2012 Jan 26 Fowl Play: A Different Duck at Bianyifang
Bianyifang might be Beijing’s oldest duck roasters, but long have they lurked in the feathery shadow of another time-honored brand. One hundred and fifty years ago, Quanjude took the former’s fowl, crisped the skin over a fruit-wood flame and rolled it in pancakes. They haven’t looked back since.
Perhaps they ought to, for the granddaddies appear to be making a comeback. This shiny new branch of Bianyifang can seat around 400 diners (and that’s less than half the capacity of the restaurant they opened at Qianmen last year).
Bianyifang’s convection-roasting method (note the trio of iron ovens in the corner) results in flesh-centric duck with succulent, pinkish meat and softer skin. You can still roll it in pancakes if you wish – and you probably should, because Bianyifang’s traditional delivery method (sesame shaobing rolls) is rather stodgy. Page after page of nicely photographed fare includes standards from Sichuan, Shandong and Guangdong, plus one or two surprises like hefty duck meat chuan’r (RMB 10 each) coated in cumin and chilli and served on a sort of tabletop rocking chair. The signature braised lamb (RMB 60) is a mightily tasty alternative (or addition) to roast duck, but you’ll need to order a few pots of tea to cut through the oil.
Slick contemporary decor owes much to Da Dong’s Jinbao Jie branch, with servers dashing between green-upholstered chairs and jabbering into walkie-talkies like celebrity bodyguards. On balance, Bianyifang’s food remains some way off Da Dong’s exacting standards, but they’ll be giving Quanjude some food for thought.
Standout dishes: 1416 Peking Roast Duck, signature braised lamb
Also try: Da Dong, Duck de Chine
Bianyifang 便宜坊 Daily 11am-10pm. 4/F, Shimao Department Store (northwest corner of Xindong Lu and Gongti Beilu), Chaoyang District (8405 9699) 朝阳区世茂百货4层(新东路和工体北路西北口)
Click here to see the February issue of the Beijinger in full.
Photo: Tom O'Malley
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