Cotton Duck
Editorial
Contractors to and fro between the road and near-finished dining spaces animate the already bustling inner city back street alongside café-going creatives and artsy residents. These empty sites, soon to buzz with locals breaking from the working day, herald Holt Street's fast approaching dining strip status. Through the excitement of imminent openings, this Friday afternoon visit uncovered a very much up-and-running fine diner.
Celebrity chef Jared Ingersoll's signature style is all over his newest Surry Hills venture, Cotton Duck. Take the funky, industrial design of his renowned Danks Street Depot café in Waterloo, add in flair for thoughtful treatment of seasonal produce as seen on his regular Ready Steady Cook appearances, and place it in a relaxed yet refined, newly renovated dining room.
Solid wooden tables stud the polished concrete floor, while salvaged and natural materials add design flourishes that reflect the kitchen's eco-friendly food philosophy; verdant shrubbery sprouts from recycled concrete blocks-cum-room dividers, and delicate timber coils descend over the centre of the floor like sculptural slinkies.
Serving sizes are small, but the flavour of each dish packs a serious punch. A wafer-thin vol-au-vent filled with diced king brown and shiitake mushrooms is earthy and rich, glazed with the salty-sweet reduction of chicken heart jus. Sweet pan-fried scallops sit atop vibrant broad beans and spring peas in a subtle parmesan broth, while the Lyonnaise salad with frisée, pancetta, pickled onions and soft-poached egg is a tart but refreshing side dish to share.
Throughout our meal, Ingersoll himself can be seen moving through the open-sided kitchen; calm and collected, his approach is clearly reflected in an intelligent, varied menu of dishes that showcase the best of local, seasonal produce.
Alecia Wood, November 2010
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