Wanna try something out of the ordinary? What about some creative Chinese fusion dishes? Whistling Duck Tavern is located in Hillcrest, one of the best hipster neighborhoods in San Diego. The tavern offers more than 20 unique local and international draft beers as well Chinese fusion dishes that will satisfy your palate.
The European tavern style interior has some semi-open bar seats which let you view the street scenes while enjoying the mouth-watering food from the restaurant.
Ever wonder about the meaning of Whistling Duck? The owner wanted to have a unique and sophisticated name and he came across “Whistling Duck,” a type of duck species. Not only because whistling duck can be seen at our very own San Diego Zoo, duck meat is also an ingredient often used in the dishes offered in the restaurant.
The tavern offers appetizers, main dishes, and many other noodle and rice dishes that are a perfect match for beers. The owner/executive chef of the restaurant recommends these dishes and the pairing beers that go well with them.
Pato Nachos
Pato Nachos is the all time favorite for many customers here. The moment that the nachos is served, you will realize a generous amount of toppings and sauces including cheese, shredded duck, Serrano peppers, teriyaki sauce, spicy mayonnaise, and pico de gallo. The tortilla chips are crunchy yet not too hard to chew. These chips are freshly made right in the kitchen. The chef made the chips a bit thicker than usual so the chips can absorb all the flavors from the toppings and the sauce without becoming soggy!! Don’t miss this tasty appetizer when you visit the restaurant!
Beer Pairing: Hitachino “Saison du Japon”
The chef recommends the Japanese beer, Hitachino “Saison du Japon, to go with the chips. The major ingredient for fermentation of this beer is the same for brewing the sake. The tangy after taste of the beer goes really well with the teriyaki sauce.
Belly of the East Burger
Like Asian foods as well as American hamburgers? What about an Asian-infused burger? The protein includes the pork patty and a slice of pork belly in the middle. To offer the customers multiple layers of texture, the chef used the combination of two types of pork: a pork patty and a slice of pork belly. When you take a first bite of the burger, the texture of the pork patty may surprise you! The patty is a mixture of ground pork, onions, bell peppers, and last but not least, the chorizo. The unique mixture of the ingredients in the patty may trick you to think it’s a beef patty.
The pork belly slice is soy sauce braised with a hint of sweet taste. You got to come to the restaurant to try this special combination of double “protein” burger. Another special ingredient of the burger is the Taiwanese style pickled cabbage, which is sweet, tangy and yet spicy.
Beer Paring：Ayinger: Celebrator Dopplebock
Ayinger had a strong malt taste. It’s a great companion to the big piece of meat in the burger!
Garlic Wok Baked Fish Fillet 鍋塌魚片
Other than Chinese fusion cuisines, Whistling Duck also features traditional Chinese foods. The garlic wok baked fish fillet was pan-fried till golden brown. The inside of the fillet is soft and tender. This dish is perfect for customers who wish to go light with their entrée.
Pairing beer：Ayinger – Brauweisse
The Hefeweizen from Germany is the best match for seafood.
Beer Stick
You might not know what a beer stick is but it is an awesome appetizer that goes well with the beer. The beer stick is actually a deep-fried turnip cake. Yes, you heard it right! It is the turnip cake that people often get from a Cantonese dim sum restaurant. The chef turned this traditional dim sum dish into a finger food that you’ll never forget. The chef insists on using fresh ingredients and making the turnip cake right in the house. The turnip cake is then battered and served. The crispy outside and soft inside were infused with the aroma of dried shrimp and Chinese sausage. For those of you who want to dip the delicious beer sticks with some sauces, the restaurant also offers sweet and sour sauce and spicy mayo.
Beer pairing：Any beer!
Beer sticker is obviously good with any kind of beer!
About the Chef
The owner /executive chef, Charles Sun, had previously helped manage the popular dumpling restaurant “Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon” located in the Convoy district. While growing up in San Diego, Sun inherited Chinese/Taiwanese eating culture from home and mastered western cooking techniques learned from culinary training. These unique experience inspired him to open up a Chinese fusion restaurant that preserves his own cultural identity while utilizing his Western cooking skills.
Promotion: Buy one dish get second dish half off (50% OFF).
Whistling Duck Tavern
1040 University Ave, Ste B-111
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 255-4046