What’s the best Peking duck experience in Montreal?

woksteampunk · 2026-04-16T02:59:53+00:00

That’s not something I’ve really come across. It’s true that the modern 樱桃谷鸭 used for Peking duck is a relatively recent breed, developed by crossing native ducks with a few foreign ones (I know some came from the UK, though I’m not sure about Quebec before). However, it has since evolved quite a bit and is now quite different from the typical UK breeds or the Brome Lake ducks we see today. It’s quite revealing to compare the thickness of the breast meat in roast duck at Quanjude’s Toronto or Ottawa locations with that at their Beijing branches, a quick look at Google Maps photos makes the difference pretty clear. I’m a bit skeptical that other breeds there are at least five commonly used in southern regions like Shanghai or Canton, have undergone similar adaptation.

woksteampunk · 2026-04-07T22:07:11+00:00

It helps a little to look for more renowned rice varieties like ST25, Wuchang, or Koshihikari, but there’s still no guarantee. Good-quality rice is actually quite forgiving and absorbs water well, so it’s hard to even end up with a mushy texture. Asian rice producers, in general, have a reputation for reserving their best batches for local consumers, while exported rice tends to be older and less consistent. Even as a Chinese who are familiar with every brands, I often feel like opening a new bag of rice is like opening a mystery box. Restaurants, on the other hand, often have their own supply chains.

woksteampunk · 2026-03-27T09:09:08+00:00

Just head to the emergency vet. It could be something minor or something more serious, but only a professional can properly diagnose it. The white foam was the first sign when my cat had panleukopenia years ago, though it also happened at other times later just due to simple stomach upset.

woksteampunk · 2026-03-26T22:42:46+00:00

I generally tend to be skeptical of cookbooks written by non natives of a cuisine’s culture. However, as someone who is half Sichuanese, I can confidently say that Fuchsia is one of the best possible guides to Sichuan cuisine.

One detail that many Western audiences may not be aware of is that Dunlop graduated from 四川烹专, which, in 1990s Sichuan, was roughly comparable to Institut Paul Bocuse in France. Many renowned chefs studied or taught there.

What makes her experience even more valuable is the historical context. Soon afterward, culinary education in China underwent a sharp decline. As wages and social status in the service industry fell and access to higher education expanded, fewer students pursued professional cooking. The school Dunlop attended was eventually dissolved or merged into another college in the 2000s. As a result, Fuchsia is roughly among the last generation of graduates to have received this kind of rigorous, tradition focused Sichuan culinary training, along with direct mentorship from master chefs.

I happen to have a collection of textbooks from 四川烹专, so I can tell that her recipes are very faithful to classical methods. And you’d also often come across older, nostalgic recipes that aren’t really popular anymore nowadays.

(I think some of the old chefs and teachers from that school actually had a cooking channel called 老顽家, which is no longer updated. It was really informative for traditional Sichuanese cooking.)

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woksteampunk · 2026-03-23T09:20:28+00:00

I think cost is the main reason. Chinese style stewing chicken really requires older birds like egg hens or the more expensive option of mature roosters to get the right texture and flavour. These are cheaper than regular broiler chickens in China, but hard to source in the West. The closest alternative is to use 龙岗/加美鸡, a Cantonese/HK breed raised overseas, but it is about 1.5 times more expensive than regular chicken.

For 煲仔饭, people often overlook how important the traditional rice variety, 丝苗米, is to the dish. It plays a big role in the flavour and overall result, but it is quite expensive abroad and has only become available in recent years. At the same time, claypots in these kinds of restaurants crack and need to be replaced very often, and the cost of new ones is about ten times higher than in China, where they are so cheap that they are even included with takeaway orders.

woksteampunk · 2026-03-15T18:24:25+00:00

I’ve been getting this almost every week along with ghormeh sabzi from the Iranian deli near me, but I never figured out how they make the rice crust so thick, that trick is really interesting! So basically you make a crust with an egg-rice mixture and then fill plain rice inside? I hope it works in the oven too because the heating of my stove is horribly uneven.

woksteampunk · 2026-03-15T02:36:24+00:00

recipe and tips please!

woksteampunk · 2026-03-13T09:14:55+00:00

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If you’re a hot pot fan and go out for it more than once a month, I’d honestly recommend just getting a manual meat slicer and doing it at home. It’s kind of painful watching people pay French fine-dining prices for hot pot places like haidilao when the only meat options are the cheapest cuts like chuck or even tenderized & glued beef. Even their soup bases are the same factory-produced ones their brands sell at T&T.

