Beijing Duck in Beijing

Beijing Ducks by Josephine2004, on Flickr

As a student in the 1970's I never imagined I'd have a chance to taste Beijing Duck in Beijing. But life is full of surprises in small matters as well as great ones.

A small matter, (one that may entertain LTH - ers) is that this morning my husband and I met two longtime LTH lurkers at breakfast at The Orchid, a tiny inn in the Bao Chao Hutong, one of the many old neighborhoods in Beijing. We exchanged the traditional "L" sign of greeting and immediately began discussing dinner, as is the custom. I post my Beijing Duck recommendation here today in case it will be of use to them during their visit.

As with any iconic dish, the search for the best Beijing Duck seems worthwhile, but honestly, I'm a bit wary of claims of uniqueness and "authenticity." Does seeing Western tourists in a restaurant keep it out of the running? That's a bit silly, I think. Most tourists here are from Mainland China. Does being from Fukien or Hubei or Guilin or Yunnan make one a good judge of Beijing Duck? I really am not sure. On the other hand, there is the question of price and atmosphere. I prefer to avoid waiting in line. In the end, I can only rely on my own taste, limited as it is by my narrow experience, and shaped as it is by my conditioned preferences, and report my findings.

Quan Ju De and Da Dong appear to be the favorites online. The Beijing Taxi App lists 19 Beijing Duck Restaurants, not including branches of the chains.


BEIPINJU Restaurant by Josephine2004, on Flickr


BeiPingJu Restaurant, Beijing by Josephine2004, on Flickr

We tried Bei Ping Ju, a place not listed on the taxi app that was the choice of our local driver. This restaurant is centrally located in the old city, a block and a half south of the Drum Tower. While the proximity of a McDonald's might otherwise give me pause, I've come to realize that McDonald's is a place for locals (though no bargain by Chinese standards.). Besides, Bei Ping Ju is located on the main restaurant equipment supply street. It was fun to duck into one of the shops and find a cutting board as tall as (and even wider than) I am for 580 RMB- less than $100.


Carving a Beijing Duck at BeiPingJu by Josephine2004, on Flickr


Duck Deconstruction, BeiPingJu Restaurant by Josephine2004, on Flickr

The huge duck (as large as a small goose) was first presented whole. Carved with smooth precision by a young man who graciously let me film his work, the meat was arranged boneless on two platters. The skin was lacquer-bright, crispy, and less salty than duck skin I have tasted elsewhere. The very moist meat set this duck apart from the best I have had, with the breast as moist as the leg and thigh. Batons of melon and cucumber and slivers of scallion accompanied the duck. In addition to pale paper-thin crepes, there were silver-dollar sesame rounds to hold the moist duck.


Beijing Duck at BeiPingJu by Josephine2004, on Flickr


Beijing Duck Dinner, BeiPingJu by Josephine2004, on Flickr


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Soup made from the carcass was unadulterated with commercial bouillon, and contained ribbons of Chinese cabbage and chunks of tofu, simple and good. The price for the duck was 138 RMB. We also had two excellent vegetable dishes (about 30 RMB each). Supposedly, this is a significant saving over Quan Ju De, Da Dong and their peers, where the price is about double this.


Mixed Vegetables at BeiPingJu by Josephine2004, on Flickr


Eggplant at BeiPingJu by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Also in Beijing, I can pass on the recommendation of our driver : the dumpling chain that uses a feather as its brand symbol.


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr

There, a big table of elegant ladies who lunch were destroying huge orders of 15 dumplings with amazing speed. Elderly singles seemed equally represented among the clientele, and I was happy that we happened to choose the same mutton and caraway filling as the lady who sat next to us. The pork and radish (daikon) filling had a flowery taste that I did not expect.

On Baocheng Lu, Mr. Shi's Dumplings is popular with both tourists and locals.


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Mr. Shi offers dozens of dumpling filling combinations and has a menu in English. we passed on the smoked donkey. I slightly preferred the boiled dumplings (pork and coriander) to the fried (mutton and capsicum), but my husband, who needs spice, loved the hot filling of the fried dumplings.


