One Duck Lane opens at Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour - review

This sophisticated modern Chinese restaurant is a delicious destination in Hong Kong’s North Point, says Carolynne Dear

One Duck Lane opens at Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour - huge bamboo steamer basket lights hang over Chef's Table

One Duck Lane is named in part after North Point Estate Lane on which it is perched and partly after its signature roasted Peking Duck.

The smart eatery is located on the second floor of Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour in North Point and is a revamp of the hotel’s original Farmhouse buffet restaurant. The expansive space has been halved to create One Duck Lane and a second, Sichuan-style restaurant that is yet to open.

One Duck Lane has been artfully designed by Steve Leung Design Group and is smartly divided into various dining spaces. These include the ‘butler's kitchen’ adjacent to the open kitchen and hosting a large Chef’s Table placed under huge bamboo pendant lights designed to resemble giant dim sum steamer baskets. Meanwhile, many of the tables in the main dining area are windowside, overlooking the harbour and bustling North Point. A private dining room is also available.

As the restaurant’s moniker would suggest, One Duck Lane is all about the duck. Waterfowl motifs are repeated throughout the restaurant, from the bow-tied wooden duck in the entrance to duck portraits on the walls and the restaurant’s sophisticated duck logo fashioned from the infinity symbol and the lucky figure ‘8’.

The culinary team is in the competent hands of Hong Kong chef Jack Chan, previously Chinese executive chef at Sheraton Hong Kong’s Celestial Court restaurant. For my visit, Chan had designed a menu incorporating the major menu elements, as well as dim sum that are (as would be expected) normally only available during lunch service.

I start with the dim sum, a trio of har gow, xiao long bao and black pepper wagyu beef puff, paired with a selection of dips. Next comes the most anticipated moment of the meal as a roasted Peking duck ($888 for a whole duck, $448 for a half) is ceremoniously wheeled over and carved tableside. One Duck Lane fowl are raised for 45 days and then air-dried for 72 hours before being roasted in a custom-built oven. The succulent meat is presented alongside crispy duck skin with sugar for sprinkling (the hot oil of the skin mingles pleasantly with the sweet sugar granules). A steamer basket replete with wafer thin pancakes, plus sauces, scallions and cucumber sticks are also deposited on the table, leaving me to assemble and tuck-in.

A comforting, poached rice in supreme duck soup can be added as a second course, with diced duck meat, Shimeji mushroom, crispy rice and sea cucumber in a light, duck bone broth. I’m also invited to try a fish course of creamy cod topped with minced ginger and spring onion. This, as well as the melt-in-mouth slow cooked beef short rib that follows, is accompanied by an appetiser selection of juicy marinated cherry tomatoes, honey-glazed barbecued pork and abalone with Beluga caviar. 

It’s all utterly delicious but I’m starting to feel rather full and struggle with the pudding platter, which is a shame as it’s a rather delectable trio of sweetened pistachio cream, freshly baked sweet duck egg tart and housemade sesame rolls.

The dishes are immaculately presented and perfect for a convivial evening with family and friends. The restaurant is entirely welcoming of families, with children happily chattering away at various tables during my visit. The vibe is smart-casual, sophisticated but without being stuffy.

North Point is not at the top of everyone’s dinner destination list, so I’ll just add here that Hyatt Centric is easily accessible and sits practically opposite North Point MTR station; it’s also adjacent to a harbour ferry stop. A week after opening and on a gloomy Tuesday night at the tail-end of January, the restaurant was buzzing.

Whether you’re looking for a fun family night, a smart destination to mark a special occasion, or somewhere to give overseas guests a little local flavour, this is just the spot.

One Duck Lane, 2/F West Tower, Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong, 1 North Point Estate Lane, North Point; 3896 9896 (closed on Mondays).