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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
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My experience was in a large group during my birthday celebration (we had 16 people around 1 round table!) I would recommend keeping it to around 12-14 people to not feel so scrunched.
On to the meal. As the title of the restaurant beckons, this place servers stellar Peking Duck. The duck is carved tableside, and they serve it with small tortillas and their homemade hoisan sauce. Just throw some everything they give you on there and wrap it up. You won't be disappointed.
Friends chose other items to eat, and I got a chance to sample some interesting platters. I do not recall everything that was ordered, but all were above par for a run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant, though not up to the same level as the duck.
In conclusion, and as I would imagine the most interesting man in the world would comment, "I don't eat duck often, but when I do, I choose Peking Gourmet"
I'm not a big fan of peking duck because most restaurants in the States don't do a very good job with the ducks, usually resulting in soggy, greasy duck skin.
However, Peking Gourmet Inn does an exceptional job with their ducks. The whole duck is cut at tableside. Servers first shave off the crispy layer of skin. The fatty layer is then wedged off the duck with the fatty oil cascading like a waterfall. (It's really beautiful and ghastly at the same time.) Lastly, the moist meat is intricately sliced and placed along side the duck skin. You are provided hoisin sauce, julienned scallions and cucumbers, and small "tortillas" to wrap the duck, not the customary bao's.
It's definitely worth the $38. PGI has made me a BIG fan of peking ducks. And I would probably get my own duck next time.
BTW, other dishes on the menu are tasty, but not as stellar as the duck. Service was quick and attentive. Reservations are recommended.
I've been coming to Peking Gourmet Inn for close to 25 years now. Hand's down, one of the best places for Peking Duck in the country (I've looked!).
Yet, I feel like the restaurant missed an opportunity over the years (many opportunities really) to expand beyond such a signature dish and offer a truly notable menu. It's not that their other dishes are bad; most are pretty good. It's just that when you have heads of state visiting your restaurant consistently over the decades, you would think that they would consistently strive to become a better restaurant.
So let's focus on the good. Peking Duck, Peking Duck, Peking Duck! At $38/bird, it's a pricey indulgence. But most of the time, the ducks are succulent, the pancakes hot, the spring onions fresh, and the plum sauce just the perfect blend of sweet/sour. Over the years, we've been served the occasional "bad" bird (too bony or dry, etc.). But for the most part, it's hard to go wrong ordering the Peking Duck here (don't forget to ask for your duck's carcass if you're into making homemade soup the next day).
The Jeo-Yan Shrimp are also particularly good here so I highly recommend them as well. Other dishes that we always seem to order (but aren't particularly memorable) are the Kung Pao chicken, snow peas and water chestnuts (chestnuts taste canned), and the beef fried rice (beef is usually a bit too greasy).
Anyone who's been to Peking Gourmet Inn before knows that the restaurant is located in a somewhat run-down strip mall next to a Post Office. This place definitely won't win any stars for ambiance or decor (although you'll never forget the sound of their staff singing you "Happy Birthday").
But despite the less-than-ideal location and somewhat high prices for Annandale, Peking Gourmet Inn is always jam-packed on a Friday and Saturday night. If you stick to the duck, you'll drive home full and happy!
Peking Duck = 5 stars
Best Ive ever had.
The Peking Duck itself deserves 5 stars.
The duck cutter also gets 5 stars. There is a technique to it that I'm sure took a large amount of training to perfect.
I'm sure if I decided to order something else besides Peking Duck it would go below 5, but I'm going to stick with the duck.
Make reservations if you are going on a weekend. It gets packed.
YES... I would give 5 stars if it was only about the food.....The Peking Duck, Shrimp (with the garlic and salted crust), Beef Proper (Barbara Bush Beef), and anything with garlic Sprouts are amazing!
The first line of service knocks it down a few stars and leaves a horrible first impression. We've been eating here since the 90's and the service has gone downhill.... First instance....I made reservations for Thanksgiving day back in mid-October. On a whim, I called to verify the time three days before the reservation. They told me they were going to be closed on this day. Why didn't they call????!!!! Good thing a party of 8 didn't show up on the day of the reservation!
