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Enjoyed an excellent lunch at Poetry Wine! The meal started with a complimentary cut peach. It was fine. I ordered three savory dishes: crispy hairtail fish, braised fish head with youtiao, and half a Peking duck. First and foremost: the braised fish head was absolutely delicious. Perfectly textured, moist fish meat braised in a lightly spicy and super savory sauce alongside fluffy and crispy but not greasy savory doughnuts made for a whole meal in and of itself. I wanted to eat the whole thing myself. As a main, this could easily feed three to four people and for a very reasonable price (about 320 rmb). The hairtail was good but forgettable: very crispy with a sticky sweet sauce that was fine but wouldn’t buy again. The duck, however, was a star. Impeccable flavor with juicy meat and crispy skin, this was a top three Peking duck I’ve ever had. It was also well priced at 200 rmb for half a duck and 300 rmb for a full duck. Prices aside, the flavor of the braised fish head and the duck were outstanding. This restaurant definitely deserves its Michelin star and is a worthy stop when in Beijing.

A rough meal at Dadong, especially when compared to the amazing one at Xin Rong Ji a few nights before. This location is supposedly the more refined location in the Dadong chain empire and has been awarded a Michelin star, but it mostly disappointed. The famous duck was fine but no better than the many Peking duck restaurants in the capital. A side order of braised eggplant was quite good but not at the level of taste or refinement you’d expect from what Chef Dadong bills as the top location in Beijing and definitely not the level of other Michelin star restaurants. Both savory dishes were tasty but unremarkable. The desserts, however, were bad. Fired apple fritters were greasy and cumbersome and way too sweet. A white chocolate dessert looked cool and had a surprising spicy filling but lacked balance. Service tried their best but were rough around the edges, and everyone seemed a little harried at all times. The duck carver didn’t know how to turn on the light, and a second chef had to come out to finagle with the wiring. The servers were all nice but a little clumsy. One spilled the dessert on the table while placing it down.

Gastro Esthetics Dadong is a nice restaurant, but, based on my one time there, not ready for prime time as a destination restaurant, even when just considering taste.

Had a phenomenal meal at Xin Rong Ji. Preordered the peking duck, which was prepared table side. Also ordered the braised wild yellow croaker, bird’s nest soup, and salted peach ice cream for dessert. The meal started with complimentary crispy duck skin, homemade pickled vegetables, and fresh roasted peanuts alongside of perfectly ripe apricots. Also complimentary were a bowl of cooked lotus seeds and some mignardes that included an almond cookie, a red date pastry, and an orange ball that exploded in the mouth.

The food was absolutely phenomenal. By far the best peking duck I’ve ever had. The duck itself had glistening skin that was perfectly crisp with tender and juicy meat. Part was served with caviar prepared specifically by the kitchen, and the rest was served in a classic style. The leftover meat was prepared in a soup that tasted like a rich ramen or veloute. The accompaniments were all perfectly prepared: julienned cucumber and scallion, hawthorn jelly, hoisin, and perfectly toothsome wraps. The croaker had an addictive sauce and was cooked to have succulent meat. It was served with homemade rice cake that soaked up the sauce and had a perfect qq bite. On the side, we were served a delicious pile of lotus seeds sitting in a bright marinade. Theybpopped in the mouth with a light crunch and burst of flavor. After we finished the roasted peanuts, we were brought a whole bowl of them which was packed to go at the end of the meal.

Desserts were light but mostly delightful. The salted peach ice cream was utterly cravable, and the birds nest soup was good but could have used a little more salt to balance the sweetness. Of the mignardes, the exploding orange was amazing, and the other two were fine.

All in all, an excellent meal with the best iterations of Chinese classics I’ve ever had. Well worth its accolades. The pictures definitely do not do this place justice. Taste doesn’t translate through the camera.