If it’s good in Chinese, it’s Duck Duck

A duck is canard in French, ducken in German, and pato in Spanish and Filipino. The Danish dukke is a word of endearment or fondness, while in African-American slang, the duck is an alcoholic beverage. In colloquial Cantonese, duck-duck does not refer to two ducks. Rather, it roughly translates to the positive "okay!" or "yes!"

Duck Duck China Gourmet, at the ground level, south entrance, Gateway Mall, Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City is a new and interesting find. The restaurant is the latest venture of Rio Grande Food Corporation, a group that describes themselves as "friends who love to eat."

"My husband would look for Chinese restaurants even when we travel to the US," says Rep. Lorna Silverio, who is president of the corporation, which also includes another gourmet friend Aleta Suarez. Another very successful venture of the group is Brazil Brazil at the Power Plant Mall at Rockwell Center in Makati City. Indeed, Chinese food has become so well assimilated in Philippine culture that it has become comfort food. And, since one of the partners in the group of friends is restaurateur-jeweler Anita Chan, who shuttles regularly from Hong Kong to the Philippines, the latest food outlet of the corporation had to be Chinese.

"The food served at the restaurant is authentic Chinese, and the flavors are just like what you would have in Hong Kong. The dishes have not been Filipinized," says Anita. She cheerfully affirms that although her husband Ricky H.C. Wong is the better cook at home, her taste buds are better attuned to distinguish the nuances of flavor. "He may be a better cook, but I know good food best," she smiles. To ensure that the flavors remain as they should, chef Fung mans the kitchen.

In a restaurant named Duck Duck, one should certainly try the duck. Baked a golden brown, with a thin layer of sinfully delicious fat underneath crunchy skin, the roast duck was perfect with or without plum sauce. Expectedly, since duck has a high percentage of bone and fat to meat, it takes more time to pick the meat from the bones. Duck has no light meat, but the dark meat has a rich, agreeable flavor. It is not surprising that many people prefer duck to other types of poultry. A roaster duck (thus named as it is meant for roasting) is a domesticated duck slaughtered before it is 16 months old. This is to ensure that the flesh remains tender. Ducks slaughtered at 16 months or older are mature and have a tough flesh, just like the meat of wild or undomesticated ducks. Generally, the flesh of wild ducks is darker, with a dense texture, and a nuttier and gamier flavor. While the mallard is the more common wild duck hunted and eaten in North America, the teal and widgeon, which are small wild ducks, are found in Asia.

Although wild ducks are not served at Duck Duck, the restaurant has an entree that is not commonly served in many Chinese restaurants: baby Macau pigeon, taken from the menu of Macau Pigeon House, a previous restaurant venture of Anita and her gourmet friends. The young, four-week-old pigeon, called squab, is served roasted, too. The dark, tender meat of the pigeon is flavorsome, although as expected, one has to take time to be able to extricate the tasty meat from the tiny bones. Squab has very little fat, and the flesh has a tendency to dry while roasting. The chef did a wonderful job in keeping the pigeon succulent. My guess is that the bird was wrapped with barding fat to keep it moist and to prevent overcooking.

An interesting bit of trivia about the pigeons served at Duck Duck is that these are raised by businessman-turned gentleman farmer and San Rafael, Bulacan Mayor Ricardo Silverio. Rep. Lorna Silverio says they have approximately 4,000 breeding pairs of pigeons. The birds are caged, and fed with special feeds to ensure that their flesh remains tender and full of flavor. Anita shares a cooking secret for pigeon: To ensure that the skin will be crisp, the dressed pigeons are wind-dried at least three hours before cooking.

So far, as the Cantonese would say, everything was "duck duck." We were pleased with the two dishes we had tried so far. However, some diners might not be as adventurous or may not have the time and patience to pick out the delicious morsels of flesh from tiny bones; so for them, we tried the other alternatives on the menu.

West Lake Soup (P120) was a soothing balm after the robust flavors of the poultry. The combination of soft tofu and minced beef in a mildly flavored broth calmed and cleared the taste buds, allowing us to savor the dishes that followed next.

Rene Cabalhin, restaurant operations manager, says that lemon chicken (P180) is a familiar alternative for most diners. So are eggplant with minced pork (175,) and beef fillet with sweet and sour sauce (P200.) These dishes are best eaten hot and fresh from the kitchen, and will go well whether you opt for sausage fried rice, beef fried rice (both P145), or yang chow fried rice (P155.)

We likewise tried the new items on the menu. Fried tofu and spinach with century egg are alternatives that are both light in the stomach and appealing to the calorie-conscious. The seafood rolls (P200) were tasty as well.

However, apart from the duck and pigeon, what I enjoyed most during my visit was the broccoli with shrimp (P255.) The dish was visually pleasing, with bright orange shrimps set against flowerets of broccoli steamed to an intense green. Taste-wise, the dish did not disappoint. The broccoli was steamed perfectly – cooked yet crisp, while the shrimps were fresh, fragrant, and faintly sweet.

Will I go back? I’ll let you in on a little secret: After discovering Duck Duck, I already visited the restaurant a couple of times. The restaurant is a convenient and comfortable train ride from my Loyola Heights home. Being too lazy to cook or drive doesn’t mean that I’ll have to order in from the usual fast-food places again. I can store yummy takeout food from that restaurant in my refrigerator for lazy-day emergencies. Duck duck, indeed!

* * *

Duck Duck China Gourmet is at the ground level, south entrance (Aurora Boulevard side), Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City. For inquiries, call 913-9731.