A wide-brimmed bowl, ribbed like the rings of Saturn arrives. One slender fish fin juts out from the bright, finely chopped salsa that fills the deep, round hollow in the center. Sweet, crunchy red bell peppers; deeply aromatic, spicy cherry peppers, and bits of fresh scallion mingle with a smooth, rich chili oil and the soft, mild, chewy meat of the fish into a fresh, lively whole.

And then there is the duck. The condiments, served in a dish with multiple compartments for each, recall a 1970s disco: purple hoisin sauce, pink radish, green cucumber, white sugar, and brown preserved vegetables. The staff suggest different ways to combine the ingredients. First, raw sugar for the skin, which cuts down the intense flavor and balances the heaviness of the oil. Next, the time-honored traditional way: wrapped in an almost translucent pancake with onion, hoisin, and cucumber. Finally, the meat with radish and onion in a little, hollowed-out sesame buns, making almost a mini hamburger. Biting into the combo of cool, crisp vegetables and rich duck in each form has a slightly different effect, each as sublime as the last.

What comes through is that Da Dong is not just another Peking duck place. Each dish demands attention and appreciation. Each has complex elements of flavor, composition, and function at work. It’s more like a museum of modern Chinese cuisine, where the duck is the simply the main attraction among many other fine works.

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Location(s) Nanxincang International building, No. 22, Dongsi Shi Tiao Tel: 010-51690328/29, Beijing

(bestfoodinchina.net December 18, 2008)