Second instance... Made reservations for 7pm. We showed up at 6:50. We were seated at 7:45 pm... While we were waiting, walk-ins (same amount of people and came in after us) were seated at the same time... What's the point of reservations??
If a manager of this restaurant is reading this, I'd suggest investing in an automated reservation system...
For everyone else, can someone recommend another good restaurant that serves Peking Duck of the same caliber?
By far the best all around dining experience I have had in Virginia!
Our waiter Won was amazing, funny, helpful and on his game!
The food was very good, I just wish they would have chopped the Peking duck whole, bones and all.
I came here for something that wasn't the duck. FML
5 stars for the duck, 3 stars for everything else.
The Peking Gourmet Inn executes its signature, a roasted duck with crispy skin, pancakes, tangy/sweet hoisin sauce, and green onion shoots, astonishingly well. The duck breast has a gorgeous color, impossibly tender and moist flesh, and deep flavors, while the skin (which I normally decline) is light, rich, and reminiscent of duck confit. The remainder of the dishes we have sampled, including (gummy) chicken with garlic shoots and a spicy tofu dish are less remarkable, and even disappointing. I shall return to Peking when I am craving succulent duck breast served by a woman who knows how to wield three spoons.
The duck is the best in Northern Virginia. We get the duck then split an order of Walnut Chicken. No matter what dish we have ordered, it is always excellent. And yes, if you don't get there early (around 4:30 or 5 pm) you will have to wait in line. If you don't want duck, try the Jeo-Yen shrimp and ask for some of the garlic puree on the side to dip the shrimp in.
"Presidents eat here..."
That was the selling point my friend made when throwing this up as a suggestion on where to eat. My counter was, "When I went to Shanghai, the tour group also took us a restaurant that President Clinton had eaten at..."
After leaving your party number at the reservation booth, you turn around and there's Bush, Jr staring you right between the eyes. Then you look up and see Bush, Sr. staring down at you. Then you get seated and generals and colonels are on the walls, watching you eat. It was like Joe DiMaggio and Sophia Loren all over Buca di Beppo, except this was West Point and Pentagon all in your face.
You come here for the duck, and that's where it earns it's stars. $38 for a full Peking Duck carved at your table. The duck is expertly carved as first the skin is removed with the least amount of fat possible, then the fat layer is removed from the duck, then prime, thinly sliced, tender duck meat slices are placed alongside the skin. Served with 12 tortilla like wraps, sliced cucumber, sliced scallions, and hoisin sauce. It's a simple combination, but they do it right. I was especially impressed because I didn't have to exert any extra effort removing any fat from the duck skin or meat.
In addition to the duck, we also ordered the house special fried shrimp dish. Deep fried, breaded jumbo shrimp served with a ginger-garlic pepper salt. Also very good, but pricey at $25.
Dishes in general are a little on the pricey side. About $13-16 for chicken and beef dishes. Once again, the duck is as good as you'd find in any LA, SF or NY Chinatown. Highly recommended and well worth the 25 minute drive out of DC and into Falls Church. I damn well deserve to eat as well as the Bushes. Now where was that Clinton picture?
This place is a little pricey but the food is good without sending you into that "whoa I ate too much" food coma.
I have to say something first: when you go to a Chinese restaurant with Chinese people, you really should share. Why do you think they have the spinny tops on the tables? I am still stumped when I go and there are people who just want to keep their food to themselves.
Also when it comes to sharing, socialism works!! I went with 5 people. Three of us shared, three were individualists. I am happy to say the shared group had a lower bill, got to eat some really awesome duck, and had greater variety. What is not to love about sharing?
Three people can happily share a $38.00 roasted duck. I appreciate how they skillfully separate the crispy skin from the lean meat. The skin is also not very fatty. Cucumbers are an extra $3.00 but are worth it and adds a nice cool crunch to the delicious wrapped duck burritos (for a lack of a better term).
Quality duck!
Share!
