D&B Offers More Than Its Famed Duck Leg Confit
Standing as a revamped version of Café Provencal, D&B – Duck and Buvette consistently draws in diners with the promise of serving up French duck-centric dishes; the most popular of which, would be the very Instagram-worthy D&B Crispy Half Duck Confit which people could not stop raving about late last year.
However, to my pleasant surprise, it not only has an extensive selection of non-duck dishes such as flatbreads, pastas, and other entrées; but it also features interesting desserts and coffee from Intelligentsia!
CRISPY POTATO PAVE AND SALTY DUCK EGG (P175)
This delicately prepared Crispy Potato Pave featured fried potato layered-cubes topped with a generous serving of crème fraiche and crumbled salty duck egg. The subtle tartness mixed with the saltiness of duck egg worked wonders with the crunchy potato cubes.
TRUFFLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER (P185)
Unfortunately, the Truffle-Roasted Cauliflower failed to live up to the excitement brought about by the Crispy Potato Pave. The truffle flavor of the roasted cauliflowers was dominant; however, the dish evidently lacked seasoning and was a struggle to eat.
DUCK RAGU PAPPARDELLE (P380)
If you’re into saucy pasta dishes, opt for the Duck Ragu Pappardelle. It features thick pasta strips cooked in a tomato-based stew of duck confit, mushrooms, and onion. Traces of red wine lend a welcome sharp flavor in the sauce.
GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI (P320)
Another pasta option would be its Goat Cheese Ravioli which comes in two variants, a garlic-sage based sauce, or a tomato basil sauce.
FARMHOUSE FRENCH BEAN PASTA (P280)
However, if you’re in the mood for something lighter, the Farmhouse French Bean Pasta is D&B’s aglio olio pasta variant. Topped with feta cheese; and colored by cherry tomatoes and fresh thyme; the subtle flavors of this pasta dish works well with the D&B’s mains. Do tell the kitchen to ease up on the olive oil; because, ours got a bit too greasy on the lips.
D&B CRISPY HALF DUCK CONFIT (P980)
The restaurant’s crowning glory would be its wickedly delicious Crispy Half Duck Confit. It’s definitely one of the best ones I’ve tasted in the Metro. You start by cracking into the crisp salty skin of the duck; to be able to taste the smoky, tender, and juicy duck meat. It’s tasty on its own; but make it more luscious and droolworthy by adding a drip or two of its red wine sauce, accompanied by the nice contrast of the mustard. This meal is complete with a cup of rice, and beautiful strips of carrots as sides. The dish is good enough to forget about the grease that came with it.
CONFIT OF PORK BELLY WITH EGG AND RICE (P360)
If you could stomach a really fatty and greasy piece of meat, then you wouldn’t mind its Confit of Pork Belly with Egg and Rice. I love the subtle saltiness of this crunchy and tasty pork belly; but it was simply too deadly (you'd feel the threat of a heart attack in each bite) to enjoy. The pork belly was paired with a wonderfully tart raspberry and balsamic reduction; a cup of garlic rice, and beautifully delicate poached duck egg.
SLOW BRAISED BEEF BURGUNDY (P620)
One non-duck entrée that you shouldn’t miss would be D&B Slow Braised Beef Burgundy; it features a 6-hour stewed beef in red wine burgundy which a sauce that's thick, rich, and to-die for. The tender meat easily falls off its bones and bursts with flavor. Enjoy it with the bowl of short grain rice that it comes with.
FRENCH ICE CREAM (P190)
For macaron lovers, the selection of D&B’s French Ice Cream would definitely be a thrill. My sister opted for the Cocoa Nibs and Madagascar Vanilla; which definitely made her a happy camper.
EL DIABLO (P160) and THE EARL'S CHEESCAKE (P190)
I’m not a big fan of sweets; but I do have a weakness for anything earl grey. Thus, The Earl’s Cheesecake definitely caught my eye from the beginning of our meal. Made with vanilla beans from Madagascar, and organic earl grey tea, this cheesecake is definitely something else! I paired it up with my black El Diablo from Intelligentsia Coffee; whose beans had a natural sweetness to them.
I was won over by the quality dishes of D&B. Sure, some of them were a bit too greasy for my liking; but if you’re craving for some good duck confit; then D&B would definitely deliver! I like that it does not only specialize on duck-centric dishes; but also offer so many other dishes which are equally enjoyable.
(I’m eyeing its flatbreads in my next visit!)
Droolworthy Dishes: Crispy Duck Leg Confit, The Earl’s Cheesecake, Slow Braised Beef Burgundy, Crispy Potato Pave and Salty Duck Egg
D&B - Duck and Buvette
2F Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City
Date of Visit: January 17, 2015 (with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua, Jem Chua, and Steph Marquez)
