Da Dong -- Beijing, China

Every time my family vacations to China (and that's a LOT of times) we never leave Beijing without hitting up Da Dong. While it's not the most famous Peking Duck place in the capital, it certainly is the best. If you think about it, it makes sense because the most well-known place will become so busy that it will soon lose it's quality. But for Da Dong, reservations are usually a must as they only take a certain number of tables per day.

What's to eat: Peking Duck, among other great things

Where it's at: multiple locations in Beijing, China
Expensive? Moderate

What I like about this place is that the duck isn't the only dish you look forward to. Everything we had (on all occasions) have been outstanding. We tried a couple different dishes this time around but there are some dishes we always order. The Bird's Nest is one of them. The main ingredient is duck meat and, man, is it seasoned well. The Bird's Nest is also fried to perfection and sits on a piece of cabbage so it's easier to eat. It was so good that we order two for everyone, right off the bat.

Little did I know, the next dish was going to be the absolute best. Now I'm not a big fan of soup in general, but WOW. I'm not exactly sure what the base is because the english name for it was just Braised Cabbage with Chestnuts in Saffron Soup. But it doesn't really matter so long as it contains saffron (the most expensive spice in the world), which makes everything taste like Heaven. We all each had a bowl and then had to order seconds.

I'm also not a huge fan of bamboo shoots. I'll eat them when they're in my Hot N Sour Soup but otherwise I think they have a weird fungus-y taste. But Da Dong's Braised Winter Bamboo Shoots were also d.licious. Very soft but rich in flavor.

I also liked their Salmon with Nuts and Pickle. It was a little pricey for the tiny piece of filet they give you (96 RMB, about US$14) but the presentation was nice and the flavor of the nuts and pickles were good.

Finally, their duck. Super crispy skin with juicy meat that's not too fatty. What more can you ask for? They also have an option that allows you to pick the duck you want. It's only about 20-30 RMB more, which is a steal. Otherwise the chef picks one out for you and they carve it at your table. Later, you get a choice of what to do with the bones. One time we packed the bones and took it with us - soooo good! Usually we ask them to make a soup with it, which is what we did this time. I alway remember it to be amazing, but during this particular meal the Saffron soup overshadowed it!

And we had complimentary desserts. My guess is they've never seen four people eat so much food! In any case it was nice of them and yummy.

If you ever make it out this far east, make sure you hit this place up! It's highly, highly recommended by the whole family.

--fatty regina