I give Peking Gourmet Inn 5-Stars solely based on its truly defining, unrivaled signature dish: the exquisitely prepared and carved Beijing Cao Ya--the best by far I have ever experienced. While their other dishes are okay, their duck is the reason why I go to PGI. The ambiance could use an update from the 70's-style red brocade decor, but the service is warm and personal--plus, the table-side duck carving by Mr. Wu is truly masterful and a sight to appreciate.
Well, here is what my dining companion and I order every time:
- Hot tea (cleanses the palate before/after eating duck)
- Hong Kong Wonton Soup w/ Red Chili Oil
- Whole Duck w/ Steamed Rice and side of Green Chilis (marinated in soy sauce)
The soup is a thin-wrapper roundish shrimp dumpling in a lightly sweet broth that gets just a little punch of heat from the chili oil. This just whets the appetite, perfect for truly savoring the duck.
When the duck arrives, Mr. "Lao" Wu (or a younger Chinese gentleman who is also good at carving but whose name I cannot remember at the moment) greets us with a smile and begins the ceremony of shaving off the crispy skin, trimming off the fat layer, carving off the breast meat, and sectioning off the legs and wings. Watching Mr. Wu is like watching a master calligrapher meditatively work his craft with awareness and calm focus--poetry in motion. While others may carve off the skin then scrape residual fat off with the cleaver, Mr. Wu shows his skill by deftly shaving the skin off without the unnecessary second step.
How to eat the duck: I usually assemlbe one or two wraps of the flour pancake (when piping hot), scallions, light dab of Hoisin sauce, strip of duck skin and meat. Then, I eat the rest of the meal with rice instead of the pancake.
Enjoying the duck is an experience of assembling, crispy-tender textures, and subtle-strong flavors. The duck skin is the best part: beautifully glistening, unbelievably crisp, and melting with flavor. Complementing it is the breast meat (tender and wonderfully moist), Hoisin (just a little sweetness), and the scallion (nasal heat).
While the red chili oil may add a little jab of heat for the soup, my dining companion likes green chili to give a Dragon Punch of an accompaniment to her main meal. I love to eat spicy foods, all the way up to Jamaican Jerk Chicken made with Scotch Bonnets. However, for some reason, this specific type of marinated chili (not that tongue-searingly hot) is like "Swiper, no swiping"--stops me dead cold in my tracks after the third bite like Dora and Boots block the kleptomaniac fox from stealing their stuff upon a third utterance. It does taste good, but my body just does not like it... "Oh, mannn!"
All in all, the Peking Duck experience is so good that it is one of the first things (restaurants or tourist stops) to consider when hosting out-of-town relatives or friends. When they return to the DC-area, going to PGI is the first thing that comes to their minds.
The duck is not cheap, but considering the unmatched taste, experience, and portion size for two, it is certainly a good value. Speaking of the portion--we usually save the pancakes, green chilies, and duck legs for leftovers. Also, making a reservation is smart in general, but Saturday late afternoons have been pretty easy to get a table. Bottom line, PGI prepares duck so well (better than at any fancy French or American restaurant) I rarely order the bird at any other restaurant regardless of cuisine or price-range.
This is a great place to eat or carry out. My favorite is the spring rolls with some type of garlic sauce. After that - the duck is my favorite.
I met with a friend while in town for business and I was pleasantly surprised. I say that because Peking Gourmet Inn is located in a somewhat shady looking strip mall that you would drive right by if you did not know it was there.
Once I got in, it was clear that everyone knows about this place (including former presidents) and they are all there for the Peking duck. Let me say, I was a bit put off by the $38 price tag but it was well worth the money. The server carves an entire duck (cooked to perfection) table side and serves with the most amazing sauce I've ever had. You wrap the duck with some cucumber and green onion in these little pancakes and it is heaven in your mouth. Even the skin of the duck just melted in my mouth. YUMMY!!! We ordered another dish (shrimp with vegetables) but nothing can stand up against the Peking duck.
