Odd Duck

First off, sat at the bar, service was phenomenal. Tried the oyster mushrooms, arab bread with dippings, pork schnitzel, and duck pasta.
Overall mixed feelings.
No single dish worked perfect imo, and nothing blew me away. The oyster mushrooms themselves were good, very very crispy, but they came with some olives, a bit of feta, and some olive oil.
It was lacking.
Needed more of a sauce, something with more substance than a drizzle of oil and the mashed olives. The pork schnitzel itself was really good as far as pork schnitzel go.
However the sides did not fit the schnitzel. The pasta was just mid. The bread and pepper spread were delicious but i would rather some other spread instead of the pickled veggies and chickpeas. Drinks were good, skipped on desert because of main plates not being as good as expected.

Odd Duck regularly appears on lists for must-visit spots in Milwaukee and the Chefs behind their phenomenal dishes are nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest.
It’s pretty clear why. Edit: After writing this review they were also awarded one of the Best Restaurants in the US by USA Today. Most plates draw inspiration from a variety of cultures.
Their menu is filled with creative ideas and a wide range of ingredients that makes it difficult to choose.
I would recommend coming here with friends and splitting dishes to get a full experience of their menu.
Most dishes are small enough that you can put in the middle of the table and pick at it while having some drinks. The top item for me had to be the mushrooms.
Probably the best fried mushrooms I’ve had and a well balanced dish by including some acid from the green tomatoes and a fat with the mayo and a little heat from the creole mustard.
It sounds like a lot on the plate but the balance between everything made every bite phenomenal. Hainan Chicken has been a dish I’ve wanted to try for some time and I was elated to see it on the menu.
I can’t speak on the authenticity of it, but it was delicious and met my expectations.
They give a breakdown of the dish and the proper way to eat it when they bring it to the table.
That really stood out to me because it shows respect and passion for the dish to ensure their customers enjoy it as intended.
For being rice and chicken, it was bright and aromatic dish. I don’t want to break down every dish, but I will say as a Filipino the lechon and kare-kare inspired plate was impressive.
It was filled with familiar flavors like shrimp paste that is essential to kare-kare, but the addition of basil and mint was a nice touch. I think a few dishes are priced a little too high but overall I think the prices are well worth the experience.
These chefs take time to research, construct, and execute every item on their menu.
Their hard work clearly shows with each dish and is a place I would not hesitate to support again.
All the praise I’ve heard is well deserved.
It’s great to see places like this in Milwaukee that stray away from the usual and introduce Milwaukeeans to a melting pot of cuisine.

Owner response

Cocktail #98 6.4/10 surprisingly bitter Deviled eggs 9.4/10 delicious but they literally bring you out one egg for $8.
A bit ridiculous. The Gouda cheese pairs amazingly well with the beef tongue pastrami.
8.8/10 Pork belly.
9.5/10.
Close to perfection on the pork belly. Short rib 8.2/10 perfectly cooked, but the sauce is slightly overpowering. Duck cassoulet.
Drier than duck should ever be.
5.2/10 but the rest of the dish is rather good.
Shame they tripped on their namesake. Lambert Shiraz.
8.4/10.
Darn good Shiraz. And you do have to use your hands to leave the bathroom but the paper towels are nearby Overall a great place to spend $100 per person on a lovely experience