Old Ducky delivers on many fronts
We were recently invited by dear friends to lunch at Old Ducky French Café. Little did I expect to find a truly welcoming and perfect hostess in Marina Appelbaum. Appelbaum is a well-known name in Johannesburg. Freda Appelbaum owned the fabled and well respected Le Canard, a fine diner in Morningside. She now stands in the kitchen wings, watching the chefs at work.
Marina Appelbaum with me
The welcome from Marina was warm and genuine and we felt immediately at ease and looked forward to the meal ahead.
Having ordered, the most eclectic choice of dishes, Marina, knowing now what we were eating, said we must taste the Pofadderbos Sauvignon Blanc from Strandveld Wine. Conrad Vlok, the winemaker there is doing the most amazing job with a range of truly exciting Wines.
Calamari, deep fried was the perfect counterpoint to this great wine
My order was easy. In former times, I used to judge a restaurant by its paté. Now I choose Calamari. A simple yet truly delicious version, the rings being as tender as a mother parting words.
Le Canard
Because of the fame of the duck at LeCanard, I ordered the Duck a l’Orange. The duck was fork tender and a very beautiful plate to look at. I loved it with the Grand Marnier giving the sauce a needed citrus punch.
Parisian Walnut and Honey Parfait
For my dessert I ate the most seriously delicious and very classical Walnut Parfait. It was excellent and not frozen solid, delicious creamy soft.
Steak Tartare
Another guest at our table ordered Steak Tartare. A very theatrical presentation of fillet, properly chopped, we heard the chopping coming from the kitchen. It appeared on a marble topped trolley with 8 little dishes of all manner of accompaniment, capers, chopped onion, anchovies, and a dollop of Dijon Mustard. Three different sauces were offered.
All in all a truly wonderful experience, made by Marina’s presence and the utterly, utterly delicious food.
Shout out too, to the wait staff who were more than competent, unintrusive and charming.
Thank you, dear Marina – we will be back…
You will find Old Ducky at
Shop GF22, Pineslopes Shopping Centre Corner The Straights Avenue &, Witkoppen Rd, Fourways, Johannesburg, 2194
Call 011 568 5378 for reservations
Visit the website – https://oldducky.com/
