Peking Duck

I’ve spent a month eating my way around China, but my favorite Peking duck is in an old strip mall in the suburbs of Washington, DC at Peking Gourmet Inn. The walls are chockablock with pictures of politicians and celebrities, all smiling the same Peking duck–induced smile. Ducks are carved table-side by lifelong professionals who expertly unfurl broad swaths of crispy skin and slices of tender meat. The restaurant owners serve the duck with a special variety of yellow spring onion grown on their own farm, along with hoisin sauce, soy-cured peppers, julienned cucumber, and (crucially) thin flour wrappers. The entire ensemble is sublimely satisfying; it’s a dish I could eat every day.