duck – ALESSANDRA BRIAN

I have found your new favourite breakfast spot.

If you thought Duck & Waffle looked like the perfect spot for a romantic dinner overlooking the city, you’ll be pleased to know I’ve found a new use for this towering venue. The potential downfall for my new discovery is that you’re going to have to set your alarm clock. This isn’t for a lazy Sunday brunch and you’ll soon see why.

After getting dressed and ready at some ungodly hour and stepping out into the cold, early darkness that is usually only endured to catch a red eye from Heathrow, we made our way into London well before the busy Monday morning commute.

What on earth is worth an early Monday morning? you ask.
Two things: Duck and Waffle.

Not convinced to be up before the sun just for a bit of breakfast?
How about having an entire 40th floor to yourself whilst you watch the city wake up and the sun rise all over a delicious breakfast. I promise it was well worth it.

We sat facing the East and watched as the sun rose above the clouds and lit up a beautiful Londontown. Lines of cars that looked like ants made their way into the city whilst tired commuters crept across the pavement. Lights in skyscrapers were slowly switched on and smoke billowed from chimneys in the distance. There’s something so peaceful about watching a city groan to life, preparing for another busy week, whilst high in the clouds, away from a cramped commute of grumpy Londoners.

For breakfast we obviously shared the star of the show, Duck & Waffle, which you can read more about here. We also shared Colombian Eggs, which were fluffy, scrambled eggs mixed with salsa and spread over a generous serving of fresh avocado on toast. This was a delicious, spicy take on the standard breakfast dish which I could happily indulge in more often. For breakfast dessert… greedy, I know… we shared a Belgian Waffle with berries and massive dollop of fresh vanilla cream.

Whilst we dined, several people trickled in for early morning business meetings over Bloody Mary’s and waffles, an idea I must store away for future reference. The view was stunning, meal was excellent, and I couldn’t think of a more spectacular way to start off another work week.

You can book a table here but if you’re planning on watching the sunrise, it’s not likely you’ll have too much company.

For Halloween this year I was a Happy Foodie.
What does this costume entail? you ask. Take one foodie, place them in a restaurant they’ve been dying to try, throw in a stunning view of London, and allow them to order whatever they want.
Et voilà, Happy Foodie.

Following a spooky screening of Skyfall at the Barbican, I was whisked away in a cab to an unknown destination. I stared out of the black cab’s window at sexy skeletons, scary zombies, and naughty nurses lining the streets of a wet Londontown looking for a wicked night.

I was so wrapped up in after-movie chatter about James Bond’s most recent adventure, I hardly noticed where the cab had dropped us. I turned around to see Heron Tower literally towering over me. This could only mean two things: Duck and Waffle.

I had been wanting to go here for so long, I even made up a Duck & Waffle song.
How does the Duck & Waffle song go? you ask.
Take Wiz Khalifa’s Black and Yellow and replace the chorus with the words Duck n’ Waffle. Sing this repeatedly until your Duck n’ Waffle dreams come true.

I skipped into the building and wiggled my way to the glass window of the elevator, prepared for my rapid lift into the sky. The elevator rose above a sparkling London with butterflies in my stomach from a combination of the height, the excitement, and my growing hunger. This poor woman hid with her face tucked into the corner muttering obscenities and apologising profusely to the rest of us as her partner laughed and tried to point out their flat.

The elevator reached dizzying heights as it came to a stop at the 40th floor and the woman clearly willing to deal with her acrophobia in order to get a taste of Duck & Waffle shot out safely onto solid ground.

We had a few minutes to wait before our table was available so I took the time to be a bit snap happy with the edgy bar and stunning views. The bar is dark and moody with coloured beads in glass bottles as light fixtures. Flashy bankers sit on bar stools sipping overpriced cocktails enjoying the view. Multiple chandeliers hang over the staircase leading down to Duck & Waffle’s sister restaurant Sushi Samba, but we’ll talk more about that another day.

After a few minutes of picture taking with my favourite Swiss Re building and watching the bartenders mechanically mix up cocktails, our table was ready. We were lead to our table with the perfect view of both the beautifully lit skyline, and our fellow diners for a necessary spot of people watching.

We were seated by our lovely waiter and given our menus, which I hardly needed as I had been memorising and fantasising over the dishes for weeks. An intense journey of flavour followed which I can only insist you try for yourself.
I apologise in advance for the quality of the photos. As it was a surprise, I only had my iPhone with me to snap the food porn.

The Dark & Stormy cocktail of dark rum, lime, and homemade ginger beer is bottled and bagged as if you’re being naughty trying to conceal your drink. The concept was strange but different – and I love different.

First came the BBQ-spiced crispy pig ears.
Pig ears?!
Pig Ears.
Thin strips of crispy, chewy pig ears coated in a spicy sweet BBQ powder were presented in a brown paper bag. They were incredibly moreish and surprisingly filling.

Then came bite size pieces of yellowfin tuna with a cube of watermelon, a drizzle of aged balsamic, a fresh basil leaf, and a sprinkling of rock salt. The textures and flavours were phenomenal. The soft tuna, sweet watermelon, peppery basil, sour vinegar, and flakes of rock salt all tied beautifully together to make the perfect light bite to prepare our palates for the dishes to come.

Our waiter glided over from the kitchen with a plank containing house bread and a sizzling mini cast iron skillet of duck egg en cocotte with wild mushrooms, gruyere, and truffle butter.
I wanted to pick up my mini cast iron skillet and walk straight out of the restaurant to hoard its decadent, sizzling contents to myself.
Instead, I took the spoon and ruptured the yolk to create an oozing, yolky, cheesy, buttery mess of deliciousness. The decadence is then piled onto a piece of warm house bread to create the perfect bite.
Pure. Bliss.
It was a perfect marriage of flavours that resulted in an incredible dish of comfort food.

As we recovered from our previous dish, I started wondering what a spicy ox cheek doughnut entailed. I don’t think I could’ve ever imagined what came from the kitchen next. An ox cheek doughnut bigger than the size of my fist sat menacingly next to a dish of apricot jam. I cut it in half to reveal oozing cheese and tender meat.
A layer of spicy sugar coats the crispy shell of the doughnut. Inside is cakey doughnut with gooey cheese and tender ox cheek which is then dipped into the tangy, sweet apricot jam.
This is by far the most decadent doughnut I’ve ever had.

Now you didn’t expect me to not order the restaurant’s namesake, did you?
Crispy duck leg confit served with a fried duck egg and mustard maple syrup. An epic twist on breakfast with a fried duck egg, a caveman sized duck leg of tender meat, all stacked on top of a fluffy waffle. The mustard seed gave a tangy hint to the sweet maple syrup which each bite was dipped into.
Can you say breakfast of champions?

After breakfast, or dinner rather, came dessert.
obviously.
Warm chocolate brownie pieces with peanut butter ice cream and crunchy bits of caramel. The star of this show was by far the peanut butter ice cream. As such an indulgent treat on its own, you’d expect its ice cream form to be thick and overwhelming. This was completely the opposite. Light, creamy ice cream with full blown peanut butter flavour. Smeared around the outside was fluffy toasted marshmallow which somehow managed to all end up on my spoon.
The perfect dessert if you ask me.

Duck & Waffle is now open 24/7 and I’m looking forward to watching the sunrise over the city whilst dining on duck and waffle in the early hours of the morning.
The service was absolutely incredible and the food was outstanding as well as being affordable, which is always a major plus.
Visit their website here and be sure to make reservations during peak hours.

Tag: duck

Breakfast With a View

Duck & Waffle