Duddell's (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★☆☆☆

As always we had way too much to eat during Christmas especially western cuisine so after a long dry spell without some good Chinese food, we decided to treat ourselves to some at the Michelin starred Duddell's (都爹利會館). It's been a while since I last visited this place and I was really looking forward to their all-your-can-eat weekend brunch featuring some of the best dim sums they have to offer.



But we started off on the wrong foot with the receptionist failing to find our reservation information and that took some time to clear up before they did finally find it. Then we followed the host upstairs to another area where the brunch was served and that's where the nightmare started.



They claimed that the place was full and there were only 2 tables available, one on the terrace and another inside a crowded room. It was a little chilly on the day so sitting at the terrace catching "northwestern wind" (x) was not an option so we ended up taking the table at the crowded room where we were sandwiched between two big groups. 

I know it's Christmas time and everyone got so hyped up like members from these two groups. Everyone was talking and shouting at the tip of their tongues and for a good part of the two hours we spent there, it felt a lot like having two giant speakers placed right next to our ears. After all the partying around Christmas, all we wanted was some quietness and a little privacy. That was our humble wish which unfortunately was too much to ask for on this afternoon.



Anyways, we started off with some free flow of orange juice and then wasted no time marking the dim sum we wanted, and the list was a pretty comprehensive one I must add. There was quite a number of dim sum we did try so instead of going through them all one by one, here's a summary on some of the selected items.


Bad (1/10 - 3.5/10):
Scallop puff with ham (金華帶子酥) - The pastry was a little too thick for my liking, especially the bottom part and very few (if any) scallops in the fillings. 




Steamed Rice Roll with Fungus and Bamboo Pith (竹笙上素腸粉) - Thought they would chop some of the ingredients into pieces or stripes to give it a little better bite but no. Very weird.



Steamed fried rice with roasted duck in lotus leaf (飄香荷葉飯) - Very bland and no sign of the lotus leaf fragrance.



Sautéed shrimp with chili sauce (四川蝦仁) - a dish I could probably make myself. Next one please.



Average (4/10 - 5.5/10):
Shrimp dumpling with parsley and chestnut (香茜馬蹄鮮蝦餃) - this was a little more than one bite sized which was fine. Wrapper was ok thin and the shrimp was fairly tasty.



Crispy Pork Ribs in Sweet and Sour Sauce (貴妃香酥骨) - Duddell's version of Jingtu spare ribs (京都骨). The sauce was a little on the strong side but the meat itself was OK with a nice crispy texture.



Slice pork hock with wine (汾酒燻蹄) - Sliced a little too thin but the taste was actually fine.



Crispy Smoked Duck Breast (脆皮煙鴨胸) - duck breast with a honey glaze or something on top. No smokey flavor.



Good (6/10 - 7.5/10):
Dumplings with morel mushrooms (麽利菌南瓜水晶飽) - Pretty nice. Love the diced morel mushrooms with bamboo shoots, carrots among other ingredients. Great pick for anyone who loves vegetarian food.



Drunken Chicken Wing (醉香雞中翼) - Very tender with a lovely yellow wine flavor. 



Jelly Fish with Sesame (香麻海蜇) - Not a big fan of jellyfish but this one caught me by surprise with its exciting bite and texture.



Excellent (8/10 - 10/10)
Nothing, nil, not applicable..............

Dessert turned out to be the highlight of this afternoon. Walnut soup (生磨合桃露) was good.



But I thought almond Cream with Egg White (生磨蛋白杏仁茶) was even better.



Baked Kumquat Puff (楓葉柑桔酥) - didn't like it. The flavors from the kumquat was a little too rich.



Chilled Coconut Pudding with Pumpkin (椰汁南瓜糕) - OK. Something a little refreshing though they could have done a better job with the pumpkin IMO.

If I get blindfolded into this place, I probably won't be able to tell that it's a world renowned restaurant like Duddell's judging from what I've eaten. For the amount that they are charging here, it would be better served to spend it somewhere more competent like Sun Tung Lok or Spring Moon. 

To sum it up, based on the dim sum we've tried this afternoon, this is more of a place for expats and foreigners than for someone who has grown up eating Chinese food and possessed some seriously spoiled taste buds.


Food Rating: 4.5/10
Price: $$$$$
Address: S1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2525-9191
Website: www.duddells.co