DEMON DUCK — Restaurant in Dubai

I didn’t have the duck.

Let me just get that out of the way before we go any further. I went to a restaurant called Demon Duck and I didn’t order the duck. What was I thinking? I love duck. I’ve always loved duck. Crispy duck pancakes, duck à l’orange, duck confit, duck fat potatoes, Donald bloody Duck. I am practically a human foie gras machine. But on the night in question, for reasons I still cannot explain—jet lag, temporary insanity, spiritual possession—I went rogue. I ordered beef.

It’s one of the maddest things I’ve ever done. It’s like flying all the way to Sydney and not seeing the Opera House. It’s like going to the Louvre and staring at the gift shop postcards. It’s like going to watch Evita and deciding to pop to the loo literally as she starts singing “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”.

It’s not the biggest mistake of my life (that’s still that week I went vegan), but it’s up there. Especially when, as I’m spooning the last scrapings of coconut brûlée into my mouth and wondering whether it’s possible to sort of like a dessert and still feel hollow inside, the table next to me—clearly seasoned professionals in the field of not being a prize tit—have their duck wheeled over and carved tableside with the sort of reverence usually reserved for Japanese tea ceremonies or heart surgery.

The lights hit the crisp skin just so. The waft of five-spice and umami and smugness drifts across. I lock eyes with it. It knows. It knows. I feel like I’ve wasted the best part of the evening watching the support act while Bowie was playing in the tent next door.

Which is a shame, because Demon Duck—aside from the haunting, duckless void I created for myself—is a riot of a place. The right balance of trendy, quirky, and modern. There’s an open kitchen that pulses with energy but doesn’t shout, neon signage that’s just the right side of Instagram-bait, and duck-themed art everywhere. Everywhere. It’s like someone asked Damien Hirst to redecorate a Chinese banquet hall with a K-pop budget.

The staff are chirpy, friendly, and clearly enjoy being there—which is rarer than you’d think and twice as valuable. There’s no slick, soulless choreographed ballet of service here. They’re just good people who are happy to be serving you things you should have chosen more wisely.

The food? It’s good. Solid. Nicely done. It’s just that everything I ordered—soft-shell crab rolls to start, beef with egg-fried rice for main, the aforementioned coconut brûlée to finish—was playing second fiddle in a band whose lead singer had stormed off to sulk backstage. The crab was crisp and salty and fresh, the beef tender and glazed in all the right places, the rice fluffy and eggy, the brûlée cracked perfectly under the spoon like some tropical crème caramel in sunglasses. But they were all, quite literally, bit part players to the main event.

And I missed it.

You go to Demon Duck, you order the duck. It’s not a suggestion. It’s the law. It’s in the name. They don’t call it Demon Beef, do they?

So I’ll go back. Of course I will. I’ll sit down, I’ll look the duck right in its demon eyes, and I’ll say: “I’m sorry. I was weak. I’ve learned. I’m here now.”

And this time, I’ll let it...

Demon Duck, Bluewaters

Now that Caesar's Palace in Dubai has had a few years to mature, you start to be able to make out its F&B aspirations. With Demon Duck, they aim ambitiously high, and pull it off to the greatest extent; excellent and interesting food, droll design that will have you smile in resignation - and a surprisingly solid cocktail game to finish it off.

🎷 7/8: Unlike many other restaurants affiliated with a hotel, Demon Duck has its own presence, with a separate entrance. And a sizable garden for the alfresco sessions that soon will have to wait until after summer. The separate bar offers both counter seating, and small tables for more intimate tête-à-têtes. 🥃 7/8: One of the best cocktail menus out there - it tells a story, it’s playful, while at the same time taking you on a tour through the bustling streets of Hong Kong. Yes, at times the cocktails are a bit too crowd pleasing (especially in terms of flavor profile and presentation), but it’s all done with the tongue in cheek. 👨‍🔬 6/8: Spearheaded by Ankush Lama, the team behind the bar needs some more small talk challenges - they definitely know their stuff, but are a bit out of touch handling the inquisitive customer(s). 🧊 7/8: Big, clear ice cubes, and the signature ice stamp - not much to fault in this department, as the footfall currently doesn’t justify the next level ice block.

With the Canadian powerhouse chef Chef Alvin Leung as the drawing card and culinary brainiac behind the scenes, it's relieving to see the big show that Demon Duck puts on for you as a guest actually delivers prime quality. Food wise, it's a feast, but the cocktails aren't that far behind, and offer a refreshing take on some of the classics, together with puckish new inventions. @bluewatersdubai is becoming more and more a destination in Dubai's F&B world.

Cocktail: Daisy Duck (I...

The food…AMAZING!! The hostesses…AMAZING!! The servers….SUPERB SERVICE!! The manager on duty is another story. She must have had a unfriendly, unpleasant experience with people of color. The first night at Cesar’s Palace and first time at your restaurant (21 July 2022), the on duty manager greeted & made various visits to every table EXCEPT our table….a no no when guests are spending time and money for a wonderful dining experience. The second time in your restaurant (our last night at Caesar’s Palace) she paced back and forth in the vicinity of our table (my husband assumed she was waiting for my arrival so she can address us together). Once I arrived she came to the table. At that time I wasn’t interested in anything she was saying because of the way she treated us our first night at Demon Duck and the hotel. But she persevered and continued to converse with my husband and I which my husband was responsive. I eventually warmed up and started conversing with her after she asked questions that were directed to me. Long story short, we left satisfied. I write this experience because it is IMPERATIVE, ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE your managers especially your managers are FREE from PREJUDICE!!! It can “literally destroy” your restaurant’s “reputation”! We travel a lot. As a matter of fact our last vacation was in Limone Sul Garda, Italy, A property named EALA - My Lakeside Dream, a magnificent property in a picturesque location!! We are well traveled and love to study the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. When a staff member, especially a manager, interferes with our experiencing this, it’s very troubling and extremely frustrating. Please take time to THOROUGHLY TRAIN your managers to...