The Duck & Dumpling

While sitting in D&D i thought about checking out the atmosphere which I usually do after I eat.
I have to say that the dimmed lights for lunch and the seating is unique for lunch fare.
The fresh spring rolls were not something i would order again.
The pad thai was good… not great. The noodles were overrun by veggies. The flavor of the noodles and veggies was great. The beef i got in the pad thai was somewhat dry and it seemed if it was was grain fed meat so it was chewy. The meat was thick and should be cut thinner to take that chewy feel away. It took away from the overall dish
The food did not seem stir fried. More like cooked in a pan.
The food is sweeter than traditional Asian fare but what can you say. I didnt taste any fish sauce and it seemed to lack the flavor of a traditional pad thai. No fusion in my opinion.
The sauce is somewhat dry.
The service is exceptional so it is great all you boy toys and hubbys to take out your ladies for a romantic night out or even a nice lunch. ;)
Considering the parent company, the service was decent here and can’t complain at all on that note.

**** 4.5 stars ****
Well unfortunately this review is being written posthumously, as The Duck and Dumpling is now closed. It’s a shame, because I thoroughly enjoyed the lunch I had here, and it was actually one of the best meals I’ve had on my many trips through Raleigh. Apparently the owner is no longer stoked about the Asian fusion concept, calling it outdated, which may be true… but the flavors they delivered were vibrant and creative, no matter what culinary generation they belong in. Apparently they still own the space, and will be opening something new in its place, which I would be excited to try if it’s done with the same flair as the now defunct restaurant.
I began my meal with their dumpling sampler (
), which featured all 5 of the specialty dumplings from their appetizer menu. Unfortunately the menu has been taken down from the website, and I didn’t bother to write down the ingredients for each when I was there, so I can’t go into much detail. I will say that I really loved the flavor and texture combinations, and even the side slaw paired really nicely with each item. I do remember the shrimp was definitely my favorite, and the wasabi dumpling (the green one) was the only one that was somewhat disappointing, mainly because I expected a bigger burst of flavor.
When I saw my next course on the menu there was pretty much no chance I could resist ordering it. Basically, it’s a make your own pork buns kit (
), with huge chunks of pork belly instead of the typical mushy, shredded pork. There are 3 buns and 3 pieces of pork belly total, which may not seem like a lot, but it’s very thick cut, so it definitely works. The buns were perfectly fluffy and not too doughy in the least bit, so delicious with a little spread of the hoisin sauce and some of the pepper paste that was very similar to Sriracha. I could have easily downed a dozen of these; they were amazing.
Lastly, even though I wasn’t all that hungry, I decided to go for a full lunch entrée version of the drunken noodles, one of my classic favorite generic Asian dishes. I know it’s somewhat traditional to Thai, but it somehow seems to show up on every Pan-​asian menu. The portion size was easily enough for 2 people (
), which usually never gets in my way of finishing the plate. The noodles were a bit thinner than I expect from this dish, and the beef was just slightly too chewy, but overall it was very solid, and most importantly the flavor was great. I asked for it extra hot, and it absolutely delivered on that request, a rarity in most places that aren’t run by actual Asians. The little bit of broccoli on the side was somewhat laughable, but luckily for me I could care less if it was there or not, as long as the beef is so plentiful.
The service here was very friendly, and everything came out quickly, although that may have something to do with the fact the place was relatively empty when I went in for lunch. Granted, it was a holiday (which led to free parking, yes!
) and some people may have taken the weekend off, but I would still have expected more than a handful of people to be dining in at prime lunch hours. Perhaps that was more of the issue, rather than the lack of enthusiasm by the chef. If the locals don’t support great places like this, then it’s inevitably going to collapse.

We had hot & sour soup, salad, beef drunken noodle, chicken lo-​mein and saki sangria. All A+ and our fave meal after a weekend of eating out in Raleigh.

Unfortunately, the Duck and Dumpling is closing. What a shame.