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr

The Orchid
Baochao Hutong
Beijing, China
Contact The Orchid directly:
tel. +86-10-8404-4818
fax. +86-10-8418-1987

Mr. Shi's Dumplings
Click on link below with map to find Mr. Shi's
http://www.theorchidbeijing.com/pages/findtheorchid/location.php

That's all for now. Much more to follow.

Wow - sometimes a description is worth so much more than a picture and your post is what I have in mind. The duck sounds fantastic, almost worth getting on a plane and making the trip just for that duck. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip. Curious about the sesame rounds though as this is something totally unfamiliar to me. What exactly were they, and how are they meant to be consumed with the duck?

Josephine wrote:Quan Ju De and Da Dong appear to be the favorites online. The Beijing Taxi App lists 19 Beijing Duck Restaurants, not including branches of the chains.

We tried Bei Ping Ju, a place not listed on the taxi app that was the choice of our local driver. This restaurant is centrally located in the old city, a block and a half south of the Drum Tower. ... Besides, Bei Ping Lu is located on the main restaurant equipment supply street.

The huge duck (as large as a small goose) was first presented whole. Carved with smooth precision by a young man who graciously let me film his work, the meat was arranged boneless on two platters. (I will post film and pics later, from home.) The skin was lacquer-bright, crispy, and less salty than duck skin I have tasted elsewhere. The very moist meat set this duck apart from the best I have had, with the breast as moist as the leg and thigh. Batons of melon and cucumber and slivers of scallion accompanied the duck. In addition to pale paper-thin crepes, there were silver-dollar sesame rounds to hold the moist duck. Soup made from the carcass was unadulterated with commercial bouillon, and contained ribbons of Chinese cabbage and chunks of tofu, simple and good. The price for the duck was 138 RMB. We also had two excellent vegetable dishes (about 30 RMB each). Supposedly, this is a significant saving over Quan Ju De, Da Dong and their peers, where the price is about double this.

This is a great find.

For reference: The Da Dong duck was fine: size medium small, the atmosphere very upscale, and the price high--225 RMB in March 2010.

Thank you.

re The dumplings. In Xian, we lucked into a 'locals only' place and one tray of 15 dumplings (a very large tray) was ordered per person all around us by late night dining students. Price about 10-12-14 RMB. So your dumpling find is worthy too. You had a heck of a driver, IMHO.

Josephine wrote:We exchanged the traditional "L" sign of greeting and immediately began discussing dinner, as is the custom.

???

"L" sign?

What can I say. You know you have me drooling!

zoid wrote:"L" sign?

Wow Josephine, great stuff! Took me back! Altho' memory fails as one ages, I'm almost sure this is the same place my grad students took me in '86. We were staying in a Chinese-only hotel (since I was a working resident with a red (literally) card, I counted as Chinese) and this place was within walking distance. Oh boy.

Good eating, good reporting!

Geo
PS. Some just-graduated students from my university here in Montréal started a gloriously wonderful dumpling place. The standard portion is *15*, and I've always wondered why. This thread indicates that that's the standard portion in China, so, of course, it's the standard portion here! Thenkew!

Thank you for the post. When I was younger (grade school in the late 60's 70's) my father had a job that had him in SF once a month and I was often taken with - I fell in love with Chinatown and Peking Duck. Dad would always bring one back on the plane if I could not come along. Years later I found myself out in SF every other week and one of the elderly owners remembered me form years ago!

Now you want me to fly out and visit!

April 2010 Da Dong Restaurant, Beijing. I would reorder everything. Our check for two (enough for 3-4 really) was about $110.

Snow Peas


Duck condiments


Our duck


Eggplant timbale


Duck chat?


Just about everyone gets a duck


Why a duck?


Duck construction




Duck soup


Sharp Pepper Fish


Barney Rubble Rib


Tapioca soup with papaya


Fresh fruit


Dessert for the brave

Josephine wrote:It was fun to duck into one of the shops

I see what you did there.

Josephine wrote:The price for the duck was 138 RMB. We also had two excellent vegetable dishes (about 30 RMB each). Supposedly, this is a significant saving over Quan Ju De, Da Dong and their peers, where the price is about double this.

QJD was just < RMB 300. So yes, this was a significant saving. It was a revelational duck though.

