our National food.

Food is a very big part of culture. In fact i would go as far as saying that it is vital to the identity of a country.

A while ago, i attempted and succeeded in making jiaozis- a type of dumplings that is uniquely local made by every household, something everyone can afford to eat. But China don't only cater to the common people's palate, for dynasties the imperial kitchen had served delicacies fit for gods to the emperors and his imperial courts. There is one particular dish so special that it bears the name of the capital city- the peking duck.

U basically haven't experienced Beijing if u've never eaten our duck. There are a few chains who claim they serve the best, but i think i've found the answer.

大董烤鸭店 (Dadong Roast Duck)

I've never been a fan of roast duck or suckling pig cos it's too fatty. But i just had to try this Dadong Roast duck cos i've heard so much about it.

Get this ladies- it claims to be lower calories.

The duck meat was indeed very lean and flavourfull, and the skin is crispy with just the right amount of fat. they can be savoured in either thin popiah-like skin, or in these crispy little puffs...

And i've never seen so many condiments for roast duck before. There's spring onion, sweet sauce, ginger, bean paste, cucumber, radish, sugar and garlic!

I must say the combination is divine. The mix of flavours and textures blend so well. All for the price of not more than RMB 250 depending on the grades u choose. Les says it's better than Made-in-China, a restaurant in Hyatt that he supposedly thought served the best Peking Duck.

If u're STILL not a fan of duck, the restaurant also has an wide selection of intricate chinese fine dining to choose from. Here are the desserts we ordered...

Caramalised apple. It's served hot and sticky, so one must immediately separate the pieces and dip them in cold water so the caramel will harden. funky right?

And this is stewed persimmon with coconut milk, served cold like sorbet. Extremely refreshing.

One catch tho... Its hell to get a table. We went with a family of 3 (Uncle Joseph, Auntie Jasmine and Arnold)... Thankfully they were as eager to try the duck as i was, we waited almost 3 hrs in total. We actually had dinner somewhere else in between and came back to wait in line. super hardcore! and then AFTER getting a table, preparation takes another hr. So by the time we ate the duck, it was about 11pm and we were already stuffed by then. but the duck still tasted great, so it was worth the wait.

After that, still can bring the duck bone home to cook soup! Double YUMMY!!!

i give this duck 5 out of 5 stars. must try.