167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton St.)
646-719-1700
Asian. Ever thought, “What this chicken wing really needs is some chocolate”? Turns out, it’s a stroke of brilliance, one of many finds at Mother Duck. Just grab any of their joyously colossal, practically round drumsticks and dip into that tiny pot of deliciousness. The chocolate is far from over the top, so it enhances rather than suffocates, allowing each fabulously plump wing to shine. Though you might be tempted to have it for dessert, it’s the ideal kick off to a truly memorable meal.
Mother Duck is a total noodle guru. Their charred squid appears in the midst of black rice noodles with grilled baby corn and Szechuan peppercorn sauce. The fish, sink your teeth in perfect.
You can also noodle up with the seafood pad thai (black rice noodles, smoked tofu, organic egg, tamarind lime sauce) or any of their other nearly half dozen offerings.
But if you’re in a rice bowl mood, they rock those too. I tried the chili smoked skirt steak (coconut rice, charred scallion relish, Chinese broccoli). The spice, smoky flavor, and beef a perfect match. Throw in the broccoli and there’s a party in that bowl.
The setting is mellow, the servers friendly, the Asian food supreme. Who’s your mommy? Mother Duck.