Iconic dishes · Beijing
Peking Duck
北京烤鸭 — The dish most visitors come to China to eat: lacquered skin, thin pancakes, hoisin and scallion, carved tableside. The gap between a great duck and an average…
A proper Peking duck is inflated between skin and flesh before roasting, so the fat renders away and the skin arrives glassy and separate. It is carved in three stages — skin first, dipped in sugar; then the juicy slices with pancakes, spring onion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce; finally the bones and remnants, often taken away for broth.
Beijing’s duck houses divide into two schools: the closed-oven (menlu) tradition of Bianyifang, which is juicier and nuttier, and the open fruitwood-oven (guolu) style of the modern stars, which is leaner and more dramatic. Either way, book ahead — the best ducks are limited daily.
DaDong’s star-holding flagship made the lean "crispy-skin" style famous; Sheng Yong Xing pairs its duck with one of the city’s best wine cellars; Bianyifang has been roasting since 1416 for around a quarter of the price.
Where to eat it
- Bianyifang (Xianyukou, the 1416 original)
- Gastro Esthetics at DaDong (Michelin star)
- Sheng Yong Xing (Michelin star, wine pairing)
Named tables that do it well
- Xin Rong Ji (Xinyuan South Road) — Michelin 3 Stars
- Chao Shang Chao — Michelin 3 Stars
- Jing Ji — Michelin 2 Stars
- King’s Joy — Michelin 2 Stars
Routes that eat their way here
More dishes to know
- Hairy Crab (大闸蟹)
- Dongpo Pork (东坡肉)
- Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
- Char Siu (叉烧)
- Cantonese Roast Goose (烧鹅)
- Big Plate Chicken (Dapanji) (大盘鸡)