Visiting Raleigh from southeast Florida in October 2010. Had less than professional service at nearby Raleigh Times eatery and manager there apologized three times and gave me $ 5 coupon for THE DUCK & DUMPLING. So why not try it?
My wife and I only had two entrees and one dessert for dinner so our review is not comprehensive, but our impression of the restaurant is very high. The «Tiger Tears» salad with skirt steak was fantastic in both the extraordinary flavor of the perfectly seared thin slices of meat and the accompanying crisp dry salad. The Malay version of Pad Thai with chicken on the menu was also very good. Different from Thai style, I am told, with use of Malaysian curry oil and a touch of oyster sauce. It was not too wet or too salty. The chicken was not dry. I added a very good hot sauce to meet my personal hot spice needs and really enjoyed the dish. These dishes were $ 12 and $ 11 each and good value. The beef salad is the real standout. However, the Asian Pear Crisp dessert for $ 6 was not so flattering, as it had too many flavors and ingredients to make a coherent statement.
Our server Brooke was absolutely great, pleasant, very knowledgeable and very informative (we asked many questions). We think highly of the restaurant and would go back without a hesitation.

My first impression of The Duck is that it is similar to Cheesecake Factory – big on décor (good lighting, interesting artwork, cozy feel) and short on food/​service.
I ordered tom yum soup and crispy duck. The tom yum had an «off» taste that my palate didn’t approve, having been trained to appreciate conventional Thai lemongrass soup. The duck was very good, except it did not resembly anything close to «crispy» (it was merely roasted).
My date ordered wonton soup and sesame chicken, neither of which she praised nor complained about. However she asked for a straw for her drink, and the server returned with an unwrapped straw, laying it on the table with her hand (evidently The Duck doesn’t cater to germaphobes).
Another server put her rear end right in front of my date’s face to attend the table adjacent to us when she could have merely reached across. Never seen that before.
All in all, I’d say it was good food and nice décor; hard to go wrong but better can be had.

«Appetizer?»
“One should probably order duck and/​or dumplings at the Duck and Dumpling… Just saying…“
We ordered the Duck and Shitake Dumplings — I’m pretty sure the Dumpling Sampler was served though –lots of different looking dumplings, I really enjoyed them all, especially the green dumpling, Edamame and Mushroom.
For my entrée I ordered the Drunken Noodles (my new Thai favorite), a food chess move of sorts that forced the semi reluctant order of Sesame Chicken on the part of my dinner companion. The noodles were delicious, a rather large portion which made for doubly delicious leftovers the next day after all the flavors marinated together. I felt the Sesame Chicken was average, sweet and a little dry, but I’m not a huge lover fried, glazed meats. Also the plating was a little odd, whimsical really, steamed broccoli florets arranged in a circle around a small mound of chicken with a shaped cup of white rice to the side.
I LOVE a well made drink as there is a true art (and science) to mixology. Unique ingredients (e.g. pepper, herbs.), innovative cocktail ideas, and uncommon but exceptional liquors. I was excited to see a rare Rat Pack of sorts of liquors on the spirits menu: smooth Plymouth Gin, flowery St. Germain, bitter Campari, and a bevy of bitters. I vacillated between the Box Elder and the Clara Bow — Plymouth Gin with pepper or Bourbon and St. Germain? The Clara Bow had a smooth, minty sweet bite. It reminded me a lot of a mint julep, only smoother. I tasted the Night Society — it was fruity and sweet with an unexpected bitter finish (the Campari).
I like the Duck and Dumpling. It’s a different (and delicious) take on the Pan Asian fusion theme, only strengthened by the red, clean décor in a «reawakening» downtown neighborhood. Our server was extremely knowledgeable, seeming to thoroughly know (i.e. tasted) the menu, in addition to a perceptible love for the food and spirits she was serving. With lots of interesting menu choices, I’m sure I’ll be back to sample (and be surprised) some more.

