四季民福 Siji Minfu @Dongcheng District, Beijing

四季民福 Siji Minfu was another highly recommended place to go to for Peking Duck, and there was a relatively new outlet near the East Exit of 故宫博物院 The Palace Museum where one could savour the majestic beauty of the palace while munching on the delectable ducks (if you can get a seat by the window, that is).

It was almost 3pm when we left 故宫博物院 The Palace Museum (6 hours of walking and we still couldn’t finish all the exhibits), and we were starving!

We still had to queue despite the odd hours, but there were snacks available while we waited, so it was not too bad.

We were starving so we ordered:

• 北京味道 Traditional Appetizers Platter (¥49): There were some hits and misses, and we kinda regretted ordering this. We liked the pork jelly best. There was this garlic item that was so spicy that we basically did not touch it after our first bite.
• 特色鸭血旺 Boiled Duck Blood and Beef Tripe in Chili Oil (¥52): We requested for less spicy, but it was still too spicy for hubby. This was one of the few times that I really enjoyed mala stuff though, as I felt that the mild tingling sensation worked well with the level of spiciness, and it was not super duper oily. Definitely something for sharing though, for the portion was huge! It was also the first time that I have tasted duck blood without that usual fishy smell. I almost wiped out the entire dish myself, haha!
• 酥香嫩烤鸭 Roasted Tender Duck (¥198 for a whole duck, ¥108 for half a duck): We originally opted for a half duck, but it apparently did not come with the bones. Hence, we ended up with a whole duck and topped up an additional ¥20 or so for duck soup made with the bones. We also ordered a set of 鸭饼 Pancake (¥6), as well as 2 sets of 小料 Condiments (¥5 per person). The duck skin was pretty crispy and delicious; unfortunately, it lacked the first-bite wow factor when compared to 大董烤鸭 Da Dong Roast Duck. However, the meat was definitely more tender here, and we really enjoyed it. The condiments were not bad too, but the pancake was quite cold by the time it was served, which was quite disappointing. Still, it was a pretty value-for-money duck! The soup was way more flavourful, and it was worth the additional cost. We recommend a bigger group to enjoy the whole duck, for we were really very full after the meal 😛
• 清炒时蔬 Sauteed vegetables: For some reason, we could not find this dish on the menu, and could not remember the exact name or price (probably ¥40+). We had a very delicious stir fried asparagus with black fungus and walnut, and this served as a “healthier” dish for this meal. The asparagus and walnuts were very crunchy!

There was also a free serving of 冬枣 Jujubes (or dates), which I loved! This is a seasonal fruit, so that was probably why we got this for both our Peking duck meals.