We headed along to the relaunch of the historic Flying Duck Hotel this week and what we learnt is they do indeed give a flying duck about EVERYTHING. What I mean is that everything has been given a great deal of consideration and some very tasteful changes have been made to the venue for the refresh of this delightful corner pub.
You’ll find the duck on a very unassuming corner in Bendigo Street, Prahran. From the moment we stepped through the side entrance to the courtyard, we were well and truly WOWED! Instantly we honed in on the superb food and beverage offerings (which were to become the hero of the night and a story we have to tell).
First up, a delightfully innovative appetiser of Watermelon Sangria. Small cubes of watermelon which had been infused with the distinct spicey flavours of Sangria that we know and love. From there, it was an onslaught of cute-sized versions of their well-thought-out menu and your drink of choice to wash it all down. All the food items were noteworthy, but for the sake of keeping this semi-concise I’ll only mention my top 3. Okay, so Korean Pork Belly Skewers, Soft Shell Crab Sliders and Mini Parma and Chips (just think about this for a second, now wipe the drool off your chin and I’ll explain). Take one croquette sized roll of chicken breast, crumbed and deep fried with surprise bursts of ham and cheese, place on a slick of Neapolitana sauce, cradle in crisp lettuce cup and top with tiny crispy potato strips as a garnish. No word of a lie, when you tasted all the elements at once, it literally felt like you were eating a traditional pub Parma with chips and salad! Very clever, Flying Duck, very clever! And that is just testament to, Head Chef, Javier’s creativity and flair for creating a winner of a menu.
The interior of this pub is your classic, cosy corner pub with some nice embellishments and details, but as for the exterior, it hints more at a wedding marquee with a light and airy glasshouse sort-of-structure and courtyard with pretty lights for when it gets dark. There are also several oversized palm trees unapologetically plonked in the outdoor areas, adding a slight tropical feel. To compliment that the owners had organised two local buskers, The Senegambian Jazz Band, to play their African beats all night. These guys really brought a relaxed, Sunday session vibe to our Tuesday evening!
So well done to the Inge’s (the new owners), they are allowing that duck to fly high, living up to their new tagline #forgoodtimes.
WRITTEN BY:
Nicky is all about Melbourne events. Each week she is involved in event scouting, curation and copywriting for the On The List website.
Nicky’s background and passion lies in the arts, cultural and creative fields, and she is currently working in the branding and design industry. You will also find her first in line at most Melbourne based events (especially the foodie ones)!
