of the small dishes, Jun says it was his favourite dish of the meal! We should have ordered two! The eel was delicately smoked and perfectly complemented by the refreshing sharp jelly that accompanied the dish. I love fish and have eaten eel before but never had jellied eels, I imagine this is a de-constructed take on the old fashioned jellied eels, as the name suggests, I would definitely go back for this dish alone.
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East End Eels[/caption]Of course we couldnt go to Duck and Waffle without trying the signature dish, a crispy duck leg confit over a fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside waffle, topped with a perfectly fried duck egg accompanied by a mustard maple syrup. Among all the amazing dishes we had for lunch this was my favourite, I have dreams about this dish.
The duck leg was salty and I loved breaking the rich dug egg over it and eating forkfuls of crispy ducky yolky goodness. I love combining sweet with savoury and this was the perfect balance with the mustard maple syrup.
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Duck and Waffle with duck egg and mustard maple syrup[/caption]We would have loved to stay for dessert but we were already too full, so we took the lift back down to reality. Not before taking a few snaps in the lift of that amazing view. We had been lucky to see the sunset while we were there( something the husband likely planned on) and it was beautiful to watch London slip from day to night.
I'll definitely be popping back sometime in the near future as there were lots of dishes I wanted to try such as the bbq-spiced crispy pigs ears and the breakfast menu looks pretty special too.
Duck and Waffle does sit towards the top end of dining price wise but I think that the food is more than worth it, not to mention the spectacular views across London. Executive Head Chef Dan Doherty has done an amazing job and I don't think there was a dish that we tried that we didn't like, if you pop in be sure to go over and say hi (something I forgot to do - sorry Dan) - I'm sure he would love to hear what you think.