Quiet Dining

I just came back home from taking my colleague to Da Dong Roast Duck.

She just arrived in Beijing for work about six weeks ago and even though she visited the capital a few times before, she never tried Peking duck.

So I took her to the best place in town.

I'd always made a reservation in advance and this time was no different.

But when we arrived at the appointed time, there were no crowds of people swarming the reception desk demanding to know when they would be seated, or customers with their mouths watering as they watched the ducks roasted in the open ovens.

We were immediately seated and soon after we ordered, the food arrived at our table.

And for the hour and a half that we were there, not many people came, and those who walked in without a reservation got a table right away.

During the Olympics the place was absolutely packed in the lobby and I remember waiting for a good 45 minutes for a table.

And the last time I was there in early November, it was still humming.

While the restaurant serves delicacies like abalone, sea cucumber and foie gras, the prices for most of the other dishes on the menu are quite reasonable.

However I noticed this time that half a roast duck is 99RMB ($14.50) when it used to be about 79RMB.

Nevertheless, seeing the restaurant starting to empty out at 8pm was a stark reminder that the global financial crisis is hitting Beijing and quieter times may be ahead.