Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EATING
|FRENCH
MAISON BOULUD$$$
( Bùlǔ Gōng; 6559 9200; 23 Qianmen Dongdajie, mains from ¥238; lunch & dinner; ; Qianmen)
Nothing symbolises the dramatic changes that Běijīng's dining scene has undergone in re-
cent years more than this outpost of chef Daniel Boulud's empire. Located in part of the re-
stored Legation Quarter, which was the home of embassies in pre-Cultural Revolution
days, the restaurant's imposing facade gives way to a spacious, smoke-free dining room
that allows for real privacy (a rarity in Běijīng restaurants) while the service is as good as it
gets in the capital. The French-inspired food is predictably fine, with the menu and ingredi-
ents changing every couple of months to reflect the season. If you're not on the company
credit card, the four-course lunch menu (¥198) is a very decent deal for food of this quality.
Alternatively, the bar is a good place for a cocktail (from ¥70) if you just want to sample
the ambience.
DUCK DEVOTION
Zhang Liqun, owner of the Lìqún Roast Duck Restaurant, is 63 years old and has spent 30 years of his life
serving up duck in Běijīng.
How did you come to be a roast duck chef?
Even though I'm a third- generation Beijinger, my first job was
as a farmer. I left school in 1968, during the Cultural Revolution, and was sent to work on a farm in Shǎnxī. After
I came back to Běijīng, I just felt an urge to cook delicious food. I had a friend who worked at Quánjùdé Roast
Duck Restaurant and he helped me get a job there in 1982.
Does it take a long time to learn how to cook Peking duck?
I started at the bottom in the kitchen. First you
study everything about ducks: how they should be fed and slaughtered, although cooks don't kill the ducks them-
selves anymore. Then you learn about all the ingredients that go into making it taste so good. Finally, you learn
how to cook the bird. It takes about three years to learn how to cook it properly. It's difficult to be a good roast
duck chef. You have to be very nimble with your fingers.
Why did you open your own place?
By 1992 I was in charge of opening new branches of Quánjùdé and
wasn't cooking anymore, so I had a lot of free time and decided to open my own restaurant. Quánjùdé didn't
mind; it's a much bigger company. Back then, we sold the duck for ¥30 each and it was the same quality as it is
now.
