Sunday, June 8, 2008

#93 Beijing Duck


Tonight we took the kids out with some friends and colleagues for Beijing Duck - a roast duck speciality named after the capital city of China. Beijing duck is made from a special breed of duck which is slaughtered after 65 days, seasoned, then roasted by hanging in a brick oven over an open fire. The skin becomes crispy and the meat tender. The chef slices the duck at your table with a specified sequence of 130 precise cuts. It is served with a Chinese version of the tortilla, sliced shallots, and a sweetish sauce. It is considered one of China's national foods and is quite delicious.

The other highlight was that this dinner was set and served in the same way as so many of my business dinners in China have been - round table, lazy susan, wave after wave of food, and lots of Qingdao beer. I believe however, this was our kids' first such banquet. We were very proud of them because the tried many new and unusual dishes that you wouldn't necessarily expect young children to attempt. Nothing crazy, but delicious vegetables, dumplings, soups, and meats.

The other guests tonight were our colleague and friend, Gary, his children, and two Caterpillar colleagues in town for business and staying the weekend. It was a good time and if anyone out there is interested in trying this place out, it is called Quanjude and it is located at 1168 Renmin Lu, Suzhou.

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