Stopped in last night with the lovely Renee S and Jim D for a great, cold-​weather dins! Inside it’s mostly the same but they’ve put up some new art and brightened the space a bit, bonus… Service was great, we had the undivided attention of our waitress Brooke since the place was empty. But what about the food?! Well that my friends, is another plus now at the Duck & Dumpling…
The menu has really expanded with choices that are truly pan-​Asian. A lot of focus still on duck but definitely Asian fusion. I started off with some sake-​braised pork belly with steamed buns, great stuff! This treat is traditionally Chinese and served with Peking duck. No surprise that here in NC it’s pork and then you add a smear of hoisin and hot sauce, deelish! My main was bipimbap, a Korean rice dish. It’s served in a hot, clay bowl with rice, meat, egg and veggies, sort of like katsu-​don. Really good but I’m guessing not traditional. And finally, some Chinese donuts (I did not know my people made donuts :-) with Thai coffee sauce. Quite nice, the donuts are really stretchy and yeasty, hot out of the fryer.
All-​in-​all a very nice surprise and upgrade from my last visit, the Duck & Dumpling is hovering at five-​star territory for me! I’ll be back soon to explore the menu a bit more. Love the broader and interesting menu but make sure you keep the taste and deliciousness up, Chef James!

A long time ago I was with someone who was half Chinese, and that person blessed (cursed?) me with a strong sense of what constitutes real Chinese food. The relationship is long gone but the sense is still there, and I’m pleased to say that Duck & Dumpling more than passes muster.
Located near Moore Square, Duck & Dumpling is a real treat for those of us who wrinkle our noses at PF Changs. The chef at the Duck & Dumpling knows what he’s doing, and there’s always a delightful twist to the dishes that make it half cuisine and half performance art. I’m especially fond of his seafood plates (which change enough to make this place worth visiting regularly), but the beef dish I had last time was equally superb.
The prices are entirely reasonable for the quality and presentation of food, and I daresay it’s easy to spend a lot more on a lot less in this area (especially where so-​called Asian food is concerned). My only beef isn’t really with the restaurant specifically; it’s the lack of street parking in this area. There are a few nearby parking garages, though, and it’s better to just park over there and walk the short block or two.

I know, I know. You’ve not been in awhile. It’s that «fancy Chinese place in downtown», right? Wrong!
Just recently Duck & Dumpling has undergone some pretty significant changes: new front of house manager, new chef, new bartender (manager?), new wait staff. What that means is: new menu, new cocktail list, and a renewed energy.
I was lucky enough to be in the night the new menus (drink and food) rolled out and I have to tell you, D & D has NAILED it. There is care in there kids. That first night I tried the Pork Ramen (comes with a soft boiled egg… just sayin’) and a couple of the signature cocktails (Tokyo Eye and Clara Bow to be specific).
But LAST night I was fortunate enough to go in with three other people and we pretty much tried everything on the menu. Everything was so, SO good but honestly if you come in and don’t try the buns (we had pork, porkbelly, duck and lamb) then you’re really missing out. These are definitely the best buns I’ve had in NC.
We also had the soft boiled egg with pork belly (I am a SUCKER for soft boiled egg and this was a crunchy, runny, delicious treat), bourbon roasted cashews (!), tiger’s tear salad (one of my fave staples), seafood hot pot (local seafood done in a Tom-​Yum style; comes with a HUGE fillet of catfish that was DELICIOUS), Grilled Eggplant, and a Fried Catfish dish called «Mekong River»; OMG; second time I’ve had it and will be hard pressed not to order it next time I’m in (comes topped with a papaya «slaw» of sorts that would make for a great appetizer by itself).
Then there were the desserts… Coconut Panna Cotta-+…Black and White Chinese Donuts-+(the thai coffee dipping sauce, MMMMM!)…Green Tea Semifreddo-​++ (this may be one of my all time fave desserts, I mean besides banana pudding)…chocolate/peanut kulfi-​what is there beyond a ++? This dish was pretty amazing, not only for the kulfi (think dense ice cream) but those house-​made, banana marshmallows… good LORD they were good!
Suffice it to say that I’m a renewed fan. Loved the place when it opened, stopped going a year or so ago when the menu started to wane, and am in love all over again. Great job guys, and thanks!

