Peking Duck

Da Dong Duck

A trip to Beijing wouldn’t be complete without having some Peking Duck. On our last night, we visited Da Dong Duck Restaurant. Since this is one of the top places in Beijing to enjoy duck, we could only score an early reservation and were one of the first people in the restaurant. By 6pm, the entire place was packed. The restaurant has a smoky, woody smell to it as there are four fire pits where the ducks are cooked near the entrance. We watched as the chefs roasted the countless ducks right near our table. This restaurant is known for their “Super Lean” duck. Duck is known for being quite fatty, but Chef Dong has perfected the art of a crispy exterior, juicy interior all while eliminating half the fat content of the duck. The usual layer of fat you see under the skin of most ducks was absent here, but that didn’t detract from the taste at all.

One of the four ovens with the fire on 

I think the Chinese know best how to create menus. This was an entire novel on their menu, with a directory, descriptions and large pictures. Almost every dish comes in a standard, medium and large sizes, and some in individual portions as well.

 Cute duck utensil holders

We started with a braised eggplant (top) and a goose liver foie gras (bottom) with mushroom sauce (Both juicy and tasty).

We ordered half a duck with standard accompaniments that include sesame buns, crepes, duck soup, picked radishes, cucumbers, sugar, garlic crème and what was the standout for me – a gravy-like duck sauce with a soy sauce base. First, two chefs brought over our half duck and sliced it in front of us as we watched, our mouths drooling. Next, a waitress came over and prepared a sesame bun and crepe for us with the duck, showing us how to eat the duck properly. They also dip the duck skin in sugar, which was so sweet and oily, like a very unhealthy but tasty dessert! We also ordered a crispy rice noodle as a side which was a perfect classic Asian dish I was hoping to eat on my final night in Asia.

 They finished our meal off with some fresh water chestnuts. Perfection.