We went on the Thursday night and the place was packed. We were lucky enough not to have a wait, but my friend said he's waited as long at 2.5 hours!! In other words, if you have more than 2 people in your party you better have a reservation!
We went here - they said there was "one party in front of us". OK - how long will it be? "I can't tell you". FAIL. Sorry Peking Gourmet, I guess you don't need the business - see ya never.
One of the best Chinese restaurants in the DC area. You must try their duck if you haven't. I work about 2 miles from here and I don't understand why I don't come here more often. My parents rarely go out to eat. They prefer to just eat Korean food at home. But when I tell them that I will treat them to Peking Gourmet Inn, I've never seen them put on their shoes so quickly.
The duck's crispy skin, tender meat, comes with Chinese pancakes with hoisson sauce, spring onions, and peppers soaked in soy sauce. Mmmmmm. Mmmmmm.
Their lunch specials are quite filling as well. Choice of soup, egg roll (filled with meat), and rice with your entree. Definitely fills you up.
This is simply the best Peking Duck I have ever had, and I lived in Hong Kong for a couple years. If I go have lunch by myself I order the lunch special pork and fresh hot peppers. Either way you can't lose. I always ask for the fresh chili's in say sauce on the side of whater I order.
Most delightful duck experience in VA. In a raggity strip mall, you will find this is a cute peking duck gem. When you first walk in, it kinda has a hotel feel. You will then see a jubliee of famous patron portraits including former secretaries of state, arnold, yes ARNNNNOLDD, and my favorite Connie Chung. Once we sat down, water was poured immediately and we were ready to order. We got the seafood noodle, garlic bok choy, jumbo shrimp, and of course the duck. The other food besides the duck is ok. I remember it being better back in the day.
The duck is my favorite because they get a waiter to slice it in front of you with plenty of condiments to help accompany the roasted awesomeness. Plenty of duck pancakes hoisin sauce, and scallions to go round. They split the cripsy skin, meat and bones all on separate plates. My mom usually ask for the duck bones in a to-go bag to cook duck soup later on...
Our duck server's name was Jim and he said to ask for him if you ever want the bigger ducks in the back. This place has some of the best duck around.
4 1/2 Stars
(I'll get to that in a moment...)
My aunt lives in the neighborhood. We paid her a visit and treated her to dinner. Beforehand, we gave her a choice---Chinese, Thai or Vietnamese. She chose Chinese because she hadn't had any Chinese food in quite a while. So...Peking Gourmet it was!
My husband and I hadn't been here in years. The one thing I was so looking forward to having was Chicken with Garlic Sprouts. This dish appears to be unique to Peking Gourmet and the last couple of times we were here, it was what I had ordered and it was so good. So, we perused the menu and decided what we all were going to order. Along came the waiter for the dinner order --- 2 hot and sour soups, 1 order of egg rolls, scallops with garlic sauce, lemon chicken and chicken with garlic sprouts. "We don't have garlic sprouts today!" This is one of their signature dishes, in fact on the menu half a page is devoted to this item (you can also get it with beef or shrimp) with the other half of the same page devoted to Peking duck --- and no garlic sprouts! Was I disappointed! We don't live close by and, as mentioned previously, go years between visits. So...honestly, that's why I can't give them 5 stars. If it's a signature item, then be sure to keep it in stock, IMO.
Ok, moving on --- As for the service, it was excellent! Shortly after we were seated and looking at the menu, the waiter appeared and asked what we wanted to drink. We opted for a pot of tea and some water---all which quickly came to our table. Also, throughout the meal, when we were done with a food item, the plates were quickly removed. When we were done looking at the menu, the waiter was there promptly and then the ordering saga previously mentioned in the above paragraph began.
No garlic sprouts, so the waiter suggested chicken with garlic sauce, ok, I'll try it --- and it was a good choice. IMO, this was some of the best garlic chicken I've ever had! It had lean, tender pieces of white meat chicken, pea pods, hot peppers, plenty of sauce and big whole garlic cloves. The garlic cloves were the same consistency of roasted ones and gave the chicken a truly garlicky flavor. The last time I found such good garlic chicken was in a place in Gaithersburg, which I suspect is now long-gone.
