Beijing Roast Duck – Features, How to enjoy, and famous restaurants

The cook picks ducks of 65 days, whose meat is ample enough but still tender. He then seasons them and glazes them with a layer of runny syrup, the secret of the crisp skin. After drying for 24 hours, the ducks will be hung in the oven and roasted with charcoals from fruit trees, which gives them a special fragrance until the skin turns shiny brown. Of course, different cooks have different recipes and produce various flavors, but the general procedures are the same.

A roast duck dish consists of three courses – the skin, the meat, and the carved duck (the remainder of the roast duck after being sliced). Firstly, the skin would be served in slices with a plate of sugar. It contains a lot of fat, but because of the long-time roasting, you will not find it greasy at all, as long as you finish it before it cools down. It tastes little like potato chips but much more delicious. You can dip it in the sugar to enhance the flavor.

Then, the meat will be served, also in slices, with steamed pancakes, some vegetables, and sauces. If you are dining in a fancy restaurant, the cook will slice the duck right beside you. The vegetables normally include julienned cucumber and spring onion, but sometimes, there would also be carrots and Hami Melon. The traditional sauce is made of soybeans and tastes sweet, but some restaurants also provide peanut butter and cranberry paste.

To enjoy this dish, you need first dip two or three slices of meat and the vegetables into the sauce (a little would be enough. Otherwise, it may become too salty) and then wrap them with the pancake. Please do not be shy to use your hands. A lot of Chinese cannot complete the wrapping with chopsticks. You are no inferior to them.

The carved duck comes last, and the waiter would ask you how you would like it when you make your order. The traditional choice is the broth, where the cook stews the carved duck with tofu and cabbages. But you can also choose Jiaoyan, where the cook fries it and then applies salt and pepper. It is also very tasty but often comes with an extra cost, ranging from 6 RMB to 20 RMB, according to the restaurant you dine in.

Rating: 4.9 out of 5.0 from 6735 customers

Feature: Perfect balance between price and quality; a little crowded

Address: 11 Nanchizi Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing. Right next to the Forbidden City, to its east

Average cost per person: 176 RMB

Rating: 4.2 out of 5.0 from 17536 customers

Feature: The oldest roast duck shop with over 150 years of history; One of the most famous restaurants in China

Address: 30 Qianmen Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing. About 1 kilometer to the south of the Forbidden City

Average cost per person: 175 RMB

Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 from 6235 customers

Feature: High-end restaurant with excellent food

Address: 5^th floor in Jinbaohui Shopping Mall, Jinbao Street, Dongcheng, Beijing. About 1 kilometer to the east of the Forbidden City

Average cost per person: 507 RMB

Rating: 4.9 out of 5.0 from 5519 customers

Feature: Two diamonds in Black Pearl Restaurant Guide

Address: 5 Xindong Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing. In Sanlitun, a fashion cluster in China, between the second and the third rings

Average cost per person: 537 RMB

Rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 from 1048 customers

Feature: Use coal made from lichee trees to give the roast duck a special flavor

Address: 5^th floor in Raffles City, 1-1 Dongzhimen South Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing. Close to Lama temple

Average cost per person: 180 RMB

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