I seldom go to Raleigh but somehow I’ve been here twice.
One night they ran out of duck — I said, «did you also run out of dumplings?»
It’s good enough that it’s never empty, but not so good that it’s packed when you pull a walk-​in. And eating at the bar is cool.

Tender, succulent beef, pork, and duck. So soft and sweet, I want to recite that William Carlos Williams poem.
Deets: The cherry/​raspberry malbec was a surprisingly nice compliment to our meal. Its a little sweeter than the heavy, complex cabs that many wine-​lovers prefer, but it was not overwhelmingly sweet.
Duck sliders! The duck was perfectly tender. BBQ sauce was amazing. The only downside for was the bun — very standard-​issue, white-​bready and boring.
Southern-​fried duck — Deep-​fried isn’t usually my thing but I had to try. The duck was again super tender and delicious. My brother and dad both loved it.
Red Curry Beef — best in show. It was not especially spicy on the grand scheme of curry, or chinese, or thai. But what it lacked in kick-your-tongue’s-ass-spiciness, it made up for in good. Beef perfectly tender, creamy, tangy red curry. You simply cannot go wrong with this dish. I arranged a prisoner swap with my brother (duck nuggets for curry) because this stuff was soooo good.
Pork and eggplant — Pork again super-​tender, a nice peppery zip to it. This was a simple dish, eggplants only lightly sauteed so they keep the eggplanty flavor inside, and are not dripping with oil.

I love my authentic Chinese, but occasionally appreciate a modern take on the classics, thus our dinner at this place. The space is quite small, and the tables really are close together (though not hole-​in-​the-​wall vietnamese restaurant cramped)…I think we may have unintentionally eavesdropped on a few conversations.
We ordered the summer rolls, whose beef was tender, but it wasn’t wrapped tightly enough to prevent it from falling apart. The steamed dumpling were also a little overdone, as if they had been steaming too long. We had the signature duck (not spicy enough) and curry entrees, which were generously portioned and tasted very good.
The fiancée also ordered the signature drink, but I didn’t think it tasted good enough to order again.
Service is quick (like Chinese quick) and friendly. Given that this seems to be a Raleigh institution, I expected better, but I’ll give it the benefit-​of-​the-​doubt. 3 and ½ stars for pretty decent modern Asian cuisine. 1 off for the execution of the appetizers and ½ off for the cramped space.

My husband got a promotion (yay!), so we decided to have a fun night of dinner and IMAX. Since Duck and Dumpling was close to the theater and I’ve been wanting to try it, it seemed a perfect fit. I guess in hindsight I should have let him pick, but we are both happy with my choice!
From the outside, I guess I thought it would be a bit fancier or high-​priced, but this was not the case. I found the décor hip and fun, and the staff from the hostess to our server and food runner were all a happy, nice bunch. We already knew we wanted the dumpling sampler, but the deal was sweetened when we were informed that it now comes with 5 dumplings (all the varieties) instead of 3. Score! They were all delicious and I sort of wished they had a dumpling entrée, though you could easily create one yourself. The menu was varied, but not huge, and I decided to go with the safe Sesame Chicken. My husband ordered the Spicy Thai Basil Duck. Both were excellent. I found the portions to be perfect. I also ordered a Pomegranate Cosmo at $ 5, which I thought was very reasonable for a cocktail, and it was tasty. We had no room for dessert, but the dessert menu itself didn’t seem too impressive so I wasn’t really looking for room, anyway.
The only downfall would be, I’d say, the proximity of the tables to one another. Things were a little too close. Otherwise, I was really happy with the experience and look forward to going back again.