Man, the mask just kills me:




edit: (ooo! 800th post)

TonyC wrote:

Josephine wrote:The price for the duck was 138 RMB. We also had two excellent vegetable dishes (about 30 RMB each). Supposedly, this is a significant saving over Quan Ju De, Da Dong and their peers, where the price is about double this.

QJD was just < RMB 300. So yes, this was a significant saving. It was a relevational duck though.

One needs revelations. But one does not want one's RMB to disappear down the Gold Money Hole. . .


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Steve Drucker wrote: You had a heck of a driver, IMHO.

I'll happily pass on his info: "John Yellow Car" is his handle online. His English is excellent, he's a confidence-inspiring, regulation-observing driver, his car is pristine and comfortable, and he clearly loves his work. In addition, we were able to cover a lot of sights in a few days.

http://www.beijing-driver.com/


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr

And please check out edits to my original post. I added pictures, but lost the video of duck carving.

I've had Beijing duck a few times now in Beijing, always at different places. I'm not sure there is any place that has really bad Beijing duck -- or if there is, I've been fortunate enough not to encounter it.

Your post makes me want to go back to China -- though not just for the duck. What a great place to travel if you love food. For 21 days, I had Chinese food three times a day, and I never got tired of it.

BR wrote:Wow - sometimes a description is worth so much more than a picture and your post is what I have in mind. The duck sounds fantastic, almost worth getting on a plane and making the trip just for that duck.

exvaxman wrote:Thank you for the post. When I was younger (grade school in the late 60's 70's) my father had a job that had him in SF once a month and I was often taken with - I fell in love with Chinatown and Peking Duck. Now you want me to fly out and visit!

Cynthia wrote:Your post makes me want to go back to China -- though not just for the duck. What a great place to travel if you love food. For 21 days, I had Chinese food three times a day, and I never got tired of it.

Great News, All!

China Daily reported last week that the catering industry has suffered a double-digit setback due to the new austerity for Party members' banquets suggested by President Xi Jinping. The upshot for tourists to Beijing is that Quan Ju De and Da Dong have instituted half-price deals on Beijing Duck (again, according to China Daily). Time to get on a plane?

Josephine wrote:
Great News, All!

China Daily reported last week that the catering industry has suffered a double-digit setback due to the new austerity for Party members' banquets suggested by President Xi Jinping. The upshot for tourists to Beijing is that Quan Ju De and Da Dong have instituted half-price deals on Beijing Duck (again, according to China Daily). Time to get on a plane?

I was in Beijing last summer, and honestly I thought Quan Ju De wasn't that expensive, though definitely more expensive relative to other food bought in China. It certainly was delicious and I also love they give you a certificate where they have recorded what number duck (out of all the ducks ever served) you ate. Your role in the Beijing Duck holocaust has been recorded, and in quite a handsome certificate.

Suiname wrote:Your role in the Beijing Duck holocaust has been recorded, and in quite a handsome certificate.

Pretty sure that's a scam. There was a stack of those certs at the hostess table waiting to be filled out. I didn't get one. Chalked it up to not looking pale enough.

TonyC wrote:

Suiname wrote:Your role in the Beijing Duck holocaust has been recorded, and in quite a handsome certificate.

Pretty sure that's a scam. There was a stack of those certs at the hostess table waiting to be filled out. I didn't get one. Chalked it up to not looking pale enough.

My dad is pretty dark and they gave him one. Maybe you have to speak Chinese.

In the Hutongs, Beijing

Not long ago, the New York Times compared the hútòngs, Beijing’s traditional neighborhoods, to Brooklyn. The comparison is not as strained as it might seem. Named for the narrow alleys that separate sihéyuàn, traditional courtyard homes, the hutongs are bustling and deserted at intervals. During the day and evening, throngs of young people are there to study, shop, eat and drink.


Beijing Hohai Lake by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Young tastemakers seem to embrace the hutong aesthetic,


Hutong Couture

which runs from the charming. . .


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr

to the cheeky;


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr

and from the toothsome (lamb and capsicum at Mr. Shi's - see upthread). . .


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr

to the transgressive.


