Thursday, January 12, 2006

Hepingmen Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant, Beijing

Peking Duck

OK, this place (14 Qianmenxidajie, Xuanwu District, 6302-3062) is admittedly a bit touristy, but this was pretty close to my hotel in Beijing, so I just ran in for a very quick (but still local) meal. This is allegedly "the biggest roast-duck restaurant in Asia" (there are multiple floors) and it is "built on the site selected personally by Premier Zhou Enlai." They serve duck day-in and day-out, and indeed, the duck did have a nice crispy skin and yet with a tasty aromatic duck flavor.

Carving up the duck in front of you

It was interesting to see them carving the bird in front of you (with steam rising from the duck as the skin was pierced, mind you), but the service was a bit too pushy, as they tried to pressure me into buying more food than I needed. Still, the speed and efficiency of this place was just what I needed given how very tight time was for me tonight, even if it was more expensive than some of the more local shops lurking in the alleyways.

2 comments:

Alvin said...

i found QJD peking duck over-priced, over-rated and touristy. the best duck in BJ, IMHO is from "Made in China" at Hyatt (but expect Hyatt prices).

ironically, the best peking duck I tasted was from Taipei. try "Tao Ran Ju". can't remember the address but it's along Mucha Line MRT, north of SOGO.

DJ said...

wow the peking duck sure looks yummy!~!~!~! you have a great blog and i love reading your entires. thanks for sharing your experiences here with us. Thanks!~!~