Da Dong's New Fast Food Duck Burgers Aren't Half Bad

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t fully prepared to hate Da Dong Duck before I went. The idea of a fast food offshoot smacked to me of “cashing in” and I was dubious about how they would replicate Da Dong’s famously lean and delicious Peking duck on a large scale.

I am willing to admit now that I was wrong, about the food at least. The restaurant itself is essentially a stylish take on a McDonald’s – you still order and collect your food from a counter with back-lit menu boards displaying the dishes available, but the furniture is sleek and wooden, and not nailed to the floor. Helpfully, the menu is available in English and Chinese, although the staff didn’t seem to have much in the way of English skills (this is a fast-food joint, after all).

The classic crispy lean roast duck burger (RMB 22) isn’t exactly life changing but does manage to live up to the hype. Each sesame seed bun (a little dry and sweet for my tastes, a seemingly common malady with burgers in China) contains a substantial chunk of roast duck meat, topped with a piece of the fatty yet crisp skin that Da Dong is known for. I chose the “traditional” option, the bun spread with sweet bean paste and chopped scallions, but there is also a spicy version available for those that like it hot. All of the burgers are served with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, for that essential “burger” feeling.

At RMB 31, the duck burger set, which comes with fries and a soft drink, is the same price as a medium Big Mac meal, but somehow feels worlds away. Upgrade your fries to salt-baked chicken nuggets (popcorn chicken by any other name) for an extra RMB 3 (RMB 12 for purchase individually) and you will not be disappointed – these crisp, ever-so-slightly spicy morsels will make you wonder why you ever bother with the sub-par versions peddled by the likes of KFC.

Overall, we can’t help feel that the market wasn’t exactly crying out for a roast duck burger and it will be interesting to see how successful Da Dong Duck is after the hype has died down. Still, for a different, and affordable, take on fast food we still recommend making the trip to Dawang Lu.

More stories by this author here.

Email: robynnetindall@thebeijinger.com
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Photo: Kyle Mullin