DaDong

When people think of authentic Chinese food, one of the dishes that should pop into their head first is Peking Duck. It can also be called Beijing Duck, but the point that I’m trying to get across is how much of a staple this is. Its definitely not an everyday dish. Its more akin to celebrations and parties, much like lamb or turkey would be to Westerners. This dish is a duck that is a roasted with a very specific technique, which renders the fat and yields a very crispy skin. Therefore, you get the essence of eating a fried duck from the skin while the insides being juicy and tender.

            You can’t come to Beijing and not eat Peking Duck, and many critics and locals claim that the best one available is in DaDong. This restaurant, which now has four locations has been featured anywhere you can think of, from television, to magazines, to tour guides, so you know it has something going for it. When I first found out about this place, I knew I had to stop here at least once during my trip to china.

            Recently, on a trip to the Beijing Airport en route to Japan, I had planned on stopping here. Because of several last minute complications, plans had to be changed and sadly, I decided that I couldn't stop at this restaurant on this specific trip to Beijing. It was far from the airport, it was late, and I had no idea how to get there. Besides, I had other priorities and needed to worry about not missing my flight to Japan.

            While riding on the subway on my way to the airport, I got hungry and decided to get off a few stops before I was supposed to. I decided to just walk into any random restaurant and order anything (like I always do) and noticed that the restaurant that I had walked into looked slightly (more like a lot) above my budget price. It was decorated beautifully and was extremely big. As I began looking around, I noticed how many foreigners there were waiting as well. Mind you, this is a Monday night, and the wait was over an hour. Clearly, this restaurant was a big deal. After I asked some Europeans I saw what the big deal was, it turned out I had somehow ended up in DaDong. I saw this as some sort of sign that I was destined to eat here during this trip. I asked for a table as I laughed to myself, and began to get comfortable. The hour wait was actually 20 minutes and I was able to entertain myself by watching the chefs work in a windowed kitchen.

            As I was taken upstairs to my table, I was amazed at how beautiful and big this place was. It was a couple of stories with the ability to seat a couple of hundred people without feeling packed. I began looking through the menu and noticed how high the prices were (even for American standards). No worries though, I still got my duck.

When you order duck, you also order a plate of condiments, which come with certain sauces and vegetables. Along with that come some sort of special pancakes and some bread cut up in the center. These two things are for a person to make themselves something similar to a taco or sandwich. About 30 minutes later came my beautifully roasted duck.

 My chef came to the table and began by carving off some of the crispy skin. He placed on the side for later preparation and began cutting the meat into thin slices. After perfectly carving this bird, he placed the meat and strands of skin on a plate with beautiful presentation. This allowed the person eating the duck to begin making their “sandwiches” and “tacos.”

 From each duck come two plates of skin and meat. The skin is incredibly crispy and fatty. People who think that bacon is the best thing in the world would be proven wrong by this skin. It is extremely decadent, but not very fatty when prepared correctly (which DaDong does). The meat was succulent and not dry at all. Along with the condiments, this made for a wonderful meal.

 After the chef was done carving the bird, he wished me a good meal and left. I thought that it would be the last time I would see him but I was wrong. He came back nearing the end of my meal (or what I thought was the end) with a special soup made with milk and some of duck broth made from the bones that remained from the bird. I’m sure that the broth wasn’t made from my specific duck, but the fact that whole animal is used and fed to the customers shows a lot about the restaurant. They want their customers to receive what they pay for, and I definitely did.

 

After this, I thought I was done, but then came another small dish. Chinese eat a special type of porridge made with broth for breakfast. Its never really been my favorite dish, but when a plate of this came out, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I’d be lying if I said that I finished it. 

Lastly, I was brought out a plate of hawthorns decorated with dry ice. Although a simple dessert, it was a nice palate cleanser after a roast duck. It was a nice touch, and I honestly can’t complain about anything that is free.

            Overall, my experience at DaDong was an incredible one. I think my favorite part was how it happened even though it wasn't supposed to. What are the odds of me ending up where I wanted to go specifically in a city as huge as Beijing? I know for a fact that the chances are very slim. The fact that this actually happened shows me how what is meant to be will always work out for you. And this was a perfect example of this, because I made it to the airport on time and had nothing to worry about. Once again, I love China.