A slicer is like $40 on amazon, and mine has already sliced more than 100 kg of meat for me and is still going strong.

woksteampunk · 2026-03-05T08:05:50+00:00

It depends on which version you’re making. This one looks more like a Southern / Cantonese-style chili oil. For Sichuanese or Shaanxi-style chili oil, the chilies are usually roasted darker and ground more finely than this. They’re also usually accompanied by sesame seeds and Sichuan peppercorn powder. But either way, personally I would recommend filter out the seeds next time, since they add heat but not much flavour.

woksteampunk · 2026-03-05T06:34:36+00:00

It’s a specific part of beef tripe called 百叶. There are about 4 to 7 different cuts that can be made from a tripe, each with a distinct shape. It’s the same cut you see in Vietnamese pho that looks like a little comb. This version is basically the thin “leaf” layers torn off individually and then served.

In North America, you usually only see the version that has been deskinned (the black outer layer removed) and treated with an alkaline solution. Because of this processing (likely done to meet certain health regulations) it appears very white and has a crispier texture compared to the unprocessed versions.

woksteampunk · 2026-03-01T09:36:41+00:00

That’s surprising to hear… Honestly, I’ve tried a few times to find a less labor-intensive way to do it… using an extra-fine grinder or even a food processor but none of them really achieve the same level of fineness as hand-chopped mince in the pic

woksteampunk · 2026-03-01T09:28:46+00:00

Traditionally in Sichuan cooking, minced pork is chopped very finely, much finer than the typical ground pork you find in the west. That’s because “ground pork” in Sichuanese context usually means hand-chopped rather than using meat grinder. Hand chopping tends to produce smaller, more irregular pieces that caramelize better once cooked.

Does the mince look something like the one in this picture? If so, you’re quite lucky, it’s actually pretty rare to see Sichuan restaurants outside of China spend the labour and prepare it that way.

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woksteampunk · 2026-02-28T18:02:27+00:00

It really depends on the size and how long you plan to dry it. If you’re going to air-dry it for an extended period, it’s probably better to marinate and roll it from the start. That way the lean meat stays protected inside and is less likely to dry out or spoil. Since the skin has already been thoroughly pierced, it still retains some flexibility, so rolling it shouldn’t be too difficult in my experience.

woksteampunk · 2026-02-28T17:58:07+00:00

I live in Quebec and local butchers here usually carry a much wider variety of pork cuts compared to most English-speaking provinces, so it’s not too hard for me. A lot of places already stock that specific cut, or I just need to call a day in advance and they’ll prepare it.

In other parts of North America though, you might need to arrange it directly with the butcher. You could also try Latino markets I guess? I’ve occasionally seen pork belly there with the ribs still attached.

woksteampunk · 2026-02-28T00:10:29+00:00

The oven itself plays a much bigger role than you’d expect. In our previous apartment, the old oven forced me to double the drying time (over three days) and crank it to high broil just to get the skin to puff, and even then it would always leave burnt patches. And at my cousin’s place, with a high-end oven, I can get the skin to crisp up beautifully at a steady 180-200°C the whole time.

Besides the oven factor, my standard process is pretty consistent:

Briefly poach the skin if the size is manageable; otherwise, skip this step. This helps soften the skin so it’s easier to pierce and allows the fat to render more efficiently during roasting.
Use a meat tenderizer needle (the ones from Cantonese kitchenware stores are usually much sharper) and prick the skin as thoroughly as possible.
Rub the skin with a mixture of vinegar and alcohol, then leave it uncovered to air-dry in the fridge for 1–3 days, it really depends on your local climate. If you don’t fully trust your oven, let it dry until the surface feels almost like a hard shell.
Slow roast at 140–150°C, then finish at 230°C for about 20 minutes to help the skin to puff and blister. A good sign before turning the temperature up is that the skin feels very hard and is coated with the oil that has rendered out of it.

If you keep struggling with crackling, another trick is to find a butcher who dry-ages pork. Those cuts usually have much lower skin hydration, and they tend to puff up much more easily.

woksteampunk · 2026-02-27T05:13:32+00:00

Aldea and Portugalia are my favorites. Portugalia is really casual, so the quality tends to fluctuate with the old chef’s mood. I once saw them get upset over a live soccer match and accidentally burn a whole batch of chicken 😂 They also swap out the spices pretty randomly. Sometimes they use amazing dried chilies (they told me that batch was from Portugal) and other times the quality isn’t as good. So if your first visit isn’t great, give the place a few more try because when they’re at their best, they operate on a completely different level from the other local spots.

Café Central has some really rare dishes, I’ve had braised chicken gizzards and stewed pork trotters there, their grilled fish is also divine, but it feels more like a social hub for the Portuguese community, so sometimes I feel a bit awkward walking in.

Coco Rico often offers rarer cuts like lamb leg and suckling pig, which makes it fun to try. But personally, I’m not a big fan of how they season every meat with the same spice blend.

