Dongmen Peking Duck in Beijing is a hidden gem that was recommended by a local taxi driver when we told him we wanted to eat Peking Duck. He insisted we try this restaurant instead of the usual touristy must-visit Peking duck restaurants we might have had in mind.
We were skeptical about his recommendation at first but decided to give it a shot and we regretted nothing.
It was so good that we visited this restaurant twice during our stay in Beijing and here’s why you must dine at Dongmen Peking Duck too.
Photo Credit: http://www.dianping.com/member/172564985
Dongmen Peking Duck is located close to Tiananmen and the Palace Museum at Donghuamen, alongside a stretch of many other peking duck restaurants.
Upon entering the restaurant, we realised that there were only locals dining in this restaurant and was thinking in our minds “wow, really not a single tourist, must be very local and authentic”. This place is so non-touristy that if you try to Google for more information, you would not be able to find anything without using China search engines.
Prices at this place are slightly cheaper than the other peking duck restaurants around Beijing and you are gonna get a bang for your yuan!
The Half Peking Duck (¥118) was so good! It took rather long as every table ordered this classic Beijing dish and they are all freshly roasted, so a little waiting is necessary.
What makes a good peking duck? We believe for most of us it would be the crispy skin, a tasteful layer of fat and flavourful tender duck meat.
What was good about this Peking duck from Dongmen was the skin to fat ratio, and with that, it already checked the main box for us. It was not overwhelming with oil and the skin had a good crisp and roasted flavour to it. The meat was tender and not gamey, perfect for those who avoid duck due to the gamey taste.
The side dishes that came along with it were cucumbers, sweet duck sauce, hawthorn jellies, shredded scallions and a basket of steamed crepe. Take a portion of all these side dishes to wrap with the duck and you are in for a treat, we promise!
The Stir Fried Cauliflower with Pork Belly (¥40) and Stir Fried Cabbage with Pork Belly (¥40) were both mildly spicy, stirred fried with dried chilli and was very aromatic. You cannot go wrong ordering vegetable dishes in China as they are all so sweet, fresh and crisp!
This dish of Deep Fried Grouper in Sweet and Spicy Sauce is another must-try item. The sauce tastes similar to the usual sweet and sour flavour you can get from Chinese restaurants but with a kick of spice and a hint of black bean flavour. It was bursting with umami and went so well together with white rice.
The fish was fresh, well-fried and of a sizeable portion, making it good for sharing.
Dongcheng Qu, Beijing Shi, China, 100006
Thank you very much for this post! I’m a huge fan of peking duck and this post already makes me want to make Beijing a destination for my next getaway!