DaDong Awards

DaDong Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & chef: Beijing-born chef Dong Zhenxiang is a superstar in his home country, celebrated for his crispy Peking duck, roasted in special ovens and served with panache in spacious and elegant restaurants. Now in New York City, DaDong entrances diners with the same precision and finesse, serving not only roast Peking duck but a full menu of innovative Chinese dishes. The restaurant sits in the Cube Building tucked in a plaza behind Bryant Park. With seating on two floors --- including bar and outdoor areas --- DaDong has a toned-down elegance, allowing the cuisine to take center stage.

Likes: Diners can choose either a whole or half Peking duck, available for post-theater dining as well.
Dislikes: The restaurant is tricky to locate and the subdued signage makes it even more confusing.

Food & Drinks: From the tome-like menu, signature dishes are presented in dramatic fashion. Geoduck clam fillets arrive in an ice sphere designed to be cracked. Squid ink soup with black truffles is poured into a bowl as dark as its contents. Twin cubes of seared Wagyu beef complete an artistic, circular tableau with preserved Sichuan vegetables. But the star of the show is DaDong’s “SuBuNi” roast duck, Indiana-grown duck, crisped beautifully in DaDong’s special ovens and served with a choice of garnishes, chef’s special sauce, thin pancakes and hollow sesame buns. A plate of sugar is also presented for dipping, further enhancing the sweetness of the duck skin and creating a blend of savory and sweet. A delicious option is the Kaluga caviar, which the chef recommends placing between the skin and meat. A light dessert of multi-flavored white shells adds to the overall sweetness of the meal. Handcrafted cocktails change by Chinese Year, with specials reflecting celebrities born under the Chinese zodiac sign. Champagne and white burgundy are highlighted on the 300-bottle international wine list.