Shopping, Drinking, Head Banging in the Hutong? by Josephine2004, on Flickr

The post-adolescent crowd seemed to be snapping up Teedy [sic] Bears in all sizes, fake Parisian antiques, and a wide variety of action figures in spandex. Coffee houses appeared as popular here as in Shanghai. But the big action seemed to be along the lake, where a slew of bars with slouchy, grimy-looking sofas cater to the young crowd. We weren’t much interested in drinking PBR in a noisy club, but we were sorry to miss the Beijing Beatles’ performance on St. Patrick’s Day, just after our planned departure.

In the daytime, streetfood options range from the homely - roasted sweet potatoes,


Sweet Potato Concession, Beijing by Josephine2004, on Flickr

to the whimsical – sugar animals formed by blowing molten sugar through a tube, right before your eyes!


Sugar Animals, Beijing by Josephine2004, on Flickr

While men selling hot sweet potatoes on carts like the ones above are a common sight, we learned that their job is made more difficult by those old enough to remember when sweet potatoes were one of the only readily available foods. Those who can afford to do so eschew sweet potatoes as they bring back memories of hard times. On the other hand, cabbage does not seem to have suffered the same fate in the culinary musings of Beijing's elders.

At night the hutongs are very dark (Watch Your Step!), but you can spot streetside barbeque stalls by the glowing red emblems that look like a couple of skewered hot dogs. This man was selling shao kao, or cumin-pepper spiced kebabs. My picture of his setup did not turn out well, but it seems to be a common practice to use an electric hair dryer to fan the BBQ flames, and -natch - to set it down right next to the blazing coals once you get the fire going. OSHA alert!


Bao Chao Hutong Dining by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Did I mention that almost all of the streets in the hutongs are very dark? Sometimes one is entirely shrouded in darkness, finding one's way by trying to make out unlighted street signs. (We would have done well to bring a flashlight.) In most cities, this would cause alarm. But we found that the only activity we encountered was that of people walking their huge, purebred dogs. Apparently, large dogs are not welcome in the city, but we learned that they are also a status symbol formerly frowned upon as bourgeois. We found ourselves stepping very carefully to avoid the piles of bricks and sand destined for the renovations of the courtyard homes, which have become sought after. Again, the comparison with Brooklyn seems apt.

No Name Restaurant is a Yunnan spot on a very dark street:


No Name Restaurant Beijing by Josephine2004, on Flickr

The interior is comfortable, and not too fussy. We patted a nice Yellow Labrador that reminded us of our own and made us homesick, while we waited for our meal to arrive.

These spring rolls were crispy, with a filling that depended on herbs we had never before tasted. Delicious.

Spring Rolls, No Name Restaurant by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Dumplings in green noodle wrappers had a bland potato and carrot filling and were not photogenic. However, the braised beef seemed to be spiced with star anise. I’m not sure how Yunnanese it was, but it was very good.


Yunnan Braised Beef with Carrot by Josephine2004, on Flickr

I leave the best for last: the Mutton with Herbs. This was one of the most delicious combinations I have ever experienced. The “herb” in question tasted like mint, but it was not mint such as the leaf that garnished the beef with carrots, above. It had the quality of a leafy green vegetable.


Yunnan Mutton in Banana Leaf Beijing by Josephine2004, on Flickr

We went back for a second helping of that lamb a few days later, when we had eaten our fill of dumplings at Mr. Shi's, mentioned upthread.

Houhai / Yandai Xiejie / Di'anmen
后海烟袋斜街地安门
1 Dajinsi Hutong
Xicheng District
西城区
大金丝胡同1号
80-120 per person
Daily 10.30am-2am
8328 3061
No Smoking Sections
All chinese and foreign credit cards

Though the thread title refers to the famous duck in Beijing, I notice that the thread is far more diverse so I'll discuss all of my meals in Beijing here. But let's start with Peking Duck. With only five days planned for Beijing, we decided to have only one duck dinner, and I spent countless hours attempting to distinguish one from the other . . . almost to the point of insanity. You would have thought my life depended on which Beijing restaurant I chose for Peking duck. But after all of this consideration, we chose the popular and highly regarded Da Dong over a couple of other very popular and highly regarded spots. We were very pleased.

