Celebrate Peking Duck Day at These Top Restaurants

Peking duck is not just a traditional Chinese dish, but a true culinary ritual with a centuries-old history. Its preparation requires skill, time, and attention to detail, as the duck must be perfectly crispy on the outside, while the meat remains juicy and tender. In China, this delicacy is often prepared using a special technique that involves careful preparation and aging. However, due to the dish's popularity, today you can find restaurants around the world offering their own variations of Peking duck.

Every year on January 18th, Peking Duck Day is celebrated — a holiday dedicated to this unparalleled dish, which has become a symbol of Chinese cuisine. If you’re looking for an authentic experience and want to enjoy this dish at the highest level, here are the best restaurants serving Peking duck that will not leave you indifferent.

Located in a plaza on Atlantic Boulevard since 1988, Duck House is known for their glass display window where copper-colored ducks hang in a row. The restaurant has a traditional ordering system - diners need to pre-order Peking duck at least 2 hours in advance. Each duck is air-dried for 24 hours, then roasted in a custom-built brick oven imported from Beijing. The dining room features round tables with lazy susans and can seat 120 guests.

Highlights:
Classic Peking Duck: Served in three courses - crispy skin with sugar, meat with pancakes and fixings, duck soup
Duck Fried Rice: Made with shredded Peking duck meat
Duck Bone Soup: Traditional clear broth using duck bones
Duck Lettuce Wraps: Minced duck meat with vegetables
Duck Bao Buns: Steamed buns filled with shredded Peking duck

Recommendations:
Order the complete Peking Duck feast which includes all three courses. Start with the crispy skin dipped in sugar, then move to the pancakes with scallions, cucumber, and hoisin sauce. End with their duck bone soup. For groups, add the duck fried rice and lettuce wraps to share.

In the heart of Chinatown, Chef Han has turned this Jackson Street spot into a Peking duck destination since 2008. The small kitchen features two specialized duck ovens that run constantly - the restaurant preps up to 20 ducks daily. Unlike many places, Z & Y lets you watch the chef carve your duck tableside through a window into the prep area. They earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2012 for their precise preparation methods.

Highlights:
Traditional Peking Duck: Whole duck carved into 36 pieces, served with hand-made pancakes
Duck and Mushroom Clay Pot: Made with leftover duck meat
Duck Bone Broth: Rich soup with winter melon
Duck Spring Rolls: Filled with shredded Peking duck
Half Duck Option: Available for smaller groups

Recommendations:
Pre-order the whole Peking duck experience at least one day ahead. The proper way to eat here: start with the skin dipped in sugar, then wrap meat with scallions and sauce in pancakes. Don't skip the duck bone broth - they simmer it for 6 hours. For lunch, their half-duck portion works well for 2-3 people.

Photo Credit: instagram.com/zandypekingduck/

Super Star Asian Cuisine is a dim sum eatery in Alameda Square Shopping Center. It is actually an old RadioShack converted into a restaurant in 2004. Beyond the simple storefront lies a vast dining room filled with roving dim sum carts during lunch, but Peking duck is their dinner specialty. Every morning at 5 AM, the kitchen staff starts preparing ducks using traditional Beijing methods in their custom-designed vertical ovens.

Highlights:
Peking Duck: 24-hour preparation process, served with house-made thin pancakes
Duck Congee: Rice porridge with shredded Peking duck
Duck Chow Fun: Wide rice noodles stir-fried with duck meat
Duck and Mushroom Dumplings: Filled with minced Peking duck
Duck Skin Fried Rice: Made with crispy duck skin pieces

Recommendations:
Make a reservation for the full Peking duck service, which requires 45-minute advance notice. The duck comes in two courses - first the crispy skin with pancakes and fixings, then your choice of either duck meat stir-fry or duck soup. For lunch, try their duck congee with youtiao (Chinese donuts) on the side.

What started in 1978 as a tiny corner spot has grown into a State Street landmark. Third-generation owner David Wong still uses his grandfather's original recipe for Peking duck, with one special addition - local Utah honey for the glaze. The 40-seat dining room at New Golden Dragon features a wall of photos showing three generations of family duck-making history. Each morning, ducks are hung near the front window, a tradition David's grandfather started to show customers their preparation process.

Highlights:
Traditional Peking Duck: Honey-glazed crispy skin with house-made wheat pancakes
Duck Wonton Soup: Clear broth with duck-filled wontons
Duck Lo Mein: Noodles tossed with shredded duck meat
Salt & Pepper Duck Wings: Crispy appetizer using Peking duck wings
Duck Meat Buns: Steamed bao filled with chopped duck

Recommendations:
Call ahead for the complete Peking duck service, which feeds 4-6 people. Start with the crispy skin course, followed by meat with pancakes and fixings. Save room for their duck wonton soup - they make the wontons fresh each morning. Regular customers know to request extra pancakes, which they make thinner than most places.

This RiNo district spot, housed in an old soy sauce factory, brings a modern twist to Chinese classics. Chef Tommy Lee named it after Denver's original 1870s Chinatown. The open kitchen lets diners watch the duck-roasting process in a custom-built applewood-burning oven. Unlike traditional venues, Hop Alley takes a contemporary approach - they age their ducks for 72 hours in a temperature-controlled room before roasting.

Highlights:
Beijing Duck: Dry-aged and applewood-roasted, served with house-pickled vegetables
Duck Fat Rice: Jasmine rice fried in rendered duck fat
Duck Liver Mousse: Smooth spread with five-spice and char siu sauce
Duck Wontons: Served in black vinegar sauce
Duck Fried Rice: Made with confit duck leg

Recommendations:
Reserve the Beijing Duck two days in advance - it's served as a large format dish for 2-4 people. Each order comes with pickled vegetables, scallion pancakes, and duck fat rice. Don't miss their duck liver mousse as a starter. For drinks, they pair their duck dishes with natural wines from their carefully curated list.

