To be fair, not every Chinese restaurant knows how to slice duck properly. The proper way slices the meat and skin off of the bones, so that each piece has a bit of meat and skin, and presents the flesh separately from the bones.
Some places though just hack into the carcass so that every piece has bone. They say it’s ‘fun.’ I as an ethnic Chinese say it’s ridiculous. I have had it done right and I have had it done poorly and surprisingly the price point is the same! Some places really skimp on the seasoning too, at the same price point.
Other dishes tend to be fairly similar across different restaurants but it seems like with duck you can really tell who gives a shit / was trained properly as a chef.
What you are describing is how, specifically, Beijing Roast Duck is served. China is a huge country with a bewildering variety of cultures within it. There are a million ways to prepare and serve duck here, and many of them do what you describe as “ridiculous” as the normal way to do it.
Instead of parading your ethnicity, thinking it’s a shield, how 'bout you come here and spend a few years and learn?
They just don’t want people to complain about dishes they’re not used to. If you specifically ask for it then that’s enough to show that you’re specifically seeking it out. Also keep in mind not all Chinese restaurants do this, it’s normally the authentic really big restaurants that would have it. One way to tell is if you see dishes that aren’t on the menu others are eating or in pictures. Also that menu might be in Chinese only.
This is exactly why some Chinese restaurants have a special Chinese menu that you need to ask for.
To be fair, not every Chinese restaurant knows how to slice duck properly. The proper way slices the meat and skin off of the bones, so that each piece has a bit of meat and skin, and presents the flesh separately from the bones.
Some places though just hack into the carcass so that every piece has bone. They say it’s ‘fun.’ I as an ethnic Chinese say it’s ridiculous. I have had it done right and I have had it done poorly and surprisingly the price point is the same! Some places really skimp on the seasoning too, at the same price point.
Other dishes tend to be fairly similar across different restaurants but it seems like with duck you can really tell who gives a shit / was trained properly as a chef.
Uh…
What you are describing is how, specifically, Beijing Roast Duck is served. China is a huge country with a bewildering variety of cultures within it. There are a million ways to prepare and serve duck here, and many of them do what you describe as “ridiculous” as the normal way to do it.
Instead of parading your ethnicity, thinking it’s a shield, how 'bout you come here and spend a few years and learn?
What’s the secret phrase to say to see the secret Chinese menu?
They would generally know if you are speaking Chinese. Otherwise “I would like to see the secret Chinese menu.” would probably work, if they have one.
I don’t speak Mandarin so the first option wouldn’t work. If I used the second option though they’d be like, “How did our secret get out?!”
They just don’t want people to complain about dishes they’re not used to. If you specifically ask for it then that’s enough to show that you’re specifically seeking it out. Also keep in mind not all Chinese restaurants do this, it’s normally the authentic really big restaurants that would have it. One way to tell is if you see dishes that aren’t on the menu others are eating or in pictures. Also that menu might be in Chinese only.