23 Jan Celebrating National Peking Duck Day
This month we celebrate National Peking Duck Day – an icon of Chinese culinary culture. The dish originated at the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and was memorialized in 1330 in a cookbook by royal dietician, Hu Sihui. It quickly became a staple of Chinese Imperial menus. In 1416, the first restaurant dedicated to Peking Duck opened in Beijing. 400 years later in the 1850s, the dish was introduced to the United States in New York City’s Chinatown. The simple, elegant appearance of Peking Duck masks the elaborate days-long preparation, cooking and serving process that has been perfected over generations.
Peking Duck holds a special place in Chinese culture. Because of its beginnings in the royal courts, the dish represents culinary sophistication and elegance. Today, Peking Duck is a symbol of Chinese culinary heritage and is regularly enjoyed around the world for celebrations.
Starting this January, authentic Beijing-style Peking Duck will be introduced by Chef Lijun Han in San Francisco at Z&Y’s new sister restaurant, Z&Y Peking Duck, located in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown at 606 Jackson. “Opening a second restaurant concept here in Chinatown has been a dream of mine for years, and I am eager to welcome my loyal patrons and new diners to experience Z&Y Peking Duck. We will be the only restaurant in San Francisco to prepare and serve authentic Beijing-style Peking Duck, honoring the centuries-old traditional processes. I’m proud to introduce this dish to San Francisco.”
To create this authentic dish, Chef Han starts by selecting organic, fresh, high-quality duck. The duck is parboiled and glazed with a light layer of honey to ensure an exceptionally shiny, crackly, and slightly sweet skin. Then it is air-dried for 24 hours to allow the skin to dry out, promoting crispiness during the roasting. From there, it is roasted to perfection in custom, single-purpose roasting ovens, before being expertly carved and served alongside with Chef Han’s proprietary sauces. The result is an exquisite blend of crispy skin and tender, flavorful meat. In serving Peking Duck, the art of carving the duck is as crucial as the art of its preparation. These “duck masters” are trained up to five years to master slicing the duck with finesse, ensuring that each slice contains the perfect ratio of crispy skin, succulent meat and flavorful fat.
In celebration of the opening of Z&Y Peking Duck, the duck will be available to order at a special pricing for limited time only, whole ($69) or half ($40), and will be sliced and served in the authentic style or uniquely elevated with caviar ($158), along with fresh, julienned cucumbers and scallions, house-made Hoisin sauce, and delicate flour wraps. All Z&Y Peking ducks are freshly made in-house and take multiple days to prepare and process, so the guests are highly encouraged to pre-order this iconic dish ahead of time. Additionally, the other dishes at the restaurant are meant to be shared, and the menu includes a wide selection of Beijing dim sum like savory potstickers, hearty skewers, crispy egg rolls, and mouth-watering buns. Other dishes include Stir-Fried Crab with House Spicy Sauce, Clay Pot Braised Lamb Ribs, Szechuan Twice-Cooked Pork with Sauteed Cabbage and Leek, and more.
Z&Y Peking Duck is located at 606 Jackson Street (near Kearny St.). Hours are Thursday through Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.; closed on Wednesdays. Reservations are encouraged and can be booked online via www.zandypekingduck.com or at (415) 986-1899.
Written by,
Grier McCurdy Mathews
