Back for More: Dependable Duck Dinners at Jing Zun

Around once a month or so, the call will go out on WeChat: "Duck at Jing Zun?" Being my friendship group's resident food snob, this is my cue to sigh exaggeratedly and say "but the food there is so basic." However, basic reliable food is exactly what keeps the dining room at Jing Zun full pretty much every night of the week even after more than eight years in business.  

Duck is the main billing here and while it is perhaps not the most refined in town, it is certainly great value at RMB 138 per bird. The ducks are particularly juicy and the skin fattier than some other versions we've tried, which we enjoy but some may not. Our only gripe is that the pancakes can sometimes be a little doughy. 

Elsewhere, the menu (in English and with pictures) is chock full of tried and tested dishes, mostly northern Chinese-style, such as kungpao chicken 宫保鸡丁(RMB 30), stir-fried broccoli with garlic 蒜蓉西兰花 (RMB 26), and dry-pot potatoes 干锅豆角土豆片 (RMB 28). Among the best dishes are the jingjiang rousi 京酱肉丝(strips of pork in sweet bean sauce, served with tofu skin wrappers; RMB 32), the dry-fried green beans 干煸四季豆 (supremely salty – in a good way; RMB 26), and the culiu muxu 醋溜木须 (RMB 36), a surprisingly addictive traditional Beijing dish of pork, scrambled eggs, and wood ear mushrooms in a gloopy, vinegary sauce. 

Drinks wise, the restaurant brews its own beer, which comes in a light and dark version, and there is a surprisingly varied (if not very exciting) wine list. However, the smart move here is to stock up on the bottles of your choice at the April Gourmet around the corner and pay the nominal corkage fee (if they charge you corkage at all). This accommodating attitude to drinks and the consumption thereof is what keeps us going back to Jing Zun for every celebratory dinner, from birthdays to "we made it halfway through the week." That and the street-level terrace, which makes this a pretty good summer dining spot. Be sure to book in advance if you want to guarantee an outside seat as the terrace isn't all that big, and be sure to bring plenty of mosquito repellent.

More stories by this author here.

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Photos: Robynne Tindall, Dianping