This weekend, as part of my “Don’t say no” last few months in Chicago, I dragged my tired self to a feast.

“We are eating duck tonight Ellie,” said Sandeep, my wine guru and dining buddy.  “This is not an option, sleepiness is not an excuse.” And so I was off to Sun Wah, a Chinese BBQ (and deliciously BYO) on North Broadway. Game time.

Peking Duck  is an ancient recipe.  Historically, it calls for an Imperial Peking duck, a special variety of fowl. The birds are force fed and kept in a small cage to make sure their meat is tender…..its basically what the witch did to Gretel and what the French do for foie gras (we Chicagoans like it a lot….)

Heads up, cause the prep is kind of gross, but the result is awesome.  First, all the insides are removed and the tushie sewn shut. Next air is forced inside to stretch and poof the skin so the fat will render properly, producing the crispiest, most delicious and choicest part of the duck– the skin.

When its all set to roast the cooks paint the naked bird with a sugar and garlic sauce then dry it out, suspended in mid air. The preparation at Sun Wah is pretty traditional, though I didn’t spot the cylindrical clay ovens used to roast the duck like in the olden days.  Didn’t seem to matter, the end product was beautiful.

Our bird was carved table side by the daughter of the owner.  “I alternate between duck and barbecued pork for breakfast” said the slender Chinese women wielding the massive knife slicing up the fowl. I was pretty sure she could eat me for breakfast if I wasn’t careful.

Before Sun Wah opened more than two decades ago, the owner Eric Cheng studied in the Guangdong Province to get the hang of Peking Duck from the experts. It shows. The duck is served in three courses- a gut busting and delicious manner which includes the duck itself, an egg drop soup (with duck bones for flavoring of course) and fried rice with lots of peas. I do like peas in all forms.

Our duck came out, skin glistening, sweet smelling steam rising into the air, and my appetite skyrocketed. Based on the smell alone I could have eaten the whole thing– even after a big plate of sautéed baby bok choy with garlic sauce. Yum.

Traditionally, the sliced duck breast are eaten in small wheat pancakes or “lotus buns” like mini sandwiches. Topped with pickled carrots, scallions and jicama and a dab of hoisin sauce, I ate about a zillion. I still had stomach space to crunch through a bit of golden skin.

Photo by Agashi

While I have nothing to compare it to, I think this was damn good Peking Duck. I’m definitely not alone in my tastes either.  When I visited at 9:30pm on Saturday, the place was packed. And as the BYO trend continues to gain force, Sun Wah shows no sign of slowing down. With our meal, we opened a bottle of peppery, and zesty Rioja which cut through the fat of the bird and provided a killer compliment to its earthy taste.

I left a happy and very full person.

5041 N Broadway
(between Winnemac Ave & Carmen Ave)
Chicago, IL 60640
Neighborhood: Uptown