I decided to give the Duck and Dumpling another try as it had been a few years and a chef since my last disappointing visit. I was not only pleased but thoroughly enticed by the flavors that showed up on my plate. First the service from Brooke was incredible. Her menu knowledge was exemplary. She walked us through the differences from the previous menu of Chef Mao to Chef Boyle’s presentations. The dumpling sampler was very flavorful as were the Ahi Tuna Tacos. Our entrees were the green curry special (which I found out curry was Chef Boyle’s addition to the D&D) and the filet which had an abundance of flavors and we were both sorry that we reached the plate bottoms quickly as we devoured our meals. All in all a great experience.

First, let me say the service is excellent! All of the staff that I have had the pleasure of interacting with have been exceptional. They care about how much you like the sake as well as your main course. The chef is meticulous about creating a dish that is suitable for your taste, say gluten-​free! Also, the portions are better than I remember them being before their menu changed.
I regret that I missed their grilled watermelon salad, but look forward to catching all other specials… Thanks guys!

My first impression was WOW this is gonna be good. The place has a nice atmosphere and our server was great.
We had the dumplings as an app and they were delicious. Of the four meals we got, two were good including mine, the Kung Pao Shrimp, but other two had problems. One was a tuna dish, the waitress didn’t ask for a temp on it, and it was cooked almost all the way through. The other dish was the Pad Thai, which was good but waaayyy too spicy. I could forgive the spicy as a miscommunication but I think the server should have done more to try and fix the problem. The desserts were tasty.
Overall, not bad, not great, wouldn’t make an effort to go back.

Nothing more than a mediocre Chinese restaurant with the ingredients stepped up just past your everyday take-​out/​lunch buffet joint.
When I moved here, this is the place people recommended that I go. I went twice and was disappointed both times. The dishes are overly sweet and lack inspiration; the descriptions on the menu are more exciting than what was served to me. Maybe it was disappointment because everyone I knew preached its greatness so I went in expected to have my mind blown, and when that didn’t happen the mediocrity was even more poignant.
Don’t get me wrong — the food is decent, maybe even good, and everything was fresh. However, it just doesn’t live up to its reputation in the downtown scene. If you want truly amazing Chinese food, go to the other end of downtown and dine at Five Star.

I have been here many times and have brought family and friends. The food is consistently delicious, high quality. The duck filled dumplings which are often a special are unbelievable and make my mouth water thinking about them.
Usually, I’m not a fan of ‘fancy’ Asian but this place is the exception.
Favorite dishes:
Stir-​fried beef tenderloin with chinese greens
Steam fresh fish
Duck breast in sour-​cherry reduction sauce

I’ve had better for the price, but after a weekend of turkey, this place was a welcomed change.
We tried the dumplings, which the chef (David?) hand-​rolls each morning. Thick and bursting with several layers of flavor, they were definitely the highlight of the show. A decent and well-​priced wine list was appreciated, and the service was on the spot. I’ll break down the entrees for your convenience:
Duck w/​Zinfandel Cranberry Reduction (or some title of that nature): The chef’s forte appears to be sauces, and he does them very well. He mixes elegant and uniquely simple ingredients to create a shower of flavors with each sauce, and it showed in the sweet-​meets-​tart sauce that covered the tender slices of duck and sweet potatoes.
Fried Rice: Mixed with shrimp and slices of sausage… tasty
Lemongrass Beef Vietnamese Salad: Overpriced for thinly-​sliced beef of a questionable cut on a bed of field greens. I may have been jealous of everyone’s sauces, as I found the beef dry and chewy.
Basil Shrimp: plump, delicately-​cooked shrimp in a rich sauce with a bit of warmth. Tasty!
We topped it all off with the triple chocolate cheesecake, which was magical as cheesecakes go. I’d go back and make a feast of the dumplings.