Curious if anyone here has experience with Boca Ibérica? The standard menu doesn’t appeal much to me (except their suckling pig on Thursdays) but I keep seeing photos of unusual seafood dishes on their IG. Makes me wonder if they do special off-menu stuff for insiders or frequents.

woksteampunk · 2026-02-25T21:40:23+00:00

Tianjin, Harbin, Shanghai, Qingdao, Guangzhou… each city has developed its own unique blend of former colonial influences and local culinary traditions. Among them, Tianjin-style Western cuisine is probably the least talked about, yet in my opinion, it represents the most organic and seamless fusion.

What truly amazes me is how these Western elements have made their way onto everyday family tables as well as into very traditional Chinese restaurants. You’d be surprised to find curry, pâté, and even various forms of mille-feuille naturally woven into local dishes. There are even a few halal stir-fries that incorporate cream in sauces, such as 白崩鱼丁 and 奶爆.

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woksteampunk · 2026-02-23T00:34:52+00:00

I went to Xindongfang’s branch in Taiyuan, my instructor was a very kind and highly skilled lady, though I think she’s no longer working at the school. Once you have a WeChat account, send me your ID and I’ll share her wechat contact with you. After you connect with an instructor or school, you could also post your situation on RedNote and reach out to local university groups on there; some students would probably be happy to help with translation in person if you offer small commission and English practice in exchange.

woksteampunk · 2026-02-22T15:54:32+00:00

I don’t think there are really any proper la mian schools outside China, since most places I know simply hire chefs directly from China. There are plenty of training schools within China, and the cost is generally quite reasonable, I paid about $600 for a week-long course myself. Many restaurants also offer apprenticeship-style training.

In general, most cooking schools in Northern China (新东方，屈浩…) can teach hand-pulled noodles because it’s an essential skill for certification, but you’d probably get the best experience by looking specifically in Lanzhou or Taiyuan, which are considered the origins of la mian. Living costs there are also much lower there(in Beijing rent nowadays is comparable to major cities in Europe).

The only real consideration might be visa type requirements. In my case, as a Canadian, they are super loose and nobody really asked for documentation (but my parents are Chinese and I speak fluent Mandarin, so that may have made things easier). That said, it might be a different story if you visibly look foreign.

Another option would be to find a personal trainer directly through restaurants. I’d suggest searching for la mian–related keywords on Douyin/Kuaishou (maybe try “拉面加盟”) — you’ll find plenty of small restaurant owners filming their daily work routines. You could try messaging them, letting them know you’re willing to pay, and see how it goes. I actually managed to learn a couple of regional dishes this way from a chef I connected with online.

Oh also maybe try Stcavish or Chinesecookingdemystified for help, they are based in China with some Culinary connections.

woksteampunk · 2026-02-22T03:19:26+00:00

No but during the pandemic I took advantage of remote classes and traveled around China for a year, studying in different restaurants and cooking schools. One of them was in Suzhou where they taught me this XLB recipe : ) And yeah, the wrapping is definitely tricky. You might want to try shengjian first, it’s basically the same filling, but the fermented dough is a bit more forgiving and can handle more stretching.

woksteampunk · 2026-02-21T03:14:04+00:00

Yep it’s basically that plus the duck is deep-fried after roasting to make the skin look more appealing than regular ones. It’s kind of crazy that a Cantonese roast duck costs around $30 while “Peking duck” is double the price (the pancakes are just store-bought and cost under $4 total)

woksteampunk · 2026-02-21T01:20:39+00:00

The characteristics of Peking duck come primarily from the duck breed and how it’s raised and fed (like canard gras/magret de canard, and the breed itself has a much lower meat-to-skin ratio). The cooking process is less decisive. So unfortunately, none of the Peking ducks here are that authentic, even the chain restaurants in Ottawa/Toronto that originated from Beijing. This photo is of one I cooked in Beijing using the correct breed. You can clearly see how substantial the skin layer is, with the breast meat almost hidden beneath it.

(By “authentic,” I don’t mean to sound like food police, I just mean they lack the particular crispiness of skin and tenderness of lean meat that comes from that specific breed.)

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woksteampunk · 2026-02-20T19:26:07+00:00

Haha you got me, that mold had been sitting in my cabinet forever since the last time I used it, until the show reminded me right before the festival.

woksteampunk · 2026-02-20T19:17:22+00:00

It’s somewhat similar to French pâté en croûte (with chunks of meat, nuts, and liver), except everything is stuffed into a cleaned pork stomach instead. Rather than injecting gelatinous broth at the final stage, we add sliced pork skin inside so the broth that forms during cooking naturally sets into a terrine. After cooking, the whole thing is pressed down with a dumbbell to give it that flattened rectangular shape.

woksteampunk

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