Four Seasons

For the past five years (thereabouts) I haven't eaten any land animals. It started with a visit to a farm, where I came into close contact with pigs and cows. They enjoyed contact, wanted attention, and it struck me that the only reason we keep these animals for food is culture and tradition, neither of which are ever a good enough reason. I disavowed eating meat, as I didn't see that my pleasure is worth the life of something that can feel pain and contentedness. Only recently have I come back to eating fish (not cephalopods, molluscs or crustaceans, however), as fish don't seem to have the same painful response to death as creatures with actively firing nerve endings.

This is all to say that I still believe that eating meat for the sake of it is irresponsible. Wherever possible, a plant-based option is always the best ethical choice. This past week, however, I deliberated long and hard over a craving I had for duck. Could I make an exception and be able to look myself in the mirror? If I were handed the killing implement, could I carry it through. And on this occasion, yes, I could.

So for the first time in 5 years, I ate duck meat. Ducks are, in general, bastards, so I don't feel too bad about it. But needless to say, this is a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence, with low to zero chance of repeatability. It would be irresponsible to eat duck regularly. Similarly, the choice of meat is important: pigs, cows, chickens, lambs - no bastard-like behaviour in these animals.

The ducks at Four Seasons are Irish ducks, who live free-range and have a pretty cushty life (they have music played to them out in the field), so again - the more you know. What led me here was the Cantonese Duck offered at Four Seasons, once proclaimed the best duck in the world. The simple question I sought to answer was 'is it that good?'

Due to the popularity of the dish, Four Seasons now has several branches in London, with a few more in Asia. I visited the Wardour Street Chinatown branch, and after a little bit of a wait (don't expect anything like attentive service), I ordered a Cantonese Half Duck with steamed rice. Another long wait followed, before the duck was presented sliced and in a slightly sweet sauce.

The first thing I noticed was the skin - glistening and crisp, just how it should be. The second was the odor - there wasn't any. The third was the taste - there...wasn't much of one. Huh. 

The duck was cooked close to perfection, but there was just very little flavour here. The sauce was thin and bland, and there were no indications of seasoning on the duck. Four Seasons may once have made a phenomenal duck dish, but now it is sadly lacking. 

I hear that Gold Mine and New Fortune Cookie are the two other restaurants in London that make exceptional duck, so for anyone thinking about it, I would suggest giving those a try instead. On the basis of this meal, it is sadly a waste of a duck's life. Unforgiveable.

Value for Money? £28 for half a duck, steamed rice, still water and service charge. If it was a good meal, then it would be. As it is, no. 

Would I return? No.