Quan Ju De (Peking Duck), Beijing

There was a "death certificate" issued with my duck. I was eating the 11906715th duck since the restaurant started roasting them since 1864. This is swanky place and my T-shirt and shashuku looked pretty much out of place but the Cheong Sum-clad waitresses hardly raised an eyebrow. (I wish I could get away with this next time I visit a swanky French restaurant without riling up some French vulgarities)

By any means, this is a very expensive duck. At 198 RMB for a full Peking Roasted Duck meal, it's astronomical price for most Beijing folks. But it was the eve of my BD, and I'm not letting any 198RMB get in my way.

You can see the kitchen oven pits roasting the ducks from behind a glass and cooks hard at work, ensuring that you and me get the ducks in prime conditions. When it's cooled down enough, a chef will then roll the duck out on a trolley and carved the duck up in your presence as you looked on, working hardest to suppress your drool. A waitress will then proceed to explain the ingredients as well as demonstrate how you may eat the duck in the traditional way. Mine was serious on the get go. She hardly broke into smile. I guess when you have been doing this from the upteenth time, it really sucked the thrill out of it. I just wish she smiled a little. We weren't having dinner in prison.

Favorite Dish: The essence of the duck is all in the crispy delightful skin. All the flavours are there. Waste not. It's sinful to be wasting something so succulent. Bite into one crispy sliver and you'll know what the food of the Gods taste like.

The chef will take great pains to carve the thinnest of skin for you. Worry not. The rest are not wasted. The meat will be used in stir-fried dishes. The bones were thrown into a pot, cooked with wintermelon slices and brewed into a milky soup, that simply coats your tongue with playful tenderness.

How do you eat the duck?
Take a piece of crepe skin (you have a choice of yellow with egg or white without egg) and lay it on your plate. Spread a little of sweet and salty roast duck sauce with a spoon on the crepe, sprinkle in some shreds of spring onion, then place a sliver or 2 of duck skin. You may then add a slice of duck meat, plus a few other items such as pickled chillies or raw garlic slices, ensuring that the items will not overflow (don't be greedy!) and then proceed to wrap the entire package up (without using your hands - that's rude!!) like a burrito and presto, your little package of heaven is ready to be popped into your mouth.

I don't know how many I ate but I was damn sure there wasn't any duck left on my table when me and my mate were through with it!

I posted about the Peking duck in Da Dong Restaurant. Compared to Da Dong, Quan Ju De's brand has been around longer. Its duck is less lean than Da Dong's but equally superb! The service is amazing. The waitress even came with a bag cover for the shopping bags which were placed on an empty chair! Each duck comes with a birth certificate (thats what the restaurant calls it. I think its more like a death cert... Haha)

Ambience and decor more traditional than Da Dong's.

Favorite Dish: Peking duck of course! It cost CNY168.

If you are a Asian, preferably with chinese look, you will enjoy the meal at a cheaper price. BUT if you went in with someone who doesn't look like a chinese at all, you are paying 2x more. When a Filipino and a Malaysian went in, we were paying RMB200+ and when a Spanish went in with the Filipino, we were paying RMB500!!! With the RMB200, we even have more dishes than the RMB500 one.

The restaurant that we went to was in Wangfujing. Make sure you get there before 8.30pm though as I believe that this was the last time that they would allow customers in by.
We had duck (of course!) which was carved at our table, and battered fish in sweet and sour sauce. I would definitely recommend a visit here. It is supposed to serve the best duck in Beijing. I would say it is more expensive here than eating in a 'normal' restaurant in Beijing, but the prices were by no means more than I would be used to paying in the UK.

The place was alright, I did not like the service though: slow, our waiter seemed to be elsewhere.

We bought Pekin duck for two, couple beers and a juice. There were not much meat really. I can imagine two big men would probably have to order one duck each.

BILL: payed total of 224 RMB ($28), 10% service charge was included. A bit overpriced but then again what one can expect from a touristy place like that. :-)

Favorite Dish: I have never tried Pekin duck before and enjoyed it very much. My hubby however said he tasted it better (in Hawaii). Oh well.

I have eaten here many times. It is always the first place I go when I arrive back in Beijing. Of course it is greasy!!! It is DUCK!!!

Quite simply the best Beijing Duck I have ever eaten!! Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. It is full of history and culture. Enjoy the experience!! Relax!!!

If you are not into oily Chinese food, there is a MacDonald's just down the street. Now there is some great, healthy food!!

Favorite Dish: The Duck, of course!!!

They seem to specialise in duck. You can have anything do with duck here . . . duck gizzards, duck liver, duck's feet.

This is a huge restuarant with more than one floor of dining.

Favorite Dish: You can't go wrong with the Peking Duck. They even show you they correct way to eat it with the pancakes and sauce etc.

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This is maybe one of the most famous chains of restaurants in Beijing to eat Beijing Roast Duck, but some may well classify this place a tourist trap. At any rate, when in Beijing, you have to try Beijing Duck and this place I liked. I enjoyed dining at an establishment that is a concept and that was established in 1864. (Not many of those around in my home country.) The food was delicious but of course a bit pricier than regular places. The staff was well-trained and spoke a little English. We had a fab times both times I've been.

There is another one at Qianmen Dajie, but this one is less crowded and being a party of 4 coming around 7 pm we had no problem getting a table.

Favorite Dish: Well, you don't come here for the noodels, do you? Go ahead, order a duck, watch the cook slice it, fill up those little cakes with sauce and onions and enjoyyyyyy! Then taste the roast duck soup that will be made of the bones. No bones about it, the soup really tastes of duck! Serious risk of overeating... I did!

My 3rd day in Beijing, after having tried foods from Mcdonalds to small dirty restaurants to street foods this was the only place that gave me the runs. When I told them I only wanted to try their duck, the servers tried to get me to leave and go to the quick dining room in the front of the restaurant. when I said I didn't mind the 15% fee (hour long line for smaller dining room off the street) spent 20 minutes tryng to get me to order more. One whole duck is enough for 2. When the duck came out it looked like a very good duck, but as I rolled it into the pancakes, I had to wring the grease out of them before I ate it. If I ever have the urge for duck again I'll stick to Duck Changs in Annandale, VA.

Favorite Dish: the tea

Outside the main Quanjude restaurant are a series of photos of 'famous' folks eating at the restaurant.

Beware of pickpockets whilst you stand there and look at the photos. They often work in pairs, or small teams of three. Even if you catch one of them, the 'security' staff of Quanjude standing less than 10m away are unlikely to get off their stools to help you.

Favorite Dish: Beijing Kaoya