Journal
Notes on eating Peking duck, on the stories and people around Quanjude — a signboard, a duck ticket, Zhou Enlai, Chaplin, a play — on our craft and ordering, and on the Ottawa neighbourhood.
How to eat Peking duck: sugar first, then the pancake
From the first slice of skin to the last pancake roll: how the ritual goes at the table, and what goes well beside it.
One signboard, three characters: how Dejuquan became Quanjude
A dealer in ducks, a failing shop outside the Qianmen gate, a name written back to front, and an oven that hangs the duck over an open fire.
One ticket, one duck: old Beijing’s duck voucher
Before gift cards, Quanjude sold a red paper slip that could be redeemed for freshly roasted ducks — and helped pay for the shop’s new two-storey house.
A duck dinner that connected the world: Zhou Enlai and Quanjude
Premier Zhou Enlai’s dinners at Quanjude, the “duck diplomacy”, and the new Hepingmen building he proposed.
Writers, artists and a duck dinner
Writers and artists around one table — an exchange of food culture.
Chaplin and the duck he did not get enough of
Geneva, May 1954: a dinner given by Zhou Enlai, a comedian who “never ate duck”, and two more ducks to take home — a story told at Quanjude.
From an old restaurant to the stage: Tianxia Diyi Lou
The 1988 Beijing play adapted from Quanjude’s history.
Hung oven vs. closed oven: Beijing’s two ways to roast a duck
We hang the duck in an open fruitwood fire; Bianyifang uses a closed oven. What the two methods do to the skin and the meat.
Peking duck vs. Cantonese roast duck: what’s the difference?
Both are glossy roast ducks, but the method, the carving and the way you eat them are not the same. A plain comparison — and which side our duck stands on.
A short history of dining in ByWard Market
From a cedar bog and a wooden market hall to BeaverTails and a duck restaurant: how this neighbourhood learned to feed people.
The whole-duck banquet: from webs to soup
Quanjude built a whole cuisine around one bird. How a whole-duck banquet unfolds, and which of its dishes you can find on our menu.
The Prosperous Peony: Peking duck at the APEC banquet
How eight carvers turned Peking duck into a peony in four minutes at the 2014 APEC welcome banquet.
Looking for the story itself? Read the sourced heritage story, what guests and the press say, or watch the videos.
Join us for a duck carved at your table.
Reservations are recommended for Peking duck, weekends and groups. Walk-ins are welcome when tables are free.