My husband also liked his scallops in garlic sauce. He said that the scallops were good quality and properly cooked. My aunt's mouth dropped open when she saw the portion size of her lemon chicken --- it was huge! I did get to taste it. The menu said it was sweet and tangy --- more like just sweet (though not sickenly so) with a nice lemon flavor. What was impressive was that despite the sauce, the chicken pieces retained their crispiness.
My husband and I had the hot and sour soup which was a good way to start off the meal. It had plenty of stock in it although it was heavy on the mushrooms. Also, it had egg and meat---the meat was lean and tender. My aunt ordered the egg rolls---you get 2 per order. She could only eat one of them, so my husband and I split the other one. It had a nice, crispy shell and held together well when cut. The filler was done very well without one ingredient overpowering another.
We liked the white rice that came with the meal --- it had peas in it which we all thought was a nice touch.
In total it cost just over $63 before the tip. Just a note --- the place seems to be even more popular that it had been in years past. Although we arrived just before 5:30 on a Saturday night, there were already several tables taken and we had to wait to be seated until the staff seated a large party ahead of us. The hostess asked if we had a reservation, we said "no". I turned to my husband and said, "We never had to make a reservation before." The hostess overheard us and said a reservation should be made for weekend dining. So---if you do plan to dine here on the weekend and plan to come around 6 p.m. or later, IMO, it's a good idea to make a reservation. By the time we were ready to leave, every table was taken and there were a lot of people waiting for tables. Plus people were circling the parking lot looking for spots.
A surprisingly delectable and a bit more upscale than what the facade would suggest. I visited the Peking Gourmet Inn twice now for lunch since this is minutes away from my new office and happy to say, Eureka!, a really good Chinese restaraunt!! Looks like the duck is the thing but at lunch, the prix fixe meal for six has the savory looking fowl. Much to my dismay, I can't get five co-workers to come with me for this! I suppose I can spring for the $30 price but considering I used to get duck in Chinatown for a fraction of the price, it is hard to justify. My favorite hole in the wall in Chinatown closed down inexplicably (Kamsun Seafood on 7th and H) so this may be my closest option. Wait, there's Mark's Duck house too not too far from here!
Lunch combos are pretty reasonable with soup, egg roll, rice and main course for around $9. I think that there are "tells" for Chinese restaraunts and one of them is how well they do Hot and Sour soup. If I see white mushrooms instead of the black fungus mushrooms, I'm inclined to say no thank you for coming back. I've had some bad soup with black pepper as their hot spice for this soup and I can tell that they are amateurs. Chinese red pepper can't be substituted.
The fried rice that comes with the combos probably should be a pass though since it's quite lacking in ingredients. This is a mystery to me about passing off rice sauteed in soy sauce and oil for combo plates rather than going ahead and serving a small portion of something like Young Chow style fried rice, which would just make the dishes from OK to almost great. We regard fried rice sort of like, 'hey, what's going bad in the fridge' and tossing it with some cold leftover rice. Hey, it's good stuff but not really a royal dish, if you know what I mean. That's why if I go to a restaraunt, I want a little more effort than what I can toss together at home.
I could do without the celebrity wall of fame though. Rich and famous people gotta eat too and if their politics are anything like their taste in food, they wouldn't be a great indicator of the quality of the food there!
I am hoping that my experience here was a fluke because everyone else seems to really enjoy this place. However, I will never go back to see if it was just a fluke because the food was terrible.
How do you mess up an eggroll? The eggrolls tasted like a barnyard. The Kung Pao chicken was just a bunch of chewy chicken and peanuts, there were no vegetables to be found. The spare ribs had no flavor and the "house fried rice" that comes with every dinner was just white rice with peas and onions. Also, the Kung Pao chicken was $13.95. My boyfriend had the Peking Chicken which he said tasted like nothing but ginger.
I was looking at the carry out menu and it says that Kung Pao shrimp is $17.95. Really???
The people who work there are very nice, that is why I gave two stars.
