Days without smell: premium dim sum

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I was updating Doc on my condition this morning when he suggested we meet for lunch at one of his usual spots.  I haven't been a frequent visitor to Duddell's (都爹利會館), as it's not a natural choice for me.  But I'm always happy to have occasion to try the food, and it's been a good 6 months since my last visit.

I took the liberty of ordering a few dim sum items, picking out ones with unusual ingredients, to see whether the kitchen can deliver.

Spring roll with shrimp and black truffle (松露鮮蝦春卷) - sure, I could taste a little bit of the truffle, but it didn't add all that much to the spring rolls.

Abalone puff with chicken (原隻鮑魚雞粒酥) - I liked the texture of the whole abalone, but to be honest it didn't have a whole lot of flavor.

Roasted duck dumpling with preserved vegetable (雪裡紅火鴨餃) - this was a winner.

Growing up with Shanghainese food at home meant I have been eating preserved leafy mustard (雪裡蕻), so the flavors were instantly familiar.  Worked well with the diced roast duck.

Seafood dumpling with egg white and caviar (黑魚子蛋白海皇餃) - not bad, but once again the "caviar" didn't add a whole lot to the dish.

Steamed rice roll with beef and tangerine peel (陳皮馬蹄牛肉腸粉) - pretty decent.  I really liked the crunch from diced water chestnuts, and also the fragrance from the preserved tangerine peel.

Braised seasonal vegetable with oyster mushroom and shrimp roe (蝦籽百靈菇扒時蔬) - spinach with crunchy oyster mushrooms, with deep flavors coming from shrimp roe in a starchy sauce.

Doc's a regular here, so they sent us a complimentary dessert platter with a trio of treats:

Steamed bun with sesame custard (麻黃包) - very, very delish with a filling that was rich in flavors.

Baked sago pudding (焗西米布甸) - very nice and rich. To my surprise, I couldn't stop spooning it into my mouth.
Century egg puff (皮蛋酥) - I'm sure it's good but this dessert just isn't my cup of tea.

Pretty good lunch, although some dim sum items seemed to have been created with the intention of adding a tiny dab of ingredients which would make the whole thing look more "premium".  I guess I should come back for dinner again... maybe.