Peking Palace is inspired by the legendary Chinatown restaurant, House of Gourmet. Celebrating 30 years of business in 2025, the Chen family has been serving up Chinese classics all day everyday in their cozy dining room on Dundas St. Although they have around 800 menu items, they serve up delicious BBQ and seafood incredibly quickly. Known for their BBQ, this piece features their highly sought after Peking Duck, which they proudly have hanging in their front window. They serve the meal in 2 courses, featured here is the first course, the traditional way of eating Peking Duck.

Growing up, I ate Peking Duck very rarely, but it always was for a good reason. We would gather for dinner with family and friends to celebrate important mile stones or events and share a Peking Duck. I always love the care of wrapping up slices of duck, being mindful about how much meat I was using so everyone could get enough. If we went to the fancy place to have it, someone would even cut it table side for us. I fondly remember the care and precision that went into slicing each piece evenly, where every cut had a bit of crunchy skin on it.

Peking Palace is a part of my SIK JOR FAHN MEI AH Series where I consider my connection to Chinese food by showcasing some of my favourite dishes from local Toronto restaurants. The series title in English means “have you eaten yet?”. It is a meant as a phrase of love and care.