Choco Duck describes itself as a "European slow cook eatery offering seasonal, delicious and homey-comfy food", and that's pretty much bang on. It is a great little place, serving a range of really hearty home dishes of meats, poultry, seafood and more.
However, the real signature of Choco Duck is the fresh hand made pasta. What can I say, "OMG" (apologies if I sound like a 14 year old girl). The fresh tagliatelle may not look pretty, trading a manufactured uniformity for a rustic hand made charm, but the taste is absolutely divine, a real delight. Teaming this with a carbonara "sauce", made with lardons, egg yolk, parmesan and nothing else, just elevated this pasta dish to an ethereal status. The simplicity of the cooking let each and every ingredient do its part, which is so refreshing in over-sauced HK. At last a carbonara that doesn't rely entirely on cream.
Just be warned that some of the dishes require 24 hours notice, but are unfortunately not on their online menu. If you fancy a roast chicken, you may have to pop in the day before and have a chat to Choco.
One small food critique, the calamari could have been cooked a little longer, but that's fairly small potatoes when I think about how good the pasta is!.
It's unfortunate that Choco Duck is on Cheung Chau island - a 45 min ferry ride from Central, followed by a leisurely 10 min stroll from the public ferry. The restaurant itself is set in a sort of public square, and has plenty of seating inside and out.
Aside form the pasta, a big draw is the owners Choco and Duck. Choco is chef-patron, and it is a delight to watch her work, with only one sous chef, in the open kitchen. You will see that the pasta really is handmade. Duck is a fine fellow who likes to keep your drinks topped up, another vital part of dining, certainly in my book! read more