Da Dong has a few locations in Beijings. I'm not sure if all are like the branch we visited, but you might say that this one is a bit garish, not unlike many modern Chinese restaurants, including Lao You Ju in Chicago:





Each of the Peking duck restaurants in Beijing boasts about its own cooking method, woods used, etc. Da Dong prides itself on its traditional preparation, hanging the ducks in a brick oven and roasting the duck over peach, apple and jujube woods. Here you get a view of Da Dong's oven (and some of the wood used), as well as ducks hanging outside of the oven:








Da Dong also claims to roast its duck a little longer than other places, which it claims results in a slightly leaner duck with crispier skin.

Well, what do you think of this? Look crispy enough to you?








The skin was crisp and remarkably brittle, like thin peanut brittle for lack of a better comparison, with an audible cracking sound. More importantly, the duck and all of the condiments were outstanding. The duck was served with ultra-thin, almost translucent pancakes, as well as a hollow, sesame studded bao:










In the middle of the three pictures, you get a great view of the thinness of the pancake. And the bao was far thinner than the thick bao you might be familiar with from Sun Wah. I appreciated how neither the pancake nor the bao interfered with preciously limited stomach space.

The duck skin was served immediately, and with sugar for dipping. I understand this is traditional, although I've previously only encountered it at Ming Hin in Chicago. I dipped a few of the pieces of skin in the sugar, but I still prefer the crispy skin with the other condiments, places inside a pancake or bao.

Speaking of condiments, Da Dong serves its duck with (clockwise from upper left in the picture immediately below) radish, finely minced raw garlic, sugar, hoisin sauce, scallions, and a couple of pickled vegetables . . . I think the first one was radish.






Here's one of Da Dong's duck slicers hard at work on our duck:






At Da Dong, the Peking Duck is served in two courses (assuming you don't consider the skin and meat to be separate courses - they're served at almost the same time). The second course is a duck soup, which was adequate but not particularly rich or interesting.






I was far more impressed with the tableware used to hold your chopsticks and soup spoon:






One cannot make a dinner of duck alone. Well, I suppose you could, but why! We added a couple of dishes. But ordering took some time. Da Dong's menu was more like War and Peace:






One of the dishes we eventually selected was a terrific plate of sauteed bamboo shoots with potherb mustard (greens):






We also enjoyed an excellent braised eggplant dish which featured plenty of garlic and star anise:






Dessert was complimentary, magnificent strawberries on ice. These were the best strawberries I had ever tasted. I was stunned.






Da Dong was fantastic in terms of food. The Peking Duck in particular was easily the best I've ever tasted. The skin was so flavorful, crisp and just perfect. The meat, while leaner than almost all others I've tried, was nonetheless plenty moist and also fantastic. Service was lacking (I had heard that about the particular location we visited) but we were in no hurry and enjoyed taking in the whole experience.

As I noted above, we had decided to have only one meal of Peking duck. But then some poor planning set in. We had decided to visit a Beijing acrobatics show (an absolute must in my opinion, with the crowd as entertaining as the show itself). And though we were aware that Beijing is not a late town -- restaurants generally shut down by 9pm -- we didn't properly factor our hunger into our planning. So we exited the acrobatics show and were turned away from one restaurant after the other.

We finally arrived at Quanjude, the original Peking duck restaurant in Beijing (it opened in the 1860s and originated Peking duck, so I'm sad to break it to you that Peking duck is not quite the ancient Chinese dish you might have imagined). Unfortunately, Quanjude was just closing but one of their English-speaking staff walked us to a nearby restaurant owned by Quanjude that also served Quanjude's duck.

So much for having Peking duck only one. This duck was an excellent comparison as it was far fattier than the Da Dong duck:






It was served with pancakes that were considerably thicker than the ones at Da Dong, along with hoisin, scallion and very thick cucumber spears:






Here's a rolled pancake - you can tell just how much thicker it is than at Da Dong:






Like at Da Dong, the second course was a duck soup, equally unimpressive in my opinion:






We only ordered one extra dish, a sauteed broccoli that was much better than it might appear in this picture (thanks to it retaining perfect texture):






And I loved the tea, as good as I tasted on this trip:






Overall, this version of Peking Duck was very good, but the skin was not as delicious and nowhere near as crisp as at Da Dong. And it was just a bit too fatty for me. And although Da Dong's duck was far leaner, it was also more flavorful. I wouldn't speculate that this is exactly what the duck would taste like at Quanjude, but I would have no concerns in recommending a visit to Da Dong.

