August 24, 2007
大董烤鴨
The restaurant is located alongside the 3rd Ring Road. Our Beijing manager promised us that this was the best duck in town, much better than the overhyped 全聚德. Got there at 5:30 and just managed to get a table without waiting. By the time we left there was a line out the door filled with locals and tourists alike.
Had some time to take in some cold appetizers while our duck was being roasted. There was a good green salad with soy vinaigrette, complete with frisée and everything. A vinegary plate of baby cucumbers pickled Sichuan style with dried peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. The real interesting stuff were the duck liver comparable to the finest French foie paté, and the deboned duck feet webs with the mustard dipping sauce. How they managed to take out the bones and still maintain the shape of the web is beyond me.
They wheeled our duck out on a cart and the chef got to work plating our roast duck at table-side. It's not a standard-issue crispy-skin duck that's passed off as Peking Duck elsewhere. The skin has a bit of a snap, but it's a softer texture, integrated with the layer of fat underneath such that it almost melts in your mouth, and you know all the juices and fats have soaked into the meat underneath. The slices of roast duck are to be wrapped in the flour crepes and one can add any number of condiments and garnishes. The sweet soy paste 甜麵醬 is obligatory, along with the thinly sliced scallion greens. But there were also cucumber and beet julienne for some more crunch, mashed garlic and white sugar for a wider range of flavors, and a couple of pickles for that special northern touch. Also ordered a poached Napa cabbage with chestnuts, and fish fillets in a spicy black-bean sauce. Washed it all down with some local 燕京 beer or chrysanthemum tea.
大董烤鴨
北京市朝阳区团结湖北口3号楼
010-65824003