| OUR PEKING DUCK RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS |
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Beijing Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant
Directions: Dadong is on East side of Third Ring Road/Dong San Huan, a few yards south of Chang Hong Qiao intersection. 东三环长虹桥东南角 Directions: The Nanxincang complex is on the southwest corner of the large roundabout and intersection between the Second Ring Road and Gongti Beilu/Dongsishitiao. Kitty corner from the Poly Theatre. Look for the gray brick traditional style buildings. What we think (Nanxincang update, February 2009)
The accompanying menu ranges widely in its ingredients and price points from moderately pricy to very expensive. Simple vegetable dishes start at around RMB 50, ‘modern’ interpretations of traditional dishes are around RMB 100 for standard orders, and there is no shortage of fancy banquet ingredients or imported high end ingredients such as specialty beef at 800RMB. Da Dong’s menu allows you to order different serving sizes--like the duck, the standard serving size is pretty small so plan accordingly. All dishes arrive with impressive artistic presentation and solid if not palate inspiring preparation. Among the more down to earth offerings, we liked the sautéed fava beans with dried shrimp, duck hearts with lily bud, stir fried veal with shallots, and the sautéed deep fried prawns; a delicious southern style dessert is the coconut tang yuan, a delicate, chewy glutinous rice dumpling with a sugary black sesame paste filling, served in a light coconut broth.
While Da Dong still does not accept reservations for after 6:30PM, the Nanxincang location recently opened a very large second dining room upstairs that should reduce the wait times.
Price index: Roast duck is RMB198, plus 8RMB per head for duck condiments. A recent dinner for five was RMB 1,159 excluding beverages.
[What we think: Original recommendation] The Third Ring Road location is more old school upscale Chinese style, which is crowded, loud and boisterous. The new Nanxincang location provides a more refined dining experience in the renovated Imperial Granaries complex at the same prices. At Dadong, the duck is admittedly tasty, but the price of a duck is high, the plating of duck and skin is meager, and Dadong pads the cost of the duck by charging a mandatory 8rmb per head for the privilege of having “personal” condiments. Side dishes are likewise on the fussy and expensive side. If you do go, be sure to order the duck hearts with lily buds. The first time we tried it we had also ordered a beef dish and until the beef came, we thought the duck hearts were particularly tender beef. The lily buds come as small slightly starchy petals which are an interesting addition seldom seen in Chinese restaurants abroad. Dadong prides itself in presentation and for the prices, your dishes will come dressed with flower petals and other artful touches.]
全鸭季 - Chuan Ya Ji
朝阳区工体北路4号院
Courtyard 4, Gong Ti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District
Tel: 010-6501 8881
Hours: 11am - 2pm; 6pm - 10pm
$: Duck is 228rmb; plus 8rmb/person for condiments. The rest of the menu hits a wide price spectrum from moderate dishes (50rmb), to mid-range French style duck choices (150rmb), and banquet show pieces like shark's fin and bird's nest soup for upwards of US$100/head
Non-smoking seating available
Directions: The 1949 Hidden City complex sits directly behind (south of) the Pacific Century Place Mall, between the East Third Ring Road and Sanlitun Bar Street, on the south side of Gongti Beilu. Walk around or through the mall and you will find the entrance to 1949 just opposite the back doors of the mall. Enter the courtyard complex through the ornamental black sliding gate and through the art gallery. Turn left out of the gallery space for Duck de Chine.
What we think (Updated November 2008)
Perhaps it was simply too good to last—great roast duck, atte
Is the duck still delicious? Yes. Is it still a good value? Only if somebody else is paying the bill. [November 2008]
Read our original recommendation below
[What we think：Original recommendation]
Nestled in the little Sanlitun courtyard oasis that is the 1949 Hidden City, Duck de Chine makes a splashy debut into Beijing's not-so-small Peking Duck pond. Having had several ducks here in its opening months, we can assure you that Duck de Chine has not used the Beijing new-restaurant fallback (especially favored by upscale establishments) of blaming poor service or kitchen faults on an unspecified ‘soft opening' period. If anything, their challenge will be to maintain the best behavior and exacting standards that are currently evident in both the front and back of the house.
Duck de Chine has a classic wood burning duck oven, and they turn out delicious duck. The skin is thinner and crisper than most other duck houses and the meat is tender, moist and flavorful. Unlike at Dadong Duck, where you are charged per head for accompaniments, here the duck not only includes a set of condiments for each person, but in addition to the basic hoisin sauce (which you can replenish from a jug on your table), you also get a set of other additions such as sesame paste, peanut sauce and fried garlic, with which you can adjust your duck sauce to taste.
Duck de Chine's great duck, reasonable prices and service oriented staff also come to you in a smart industrial chic décor including bare bricks (of this former electrical factory), exposed beams, deep red hanging light shades and black table linens. The word is getting out fast, so make sure you reserve a table.]