The duck: we enjoyed a lot. The food came out quick and the waitress was pretty good with the drink refills. But the potential 5 stars went down 2 because of the awkward atmosphere the waitress caused. She was the epitome of the stereotypical "Chinese" service. Very, very pushy about trying to get us to order more food.
My friend and I ordered a half peking duck and a small vegetable appetizer. But the waitress kept asking us if we weren't hungry and that we should order more. Very pushy about ordering more and told us that one duck is for two, but half duck is for one. We had to keep politely saying no as she continued to ask us if we weren't hungry and that we should order more.
But the duck itself was good! I had a glass of wine which was typically priced, not overly expensive. The place was packed, too. A lot of people ordered the duck and the crispy beef thing. I forgot the exact name. I think it's crispy beef szechuan, an awesome Chinese/American dish for those who really like sweet food.
Anywho, I don't think I'll be going back. Yes, the duck was good. But not worth dealing with the over agressive waitress.
Look. I am not really a fan of Peiking Duck. BUT, if you are to get a Peiking Duck, this is the place.
That bastard was delicious. Let's make a list of the things you get when you come here.
1. Crispy disgusting friend skin - CHECK
2. Fatty ass meat - CHECK
3. Watching chinese wushu master use his blade of +10 duck carving skills to slice and dice your bird? - CHECK
This was a fun experience. I don't think I would get the Peiking Duck again if I went back. Not because it wasn't good, but it was more of a novelty experience for me.
I think everyone should try this place once.
Been coming here for years now. What can I say about this place other than get the "DUCK". A bit pricey but well worth it. I never had duck before here and probably, never will other than here. That should speak by itself, maybe.
The other dished are very good too. Their Jeo-Yan Shrimp is also pricey and just as good as the duck. Also recommended are the string beans, schezuan beef, and seafood pan fried noodles.
Just make sure to make reservations for dinner since it can get pretty crowded waiting for a table. Also, don't come expecting regular chinese carry-out prices cause it's going to cost you.
The THING here is Peking Duck and this is one of the best in the country. The golden bird is brought to your table and carved right there. The crispy skin, the fresh cucumber and onions (get both) , the entire experience is one of luxury. I recommend one duck for every two persons, assuming you don't load up on the other, less interesting entrees. Honorable mentions are the shrimp with garlic sprouts (the ducks and sprouts are raised on their suburban farm), vegetarian dumplings.
Do make a reservation as the lines are long, and the overall experience is one of eating in a 1960s-era Chinese restaurant. But the duck; that makes it all worth it.
Date Attended: Sunday, 06/21/09
Came here for Father's Day. There was a line around 7 pm so it has to be good right?
Had the following:
Dumplings: Yummy
Peking Duck: Yummy
Crispy Beef: Yummy
Orange Chicken: Ok
Scallops: Yummy
Waitress was great, food was delicious. Gotta come for the Peking Duck. Mmmm... I'll be back.
China born Chinese friend invited us to go there for dinner to celebrate the New Year with Peking duck. She caught the celebrity bug about this place like too many other people. What the heck, I went.
What did I find? The famed Peking duck was okay. Everything else tasted like Americanized Chinese food.
If you like Americanized Chinese food, this is your place.
This is the BEST Chinese place I've ever eaten at. Best Peking Duck hands down. If you're coming here to eat, be prepared to wait for hours because the lines are crazy long. The longest I've waited for a seat was 3 hours. The guy in front of me with his family had a reservation and still had to wait at least an hour.
They got really great service and the old guy that cuts the duck is awesome!
The Peking Duck experience here is well worth the almost $40 per duck.
They carve it for you tableside, laying the slices of crispy skin along with slices of breast together on a plate. Dark meat gets cut from the drumsticks and thighs and are placed on another plate. The duck comes with sides of shredded green onion, julienned cucumber (ask for it if they don't give it to you), hoisin sauce, and handmade "pancakes" to wrap all that goodness up. If you like spicy foods, than you can also ask for hot peppers cut thinly in soy sauce, and add those to your wraps too.
