The Duck & Dumpling

10/17/2008 Posted by jbd0208

The food was good, but I am still hungry even after spending over $130 for 3 people. The portion sizes were very small on the appetizers as well as entrees. The entree called Lion's Head was very misleading. It was supposed to be ground pork wrapped around diver sea scallops. Well, there was ONE scallop on this entree, and it was small and overcooked-- not what I expected for $22. There was a dessert called Chocolate Souffle. It was NOT a souffle at all. Instead, it was a small brownie, heated in the microwave with chocolate syrup over it -- again, not what I expected for $6. What a disappointment. I won't be returning to this restaurant.

Pros: Pretty good steamed dumplings and tuna tartar

Cons: Small portions and too pricey

08/21/2008 Posted by jam12345

I have never liked dumplings. I even lived near Cinatown in NYC but I just didn't like them. But a friend took me to Duck and Dumpling the other night and we had their pork dumplings and I have seen the light!!! So much flavor. Our server said the chef hand rolls them all. You must try these when you go. The place even reminds me of some hippy-chic urban restaurant. The decor feels like a night on the town. We also had hummus made from edamame. Our entrees included sea bass with a citrusy-soy sauce, honey ginger scallops, and their fried rice with shrimp and Chinese sausage(yum). The watermelon martini was perfect and the wine list was varied and reasonable. Our server was friendly and everyone was happy. Thank goodness for a staff that cares. Did not get dessert, but the list was interesting. The chef even came out to check on us. Nice touch, chef! Thank you for this unique spot in downtown Raleigh. Try it yourself.

Pros: Decor, food, exceptional service

Cons: I don't have a single con

08/01/2008 Posted by peckle

The Duck & Dumpling is a favorite stop on the Raleigh Food Tour. Not only is the presentation delicious to the eye, the handmade dumplings are scrumptious. The attention to detail at this restaurant sets it apart from the ordinary. The dinners are a fabulous fusion of flavor and never disappoint. Try the succulent tenderloin tips or seafood medley. The fresh flavors of ginger or lemongrass soar. This is the real thing!

Pros: Olivia & James are wonderful managers.

07/26/2008 Posted by Gepado

My wife and I had heard that this place was a great dinning experience. Let me tell you just how "great" it wasn't; we were not very hungry so we stopped in to grab a drink and a couple of appetizers. If the bartender could have fit one more ice cube in my glass it would have officially been the first frozen gin & tonic. We ordered two different appetizers, the eggplant dish (8.50) and the spring wrap (6.00). The eggplant dish was composed of three small slices of eggplant with a shrimp puree on it. If we were runway models this would have been something we needed a doggie bag for. The bartender brought our spring rolls out about ten minutes later after she said that she would go back to the kitchen to see where they were. After being extremely dissapointed with the eggplant, we actually got a little excited with the delay thinking she would appear with a plate of six to eight spring wraps. NOT! They brought out a plate with two, yes two spring rolls on it. We could see why it took an extra ten minutes to prepare that. It's a possibility that dinners could be much better here but if they are anything like the anorexic food we were served, you had better have a back up plan. We spent $32 plus tip for something that cost the restaurant about $2, boy are we in the wrong business!

08/25/2007 Posted by loriana

I ate at The Duck and Dumpling for the first time, after wanting to eat there for years. I am so glad I did. As I ate my first bite of food, I realized the low quality of other Asian food I had eaten in the past. Each dish I ate was creative, light, and full of flavor. This is the way all Asian food should taste. The restaurant itself is trendy and chic, and the service was good. Everyone was very friendly. I will definitely return.

Pros: food, atmosphere, friendly staff

07/17/2007 Posted by ymiller

I have been seeing some negative reviews about "The Duck" and just wanted to put out there that my husband and I very happily frequent this restaurant. I love almost everything ( I am allergic to shellfish) that Chef Mao puts on my plate and "The Duck" reminds me of being in New York. I am always happy with the service, quality of food and the attention to detail. If you haven't been, you should DEFINATELY try it!!

07/13/2007 Posted by whatever922

This place was absolutely awful. Our waiter talked 100mph and he rushed us way too much. He kept walking in and out of the restaurant which also made me feel very uneasy, and for some reason, when we were done eating, he didn't come to us with the check or take our plates away for literally 15 minutes! The food, it wasn't all that, especially for the money. I ordered the lemon grass chicken thing which was absolutely horrible, not too mention the minimal amount of food they gave me for the $17 plate. My boyfriend got absolutely sick from the duck soup thing and he was sick for about 2 days because of the food! All in all, it's a cute environment, but AWFUL FOOD and TERRIBLE SERVICE! Don't go!

Pros: cute decor

Cons: awful service, even worse food

06/22/2007 Posted by projecte

The taste of the food is quality. Great menu items and a lot of good flavor to the dishes, but for the price of the dishes I was expecting a little more quantity. The dumpling sampler plate was a good 6-8 dollars I believe and they only give you 4 dumplings. You can get a greater value at a mom and pop's dim sum place. The decor was impressive and I loved the art, its a nice date place to impress someone but not a place I would visit frequently.

06/15/2007 Posted by samwatsons

I thought it would be cheaper and taste better if I could get a bag of dumplings from Asian Market and make a dish for the whole family. The dumplings were not cooked right. By the way, why people here attack one another for expressing his/her opinion? It's only a personal opinion.

Pros: Good service

Cons: Bad food

06/15/2007 Posted by sqrpeg

It is too bad the disgruntled diners were narrowly focused, and not open-minded. This is not authentic Chinese. Chinese Bistro, Asian Bistro, call it what you will. There is a blending of old and new, East and West. Chef David always walks the floor to visit with customers and will send out complementry samples of soups and appetizers. The service has always been professional, the staff is well versed on the menu and is ready to provide recommendations. The parking situation may be inconvenient, but the walk is worth it. I have been there several times and will visit at least once everytime in am in Raleigh.

Pros: GREAT FOOD, great service, great atomosphere, good value