Finally, real news is starting to filter through about Alan Yau's big new venture, the Chinese gastropub Duck & Rice. He's taken over the site that used to be the Endurance in Soho (right next door to his old stomping ground Yauatcha). Now, as the opening date draws closer, lots of news about the food is appearing.
The menu itself is fairly huge, spreading across snacks, currys, dim sum, duck (it's worth noting that the venison puff is making a return here) and a few items worth picking out include:
- Crabmeat Foo Young
- Pan-fried pork & Chinese leaves gyoza
- Pork ribs & bitter melon in black bean
- Stir-fry Chinese celery, pumpkin, dried shrimp & prawn cake
- Double cooked pork belly & salted fish, baby leak, ginger & spring onion
- Lobster Cantonese
- Five spice fried chicken
- Jasmine tea smoked baby back pork ribs
But that's just a very small part of the menu - it'll take a LOT of return visits to get through that.
As for the place itself, it's aiming to bring together Asian and British traditions, specifically the look of a Victorian pub with Asian influences. It'll use both the ground and first floor (unlike the Endurance), so the ground floor will be the bar area. Also on that floor, a big feature is the beer - Pilsner Urquell which is hosted in huge tanks. Snacks will be the main order of the day on this floor - so expect the feel of a more traditional pub.
The new upstairs area becomes more of a restaurant, but one with loads of counter dining and a couple of private rooms too. Outside, they're still aiming for some alfresco seating too. They're also being very insistent that it will be a pub - and not a "posh restaurant" - while the music is being curated by Soho Radio.
As for opening hours, it will be open seven days a week and will also have dim sum service at the weekends.
Duck and Rice will open at 90 Berwick Street London W1F 0QB on 13 April. For more information, follow them on Instagram @theduckandrice
