Beijing roast duck or Peking Duck (北京烤鸭 běijīng kǎoyā /bay-jing kaow-yaa/) is the epitome of Beijing cuisine and if you had to choose just one dish to try whilst in the capital, this would be it. The dish is mostly esteemed for the thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly skin and little meat. Whilst sauces and accompaniments will vary between restaurants (the most common being scallion and cucumber) it is difficult to go wrong with roast duck in Beijing.
A lot of restaurants offering this dish will carve the duck beside your table. If you eat at one of Beijing’s more famous duck restaurants it will also be accompanied by a short demonstration on the correct way to assemble a Peking Duck wrap using chopsticks. Whilst this may take some time to master, rest assured that the wraps don't need to be well constructed to be delicious.
A local trick, that comes highly recommended, is to dip the crispiest pieces of skin in sugar before eating.
Try it at
Da Dong Duck Restaurant (大董烤鸭)!