Four Peking Duck Houses: Hung-Oven vs. Closed-Oven vs. Modern Crispy, the Ultimate Comparison

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Evening

4 stops · Evening

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My Trip

The same 'kaoya' becomes a completely different dish when the roasting method changes. The smoky aroma of the wood-fired hung oven, the moistness of the closed oven, and the defatted modern style: only Beijing lets you compare them all in one city. You can't eat them all in a day, so this is a guide to choosing a style and settling on one place.

Evening4 stopsEst. budget 52,000 KRW

Itinerary

1
Bianyifang (Xianyukou Branch)便宜坊 (鲜鱼口店)
Restaurant · 80 min stay
Founded in 1416, Beijing's oldest duck house, older than Quanjude. Roasted gently in a closed oven (menlu) without direct flame, the skin is crisp while the flesh stays moist and tender. A good benchmark for feeling 'how it differs from the hung oven.'
17:30 오픈런
Walk 6 min
2
Quanjude (Qianmen Flagship)全聚德 (前门店)
Restaurant · 80 min stay
Founded in 1864, the originator of jujube-wood hung-oven (gualu) open-flame roasting and the most famous name. Strong smoky aroma and crispness, with the classic tableside duck-carving (pianya) performance. Touristy, but the flagship is where you confirm the 'textbook taste.'
Taxi 12 min
3
Siji Minfu (Palace Museum Branch)四季民福 (故宫店)
Restaurant · 80 min stay
A value duck house that Beijing locals actually queue for. The window seats with a view of the Forbidden City corner tower are prime, so dining at sunset is the best atmosphere. Served with both sesame sauce and hawthorn sauce.
일몰 30분 전 예약
Taxi 15 min
4
Da Dong (Nanxincang Branch)大董 (南新仓店)
Restaurant · Fine dining · 90 min stay
The byword for modern duck, creator of the thoroughly defatted 'su bu ni' (crisp-not-greasy) style. Dipping the skin in sugar became famous here. With its plating and 'yijing' artistic dishes, this is for when you want a kaoya at the opposite pole from tradition.