The Review
Alvin Leung — the self-styled 'Demon Chef' behind Hong Kong's three-Michelin-star Bo Innovation and a rotating cast of Canadian and American projects — chose Banyan Tree Dubai for his only Middle East restaurant. The decision has paid off. Since opening, Demon Duck has featured in the Michelin Guide Dubai every year from 2022 through 2025 and has become the Bluewaters-Island destination for diners who want modern Chinese cooking with a pulse.
The room is the first argument for the restaurant. A giant ceramic duck statue greets you at the entrance — the 'Don't Duck With Me' photo-frame has become a social-media fixture. Inside, the design is a considered take on a Hong Kong speakeasy: dim amber lighting, lacquered red accents, a bar programme led by whisky-and-tea highballs and cocktails inspired by the Victoria Harbour skyline. Outdoor seating under a canopy tree adds a softer register for warmer months.
The food is Leung's 'X-treme Chinese' style, which translates in practice to reimagined Cantonese and Pan-Asian classics with the sort of bright flavour and textural contrast that his Bo Innovation kitchen made famous. The signature is the slow-roasted Demon Duck, aged 14 days, carved tableside, and served with steamed calamansi buns and Leung's own house-made sauce — a better Peking duck than any other in Dubai except possibly Hakkasan's. The Lobster Gao dumplings are the dim-sum hit. Bang-bang chicken, XO-sauce egg-fried rice, and a wok-fired black-pepper Angus beef round out a menu that is designed for sharing across a long table.
Desserts lean theatrical without becoming gimmicky. The chocolate-and-matcha fondant with brown-rice ice cream is the one to order. The restaurant runs two signature programmes on weekends: the Demon Friday Feast (a sharing-tower feast with cocktails from AED 450 per person) and the Saturday Demon Duck Brunch (a curated Pan-Asian tasting from AED 450). Both are popular enough to book a week out and genuinely good value at the price.
Best for Team Dinner & Group Dining
This is the Dubai restaurant I would book for a 10-person team dinner without hesitation. The shared duck-and-dim-sum format is built for exactly this scale, the price point lands under AED 500 per person with a full drinks programme, and the Friday Feast makes the whole thing push-button simple. For a birthday group of six to twelve, the restaurant handles the celebration with a duck centrepiece and a matcha-fondant send-off. For first dates, the speakeasy bar at the front is the best warm-up seat on Bluewaters Island.
Signature Dishes
The 14-day aged slow-roasted Demon Duck, carved tableside and served with steamed calamansi buns, is the reason to come. The Lobster Gao dumplings are the best single dim-sum on Bluewaters. The bang-bang chicken is the sleeper hit — creamy, spicy, texturally layered. The chocolate-and-matcha fondant with brown-rice ice cream is the dessert. Drink the Hong-Kong-harbour cocktail or the Tea-Smoked Old Fashioned.
What to Know Before You Go
Thursday and Sunday are the quieter service days and the best nights for a proper sit-down dinner. Friday and Saturday lean more toward the Feast and Brunch programmes — fun, but high-volume. Children under six are welcome until 9pm. Valet is complimentary at the Banyan Tree entrance. The Ain Dubai Ferris wheel lights up nightly at 8pm; request a window table if you want the view. The duck needs to be ordered when you book — it is not available on walk-in.
Also in Dubai, explore Trèsind Studio for the world's finest Indian tasting menu, Orfali Bros Bistro for MENA's #1-ranked Syrian contemporary, and Zuma Dubai for Japanese robata sharing. For all Team Dinner occasions globally, see our dedicated guide. Read more in our editorial on Dubai's dining scene.