At Newtown's Duk Inn, expect Cantonese classics, and expect them done well. Think: typhoon shelter chicken wings (kinda like KFC Wicked Wings, but with a garlick-y Asian twist), massive mudcrabs and char siu pork, which are all on Duck Inn’s homely menu.
Here, you'll see shelves of maneki-neko (lucky cats) robotically wave their little paws while mood lighting casts a neon haze over your tray of Peking duk. Yes, we said tray.
Duk Inn’s speciality arrives neatly sliced and arranged on an elevated wooden tray so that your table has room for all the fixings: a small stack of pancakes, slivers of spring onion, slices of cucumber, hoisin sauce and sugar to dip that crisp duck skin into.
All of this is headed by Jonathon’s mum, Shao Qiong Sun, in the kitchen as she preserves the decades-old family recipe. On your way to the bathroom, a detour by the kitchen offers a sneak peak of the ducks strung up ready for frying.
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Other menu highlights include the mud crab that comes smothered in your choice of sauce. You can mop it all up with mantous, which are pillowy sweet rolls with a crunchy caramelised exterior. Though, you will need to order your crab a day in advance if you're keen.
If your wallet’s looking a little flat to totally ball out, take your Peking duck shredded in a bowl of steaming fried rice, or opt for some crunchy pork belly. Regardless, Duck Inn’s comfort Cantonese eats are a colourful journey that will make you feel far, far away from the streets of Newtown.
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