Apart from the catchy name, the newest venture of the Chef’s Gallery group is nailing their offering of modern Chinese BBQ and roasts in a casual setting. Holy Duck! fits right in on buzzing Kensington Street, carrying its tongue in cheek theme throughout its modern, industrial decor.
The theme runs from the glistening ducks hanging in the window (authentic Chinese BBQ/roast joint style) to the huge lit up sign on the back wall, the contemporary flavours on its menu and even the little cartoon ducks on their butchers paper that their food is served on.
Roast Duck with Rice and Signature Duck Sauce, $16 (+$2 for Taro Rice)
For our main we tried the Roast Holy Duck! Meal which we had with their taro rice instead of the usual jasmine rice. Their signature dish did not disappoint, with the juicy roasted duck meat under a thin layer of crisp skin, complemented by their tangy duck sauce. All this went well with the richly flavoured taro rice, which tasted a lot like Chinese zhong ji (the glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves) often served at yum cha restaurants.
Buns of Squeal meal, $12
The playfully named Buns of Squeal also delivered on their promise, with slabs of flavoursome braised pork belly sandwiched between soft steamed bao. The bao weren’t quite as fluffy as others we have tried but the chilli sauce and fried onions that it was served with helped lift the flavours.
Duck Yeah Spring Rolls, $5 and Ducken Delicious Pancakes, $5
Our duck cravings were satisfied further with their crispy Duck Yeah Spring Rolls served with a nice chilli plum dipping sauce and of course, their Ducken Delicious Pancakes which lived up to their name, paired with an interesting orange hoisin sauce.
Lotus Root Chips Small, $5
We also tried a couple of their small plates and loved their Lotus Root Chips, not only do they look great but they are very addictive, each crunch made better with the nori powder and sriracha lemon kewpie sauce.
Popcorn Chicken, $8
Their Popcorn Chicken wasn’t quite as impressive as their duck dishes but were still tasty with an intriguing brown sugar glaze coating and toasted sesame, for something different from your standard popcorn chicken.
Holy Duck! shows that even traditional Chinese BBQ can be revamped with a modern twist – the reasonable pricing means that the university students and lucky people who live around Central Park and Chippendale can come here as often as they feel like to get their authentic Chinese BBQ fix in a schmick joint that is a cut above the rest.
Excuse Me Waiter dined as guests of Holy Duck!
Holy Duck!
10/2 Kensington Street, Chippendale NSW 2008