The duck is easily one of the best meals I've ever had, and it's been consistently good for 20+ years. I can't really speak much about the rest of the menu because every time we go we just order 2 - 4 ducks!!
Don't forget to ask them to pack up the leftover bones/carcass from the carving. You can use it to make stock etc.
I really don't like this place. If you're looking for a good authentic Chinese restaurant who is generous with their portions and ingredients at reasonable prices, don't come here. There are many reasons why not many older Chinese people come to eat here anymore. IMO, you're paying more for the celebrities who have been there rather than the quality of food. And what's the point of a reservation if you still have to wait an hour before you're seated? Why this place is so popular really boggles my mind.
I absolutely LOVE peking duck, just not quite here. Yes, this place does the "magnificent carving" act in front of you. Quite honestly, the peking duck here isn't THAT good to be nearly double the price of some other restaurants. But I did give this place an extra star for somewhat satisfying my craving for peking duck. If you want to get more value out of your duck-eating experience, ask for the duck bones and make soup out of it. Unfortunately, this restaurant will rip you off again if you ask them to make it for you, unlike other restaurants who include it as part of the duck order.
Our waiter had also recommended getting the snow peas and scallops. When the dish came out, it looked like a good mixture of white and green. Upon further analysis, to my disgust, there were only 3-4 measly scallops on the entire plate - the rest were water chestnuts. So basically you're paying $20 for a plate of veggies and one scallop for each person.
We (4 of us ... 2 couples) went here for Valentine's Day. Made our reservation about a month in advance since we suspected that it would be very crowded.
Being from Philly, I've had my shares of peking duck. And despite all the raves about the duck here, I don't see it as being anything spectacular. The only dif is they carved the duck in front of you. But to me, that is not worth the $38 price tag they put on the duck.
Our favorite dish was the garlic sprout with shrimp bc we never had garlic sprouts before. But besides that, everything else was ehh ... ok.
And if you are going to get extra pancakes to eat with your duck, it's 4 for $1 FYI.
Confirmed! Peking Duck at this place is out of this world!
At 11.50 USD + tax + tips person for the party lunch menu, you cannot do better anywhere else!
Group A - $11.50/person (min. 6)
1. *Hot and Sour Soup: usually, I do not care about soup, but this is pretty good.
2. Peking Duck: writing about this Peking Duck makes me hungry!
3. *Szechuan Beef: strip of beef glazed with sweet/salty sauce, the second best highlight of this course.
4. Fresh Garlic Chicken: The chicken was a bit tasteless, but soy sauce and hot oil fixed that.
5. Vegetable Saute: Crunchy mix of vegetables, not bad.
6. Yang Chow Fried Rice: my cousin loves it. This is not a typical fried rice at your local Chinese joint.
7. Jasmine Tea & Fortune Cookies: This Jasmine Tea has a hint of something that I cannot pin point, either ginger or galanga. Whatever it is, it's great.
This place got 5 stars for the Peking Duck. For everything else, I would say ~3.5.
I really don't think this place is as good as everyone makes it out to be. I think the dishes are boring and non too flavorful!
Walking into the restaurant, a huge stream of customers was overflowing around the besieged ladies at the front desk. We waited about 40 minutes in a crowed foyer decorated with pictures of the most unappetizing previous guest list you can imagine (all the Bushes, James Baker, Norman Schwarzkopf and his lookalike kids).
The wait, however, was worth it. And my appetite arrived just in time for the delivery of the exquisitely prepared Peking Duck - the signature dish (of course!). It was definitely pricey for a duck ($38), but it had the benefit of being perfectly golden crisp, layered with delicious fat, and followed by delicate, garlic and ginger infused fried shrimp.
Highly recommended (unless you're a duck, like my Yelp avatar), but be prepared for a wait!
In Northern Virginia (and most of the U.S. as well), when you want "street cred," you go to the hole in the wall, authentic Chinese places that only foodies talk about. Peking Gourmet Inn sure isn't that kind of place. It's the kind of place that gets hate because it doesn't care whether the food is authentic or not, it just should taste good. And that's fine by me.
