To celebrate Lunar New Year, taking place on Jan. 22, chefs Anna Chen and Anthony Rose sample one of the day’s most popular dishes — Peking duck. Served wrapped in a pancake or atop a lettuce cup, the dish is known to bring an abundance of good luck.
Winner (pancake): Peking Man
Anthony: “The duck is flavourful and nice and crunchy, and the pancake is nice and thin. I like the addition of the cucumber and the scallion.”
Anna: “I feel it could be crispier, but overall the flavours are well-balanced.” 4300 Steeles Ave. E. pekingman.ca $55
Winner (lettuce wrap): Lai Wah Heen
Anna: “Very generous portion and beautiful presentation.”
Anthony: “Very pretty. It’s moist and has just the right amount of sauce. I like the simplicity of the flavours and I can really taste the duck.” 108 Chestnut St. laiwahheen.com $88
Tao
Anthony: “The lettuce is a little awkward in terms of its shape, and it’s a bit hard to pick up. I like the
addition of the mango.”
Anna: “The duck is nice and chunky, and it’s got a bit of spice, too, which gives it some heat, which I like!” 220 Laird Dr. taobistro.ca $76
Dynasty
Anna: “I got a really nice portion of duck in the pancake, and the skin is nice and crispy.”
Anthony: “It’s spiced a little too heavily, but I like the chunkiness of the duck.” 69 Yorkville Ave. dynastyyorkville.com $79.95
Chi Dim Sum
Anna: “There’s lots of flavour in this dish, and the duck is nicely cooked.”
Anthony: “I like the duck on this one, very sweet, but not overcooked, and you can really taste the spices that have been used.” 2425 Yonge St. chidimsum.ca $65
Kwan
Anna: “The presentation is pretty, and the lettuce wrap is nice and fresh. The fried noodle adds a nice crunchy garnish, but it’s lacking in flavour.”
Anthony: “Presentation-wise the lettuce is gorgeous, but I agree with Anna, more flavour is definitely needed here.”
808 York Mills Rd. kwan-dimsum.com $68