Every time we have a guest, he or she apologetically requests that we go out for Peking duck. I suppose our visitors fear that we have tired of this famous northern dish, but really, it’s quite the opposite. Erik, Elisa and I all welcome an opportunity to partake in one of our favorite Beijing excursions. Our preferred restaurant for this culinary treat is Dadong Roast Duck, which offers two branches from which to choose. Booking is crucial; otherwise, you may have a long wait, or worse, you may miss out on a delicious meal.
Peking duck, which requires hours of preparation, offers a complex mix of flavors and textures that work together to create a culinary masterpiece. The skin is crisp and complements the moist dark meat inside, which you place in either a sesame pocket or pancake. The classic preparation includes adding sliced cucumber, onion and hoi sin sauce to the pancake before wrapping it up, burrito style, to eat. Dadong offers other choices to include as well, such as radish and sugar. At first I resisted the sugar, but this was a mistake. I quick dip and I was in heaven.
Because one cannot live on duck alone, on our last trip to Dadong, we also ordered scallops and Chinese greens. Everything was lovely in presentation and scrumptious to taste. If you are the type of person who has a mental list of “things to do before you die,” Peking duck (In Beijing, if possible) should certainly make the cut. You won’t regret it.
Dadong: Tel. 8522-1111, 8522-1234, 5/F, Jinbao Dasha, 88 Jinbao Street, Dongcheng District 东城区金宝街金宝大厦5层
Discover other dining pleasures on Wanderfood Wednesday.