Restaurant Review: Dodu
By Betty Richardson
The Place
Rotisserie chicken isn't a new thing – kids have been roasting beasts on spits since pretty much the Iron Age. And we mean, literally, kids, whose job back in the Medieval days was to turn the roasting spit over an open fire, a job later designated to dogs on wheels and finally, electric motors like those at Dodu, a new French rotisserie spot on Changshu Lu.
They've had a rough time since opening in late January. No licenses, lots of people showing up, complaints from the neighbors. Then the authorities stepped in to shut them down, the visa people got involved and the whole thing was a right old mess. After a three-week-long siesta, however, they're finally open again, this time licensed up to the hilt.
The Food
With such a tiny space at their disposal, Team Dodu have wisely opted to keep things simple, offering just-roasted birds with a concise selection of sides. It's a scientific fact that the constant rotating motion of rotisserie supplies evenly distributed heat throughout your beast or fowl of choice, keeping the meat juicy and the skin evenly crisped. But equally important is the quality of the bird.
We are told Dodu uses Label Rouge chickens bred on a farm in Taiwan. Established by the French government in the 1960's, the Label Rouge (Red Label) program is a method of farming that insists upon old-fashioned methods that translate to a better-tasting (and more expensive) bird.
And they are monsters.
As far as rotisserie chicken goes, we can't argue with the quality. The breast isn't dry, the skin is crunchy, seasoned with fancy fleur de sel (flaked sea salt) and rosemary, the leg and wing meat is very succulent. It's also RMB108 for a 750g portion that can feed two people. You can do a whole bird for RMB198, or a quarter for RMB58.
Upgrade RMB20 more, and you get two sides and two sauces to accompany your bird. Potatoes roasted in the rotisserie oven are a natural pairing, flavored with chicken fat dripping onto them. These are good, but would be mesmerizing had they been just a touch crispier.
Cauliflower cheese gratinée with Emmenthal cheese was velvety and creamy. Green bean salad with pesto was surprisingly refreshing – we loved that they still had a juicy vegetal bite to them – much needed after the chicken and roasted potato indulgence (and more aioli dip than we'd care to disclose.) If you can manage dessert, the RMB28 vanilla cream pots are delicious.
Food Verdict: 2.5/3
The Vibe
At that price, you can bet your bottom dollar that Dodu is hectic. Despite booking a table for two, we were initially told to wait 30 minutes as a party of four had taken our spot (which they later rectified.) We can't help but think that it's probably better to not accept reservations at all than make people who have booked wait that long. The place is also rather petite, so if you are dining in, make sure your party isn't larger than four.
We won't lie, much of the food at Dodu is stuff your mom could rustle up at home. This is cookery not cheffery, but that is no bad thing. Who wouldn't prefer simple, well-executed food like this over an expensive chef ego trip?
Two will comfortably dine for RMB69 per person – you don't need us to tell you that is an absolute steal.
Vibe Verdict: 1.5/2
Total Verdict: 4/5
Price: RMB69 per person
Who’s going: French expats, locals
Good for: rotisserie chicken, small groups, French cooking
Dodu, 81 Changshu Lu, by Changle Lu 常熟路81号，近长乐路
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