Originally Posted by
jiejie
Not sure about the duck vs duck face-off, but in a contest of all the other dishes, Xi He Ya Ju's food beats Xiao Wang Fu's any day of the week, and twice on Sundays! I've never had a bad meal at Xi He Ya Ju (or even a bad dish), whereas at Xiao Wang Fu...well, let's just not go there.
I think Xiao Wang Fu is fine if you order the dishes they are skilled at cooking. I often go there with 2 or 3 other people, and have found that: Xianglajiding (note, the "ding" denotes the absence of bones; while many Chinese argue that bones enhance the flavor, I like the convenience factor of not having to deal with them), Cuipi Doufu (crispy toufu with chili sauce), deep fried spare ribs, a duck, and a few beers makes for a decent meal, and only costs around y70 pp (very cheap by CBD standards). Sure, if I was only in Beijing on a short visit, I would happily pay 3x the price for Made in China, but I honestly believe that Xiao Wang Fu's ducks are pretty solid.