朝阳区新源西里中街19号
19 Xinyuan Xili Zhongjie
Chaoyang District, north of Dongzhimenwai area near Canadian and Australian embassies
Tel: 010-6460 6711
$: Duck is 98rmb (68 for half a duck), including all condiments and you can take home the carcass or have it made into soup
Directions: The restaurant is on the same side of the street and a few doors down from the original Din Tai Fung, closer to the Yu Yang Fan Dian (Yu Yang Hotel). From Dongzhimewai or Gongti, turn north on Xindong Lu. When the road veers to the left (splitting right into Xinyuan Nanlu), make a U-turn, then your first (immediate) right turn. You will pass the Yu Yang Fan Dian on your left and then see Xiang Man Lou on your right.
Xiang Man Lou is our current favorite for a casual local meal, where we also go for excellent and reasonably priced Peking duck. The duck is generously carved with tender meat and crispy skin, and is served with thin, delicate pancake wrappers and accompanied with hoisin sauce, scallions, and cucumbers. As one of Savour Asia's favorite jia chang cai places, you are also guaranteed straight forward but delicious accompanying dishes. Arrive early or book a table or be prepared to wait in line. Reservations are available only until 6:30PM.
朝阳区朝阳医院北门对面，白家庄路
Chaoyang qu Chaoyang yi yuan bei men zheng dui mian
Directly across from the north gate of Chao Yang Hospital – and very near Sanlitun Bar Street.
Tel: 010-6594 3870
$: Dinner for two including duck and three dishes, 119rmb; whole duck, 58rmb including condiments.
What we think
Great cheap and cheerful duck restaurant. For 58rmb, you can have your duck carved into thin slices with skin and meat on each slice. A great value for sure, but also very good duck. The pancakes looked a little doughy and worrisome when they first arrived but they peeled off the pile easily, were thin and even, and held up nicely throughout dinner. With one duck, we put down at least ten wrappers piled high with duck and still had a bit leftover. The accompanying dishes were a touch heavy-handed but overall not bad. For an extra 30 kuai, you can have your duck carved three ways, with some of the skin and meat separate, and some together. The fancier carving also comes with some extra condiments such as sugar in which to dip the separate skin pieces (a Beijing habit).
朝阳区朝阳区春秀路太平庄南里6号楼北侧
Bldg 6, Taipingzhuang Nanli, Chunxiu Lu, Chaoyang
District, Chaoyang District
Directions: Although the address (and the map
on Dianping.com) indicates that the restaurant is located on a small street off
of Chunxiu Lu, it is right on Chunxiu Lu. From Gongti Beilu (at the northwest
corner of Worker's Stadium), head north; the restaurant will be on the East/right
side, about 100 meters north of Fei Tung Yu Xiang (the large Sichuan restaurant
lit up in multi-colored neon, also on your right), or about 50 meters north of
the Xingfucun Zhonglu intersection. What we think Jing Zun Peking Duck Restaurant is not running for the best roast duck in Beijing, but its kitchen roasts a decent, affordable duck (RMB 68) and cooks up a range of jia chang cai (homestyle dishes) with some finesse. All this is served up in a pleasant environment, simply decorated with a mix of traditional and modern touches. The patio seating also makes it a favorite among neighborhood expats.
We had
two ducks at the same dinner which were quite different, indicating some
quality control issues. Thankfully, the meat on both was moist, savory and
smoky from the wood fire; the skin on the first was a bit soft and soggy while
that on the second duck was much better--nice and crisp with very little fat.
You can bag up the carcasses to take When you reserve a table, you can reserve a duck ahead of time and tell them the approximate time you would like it served. Otherwise it could take you up to an hour after you order to get your duck.
Recommended dishes 果木烤鸭 - guo mu kao ya: literally fruit wood roast duck; decent roast duck inclusive of pancake wrappers, cucumbers and scallion strips and hoisin sauce (RMB68) 酸辣膀丝 - suan la bang si: shredded hot and sour duck salad (RMB19) 老醋花生菠菜 - lao cu hua sheng bo cai: spinach with peanuts and vinegar Jiang si jielan (RMB12) 火燎鸭心- huo liao ya xin: scored and crispy fried fragrant duck hearts, served on a bed of shredded scallion and cilantro (RMB28) 山珍爆鸡 - shan zhen bao ji: stir fried chicken with mushrooms (RMB26) 铁板茄子- tie ban qie zi: sizzling platter of garlicky eggplant on a bed of western onions
Their great duck roasting oven is showcased right at the entrance to Xiao Wang’s. While you might not go there just for the duck, it is a consistent and reliable accompaniment to a casual meal of jia chang favorites. At Xiao Wang’s you can also order a half duck, which will come quickly; so you can dip your toe in the Peking Duck pond without committing to the whole experience.
Overrated: Liqun and Quan Jude Roast Duck
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