Cycle 16 – Item 53
27 (Thu) February 2025
Post 5,532
Imperial Hong Kong Roast Duck (Not)
1.0
-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-
with W and DJ
Da Ding Hong Kong Duck is a Chinese restaurant. Specializes in what is touted as “Hong Kong” duck but is just Beijing duck, while the rest of the menu offers strictly Korean-Chinese dishes.
I knew, just by the photos on the entrance – showing different types of duck (maybe Hong Kong/Cantonese roast duck at top (though unsure what the sauce is) vs Beijing duck below), from different sources (plates and presentations are different), indicating that ownership is too cheap/lazy to take photos of their own product, and oblivious to what different styles of duck actually look like – that the place would be bullshit. But I had to try it.
The menu offers only 1 whole duck.
Initially with just W, I asked the server/manager/owner if perhaps the duck would be too much for just 2 people. “Absolutely not,” she claimed, “it’s for 2-3 people, maybe 4 if ordering other items.” I could tell that she was hustling us, but whatever.
No surprise, it was too much for just 2 people. In fact, the order came with 4 baskets of wraps, suggesting that the portion is intended for 4 people.
Fortunately, DJ happened to be nearby, so he rushed over and helped us finish.
What a joke. The skins were decently crispy, but flavorless. The breast meat was overcooked and dry, and flavorless. The dark meat was kinda gamy. The dipping sauce wasn’t standard plum/Mandarin sauce but what appeared to be some kind of proprietary soy sauce blend that was somewhat bitter. The wraps, perhaps made in-house, were pretty pleasantly chewy. Unfair to call the experience disappointing, as I’d expected as much, but worse than I could’ve envisioned.
BANNED.
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(See all RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)