Yves L.
Yelp
I think this restaurant suffers a lot from its positive reputation. On the one hand, you've got people who have been to or heard of its Chinese locations, and have incredibly high expectations. On the other, you've got the restaurant itself, with its somewhat pompous pricing.
To me, the most important thing about a restaurant is the food. So, without further ado...
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* QJD Premium Roast Duck Set; Half duck ($48): Comes with 12 steamed pancakes, sweet soybean sauce, cucumber strips, and scallion strips. This is what you're coming to this restaurant for.
The duck is carved "sort of tableside": some tables will actually get a very close view, but the space between tables is too narrow for the cart, so for some tables it gets carved from across the room. Bit of a bummer.
You can get extra sides for a price. The whole duck is a bit cheaper at $88, and for an extra $20 you'll get it carved into the shape of a peony, with a special plate and presentation. There's _no difference_ in the food itself though, so keep that in mind!
Before you get the actual duck meat, you'll get a "preview" plate with crispy duck skin and the head. Yum.
The pancakes are very thin, batter-based wrappers (as is traditional in Beijing), not the thicker bao that is sometimes served. It's placed in a basket over a candle to keep it warm, though it seemed that the candle quickly went out for most tables, causing it to get cold quite rapidly. I would suggest not leaving it for last.
Yes, the duck is pricey, but it's delicious. It's certainly of better quality than a more "typical" $30 Peking duck course, but YMMV on whether you think it's worth the surcharge.
* Marinated Jellyfish and Chinese Cabbage in Vinaigrette ($12.99): A delicious appetizer. Both the jellyfish and the cabbage have a pleasant crunch, and the vinaigrette makes it very refreshing and pleasant.
* Braised Pork Belly with Premium Chinese Liquor ($12.99/portion): Very, very high proportion of fat, which may catch some off-guard. The flavour of the maotai definitely comes through. Overall, it's pretty tasty, but not for everyone.
* Sautéed Snow Pea Sprouts with King Oyster Mushroom ($25.99): Pleasantly salty. The menu describes it as refreshing, which is accurate from a Chinese culinary standpoint, but might be misleading for Western audiences, who might expect less oil. The mushrooms are cut into large chunks, which are texturally appealing.
This dish is also available without the mushroom for $3 less, but the mushrooms really make the dish.
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Now, for the non-food stuff.
The location is a bit odd, though it's right off the highway so it's not too bad to drive to.
The service was friendly for a Chinese restaurant. Tea was refilled promptly. However, we got the Pork Belly over an hour into service, long after we were done with the rest of our food. Not ideal, but the server was apologetic, so we dismissed it.
Reservations are recommended.