You know nothing, Jon Snow
It’s pretty much a house rule for us back home in Sydney, that if Peking duck pancakes are on the menu, they’re going to get ordered. Really no matter the circumstances, restaurant or procrastination on our part… that’s just what happens.
Needless to say a trip to Beijing was inevitably going to be a culinary pilgrimage of sorts.
Turns out we had a bit to learn.
First learning was around how/why Peking came to change it’s name to Beijing. Which of course it hasn’t (transliteration has simply been tightened up). So Peking duck is Beijing duck, no problem, and irrelevant as here actually in Beijing of course it’s just roast duck.
So we found ourselves faced by several options on a spectrum of upscale/modern through to more rustic/traditional, and stumped for the Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant.
Next learning was around preparation of the duck. I’d sort of grown up with those photographs on the wall of BBQ King showing Peking duck production at scale, never imagining the sense experience of ducks roasting over fruit woods in a brick oven in the next room.
Thinking ourselves more prepped we weighed into our pancake course with enthusiasm, only to be pulled up and given a specific walkthrough as to how they like to prepare the duck in the Liqun family:
Take a stack of pancakes onto your plate
Paint the hoisin onto the pancake with a meatier slice of duck
Add a less meaty slice and then a piece of straight skin, and a couple of shallots
DO NOT add cucumber, as this will make the pancake bitter and wet, cucumber is provided to cleanse/refresh the palate between repeats.
Roll the topmost pancake, tucking at one end to prevent spills
Enjoy from the hand (“Now do the same with the rest!”)
This was a simple meal, with beer alongside and a convivially informal atmosphere.
Thank you Kevin for the recommendation!
