PEKING DUCK HOUSE

He says:
When I first began eating at the Peking Duck House, it was a dinghy Mott Street haunt with squeaky wooden chairs and tiny tables crammed so close together the waiters would unapologetically knock into your back as they weaved through non-existent aisles. Back then it was packed every night with Chinatown locals who knew it had the best duck in the entire city … perhaps in the entire country. It’s true; I’ve had Peking duck in Beijing, and the Duck House’s version was nearly as good as the real thing. To this day the raucous crowds, completely Chinese menu (not one word of English!), and spectacular food remain seared in my memory.

But times have drastically changed at the Peking Duck House. Around 2004 the owners completely renovated the restaurant. Out went the sticky wood walls, in came the sleek marble tile. Out went the rickety chairs, in came the black leather padded seats. It looks nicer these days, I suppose, but what it has gained in opulence it has more than lost in character. The clientele has evolved along with the décor. When Uptown Girl and I arrived for lunch on a recent trip to NYC, the place was surprisingly empty at first. But that was just before a busload of French tourists laid siege upon the main dining room. Tourists? In the Peking Duck House? Reading from an all-English menu?

What hasn’t completely changed is the Peking duck, which is, as far as I know, still the best in the city. As always the chef comes out of the kitchen to show you the whole duck, carves it tableside, and then serves it alongside trays of sweet noodle sauce, green onion and cucumber slivers, and thin pancakes for rolling. The generous cuts of duck are marvelous, the crispy skin, fat, and rich dark meat all coming together to deliver a near-perfect combination of flavors, at once chewy and crunchy, primal and decadent. The noodle sauce’s sweet and salty notes sharpen the intensity of the duck while the cucumber and onion simultaneously provide a clean contrast from it.

We didn’t sample any other items because no one goes to the Peking Duck House for anything other than the namesake dish. This restaurant is essentially a one trick pony … but man, what a trick!

We say:
Not quite what it used to be, but still the best duck around.



Peking Duck House
28 Mott St., New York, NY 10013
http://www.pekingduckhousenyc.com