Weekend Chinese Lunch

I probably do fancy western meals far more often than I do with Chinese ones, and perhaps that's why it's been years since I last visited Duddell's, and probably only my second time ever when I went for lunch a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon to try some of their new Cantonese dimsum and dishes at this upscale restaurant in Central.

Chef Li joined the restaurant a few months ago from Lai Heen in Macau, and he did revamp the menu a little, we were told. We started with a few dimsum snacks. The garoupa and shrimp dumpling was shaped like a goldfish and served in a round plate that mimicked a pond. Inside the dumpling was bits of spicy termite mushrooms for a bit of a kick. I could live without the clear gravy on the plate that made it more like a pond of water but overall it was tasty. The rest of the dimsum dishes were served as a platter - I love the siumai, done in the classic way with minced shrimp and scallop wrapped and steamed, and also the deep-fried pork dumplings with black truffles mixed in and shaped like a pig's head. But I thought the steamed crab dumpling topped with imperial bird's nest was slightly under-seasoned.

A pair of Cantonese barbecued meat was then served on a plate. The charsiu was on the sweet side, roasted using local pork and finished with a honey glaze – would love a more burned crust but the meat was tender and juicy. The barbecued goose was delicious too with well-balanced fat and meaty flavor, and the skin was slightly crisped and tasty.

I was still recovering from the cold I got while on holiday, and the double-boiled soup was just the perfect antidote and comforting treat. Pork, chicken and fish maw was double boiled inside a whole baby coconut, giving the soup a warm and soothing flavor. Beef was served next, with thin slices of Miyazaki wagyu served with sautéed bean sprouts, deep-fried enoki mushrooms and a hot and sour brothy gravy sauce in golden color. I like the hot and spicy kick coming from the sauce and also the sliced dried chilies on top – worked well in the cold weather.

I have had the braised pea shoots with foo-yong sauce a few times recently already, as both crabs and pea shoots were both in season right now. There’s generous portion of picked crab meat mixed into the fooyong sauce thickened by egg white, and the pea shoots were fresh with a slight crunchy texture and clean, grassy taste. And we finished with the final savory course of fried rice – perfectly done with bits of crispy pork, egg, vegetable stalks and soy sauce mixed in with preserved vegetables served on the side. The pair of mango dishes was served after – turned out what looked like a mochi dumpling tasted more like a cold crepe stuffed with mango and cream – that’s my favorite one among the few dessert items we had.

It’s an enjoyable lunch with decent food and quality time spent with friends, old and new.

(The meal was by invitation. More pictures can be found in my Flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/g4gary/albums/72157712151924806)

When? December 8 2019
Where? Duddell's, Level 3, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Double boiled Fish Maw Soup and Coquito Nuts and Chicken
Web: www.duddells.co