Four Seasons (Queensway) — Restaurant in London

Listen, this is an ode to what is quite literally the tastiest dish you will ever eat in a restaurant. Not figuratively you understand. Literally. The Cantonese Roast Duck at the Four Seasons Queensway doesn’t just compare favourably with any other Cantonese Roast Duck you might try elsewhere. It compares favourably with anything at all anywhere ever. Here’s why. Crisp, papery, lacquered duck skin gives way to a layer of soft warm melted fat which lubricates the tender dark meat beneath, only stopping at the bone which contains distinct flavours of the spices that were laid in the cavity as it steamed. The unctuousness rounded off by the punch of clove and star anise. The sensations and tastes are all contradictions. Sweet and salt. Sticky and smooth. Dense and crackly. Bony and soft. The result in your mouth, pure harmony. It is at once simple and complicated. A dish nigh on impossible to recreate at home - trust me I’ve tried - and yet what is delivered is a duck not too dissimilar to the one that left this mortal coil. Sure it’s been plucked, basted, steamed, roasted. But the sauce doesn’t need emulsifying or anything fancy, there are no cannisters needed to deliver nitrogen pumped foams or mousses. It think it’s just soy, duck fat and maltose and it’s poured over a duck that, whilst dismembered, is mostly still in its original state minus head and paddles. There is a boned option but that is for pussies. Married with plain rice, it’s heaven on earth. The sauce even manages to make the Chinese cabbage which lurks beneath utterly delicious. Half a duck for one person is too much. It’s too much fat and it’s too much salt and it’s too much sugar. There should be a govt health warning on the plate. And a picture of arteries that resemble the sewage pipes that run beneath Queensway’s myriad restaurants. Kids shouldn’t be allowed near this dish. Half a duck for one person it is then. What is left at the end goes into a doggy bag. Each piece lifted from plate to plastic box as if it’s a jewel, which it is. There are people who will enter The Four Seasons, feel the soles of their shoes sticking to what’s left of the carpet which is about as old as me and do a sharp U turn - sharp as the carpet will allow anyway. Those who brave that initiation may venture to the loo downstairs, leaning on a bannister that doubles in size every year simply for want of cleaning. If you are still here after taking in the sights of the kitchen next to the loo, you deserve this duck. You’ve earned it. If this is what it takes to make duck this good, so be it. I can wait till I get home to pee. The Four Seasons have been making this dish in three different restaurants scattered around London for about 50 years. They can do it in their sleep. That all their energy goes into making it rather than dealing with the upkeep of the Queensway branch is absolutely fine by me. I’d eat it in a bus shelter if that’s where it was being served. Other menu items are a merry mixture of good old fashioned ‘Chinese’ with a sprinkling of some more authentic fare. All of it is cooked well. The Prawn Toast deserves special mention for being of equal measure not only in name. But the duck is the whole reason they don’t have to be particularly polite or do much cleaning at The Four Seasons. To order anything but the duck hanging at the window will single you out as a novice, a tourist or a vegan. Just order a half duck, some rice and some Chinese broccoli in garlic sauce for a bit of cut through. Have it with a pot of jasmine tea which is refilled regularly with hot water. You will be eating your death row meal to hell with the misdemeanour that got you there. PS There is no pic of the best tastiest thing you will ever put in your mouth. I was too busy eating it. The missus did manage to take a snap of the prawn toast and I'm sure there are a million pics of the duck in the...

We had to go & find out for ourselves if fourseasons was the ‘real deal’ or just another ‘influenced hype’.

What we had 👀: S&S Chicken Hong Kong style - £14.30 Large Egg Fried Rice (no veg) - £11 Lobster With Crispy Noodles - £66 Chicken Chow Mein (no veg) - £12.80 Whole Special Roast Duck - £35.80 Barbecue Pork (char siu) - £15.20 Salt & Chilli Calamari - £17.50 Salt & Chilli Prawn - £17.50 Crispy Pork Belly - £15.20 Mini Spring Rolls - £7.80 Soft Shell Crab - £10.80 (Not including drinks or service charge)

What we thought 💭: This spot has been hyped so much and we finally got to see why, this was hands down THE BEST roast duck, char siu & crispy belly pork we’ve had in London, I see why they’re famous for these 3 roast meats, 10 out of 10 in that department.

The sides were all spot on as-well. The rice, the chow-mein everything just tasted so fresh. The salt and chilli prawns and calamari were 10/10. The deep fried soft shell crab wasn’t for us, it was more to do with the texture of the crab rather than the actual taste, but the kids loved it 😅.

The whole lobster & noodles was okay, you do get a lot of meat in the lobster I’ll give them that, and a lot of noodles to share out, but we just wasn’t fond of the ginger & spring onion sauce it came in, I wish we chose one of the other options of sauce to have the lobster in. It wasn’t bad at all, it just became a bit overpowering after a while. But that was the sauce option recommended to us because we had kids, and the other options we were told, had a kick to them 🌶️. But it was still enjoyable and like I said the lobster was really meaty which was good.

We most definitely will be returning. Four seasons is definitely a new family favourite.

📍 Queensway, London ⭐️ Overall - 9/10

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Visit Date: May 20, 2024

I visited four seasons last weekend, and unfortunately, my experience was far from satisfactory.

Ambiance and Cleanliness: The restaurant had a chaotic atmosphere, with loud music that made conversation difficult. Additionally, the table we were seated at was sticky, and the floor around our area looked like it hadn’t been swept in a while.

Service: The service was disappointingly slow. We waited nearly 20 minutes just to get our drink order taken, and the server seemed indifferent and unwelcoming. When we asked for recommendations, they shrugged and said, "Everything is okay, I guess."

Food: The food was the biggest letdown. The pasta was overcooked and bland, and the steak I ordered medium-rare came well-done and dry. My friend’s salad was drenched in dressing, making it inedible. To top it off, our meals arrived lukewarm.

Value for Money: Considering the poor quality of both the food and service, the meal was overpriced. We felt that we did not get what we paid for.

Conclusion: Overall, this was a disappointing dining experience. I will not be returning to four seasons, nor would I recommend it to others. There are many other restaurants in the area that offer much better food and service for...