From the end of the first Opium War that started the British rule the island and its territories to today’s megalopolis ultimately controlled by China, Hong Kong has always been a meeting point between East and West. This is reflected in so many details of its material culture and heritage. This premise to say that it should come to no surprise that you can find a place like Duddell’s in Hong Kong, British in style, beginning with the name, but with a strong Cantonese soul. Duddell’s is a restaurant, an art gallery, an elegant tea room and a club all in one. I visited it for the first time in July 2018 intrigued by its one Michelin star award.
The visit
I reserved a lunch through their website (that connects to Opentable). They confirmed the reservation calling me on my Hong Kong phone number the day before. I visited Duddell’s on a Monday; while I was one of the first diners to arrive at noon, by one o’clock the restaurant was almost full (and pretty noisy).
The entrance is from Duddell street 1, next to Shanghai Tang flagship store (you need to step into the unassuming lobby and take the elevator to the third floor). You are meters away from the bustling streets and offices of Central Hong Kong, but as you get off on the third floor you are taken in a different atmosphere.
I ordered their business lunch that, with its 6 courses, was expected to provide me a good introduction to Duddell’s cuisine. Here’s what I got:
- Dim sum and barbecued selection: two pieces of glazed iberico pork (must be from Spain these days to get a Michelin star!), a shrimp dumpling and two spring rolls. All the three samples were excellent and I was impressed by the intense fresh flavor of the prawn.
- Abalone broth with mixed dried seafood: it was a good soup, I cannot say that it was anything life-changing.
- Steamed garoupa fillet with bean curd in soy sauce: very delicate seafood and the tofu was a perfect match keeping the dish refreshing.
- Sautéed prawns with vegetables in X.O. chilli sauce: meaty and tasty.
- Fried rice with crispy pork belly and preserved vegetable: I guess a rice dish could not be avoided. Excellent, but not much pork belly. If I am not mistaken, the rice also included some tofu that was a good complement to the other condiments.
- Duddell’s dessert selection: it included a delicious red bean soup (with some nutty flavor), one more red-bean based jelly and a mini lemon bignè.
In the gallery below you can take a look at the individual dishes.
The check
The check came to 834 HKD (around 106 USD) after adding service charge and a bottle of still water. There was also a slightly cheaper set menu for lunch, but make no mistake, this was the cheapest option to get an introduction to the restaurant. The tasting menu starts at 1480 HKD (and it is available both for lunch and dinner) and you can easily spend thousands of HKD (if not USD) when you start ordering delicacies such as abalone, bird’s nest, lobster etc. Nothing surprising, you are in a Michelin starred restaurant in Central Hong Kong. Considering that you can easily spend close to 1000 HKD even in mediocre restaurants in Hong Kong, I think overall the check was reasonable to experience fine Cantonese cuisine with creative touches, fresh ingredients in an elegant establishment.
Before leaving the staff let me have a look at the tea room on the fourth floor: with a terrace and comfortable and colorful furniture seems a great place where to meet friends or just hang out (they have a separate snack menu for the tea room). I enjoyed the experience and I think I will go back to try more of the dim sum options, possibly during their weekend brunches.
Where in Hong Kong:
Level 3 Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell St, Central
Menus and link to booking system on their website.