by Lori Baltazar
Yes, I love steak but nothing spells out special occasion for me like Peking duck.
Note: M.I.Y.O. Monday stands for Make It Your Own Monday, a question thrown out to DCF readers every Monday to jumpstart the week with lively interaction. I also welcome questions and suggestions for future MIYO Mondays. Email me.
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I don’t remember the first time I had Peking duck but I do remember being so entranced with its mahogany skin, its scintillating sheen, and painfully unctuous texture that I felt myself go limp (seriously). I also remember that it was a special occasion in one of those we-only-eat-there-for-special-occasions restaurants.
Of course, as with all special occasion dishes, preparing Peking duck requires decades of learning and mastering. Originally a dish from Nanjing, China, ducks are prepared for their exalted, edible destiny through procedures that can only be described as Byzantine. The bird is force-fed until 35% of its weight is pure fat, its feathers plucked with almost loving care, then it goes to that kitchen in the sky via a cunning evisceration through a tiny opening under its wing. Chinese master chefs are mum about their methods in acquiring the duck’s exquisitely crispy skin but my research yields a litany of bizarre “blow-drying” methods that include a bicycle pump (!), electric fans, and fruitwood-fired kilns the size of a condominium, among others.
As far as I’m concerned, the chefs can keep their secrets, I want my Peking duck skin. Though the number of pancakes provided per order of Peking duck is prescribed, my perfect ratio is 2:3, two pancakes to three strips of skin. Ideally, there should be some meat sticking to skin layered over a just-steamed floury pancake, its ivory hue stained by streaks of hoisin sauce. A line of leeks peeks out once the pancake is folded, their piquant flavor ripping through the richness. This is a dish that invites delectable daydreams, even surrounded by others in equal states of ecstasy seated at a table centered on celebration.
There are plenty of places in Manila that take their Peking ducks seriously. My choice is Peking Garden.
What is your celebratory dish in your special-occasion restaurant?
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Buffets define celebration for me.
My current favorite is Paseo De Uno at Mandarin Oriental. They serve unlimited foie gras. Their appetizer section is impressive with salmon gravlax and jellied seafood as my favorites. The dessert section also looks promising.
Yum!
My special occasion plance is Melo’s and my dish of choice is Wagyu steak. 🙂
My special occasion place is Old Manila at The Manila Peninsula. I order anything on the menu that catches my fancy, with Brut champagne to go with it.
I guess it’s not so much the food for me, but the place, the ambiance.
Rumaki at Chocolate Kiss (because I rarely go there, and that bacon-liver-chestnut combo is a winner); Peking duck or crispy roast pig skin (Chinese style, with hoisin sauce for that ohm-nomnomnom religious/foodie goodness)not picky about the resto as long as they do the duck and the pancakes right; ooh, and steak at Myron’s or Mamou (with key lime pie for dessert at the latter –which I hope to do soon, hehehe)…
Hi Lori, can you recommend dishes I can order in Mona Lisa? a ‘special occassion’ is coming up 🙂
peking garden and hai shin lou for peking duck. and i like the goose station as well.
Just had dinner at Peking Garden Greenbelt 5 and of course we had Peking duck, served one way. This way, the crispy skin’s served with a thicker cut of meat which are then wrapped in pancake with hoisin sauce, spring onions and cucumber. Delicious!
Then we take home the carcass and make Peking duck congee. Perfect comfort food on a rainy day.
Just posting to agree that peking duck is also our family’s idea of celebration food. 🙂
First time eating it might have been either in Spring Deer restaurant in Timog or in White Orchid (or something similar to that name) in Bangkok.
Glad that Peking Garden G5 is a convenient place for peking duck goodness
our family goes for peking duck as well. or steak. or lechon. yumyum. still in search for the best lechon in manila.
Funny you should write about Peking Duck. We just had some this weekend at Peking Gourmet Inn in Arlington, Virginia, which is patronized by Washington politicians, generals and the Prez.
Speical occasion place would be The Flaming Pit that serves 18 oz. aged prime ribs with home-made bread. We’ve been long-time customers so when my mom visited from Manila back in 1998, I arranged to celebrate her birthday at the Pit. The owner refused to accept payment which was roughly $600 for about 15 people.
With my family, a special occasion almost always calls for a lauriat. We love Summer Palace and order the whole nine yards — from cold appetizers to the soupy dessert.
The best Peking duck we’ve eaten is the one in Peking Garden. Next best is the one in Tin Hau restaurant at Mandarin Oriental Manila.
There was an old French Restaurant my family used to go to celebrate anniversaries and graduation L’eau Vie near San Marcelino Manila(which meant living water). The servers were Vietnamese refugees who spoke fluent French and they were managed by French nuns. I remember we would arrive at 6 pm but by 6:30. Everyone…diners and all would pray together before dinner. We would order steak and duck l’orange.
The other special occasion place for steaks was Alfredo’s in Timog I think.
Ooops. It was L’Eau Vive in Paco. Go straight Otis street (where Unilever is).. I’m sure Bindoy knows this.
🙂