在都爹利街上海灘樓上的
都爹利會館是近期最受歡迎的新餐廳之一。餐廳優雅脫俗的裝潢帶有濃厚的中國藝術氣息，目的是要令顧客感覺猶如置身畫廊一樣。食物由米芝蓮二星唐閣的前任大廚蕭顯志師傅負責，有多款傳統和小部分創新的廣東菜式選擇。開業以來都有很多商人來吃飯應酬或舉辦公司活動，但自己來吃飯可能覺得價錢有點貴，午飯每位$300 至$400，晚飯差不多$600-$1,200一位。
The craze with the new Spanish restaurant, Catalunya, is not even over and Hong Kongers are already looking for the next it-restaurant in town, and currently,
Duddell's is undoubtedly the hottest spot to see and be seen.
Located above the Shanghai Tang flagship store on Duddell Street, Duddell's is a pioneering venue that combines art and dining in a way that no other restaurant in Hong Kong ever has. Instead of being a sleek restaurant decorated with expensive art works, think more along the lines of dining inside an art gallery. Indeed, designed by Ilse Crawford, Duddell's, with its marbled walls and distinguished Chinese paintings, is a venue that exudes a sense of elegance and finesse.
The restaurant is opened by the powerful trio of Alan Lo, Paulo Pong and Yenn Wong (of 22 Ships and 208 Duecento Otto fame), and the kitchen is helmed by Chef Siu Hin Chi, who previously worked at the Michelin two-starred T’ang Court. The cuisine is mainly Cantonese classics, with a few creative dishes creeping up on the menu for a bit of fun. While
lunch here is not prohibitively priced (at around
$300-$400 per head), the bills for
dinner are not for the faint of heart, and are typically
$600- $1,200 per head (that is, without ordering any of their birds nest and abalone dishes).
(1) The
Barbecued Pork with Honey ($240) was a job well done - the pork was soft and succulent, and the honey glaze was sweet and scrumptious. A little pricey though for the portion!
(2) The
Steamed Rice Roll with Beef, Water Chestnut, Dried Tangerine Peel ($80) was a classic yet tasty dish, with the softness of the rice roll and the beef broken up by the mild crunch of water chestnut.
(3) The
Baked Oyster with Port Wine ($280, 4 pcs) was tangy and completely satisfying.
(4) The steamed dim sums, however, were less outstanding. The
Steamed Lobster Dumpling with Shrimp and Scallop ($60 per piece) was generously filled with seafood, but the taste was too mellow and did not do justice to the expensive ingredients.
(5) The
Steamed Vegetarian Dumpling with Morel Mushroom ($60) followed. There was an intense taste of black truffle in the first bite, but the flavours that followed paled in comparison.
(6) The
Fried Noodle with Shredded Squid ($200) was a symphony of brilliant, vibrant flavours. The eggs, vegetables and noodles were brought to life by the crispy, deep fried squid.
(7) Besides the barbecued pork, these
Baked Pork Puff with Scallion ($54) were also delightful, and inside a layer of thin, buttery crust revealed some warm, sweet filling.
(8) The
Deep Fried Taro Puffs ($54) were served piping hot, and everything, from the crispy outer layer to the smooth taro and pork filling, was spot on.
(9) The
Fried Rice Roll with XO Chili Sauce ($80) was an instant addiction. Crispy on the surface and eye cream smooth on the inside, each rice roll was flavourful with a spicy kick -simply irresistible!
(10) The desserts arrived, and the first one was the
Caramel Baked Sago Pudding with Lotus Seed Paste ($60), an old-school Cantonese dessert which was warm, rich and creamy.
(11) The
Baked Kumquat Puff ($48) also arrived, and the citrus taste of kamquat was marvellous in cutting through the buttery taste of the puffs.
(12) Last but not least, the restaurant's unique creation of
Chilled Avocado Sago Cream with Chocolate ($50) did not disappoint. Even though the taste of chocolate and avocado were mild, this creamy soup was playful and utterly delicious.
The food at lunch was certainly decent, but might not necessarily be able to justify the hefty price tag. That said,
Duddell's is definitely one of the classiest Chinese restaurants I have visited in Hong Kong, and in terms of decor, it certainly ranks among the likes of
China Club (a members only restaurant) and
Tin Lung Heen (at Ritz-Carlton).
