Duck in a bun

[Photo by Chen Huangchao/China Daily]

When we heard that Dong Zhenxiang, Beijing's legendary Peking Duck maestro, was going to serve up his specialty on a hamburger bun with a side of fries, we giggled at what seemed like a joke. Da Dong's birds are so enshrined for special occasions that a downmarket sandwich, paper-wrapped for easy takeaway, seemed just plain odd. But no－we popped in for a bite now that the new fast-food spot is up and running for a few weeks, and we must admit that Dong－as usual－is on to something. His succulent signature duck comes with a tart bit of pickle in the salad layer that makes the plum sauce sing on the fresh bun. Dong's savory take on mooncakes (the filling is pork, not duck), was a nice surprise, too. A "burger" is 22 yuan ($3.45), while a set with fries and soda runs 31 yuan.

Da Dong Duck, Room 101, Building 19, China Central Place, 89 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing.