Overated

After eating at Quanjude and no-name restaurant ducks for a couple years I decided to try out the infamous Dadong.

Decor: I really expected something spectacular after reading about how nice it is. It was OK, but nothing approaching greatness. I was a bit disappointed as I took some out of town guests for dinner here.

Service: Not bad not superb. Our reservations were for 7pm, but we reached at 7:30pm. There were at least 30 people waiting in line. The staff got us a table in 15 minutes due to our reservation, but it took quite a bit of persuasive argument. Once we started to order a larger amount of food the service seemed to warm up. The complimentary fruitplate at the end of the meal was a nice touch.

Food: We ordered a couple ducks along with a few of the regular dishes. The dishes were the kind where the first few bites taste great, but as you get into the meal they seem to lose their magic. I'm not saying they were bad; they were decent, but not worth the prices paid. The duck itself was so so but that comes down to personal preference. I prefer fatty juicy ducks. One nice combo reccomended by a waitress was the skin with sugar alone. It was special. Again, the duck is not that different from ducks at cheaper restaurants and to me it doesn't sit at the same greatness a Quanjude duck does.

Overall: Not really impressive unless you want to show off long lines and better than average dressed people in Beijing. Overpriced and more of an 'in spot' rather than a truly great restaurant.