Of course, there are a few other highly esteemed Peking duck restaurants in Beijing. But duck is not limited to restaurants. For example, this picture is from a store at the Beijing airport (and this wasn't the only store we passed selling bagged or boxed ducks):






Don't worry, cooking instructions (including instructions for making the duck edible ) are also in English:







I'll have more on Beijing (and the rest of my China trip) in other posts.

Great post BR, you made a grey afternoon brighter.

Thanks mbh! I should note that I've now edited the above post to include pictures of the duck oven at Da Dong, wood used to roast the ducks and some ducks hanging.

Another must in beijing: dumplings. Again, so many choices and opinions swing all over the place. Our first dumpling spot was also our only visit to a government owned restaurant (not that many remain), Laobian Dumplings. We had gotten to know our concierges at the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing and these guys were major foodies. After showing them my Waygo translation app and showing them how I could use it to read a Chinese menu, they responded to our request for their favorite dumpling spot with an enthusiastic shout LAOBIAN! Of course, they warned us that there is no English menu and that no one would speak English. They also warned us to run, and get there early, before the crowds descend.

Though Laobian was a reasonably short walk from the Hilton, that didn't mean we had much luck finding it, even with Google maps (and of course constantly having to switch "channels" on our VPN -- Beijing monitors well!). And while Waygo will help you translate, it won't help you find places. Eventually, we found it . . . after walking around the same 100 foot area for about 15 minutes. You'll know you've arrived when you see the YMCA hotel, then go downstairs.






And in case you weren't certain that you were in a government owned restaurant . . . :






We still weren't sure we were in Laobian, though eventually the staff confirmed we were. They still looked at us confused though, probably wondering how a couple of white guys who couldn't speak a lick of Chinese were going to order. We pulled out our phones, began perusing the menu with Waygo, and became instant celebrities. Pretty much all of the staff came over to inspect, laughed nervously, watched with fascination, and then had us write down with a pen the name of the app. A couple from a nearby table was equally interested and came over to watch the show. It was a blast.

Most importantly, we arrived just before the crowds filtered in. Below is a picture of the dining room when we arrived. Within 15 minutes, there was a wait for tables.






We were really here for only a "snack," so we ordered fried pork dumplings and steamed lamb dumplings. Both were fantastic. You might recognize the way they served the fried pork dumplings:






If I'm not mistaken, Fat Rice serves some fried dumplings with the same woven look. The lamb dumplings were not as striking, but they were plentiful and had great lamb flavor:






A variety of sauces - vinegar, soy, garlic, chili oil - were there for dipping:






Though we had just a small sampling of Laobian's offerings (they have pages of dumpling listings, and including boiled dumplings which we did not try), what we had we enjoyed immensely. And we appreciated the enthusiastic service. While exploring a couple of hutongs (ancient alleys), we made our way over to another highly regarded spot, Mr. Shi's. Note that there is a Mr. Shi's noodles and a Mr. Shi's dumplings. They're very close to one another and feature largely the same menu, but we noticed our jiaozi being brought over from the dumpling spot (we were at the noodle spot).






No Waygo needed here -- Mr. Shi's caters to westerners, which might explain its massive popularity. We tried a few varieties of fried and steamed dumplings (can't figure out exactly which ones, but I'm sure pork and lamb . . . and probably shrimp . . . were again featured), and they were very good, though we preferred Laobian's. You won't go wrong at either place though. Here are the offerings we enjoyed from Mr. Shi's:









The dipping sauce at Mr. Shi's seemed like a vinegar/potsticker sauce, but with plenty of garlic too:






Of course, even when you think you're done with dumplings in Beijing, you're not done. THEY'RE EVERYWHERE (along with similar items)! Red bean paste of course:






These were at the Wangfujing night market - f'ing gorgeous, right?!?






Even some sheng jian bao at the Wangfujing night market:






More Beijing to come!

