Are you tired of food comas? The over-the-top and massive entrees at some restaurants? Well don’t fear, Odd Duck is here to give you an appropriately-sized and delicious meal!
Annie and I found Odd Duck out of convenience in South Lamar – Odd Duck is near some favorites of ours, such as Ramen Tatsuya and Lick Honest Ice Cream. And when we saw the menu, it caught us off-guard. I mean, how can small items be *that* good, right? But every item, no matter how small, is exquisitely put together and straight-up delish. Even the simple items, like the sourdough bread, are mouthwatering. This soft, chewy bread with cultured butter and sea-salt is a gateway to the rest of the menu.
Next, the more complex items are so eccentric and eclectic. The antelope tataki and smoked chicken nachos are amalganations of not just flavors and unique food items but also cultures. Antelope tataki combines antelope (a unique meat, in my opinion) and the Japanese cooking style of tataki – lightly searing meat. What this unlocks is a reservoir of flavors almost never seen beforehand. Needless to say, the antelope tataki is flavorful and delicious. The smoked chicken nachos, likewise, accomplish this feat. This is also needless to say, but the distinct combo of smoked chicken with nice nachos is just good.
The larger ‘small’ items are also as unique, if not more; moreover, they are pretty sizable if you’re a hungrier patron. Odd Duck does several variations of their patented quail dish. They’ve done oven-roasted quail with oyster stuffing, green beans and crispy onions; this dish is truly an ocean of delicious savory elements. But nevertheless, Odd Duck’s other variations are also good in their own way. The cornstarch fried quail comes with Szechuan pepper glaze, orange, peanuts and herbs. This Chinese-derived item is the epitome of special, distinct tastes and cultures, culminating in an awesome dish. There are other quail variations we have yet to try, but we know they must be so good as well; these variations include the quail chorizo tacos and fried quail, among many more.
Despite our obsession with their quail, there are plenty of other great dishes at Odd Duck. The head-on shrimp combines Korean hints with shrimp, pork-belly and toast into another palatable dish. The jerk-glazed pork shop accomplishes the same mission with a crispy rice cake, assorted veggies and pork, and in my opinion, it’s an underrated dish. However, there are so many other dishes that are also worthy of the same recognition, but we haven’t tried them yet! So please let us know how they are if you get to try Odd Duck sometime!
But now onto the best – dessert ;)! Like all their dishes, Odd Duck’s desserts truly are an awesome blend of ideas. Their white chocolate orange pot de creme and chocolate cake both put together different notes and flavors to enhance the dish’s taste. Though both are great desserts, there is one that takes the cake – the brown butter banana pudding. Our waitress had warned us only two were left that night, so we made sure to get it. And oh my, was it heavenly. Everything came together so perfectly – the brown butter ice cream, poached pear and spiced pecan with bread pudding to bring it all into one amazeballs dessert. We are so glad we got it, and you should, too!
Now some tips and tricks about the restaurant: the menu, from up to down, trends to larger dishes. Also, the menu changes week-to-week and season-to-season, so you always have something good to try!
Come on down to South Lamar, folks. You can dine in a bunch of good places with so many tasty dishes!
Hungry Mind, Hungry Stomach 
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