Lucky Duck — Restaurant in Lake Forest

The space is cozy, and Lucky Duck relocated from a previous space into the Gallery in Lake Forest. Started off with some Black Garlic Deviled Eggs, these were extremely creamy, sweet, and addicting. The small plates like duck & bacon wontons were crunchy and sweet too. If you see crispy Brussels sprouts on the menu, chances are they’ll be good, and I’m happy to confirm that that philosophy was upheld here. Their Bulgogi Fries were topped with Korean beef, white cheddar sauce, sesame seeds and scallions, their sister restaurant The Peanut Gallery also does some good fries. Now time for their Bao Buns because I think getting Bao Buns here is critical to experience both some soft texture and juicy flavors. The Big Pig is awesome, the coconut shrimp is super crispy, and the soy marinated steak was my favorite out of the 3. Now for the larger noodle bowls, we got all 3 options because more carbs means more happiness. The Mushroom Udon had a miso vinaigrette and their thick noodles are delicious here. Spicy Lamb Ragu had a medium heat level and was a cool bend of italian and japanese flavors. Now my favorite item of the entire meal was the Mac & Cheese that had red dragon pork belly cut into cubes, and it was creamy, milky, and I could’ve crushed that dish by myself. A large plate that we had fun eating was the Hanger Steak Ssam, which is their take on the Korean food where you make lettuce wraps with different condiments. Loved their cook on the steak, but it was time for their hyped up donuts. These had mango & tahini curd and covered in black sesame sugar, unreal doughnuts. Also their yuzu coconut cake was mildly sour and sweet, and overall we were very pleased...

I’m going to be very thorough in my review and to be honest any high review on this restaurant is most likely a direct result of SerGelatos paid review of the place and subsequently people following like baby sheep. I went here for birthday dinner for my wife and the ambiance is nice about as nice as you would expect a Lake Forest restaurant to be. For one they almost ran out of every item that we wanted and were almost forced into eating a meal that was nothing at all that we planned. First off the beaf Bao bun was EXTREMELY SALTY and to that degree mid as can be. The quality of the bao bun was actually very nice and almost saved the meal completely. The coconut shrimp Bao buns were very nice however I will give them credit. The mushroom udon noodle dish no joke is terrible, hated it was only strong in Umami flavor with no other flavor profiles. Moving on we were there for a birthday dinner and we had no plans of getting dessert. However, our server came up and asked “what would you like for your birthday dessert” leaving us with the impression it was on the house. ( every other restaurant I’ve been too for a birthday or anniversary has given a complimentary dessert). Again we had not planned on getting dessert after having such a mediocre meal but she made it seem like it was on the house especially after they ran out of half the menu when we arrived. Fast forward to getting the bill they had charged me for the dessert. Spent about 70 dollars for dinner and was genuinely upset. I will not be going back to this restaurant there are far more places in Lake Forest to drink and...

Very clear that this is in its first few weeks and a work in progress. I want them to be successful but we didn’t have time to debrief this as dinner for 3 took 90 minutes before we had to dash for a commitment. The waiter and host were excellent. The food and service cadence were mixed.

The black painted walls engulf rather than engage. The chime when the front door opens sounds like a dry cleaner rather than a dining experience. And the contrasting party room is wide open to the restaurant side, not quite a yin yang.

The manhattan transfer cocktail got a thumbs up. The nearly winter one less so. The first few dishes came on strong - the deviled eggs were enjoyed quickly, the bulgogi fries were just the right crispness and balance, and the duck wontons were flavorful.

Then like a record scratch everything stopped. The group in the party room was clearly being served. Nobody was getting food in the restaurant. Then every table got dishes all within a few minutes. The big pig bao and sesame mushroom bao came out over sauced. The chicken and egg rice bowl had several issues. We ordered kimchi on the side yet the dish was still quite spicy. The pickles weren’t evident. And the rice was basmati, not typical for a rice bowl, too thin and delicate to stand up to the proteins.

The online menu lists four or five things that were not on the printed restaurant menu last night. Presumably the kitchen is still ramping up.

I do wish them well and hope we can make it back to...