Duddell's opens by London Bridge

Duddell’s, the famous high-end Cantonese restaurant from Hong Kong, has opened by London Bridge.

Making its first jump into the UK, Duddell’s will be familiar to many culinary watchers. The restaurant, which serves up Cantonese food and dim sum, has already been awarded two Michelin stars in Hong Kong.

The London restaurant, it seems, is also aiming to pick up stars in the near future, and has invested in its culinary talent: head chef Daren Liew was previously Executive Sous Chef with the Hakkasan Group.

Located in the palatial St Thomas Church, diners will be wowed by the collosal windows and high ceilings, finished with understated but impressive Asian touches, such as the golden hanging lights.

Duddell’s food and drink

Given the restaurant’s acumen, you should only expect the finest food, cooked to perfection, and finished like art on your plate.

The menu features a blend of Cantonese classics and hand-crafted dim sum. Dishes that jump out include Duddell’s famous Peking duck, which is served with 8 types of condiment and takes over 48 hours to cook end to end. Other dishes which should whet anyone’s appetite include:

Double-boiled matsutake soup with sea whelk, chicken and baby cabbage
Truffle roasted black cod with lily bulb and Nameko mushroom in Chinese aged vinegar
Wok-fried French turbot with Chanterelle mushroom and garlic

But perhaps the most impressive element of the menu come from its extensive list of dim sum. We would recommend that visitors opt for the restaurant’s dim sum “symphony”, which features the head chef’s personal selection of dumplings, including goldfish-shaped prawn, jade-leaf king crab and scallop & prawn dumpling.

The wine list is also extensive, with a good selection of European, North American and World whites and reds. Uniquely the restaurant also has red wines from Château Mouton Rothschild, with a selection of premium vintages, although prices start at £850 before heading swiftly upwards.

Duddell’s reviews

Across the piece, critics have received the restaurant with the highest acclaim. The Times singles out the duck for special praise, writing that “it’s crisp, almost brittle, like the caramel on a crème brûlée, only duck-flavoured, with the slenderest coating of melting fat anointing its underside.”

While the Evening Standard pointed out that the restaurant managed to blend the gorgeous food with a nod to the past, writing “one of us, the one who grew up in Hong Kong, admits to being surprised and gratified at how old-school the dim sum mainly is.”

Duddell’s social buzz

Duddell’s has also gone down well with visitors, with Wincie Wong posting some gorgeous photos.

#ChiliOil was so good we ate 2 large bowls of it 😍 @DuddellsLondon #foodie #foodporn #yummy #chinesefood #birthdaylunch #cantonesefood #dimsum pic.twitter.com/3fHnzhIL6h

— winciewong (@winciewong) January 25, 2018

What a fragrant jasmine smoked #Cantonese soy sauce #pouletdebresse #chicken @DuddellsLondon #foodie #foodporn #yummy #chinesefood #birthdaylunch #cantonesefood pic.twitter.com/yAcpACi4lt

— winciewong (@winciewong) January 24, 2018

Light flaky #wagyu puff @DuddellsLondon #foodie #foodporn #yummy #chinesefood #birthdaylunch #cantonesefood #dimsum pic.twitter.com/zbTneMxatM

— winciewong (@winciewong) January 25, 2018