Well done, BR! Man, you're killing me with those dumplings, and the treats at the night market. Ouf!

Geo

BR what a great series of reports. I can't wait to hop a jet, but I'll have to (at least for a little while). Glaringly absent is any mention of Xiao Long Bao. I know they are sometimes considered a specialty item that not all dumpling places serve, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on any you might have come across in your travels in China.

Great stuff, BR! I am especially enjoying your very clear close-ups. The peanut-brittle crisp duck skin is tantalizing. I can understand why stevez is itching to hop a jet! Thanks for posting your adventures and observations. The only thing is, frankly, I cannot understand how you managed to eat at the Night Market. I met my match there seeing the spiny, leggy insects and such and got nauseated. That led to more dumplings. I think I might be able to eat a starfish or a scorpion if it were encased in dumpling skin!

Thanks guys!

Steve, I posted in the Shanghai thread concerning XLB and SJB. I was in Shanghai at the very beginning and end of this trip. Unfortunately, plans for more XLB and SJB at the end of our trip ended when I came down with food poisoning almost immediately after landing in Shanghai. I ended up never leaving the Waldorf (you could get stuck in a lot worse places!).

Josephine, I'll post on the other "offerings" you mention at the Wangfujing night market soon. I had a number of items but avoided most crunchy items (assuming scorpions, tarantulas, starfish and the like are considered crunchy items).

I hate you BR.

I can't help but see a turtle in the picture of the rounded crispy bao with sesame seeds on top and duck under.

We ate at Quanjude, the tower location, in 2006 I think. I wasn't nearly as knowledgeable about food back then, but it was very good though not life-changing. And yes the duck soup was and is always terrible.

BR wrote:Thanks guys!

Steve, I posted in the Shanghai thread concerning XLB and SJB. I was in Shanghai at the very beginning and end of this trip. Unfortunately, plans for more XLB and SJB at the end of our trip ended when I came down with food poisoning almost immediately after landing in Shanghai. I ended up never leaving the Waldorf (you could get stuck in a lot worse places!).

Yes. I jealously know you did post in the Shanghai thread, but I can never get enough and I was wondering if there were any had in Beijing.

A little dumpling porn from Din Tai Fung in Taipei.

Mr. Shi's is a must every time I'm in BJ. Those fried dumplings are like Chinese taquitos. Freaking great stuff.

BR wrote:[/img]

I'll have more on Beijing (and the rest of my China trip) in other posts.

BR, thank you for this amazing photoset. I lived in Beijing for 3 years so this is bringing back a ton of memories. It looks like you hit a bunch of the good spots. Beijing is really a dumpling-rich city as you found out. Even the lowliest of Beijing street dumpling vendors is rolling out the skins and hand-stretching them from scratch. $2 will get you a plate of steamed dumplings that rivals the finest handmade Italian pastas for texture.

Did you try any hand-pulled noodles (dao xiao mein) or knife-cut noodles (la mein) while you were there? If you walk into any given noodle shop with Arabic lettering on the sign, you're likely to get a very good noodle dish, whether broth-based or stir-fried. There are a lot of Xinjiang Muslims in Beijing and handmade noodles are their specialty.

stevez wrote:
Yes. I jealously know you did post in the Shanghai thread, but I can never get enough and I was wondering if there were any had in Beijing.

Hi Stevez, xiao long bao are not really a Beijing thing, I've only had great ones in Taiwan and Hong Kong (never been to Shanghai). I think looking for great XLB in Beijing is kind of like looking for great barbeque in NYC; it can be found, but it's not part of the native culture and you're likely to find it at expensive boutique places.

eating while walking wrote:Did you try any hand-pulled noodles (dao xiao mein) or knife-cut noodles (la mein) while you were there? If you walk into any given noodle shop with Arabic lettering on the sign, you're likely to get a very good noodle dish, whether broth-based or stir-fried. There are a lot of Xinjiang Muslims in Beijing and handmade noodles are their specialty.

Indeed - hand-pulled. I'm still reviewing everything I ate in Beijing, and in a couple of instances, I don't have photos (lamb scorpion hotpot comes to mind). We also had a couple of upscale meals I haven't gotten to yet.