I'll second the verdict on Da Dong! Last time I was in BJ, had Da Dong duck dinner on my last night. Exactly as written above...

Must go back! ^^

OK, it's a deal! I live in Beijing (actually just a few minutes away from XW Guanghua Lu) and am mostly here over the next few months, with a few travels sprinkled about. PM me when you'll be around. Maybe I just need a professional guide to navigate me properly and unlock the secrets of the XW kitchen. :D

Best place to get Peking duck in Beijing
 

I am going to Beijing on Nov , I was wondering where do I get good peking duck in reasonable price. I can go to fancy restaurant or local one . Moreover I heard from my friend that there is a Russia market that you need to use your bargain skills . Does anybody know what goods offered ? I will stay in Hilton Wangfujing . What is the best way to get there?


Thank you guys.

My travel blog

We had some good duck at Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant

The google map link below thinks that A is the restaurant and B is the Hilton

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&sourc...6&ie=UTF8&z=18

It not a far walk, the place is huge and for western standards it's not expensive at all.

The duck restaurant should not be far from your hotel at all. It is not on Wangfujing but off a side street. Its pretty easy to see as there is a big yellow duck in front :D

Thanks man and what should i buy back, Is there a specific gifts to bring back? I live in U.S and see everything made in china . I want o give something to my relative.

There's a thread (I admit, I haven't looked at it a lot, though): http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...staurants.html
There are numerous other threads on food in Beijing where duck is discussed in length.


Furthermore, I am not a big Beijing duck fan. Quanjude, is a very disputed chain in China. Some strongly advise against going there, including locals "in-the-know" and hotel concierges - for mediocore quality and high prices. On the other hand some love it, they at least speak (some) English and are "well-known". My advice for a first trip to Beijing is to ask your concierge, or even eat at your hotel (when Quanjude is the alternative), if there's a Beijing duck (-style restaurant) available. (Or of course, see what fellow posters here come up with :))

"Russian market" (the one near/in Sanlitun? Yabao or so?) is a fake market like any other, mostly offering clothes, bags, dvds etc. I abhor these markets, but many, many people love them. You need to bargain. Looking at your travels around SE-Asia, it's nothing much different to the tourist-fake-markets you can find there. Fun place to go, when you enjoy such things.

Enjoy your trip to Beijing!

Personally, I find the best Peking duck is not in Beijing.

I am one of those strange guys that actually PREFER Quanjude more than the others. I am Chinese, speak the language, and very familiar with Beijing and have eaten at all the major known and unknown duck joints.

If asked why I prefer Quanjude is because of the roasting of the skin. All the ducks have a crisp outer skin, but at Quanjude it seems to me that the underside fat on the duck skin is much more "vaporized" and I feel less like I am eating chewy duck fat.

Anyways my two cents..

P.S. My own opinion only applies to the main branch Quanjude at Qianmen facing Tiananmen.

And you're more than entitled to it. I did not find anything overly objectionable about Quanjude and am no duck conosseiur (I eat it way too infrequently) other than the fact that one feels like a commodity in going there (the whole process), the prices are high and the duck IMO isn't glorious enough to justify the price or commodity process.

OP - check out the threads linked in above posts... Names you can look up are: Da Dong, Liqun (my favorite for the food and walk around the restaurant - hutong and all), Duck De Chine, Grand Hyatt restaurant, Xiao Wang Fu (this one is particularly polarizing, I've never been).. I am sure there are another 1-2 names that I am missing here.. Next time I am in town, I have to do a multiple duck dinner run with a few friends (same night) to sample...

As for gifts, something a bit more unique (if you look) could be at Panjiayuan market, which is the "antiques" market. I still kind of like it and though I am sure there are some actual antiques there, most of it is fake/new and cheap junk, but there are some interesting ideas there, propaganda posters, old b/w photos of Beijing with or without frames etc.. Otherwise, some kitsch is available at Nanluoguoxiang at places like Plastered T-Shirts (the original designs are nice but the newer stuff...ugh) or near Houhai at Beijing Wen Fengtang on Di'anmen Wai street (google Beijing Wen feng Tang and the address pops up). Once again, not cheap, but pretty cool, at least when I went a while back.

Again, people much closer to the scene may prove me wrong/outdated and I more than welcome that.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8900/4.6.1.250 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/107)

I've lived in BJ for about 2 years and of all the restaurants that we've tried with duck, most of my relatives and friends, including myself, think Made in China has the best tasting duck.
The DaDong on east third ring is our second choice. A third lesser known one is ZunJing (??sp?) On GuangHuaLu near XiDaWangLu due to value.

Was talking to a local Beijinger friend of mine recently and she mentioned QuanJuDe as one of the better places to have duck.

I'll put in another vote for the peking duck at Made in China (Grand Hyatt Beijing). I thought it was excellent quality and value (by international standards).

I like Quanjude, but I'd recommend taking a taxi, even if the OP's hotel is close by. Recently, the street in front of the restaurant (which is up a short drive from the sidewalk) has been inundated with very aggressive beggars, the most aggressive I've ever seen in Asia. The taxi drops you at the door of the restaurant, so that you don't have to deal with them.

My wife, who is Chinese, says that the Grand Hyatt has the best Peking duck. We've also eaten at Da Dong, but were both disappointed -- the restaurant is fancier and the duck is served, "fine dining style," but Quanjude easily beats the food for taste and preparation.

thanks guys for many recommendations. I will try and report back




[URL = redacted] My travel blog[/ URL ]

It's all about Xiaowangfu guys.

OP: We debate this topic (in a cheerful manner) about 3 times per year. If you search for "Peking Duck" or "Beijing Duck", you'll find these gems.

I loved Da Dong, visited the branch on Jinbao Jie

Never seen so many waiters in one restaurant