A DIY Duck Feast Awaits at Navy Yard’s New Cantonese Hangout
Navy Yard just got a hip new option that feels like a festive, locally grown addition to the neighborhood. Canton Disco, the brainchild of nearby Side Door Pizza co-founder Brian Schram, in-demand (and recently Beard-nominated) sommelier Brent Kroll, and Hollywood East Cafe veteran Timothy Yu, is a place where the cocktails are affordable ($12-13), the vibe is buzzy, and the menu has personality.
What to order
- Kick the night off with the salt and pepper wings ($12), fried to a satisfying crispiness and served with a complex, fermented dipping sauce. If you’re a table of four, you’ll likely be fighting over who gets that fifth wing.
- Black pepper beef ($30), fancified through the use of Irodori Diamond Wagyu, comes out beautifully sliced and cooked a proper medium rare atop its fajita-reminiscent medley of sizzling vegetables.
- The Canton Duck Set fetches a hefty price at $72, but provides a substantial portion for sharing. The duck is well-rendered, accompanied by bao buns for wrapping and slivered raw vegetables for crunch. The earthy duck lo mein that comes with it almost upstages the bird itself.
- I’d round out my order next time with something sweet for balance — the honey walnut shrimp caught my eye when it was brought to a neighboring table.
Skip
The chili wontons: the wrappers fell apart quickly, and the sauce offered more vinegary acid than heat.
Insider tip
This is an excellent place to bring folks who avoid alcohol: teas range from chrysanthemum to chamomile, available in various infusions and quantities, along with some smart N/A cocktails, like a yerba mate-based spin on a daiquiri. Additional coffee and tea offerings are on the way when brunch debuts imminently. Fans of booze will still walk away happy, though, thanks to the eclectic wine list from Kroll that punches above its weight class (the Kiki and Juan orange provides a bracing contrast for rich duck).
