A Duck to Rival Da Dong: Xihe Yayuan

In a city where style increasingly trumps substance, this jaded diner set little store by Xihe Yayuan’s handsome Ming nouveau decor and cushy window booths. While waiting for our duck (RMB 203), we grazed on a refreshing cold winged bean salad and a masterful rendition of daoxiao mian, thick knife-shaved noodles in a caramelized sauce of eggplant, red pepper, garlic and pork. The arrival of a bird roasted over pine wood to resplendent shades of brown and tan announced the moment of truth.

As a masked chef set to carving, the manager explained that the duck had been filled with date sauce to keep the meat tender during cooking. On his advice, we first dipped the skin in a blueberry coulis and let it melt on our tongues in sweet, rich bliss. Next, we rolled the lean breast meat with scallions and plum sauce in wonderfully textured, non-sticky pancakes (plain and spinach-flavored).

By the time the juicy leg meat was served, conversation had given way to grunts of joy. Surfacing for air, one 12-year Beijing resident declared this the best duck she’d ever had. Later consensus was that Da Dong has a worthy rival indeed.

Also try: Da Dong, Peking Duck Private Kitchen

Xihe Yayuan 羲和雅苑
Daily 11am-2pm, 5-10pm. Rm 302, 3/F, IFC Mall (opposite Kunlun Hotel, next to Jiayi Market), 1 Xinyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District (5976 1355)
朝阳区新源南路1号都汇天地商场3楼302号(燕莎桥西)

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