Peking Inn - In search of the perfect duck

I don't usually get too excited about Chinese cuisine, but the food at this family restaurant has completely won me over! We discovered this place just over a month ago and had been going back for five times already. 


During the previous few visits, there were not many patrons in the restaurant (mainly because we visited during mid-week nights), so we found no problem with their speed of getting dishes on the table. However this time we went on a Friday night finding the restaurant to be packed, and we finally experienced what others have said about this place - that it is famous for its "slow cooking".


Luckily they served the cold tossed jellyfish and the peking onion cakes relatively quickly. So my advice is, if you find this restaurant to be pretty busy and yourself to be pretty hungry, order some entree or cold cut dishes so that you wont be sitting there and drinking tea for half an hour or so waiting for food to come.

Cold Tossed Jellyfish 

This is such a great starter given its clean and delicious taste. 

 Peking Onion Cakes. These deep fried shallot pancakes are in a rather cute onion/donut shape :)

Sesame Roll with Finely Chopped Meat

 This is a fun hands on dish - the idea is to fill in as much as you can without breaking the pastry case.

Mermaid Tresses (deep fried seaweed & cashew nuts)
A snack-like dish that is absolutely delicious and crispy

L loves... Dry Fried Peking Shredded Beef 

The dry fried shredded beef is so deliciously sweet with a crunchy exterior. It's like a snack and before you realise, you've cleaned out the whole dish :P

                               

Spare Ribs with Salt & Pepper

Chrysanthemum Fish with pine nuts

As you will learn, fish is not my friend, but everyone else loved this sweet and sour dish!

I believe in the saying that the best things come last (usually referring to desserts), but tonight it was proved to be the case again! Our final dish - the tea smoke duck - is one that should be pre=ordered to avoid disappointment. From my experience, it is often served last (probably due to the lengthy preparation required) when everyone's full, but amazingly can still find room for it, it is that GOOD!!!

L loves... Tea Smoke Duck

The tea smoke duck is an absolutely brilliant dish! The tea flavour is so intensely infused into the duck and the yummy duck sauce. The slightly sweet, fluffy cloud buns complements this dish perfectly and I declare this dish a winner!

 A closer look at this winning dish - I've found my perfect duck :)

The words have spread that the head chef at Peking Inn is in his 60's with no successions. I'm really worried that this amazing dish will retire with him... what will I do without it?!

The yummy duck sauce

Complementary Almond Tofu Dessert from the owner, after hearing its our 6th visit within one month or so :P

Overall, Peking Inn has definitely made it to my #1 Chinese restaurant in Sydney. Along with the tea smoke duck (which is rarely found in other places), they also serve a very good 2 course Peking Duck. Try and overlook the outdated Christmas decorations inside the restaurant and avoid peak periods when they are understaffed, then you will really get to enjoy some seriously good Chinese food here!


L's Verdict:

• Taste: 9.5/10
• Ambience: 3/5
• Value: 3.5/5 
• Service: 3/5
• Creativity and other WOW factors: 3/5 

Overall rating: 22/30


Peking Inn
Shop 1015a Pacific Hwy 
Pymble NSW 2073
Ph: (02) 9144 2997
Open Tue-Sun 12pm-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm


Visited June 2011


Friendly advice: go during mid-week nights to get better and quicker service, pre-order the tea-smoke duck to avoid disappointment.