Duck Duck Goose @ QV, Melbourne

If you've been following my Twitter account, you'd realise that I've been eagerly anticipating the opening of Duck Duck Goose...


So when I walked in with the Boy on Sunday for brunch (taking a well deserved break from our Melbourne Open House), and was greeted by the waitress, "We've only just opened on Tuesday", to which I replied, "I know, that's why I'm here *big Smile*"


Walking in, there were only 2 other tables (couples) seated... and this was at 1pm... well into the late Sunday lunch hour...


A few curious passer-bys walked in, looked at the menu and walked back out... obviously the uninitiated :P


However, the Boy and I soon realised that we were quite mistaken... Where was the Chinese-French fusion menu which the Age was talking about???


Instead, we'd walked into a Sunday Yum Cha (which was fine by me, given the reputation of Kam Fook in Sydney **which owns Duck Duck Goose)

(The range of teas were amazing.. 28 different kinds)

I asked if we could have a look at the Dinner menu (in vain of getting some sort of fusion menu... the yum cha menu consisted of normal yum cha dumplings, bento boxes, ramen noodles, korean offerings and desserts)

(We ordered the Kotobuki tea $8 for a pot with 1 refill... slightly peachy and fruity)

Sadly, we were informed that the dinner menu was exactly the same as the brunch menu ( disappointing !)... and that because they were so new (and empty, I should add)... half of the items shown on the menu were not available...

(BBQ Pork Ramen Noodles $10)

Of the yum cha offerings 3 items were not available (the radish cake, some dumpling and the egg tart)

(Deep fried prawn dumplings 4 pieces $6)

All of the rice dishes were unavailable apart from the Teriyaki chicken and Teriyaki salmon dishes...

(Shanghai pan-fried pork bun 2 pieces $4)

Out of all the noodle dishes, only the Szechuan Ramen and the Barbecue Pork Ramen were available (not even the House Special, DUCK DUCK GOOSE NOODLE was available)...

(Shao-Mai 4 pieces $ 6)

Undeterred, the Boy and I ordered with a gusto...

(Prawn Shao-Mai 4 pieces $6)

And I ate like a little hungry piggy

(2 x Prawn Dumpling $4 -->$2 each)

The food was good.. but it wasn't a stand-out... nothing really to scream.. THIS IS EXQUISITE.. EAT ME NOW!...

(Peking Duck 2 pieces $6)

The Boy mentioned that the yum cha at Shark's Fin House/Inn was of better quality (and I couldn't help but to agree)...

(Almond Pudding $5 and Black Sesame Pudding $5)

At the end of the meal... too late.. we discovered that the Fine Dining French-Chinese fusion Duck Duck Goose (Cuisine) was located next door...

Next time...


As I mentioned, nothing special... apart from maybe the prawn shao-mai and the deep fried prawn dumplings... everything else was what you'd expect from any good yum cha places.

Would I come back... possibly... I won't come back just for the yum cha though, I'll be trying the other dishes that were mysteriously missing from the menu that day...

What I do want to try is the Cuisine next door =)

*Disclaimer: All food ratings are purely based on my own experiences and how I feel about the service, food and quality

Food/ Cuisine: Asian Fusion (Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
Dining Style: Restaurant
Overall Food Rating (Based on the Dining style): 7/10
Restaurant ambiance: 9/10 (I really liked the layout and design of this place... brightly lit and it reminded me strongly of Maze)
Service/ Attitude: 6/10 (I have to be honest here... at any given time, there were only 4-5 other tables and I counted 6 wait staff. The dining table was extremely small, and yet they brought all our food out at once and did not help in placing the dishes.. instead, waiting for us to rearrange the plates and bowls etc... quite annoying really)
Value for money: 6/10 (Again, for the fare offered, I paid $60 where I would normally pay $40 at Sharks Fin House... however, that being said... this restaurant is being marketed differently and seems to be catering for the Oriental Tea House type of crowd)

Address:
31-37 Artemis Lane
QV Melbourne
Melbourne VIC 3000

Tel:(03) 9005 0888 (typical Chinese number.. *sheesh*)

Website:http://www.au-ddg.com

How to get there:

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