Oddly enough the last few times I went to China I've been dissappointed with Peeking duck. I personally think it's too oily and for some reason I just think the ducks in China don't have enough meat on them compared to the ducks in the States, Canada, or HK.

To boulster your point, last year I was helping a successful (ABC) HK restauranteer survey the Shanghai market, which entailed ordered pretty much everything on the menu at a variety of restaurants. At Jean Gorges, both the duck and the beef were supposedly from Australia, but my restaurant guy cried foul (no pun intended) because both were vastly inferior (he presented a tangible case) to the products coming through known supply chains.

Back on the subject of duck in BJ, I echo those that have said Quanjude is not worth a visit. Some of the others mentioned here are fine (notably Liqun and Da Dong IME), but I personally like the duck at the Xiaowangfu near the Kerry Centre. While definitely an expat loaded (some cynical folk would term "Americanized") establishment, they do it right. For example, their Lazi Ji (chicken interlaced with extremely hot peppers) is some of the best I've ever experienced, but it consists of (relatively) boneless chicken meat. Many Chinese are disgusted by this idea because bones supposedly add flavor, but if you're like me and can't tell the difference, the boneless product in a clean environment is superior to the traditional variety.

Anyway, I have to admit that I like PF Chang's more than 99.9% of the restaurants in these parts so you should take my opinion with a grain of salt. But, please do me a favor; next time you're in town, try one meal at an authentic place with caged pidgeons and cobras on the front stairs and another at Xiaowangfu and get back to me.

At the QuanJude locations or at the other restaurants for the matter, is the Peking duck always carved with some meat attached to the skin? Cantonese style is skin only served with crepes, which I prefer.

I remember my first time in Beijing back in the late '80s, our tour took us to eat Peking duck. Don't recall the name of the place (and didn't want to :p) but all day long, the local guide kept building us up for the dinner by telling us to save our appetite. Turned out it was just horrible, just plain awful! One contributing factor was the hoisin sauce they used. It was very low quality (as China was still very poor).

Second time in Beijing at the chinese restaurant in the St. Regis, skin was soggy and not crisp. Another disappointment!

You know, many Chinese don't eat the meat as the process for Peking duck doesn't make the meat ideal for eating. We just tell the wait staff to wrap it all up (meat and bones) so we can use it to make rice soup (jook) at home.

We went there during my only visit to Beijing and it was an all around great experience. Food was good, the location was interesting as you say embedded in a hutong (which likely won't be there for much longer). One of those hole in the wall type places you'd never go to unless someone local specifically told you it was okay.

The default for gweilos at QuanJude is with skin -- my guess is that avoids a lot of problems. ;) However, if you ask, they'll carve it properly. Also, it's worth spending the extra couple of bucks (it is literally, I think, a couple of bucks) for the "top grade" duck.

Ah, I would love to have seen China in the 80s. I didn't start going until 1995.

We were at the St. Regis this past January and ate in the restaurant (I was sick and too tired to go out). The food was okay, but only okay, and clearly cooked to appeal to a western palette.

My wife does that. Ummm, good!

Don't go to Quanjude (branches in Qianmen, Wangfujing etc) - it's touristy, expensive and trades on its reputation. Go to the other places mentioned in this thread.

I understand that Beijing duck in Beijing is meant to be fatty! Much more than those of us in the west are used to.

Pass on the Peking Duck in Beijing unless you are a Peking Duck aficionado. I was in China this summer, my first, and I have to admit the food didn't do it for me in Beijing. Shanghai and Hong Kong were great. Don't get me wrong I love trying new things but Beijing was another story. Having said that, I did try the Peking Duck at I believe QuanJude (I don't know the exact way it's spelt so I'm using what other posters have used). I have to totally agree with jhm that they only have the reputation and it is in fact touristy and overpriced. As far as price, I think the English menus they have for non-Chinese are inflated, just my gut feeling.

Skip the duck in Beijing and get yourself to Shanghai or Hong Kong, so much great food! First, do the Great Wall before you leave!

Wow. I don't agree with any of this at all. To each his own, I suppose, but I love the duck at Quanjude. Which one did you go to? The new one isn't as good as the original, but I didn't find either expensive. I also don't much care for Shangahinese cuisine -- too bland for me, though I know some excellent Shanghai restaurants in Beijing. Hong Kong is great for Cantonese, but when it comes to the entire spectrum of Chinese cooking, Beijing can't be beat.

It's just Duck in Beijing. It's not Peking Duck in Beijing.

PTravel, perhaps I should have given it a second try. I agree with you about "to each his own" and I hope the original poster takes my comments with a grain of salt. That said, the cost is expensive for Beijing, China in my perspective. I don't know what others paid but what I paid is above average for food in Beijing. I agree with the Shanghainese cuisine, what I meant by great food in Shanghai wasn't particularly geared toward just Chinese. You'll have to recommend me some of your excellent restaurants in Shanghai (perhaps some in Beijing as well), I'd love to go back!

bumpme, it's not just duck the name itself is "Peking Duck," like for example General Tso's Chicken. LOL, bad example since Tso's Chicken is so American. Anyway, the original poster specifically asked about having Pekinig Duck in Beijing so saying Peking Duck in Beijing is correct. You might be trying to comment on the fact that Peking = Beijing. Peking of course stems from Japanese imperialism era.

I second this. The variety of food in Beijing is amazing and getting even better!

If anyone does go to Quanjude, at least for the Qianmen branch (not sure about the other ones), I think there are different levels. You can get takeout duck from the street window, there's the normal bit downstairs and, I believe, an upstairs section which you get to by going round the side. I understand that the duck does get better the higher you go but I've not eaten other than on the ground floor.

you mean british, i think. (the brits used romanizations of cantonese words to describe most/all places in china starting in the mid 1800s iirc..... nanking, chungking, canton, hk, etc)

ptravel: i don't think quanjude is a horrible establishment, but my opinion is that some of the other places mentioned are cheaper, better, and less crowded.

Reviewing the thread, I noticed that one poster said he prefered P.F.Changs to virtually any restaurant in China, as well as a restaurant that he described as "Americanized." There is definitely a difference between the way Chinese food has been altered for western palettes in the U.S. and Europe, and the "real thing" served in China. I grew up on the westernized stuff, and found that authentic Chinese cooking is an acquired taste. Now, I can't abide the westernized kind. I don't know if this may be a factor for you.

Quanjude serves two grades of duck. We always order the "superior" -- it's a couple of dollars more but, according to my wife, worth it.

The last time we were there, in January, we paid $40 for two "superior" ducks, some soup, a vegetable dish, a duck-liver dish and a couple of beers.

To tell the truth, I don't have any favorite restaurants in Shanghai. Well, maybe just one -- I'll get the name from my wife. I find the restaurants in Shanghai tend to be on the pretentious side (well, the whole city is like that -- kind of like a New York attitude in Chinese).

Maybe we'll try the others next time we go. When we lived in LA, we used to go to the Monterey Park branch of Quanjude, so it was natural for us to want to try the original when we got to Beijing. I haven't tried Peking duck anywhere else in Beijing, but had it a number of times in Hong Kong. The HK duck didn't compare to Quanjude's "superior" grade duck. Also, we do instruct the chef to carve the skin separate from the meat -- we think the crispy skin is the best part.

moondog, you may be right :o