Obviously the draw here is the peking duck. Crisp skin, tender meat, and fresh spring onions are wrapped in a flour crepe with sauce and eaten. Other entrees can be equally delicious. Orange beef consists of large slices of beef deep fried and covered in a sweet sauce. Scallops and roasted garlic are delicious and actually has a fair amount of scallop in it. Jeo-Yen Shrimp are whole seasoned fried shrimp which are tasty when hot, a little heavy when cold. Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce is reliably good and simple. The soups, especially when you branch out from egg drop or hot and sour soup, are soothing and satisfying.
The problem with Peking Gourmet is that sometimes, dishes end up being too heavyhanded. Szechuan Beef Proper, for instance, are deep fried strips of beef covered in an overly sweet sauce. At first it was enjoyable, but as I ate more of the dish, it became tiresome to eat as the heaviness of the dish set in. A deep fried eggplant dish was similarly greasy, heavy, and was lacking flavor.
The service at Peking Gourmet has always been polite, and the atmosphere is similar to American Chinese places that Hollywood movies portray: formal, white tablecloth, and waiters in red jackets. Peking Gourmet has gotten more expensive over the years, and the rising price of the duck reflects the rising prices of the overall check. Don't expect to eat like an emperor on duck and pay like a pauper!
Peking Gourmet has been in Northern Virginia as far back as I can remember, and it's always been reliably good for certain dishes. While you may never get props or street cred from foodies for eating here, you can sure have a good meal.
We got nothing but duck (naturally enough) and it was darn tasty, if not quite as mind-blowing as the hype had led me to expect. Two ducks for six people (with a round of dumplings beforehand) left us hungry; a third duck left us stuffed, and I am pretty sure I smelled like duck for a day afterward. Also, I didn't think the controversial cucumbers really added anything, and after my first pancake I replaced them with additional scallions; but I suppose they add a dose of pleasant blandness, if for some reason you wanted that.
At any rate, I am glad I went, and if you want Peking Duck I don't know why you would go somewhere else, but next time I drive into the Virginia suburbs for Chinese food, it will be to go to Hong Kong Palace.
My DCBFF's baby just passed the 100 day mark so we gathered at Peking Gourmet Inn for a big celebration on Sunday.
The walls of the place are covered in photos of famous and famous-for-DC folk. The most interesting to me was one of a DARPA head honcho. In his note to the restaurateur, dated sometime in the early 1990's, he wrote "in the future people will read about your restaurant on the Internet."
If you're reading this review, you're officially part of the future that DARPA dude knew would some day come about!
About 50 of us gathered for the celebration on Sunday, which included many courses of food: the most outstanding of which was definitely the Peking duck. Our party had many little kids in it but even as they raced beneath the feet of our gracious servers, the food kept coming at a perfect pace. And what each table didn't finish was wrapped up and given to the guests to take home.
This is definitely an excellent spot for a large group lunch or dinner. Service is top notch and the Peking duck is worth the drive from DC to Falls Church.
peking duck is the center of attraction in this restaurant and of course it is overpriced. you can get the same duck in chinatown for less the $.
I guess you are also paying for the tableside carving.
If you like to taste what a roasted peking duck is then this place should be your first stop.
Has oriental wait staff who knows how to speak broken english.good enough to understand. Some needs to be trained in good customer service and not be so hasty in picking up the plates from the table even if you are not done with your food.
over rated and overpriced.
4.5 stars out of 5
I have been here several times and am pleased with the food. My favorite dishes are the Peking Duck, Spring Chicken, and Black Pepper Jumbo Shrimp. I have also had scallops with garlic sauce and chicken with spring onion. Fried rice is pretty good. However I am not a fan of their beef dishes tried 2 or 3 of them and do not recommend them. Stick to what I wrote about and you won't be disappointed.
Falls Church, VA
Category: Chinese
Falls Church, VA
Category: Chinese
Falls Church, VA
Category: Dim Sum
Annandale, VA
Category: Chinese
Vienna, VA
Category: Chinese
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