True farm to table & the flawless presentation.
6.5/10
I just went to Odd Duck for brunch (only on Sundays 10:30-2:30) and it had an amazing atmosphere. As soon as you walk in, you hear the hustle and bustle of people eating at bar tables and on the balcony (with a view of the skyline!). Plus, as soon as we sat down, we already got glimpses of the impeccable looking dishes as the servers walked by. The brunch menu has a wide array of dishes that all looked delicious, and the back-side features every local farm they sourced the ingredients from, which I loved. We had a bit of trouble deciding exactly what dishes to order, but the servers gave great recommendations and told us to try several, since they are all served family-style.
We ordered our entire meal (except dessert) all at once: coffees, carrots, grilled chicken skillet dish, and the wagyu beef baguette. The carrots came out in less than 5 minutes and were delicious! the eggs gave a great creamy addition to the cooked carrots that were soft but still a bit crunchy in the middle, and they were seasoned really well with lots different herbs. It was a great starter, my only complaint was the size of the dish–I would’ve preferred a smaller portion.
Next to come out was the grilled chicken skillet dish (not sure what the exact name was oops). This dish was sooooo yummy!!! Two sunny side up eggs, really tender chicken that practically melts in your mouth, and delicious brussel sprouts that were on the soft side. The combination of textures and flavors in this dish was incredible, and the presentation was beautiful!
Our coffees didn’t come out until AFTER we had already eaten the first two dishes. I was a bit disappointed about that, since it’s the quickest thing to make and should be enjoyed before/alongside the meal. They were pretty average, but again, the presentation was adorable.
We waited another 30 minutes for the last entree dish to come out…
This is honestly one of the prettiest dishes I’ve ever eaten. The edible flowers, tender, pink wagyu beef, soft-boiled egg, sauces, and greens added so many bright colors to the dish and made me want to dig in. It was a really delicious dish. It had a build-your-own aspect since the best way to enjoy it was by layering the baguette slice with the cauliflower puree, then the meat, veggies, and egg on top. It had so many great flavors and was well balanced, but the bread was wayyyyyy to crunchy and tough. It was extremely hard to chew, so it was far less enjoyable of a dish. If they had opted for softer bread, this dish would’ve been perfect.
Lastly, but certainly not least, I was still a bit hungry, so we ordered the affogato for dessert. Chocolate ice cream, cookie crumble, marshmallow fluff, and the freshly-brewed coffee poured on top right in front of you–clearly they are very focused on perfect presentation! The dish was not too filling and was not too sweet, with the combination of bitter coffee with the super sweet marshmallow fluff.
All in all, it was a really great meal and I only have a couple of complaints, the most frustrating being the timing of when dishes arrived. Our brunch ended up lasting almost 2 hours, which is a pretty long in my opinion, especially since we ordered almost all of our food at once. This rating is a bit harsh, but despite the great atmosphere, my critiques were heightened because of the price ($75 for 3 small dishes, two coffees, and dessert). I would definitely go again and try different dishes but express that I want the dishes to come around the same time.
Let me know if you have or are going to try Odd Duck! I would love to hear your thoughts!!
-Ari
Resting Munch Face 