Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The Original Peking Duck



Istanbul was Constantinople, Beijing was Peking, and Peking duck is delicious. Da Dong is the hot new way of saying “the best”, I think it’s really gonna catch on in the states. Try it out. It's Da Dong.



There was quite a wait, but we had a reservation, and the few minutes we spent in in the packed hallway/waiting area were spent admiring the various plaques, ogling the oysters and sea cucumbers on display, and fretting about the beverage selection.

The peking duck was excellent -- crisp skin, rich meat, beautifully carved. It was served with very thin rice pancakes and traditional accompaniments including a few we don't get in the states.

We couldn't resist trying a few more things. The smoke bamboo shoots were novel, with a smokey, earthy, almost fungal flavor, and the steamed fish came resting in a fiery, complex black bean sauce that may have ruined stateside black bean sauce forever. The fruit plate included whole water chestnuts, which were about what I expected, given what a sliced one tastes like.

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