We were skeptical about duck sandwiches. Dux changed that

🦆🥪 Ducks are polarizing. For some, they’re a delicacy to be savored over extravagantly planned family dinners; for others, a food item they wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole. Up until roughly a few days ago, we’d count ourselves among the latter — that is until we tried Dux.

A little quackground: Spearheaded by Chef Reem Elmasry, who you might recognize as the champion of Mn Pound Menu, Dux is Egypt’s first gourmet duck sandwiches brand, according to co-founder Ahmed Reda. The idea is fairly simple: take an Egyptian delicacy and give it the sandwich treatment.

The menu is fairly simple: You’ll find a duck confit sourdough ciabatta sandwich with roasted duck slices, caramelized onions, and mustard, a “Bom Bom Wasabi” sourdough ciabatta sandwich with roasted duck, onions, lettuce, and wasabi mayo, and — if sourdough isn’t your style — a “Juicy Quack” in brioche bread with special sauce. On the appetizers front, you’ll find basic fries and duck-loaded fries topped with duck slices and sauce, alongside a duck poke bowl. If you’re feeling skeptical, they also offer three similar chicken alternatives.

What we liked: Dux doesn’t serve up gamey meat. Our first and foremost concern was the bird’s signature gamey, fatty taste profile, which we weren’t necessarily stoked about. We were pleasantly surprised, however, to find that Dux served up light, lean, and delicious slices that had us going back for seconds. We tried the Juicy Quack and the loaded fries. Portions were generous on both fronts, the meal arrived hot and well-packaged, and we cleared the tray faster than we could say quack. The standout was certainly the special duck sauce, which we equally enjoyed on both the fries and the sandwich.

Our only gripe? The sandwich was overflowing with duck slices, and could have used a little more sauce and salad toppings to keep things balanced… and that’s it.

The verdict: Dux took us by surprise, and we’d wager it would surprise you too. The restaurant offers something genuinely new and is a break from our usual go-to orders. If you’ve been craving something fresh — and feel like taking a risk — we’d say give Dux a go.

WHERE TO GET IT- Orders can be made through the number listed on their Instagram, with delivery available throughout Cairo. You can also order through Talabat, pick up through their New Cairo cloud kitchen, or pay Dux a visit at their branch in Arkan Plaza.