Peking/Beijing Duck

so on the way back from the Wall we stop at the nearby Ming Tombs, which were .... well, the dudes aren't even in the tombs anymore, so like whatever. it's still hot out. we eat ice cream.

so it's our last dinner together and most of us decide to split from the group because when in beijing, one eats peking duck. we head for the most famous peking duck restaurant in all of peking, founded in 1864 and so famous even kings and queens have eaten here! i bet yao ming has too!

i love duck, but i got a little freaked out at their picture menu (popular with foreigners), when i saw they served the duck in phases like first the deep fried webbed feet, then the neck soup, then the duck hearts, then the duck part of the duck. i guess that's just an 'option' and you don't have to have it that way.

so we stick with tradition and just order our own peking duck (it's just me, poom, ann, taka and brett). our waiter suggests some appetizers and we cave. we get our bill before the food arrives and it's like less than $15 per person so we order more stuff.

the perfectly roasted and glazed duck is wheeled over on a cart and presented to us tableside as a chef in a crisp white coat starts carving it. the waiter shows us how to properly eat it all up:

1. get 'pancake' (looks like a white crepe about the size of a small corn tortilla)
2. get 2-3 pieces of sliced duck with chopsticks
3. dip duck pieces in thick soy sauce (consistency of ketchup) and 'paint' the tortilla with them, speading the soy sauce ketchup evenly
4. add onion slices to top of duck slices and place in middle of tortilla, fold up like a burrito and eat!

it's totally fun and you can eat without chopsticks, which is the best part. we are presented with the duck's card of authenticity, complete with his serial number and farm info on where he was raised! i sorta feel bad about eating him, but not really. it's the best meal of the trip.