A Chinatown institution since 1978, located in a basement space off Mott Street. Glass windows face the prep kitchen where chefs hand-brush maltose syrup on ducks before hanging them to dry. The Peking Duck House has three special duck ovens that are open from morning to midnight. Each year, they serve over 30,000 ducks using the same recipe and techniques brought over from Beijing by founder Mr. Wu. The wood-paneled dining room has barely changed in 45 years.

Highlights:
Peking Duck: Carved tableside into 38 pieces following Beijing tradition
Duck Soup: Made from roasted duck bones and Chinese herbs
Minced Duck in Lettuce Cups: Using meat from the neck and wings
Duck Fried Rice: Cooked with shredded Peking duck meat
Duck Spring Rolls: Filled with duck meat and mushrooms

Recommendations:
Order the full Peking duck experience 30 minutes in advance. Watch the chef carve your duck tableside, then start with the crispy skin dipped in sugar. For the pancakes, locals know to ask for extra scallions and hoisin sauce. Round out the meal with duck soup, which comes free with every whole duck order.

Photo Credit: facebook.com/PekingDuckHouseMidtownNY/

This Uptown family operation, Sun Wah BBQ, started as a Hong Kong-style BBQ shop in 1986. The Cheng family moved from their tiny storefront to this former car dealership in 2009. Three generations work here - Grandpa still oversees duck preparation while his grandchildren run the dining room. In the window, dozens of mahogany-colored ducks hang in neat rows. Their "Beijing Duck Feast" became so popular that the James Beard Foundation named them an "America's Classic" in 2018.

Highlights:
Beijing Duck Feast: Three-course meal carved tableside on a rolling cart
Duck Fried Rice: Made with chopped duck meat and rendered fat
Duck Egg Foo Young: Classic omelet with shredded duck
Duck Congee: Rice porridge with duck meat and century egg
BBQ Duck: Available by the pound to take home

Recommendations:
The Beijing Duck Feast must be ordered one day ahead. It starts with the carved duck served with steamed bao instead of traditional pancakes, followed by duck fried rice, and ends with duck soup. Regulars know to request extra duck crackling on the side. For casual visits, their BBQ duck over rice is a popular lunch option.

Photo Credit: google.com

Located in Melbourne Square Mall, Red Ginger transformed a former retail space into an elegant Chinese restaurant in 2012. The centerpiece of their open kitchen is a glass-walled duck roasting station, where three copper ovens work throughout the day. Chef Liu, who trained in Hong Kong for 15 years, oversees duck preparation using a three-day process that includes a secret spice marinade passed down through his family. The restaurant's modern interior features red lanterns and a koi pond.

Highlights:
Peking Duck: Traditional preparation with crispy skin served separately
Duck and Abalone Soup: Premium soup using dried abalone
Duck XO Fried Rice: Made with house-made XO sauce
Duck and Taro Dumplings: Steamed with purple taro wrapper
Crispy Duck Rolls: Served with sweet chili sauce

Recommendations:
Book their Peking duck 24 hours in advance. The first course features the crispy skin with sugar for dipping, followed by meat with pancakes and homemade hoisin sauce. Finish with either duck bone soup or rice. During dim sum hours, try their duck and taro dumplings.

Inside a modernist building near Rice Village, Qin Dynasty isn't your typical strip mall Chinese spot. Chef Zhang, who ran Beijing's famous Quanjude duck restaurant for 15 years, brought his expertise to Houston in 1996. The restaurant's unique feature is their "duck viewing corridor" - a glass-walled hallway where diners walk past the aging ducks on their way to the dining room. Their brick ovens, built by Beijing craftsmen, use local Texas pecan wood for smoking.

Highlights:
Imperial Peking Duck: 72-hour process, carved into traditional 108 slices
Duck Consommé: Clear broth double-filtered with egg whites
Duck Fat Noodles: Hand-pulled noodles tossed in duck drippings
Eight Treasure Duck: Stuffed with glutinous rice and dried fruits
Duck Liver Pâté: Chinese-French fusion appetizer

Recommendations:
Reserve their Imperial Duck 3 days ahead. The ceremony begins with a tableside carving demonstration by Chef Zhang himself. First taste the skin with sugar, then wrap meat in paper-thin pancakes with garlic and cucumber. End with either consommé or noodles. On weekends, they offer a special duck dim sum menu.

Hakkasan occupies an impressive 11,000-square-foot space on the second floor of MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip. The restaurant showcases its Cantonese heritage through intricate wooden screens and contemporary Chinese design elements, creating an atmosphere that matches its high-end culinary offerings. Each dining room features unique geometric patterns and ambient lighting that creates an intimate setting despite the venue's grand scale.

Highlights:
Traditional Peking Duck: Multi-step preparation process, served in two distinct courses
Duck Salad: Signature crispy duck combined with pomelo, pine nuts and shallots
Stir-fried Duck: Second course offering with choice of black bean or XO sauce
Peking Duck Wrap: Served with house-made pancakes, cucumber, and scallions

Recommendations:
Reserve the Peking Duck at least 24 hours in advance. The experience begins with the presentation of the whole roasted duck, followed by professional carving at your table. Start with the crispy skin dipped in fine sugar, then enjoy the meat wrapped in thin pancakes with traditional accompaniments. For the full experience, pair your duck with one of their signature cocktails or a selection from their extensive wine list. The restaurant offers both early and late dinner seatings, with the earlier time recommended for the best duck service experience.

Photo Credit: instagram.com/hakkasanvegas/