Cotton Duck

I was a little weirded out when they told me the mushroom tart was drizzled with a jus made from chicken hearts, but the curious, carnivorous voice in my head told me to try it. As promised by our enthusiastic waitress, it was indeed tasty, the meaty reduction bringing out the earthy flavours of the Swiss brown and shiitake mushrooms that filled their flaky little pastry case.
Our other dishes were less confronting: tart pickled onions cut through the richness of soft-​poached egg and pancetta in the frisee-​based Lyonnaise salad, while peas and broad beans with a delicate parmesan broth made for a verdant, salty base for pan-​fried scallops.
Cotton Duck is all about local, sustainable produce; an ethos echoed in the industrial chic dining room complete with flashes of bright green plants emerging from reclaimed concrete segments. This latest offering from Danks Street chef Jared Ingersoll is certainly a solid addition to the up-​and-​coming Holt Street dining precinct.