Here it is. The official Sun Wah BBQ wiki for the off-menu Beijing Duck Dinner. While those at the table next to you are thumbing through the menu cover-to-cover wondering why they can’t find it, you and your dining companions will be steps ahead enjoying this feast like a BOSS because of the exclusive details provided on this page. Let’s start.
What is it?
The Beijing Duck Dinner is a multi course feast that starts with the promptly roasted, crispy-skin, whole duck wheeled table side to be carved in front of you. Sun Wah BBQ does this whether you’re a party of one or a fully packed round table. We don’t pre-carve this somewhere else and rob you of the experience. Table side. Always.
In the meantime, steamed Gwa Bao, pickled daikon radish, garnishes, and our house-blended hoisin sauce will be arriving. This first course enables you and your companions to dress up that Bao in whatever manner you’d like or dart for that drumstick. Beyond the 6 that come with this feast, more bao is available to order. This way, it comes freshly steamed and pillowy soft.
What remains of that carved duck is a meaty carcass, so it’s returned to the kitchen where lingering morsels are stripped off to be made into the 2nd course, a Duck Fried Rice. An available alternative is for that meat to be applied to a Duck Noodle. Just let the server know at the time of ordering.
Finally, the duck bones are rendered into a duck broth soup that contains wintermelon, cilantro, and eggs as the finishing course.
Why isn’t it on the menu?
Virtually everything that’s on our printed menu is an item available for dine-in and carry-out. Beijing Duck is not and should not be a carry-out item. If you can understand why our cherished Chicago steakhouses would frown on ordering a steak for carry-out and being asked to have it pre-sliced, you’ll understand why the Beijing Duck Dinner should remain off-menu and enjoyed by well-informed dine-in patrons who support our intent to maintain the experience, the crispiness of the skin, and juiciness of the meat. If you are absolutely insistent on ordering a Beijing Duck for carry-out, it will only go out whole and uncarved.
Additionally, the process of making each Beijing Duck starts days in advance and some forecasting needs to be done to determine how many need to be made available on the target day. This is why we often ask if you’re having the Beijing Duck Dinner when a reservation is being taken. On a busy weekend night when we’ve gone through 150+ duck dinners, those who have reserved one in advance will have priority over the last remaining Beijing Ducks.
How do I order it?
Once seated in the dining room, simply tell your server you’d like the Beijing Duck Dinner and indicate whether you’d like the Duck Fried Rice or Duck Noodles. While your duck finishes its cooking process on its way to you, now would be a great time to crank up the envy among your social media followers!
Whither Beijing or Peking?
Peking Duck? Beijing Duck? Both refer to the same capital city in China. “Peking” is the transliterated Cantonese pronunciation while “Beijing” is from the Mandarin dialect. They are one in the same. “Peking Duck Dinner” is another perfectly valid way of ordering this feast.