July 2014 - Arken Food Reviews

Unlike many other Chinese restaurants, Peking Duck house has linen table cloths for lunch. Located in Midtown and Chinatown, the Peking Duck House continues to satisfy their customers with welcoming service and delectable food.

I’ve been to the Peking Duck House about three times, and I’ve found that their Midtown location is “better” than their Chinatown restaurant. For one, it’s better situated (Obviously: midtown, easy to find, cleaner) and I found the service in Midtown amiable, rather than the indifferent dispositions of the servers in Chinatown. Before we could stand up, our server snatched the check up from the table, snarled in a disgruntled manner an insincere “thank you” and stormed off into the kitchen. At the Midtown location, we were given plenty of space, the servers were attentive and polite and frankly we felt more comfortable.
Now, let’s get down to business: FOOD!

FOOD: Hence the name “Peking Duck house,” you can tell what we ordered. The Peking Duck House prepares their duck by using the most complex “formula.” I’ve ever heard of:
First, air is pumped into the duck to stretch and loosen the skin. They then repeatedly pour boiling water over the skin, which later is dried. The skin is rubbed all over with maltose syrup and is roasted in an oven for a long period of time until the meat is tender and the skin is crispy. The chef will then come and cut the whole duck in front of you. It’s served with homemade thin, pancakes, scallions, cucumbers and a special hoisin sauce. Your server would open the pancakes, swirl a little hoisin sauce on it, add cucumbers, the scallions and the duck, fold it and voiule!
Totally worth it. I had SIX “pockets.” The hoisin sauce was sweet, but a bit bitter, complimenting the whole concept of the salty pancake. The scallions were fresh but the cucumbers tasted a bit rancid…however, the Chef was spot on with the duck! Tender and crispy, and the skin peeled right off. As a side, we ordered fried rice. peas, spare ribs, egg you name it! All heaped up on a giant platter. It did go well with the duck I must say, a whole lot better than a soup would’ve

So again, another must try for a Manhattan lunch. Even if you’re not a duck fan (which I can guarantee that you will be after dining here) there a tons of other options to please your palette.

236 E 53rd St, Manhattan NY 10022,

(212) 759-8260

http://www.pekingduckhousenyc.com

I’m going to be straight up honest: I’m a Manhattan kind of guy. Sauntering down 5th ave to relaxing in Central Park really puts the cherry on top of the sundae. However, when I heard I was going to Newark this weekend, my sundae melted. Look: compare Manhattan to Newark…self explanatory.

But clearly I forgot one element to judge: food.
Because of the large demand for Spanish, Portuguese and Mexican food, I decided to check out Ferry St.
Cruising down Ferry St. I found a few places, but one stuck out to me: Iberia.
In an exclusive square with live music and an “aquatic” feel. A rather casual restaurant with lots of tables pleases yourself and your pallete.

FOOD: So usually at a Spanish restaurant, we like to go family style. Of course, we’d go with a classic: Seafood Paella. Before I continue, let me just say…THE PORTIONS ARE HUGE! HUGE. HUGE. HUGE. So anyway: best. paella. I’ve. ever. had. It was very fresh, (unlike most ones in Miami) and I could taste all of the necessary elements. Saffron (of course), peppers, scallops, A WHOLE LOBSTER, and fish. Equal amounts of elements were portrayed, and a burst of flavor had a little fiesta in my mouth. I highly recommend this. So for a heavier dish, get the steak cooked to medium well. The dish comes with perfectly cooked, crispy potatoes and a huge slab of meat. Ask for tabasco though, it will really bring out the flavor of the steak. So staying with meat, you must try the pork. The pork was sautéed and had a citrusy, garlic cilantro marination an abundance of jumbo clams with fried, cubed potatoes. All of the components went so well together, and the pork was so tender. I could combine anything on that plate and it would taste amazing.

DESSERT: Because no one in my family can ever agree on anything, we ended up getting three desserts rather than one. Pineapple sorbet, Molotov and the Chocolate Cheesecake. The pineapple sorbet had a really cool presentation of being served in an actual pineapple rind. It was very soft, but a bit too sweet. More of an ice-cream than a sorbet. The cheesecake was good, not to sweet, like a good cheesecake should be, and the dark chocolate glaze went really well with the milk chocolate used in the cheesecake. However, the Molotov was just whipped up sugar. No cake, no glaze, just crust and foam which tasted disgusting. The dessert was disappointing after such a great meal.

Arken Food Reviews

Monthly Archives: July 2014

Peking Duck House (NYC, NY)

Iberia (Newark, NJ)