Since 1864, QuanJuDe has impressed diners with its deliciously crispy and flavorful Peking (Beijing) duck. Originally reserved only for the imperial family of the Qing Dynasty, the restaurant has become a household name in China. Today, Vancouver enjoys its One MICHELIN Star fine dining outpost iDen & QuanJuDe Beijing Duck House.
Before you read about the history of the dish and how its remained the same since its inception, check out what our Inspectors had to say here.
Richard Nixon. Jimmy Carter. George H.W. Bush. Bill Clinton. Barack Obama. These former U.S. Presidents have all dined at QuanJuDe in Beijing.
Now, its iconic Peking duck is available in the heart of Vancouver, next to City Hall and Broadway.
Chef Allen Ren opened iDen & QuanJuDe Beijing Duck House to spearhead Chinese fine dining in North America. He explains, “When people think about having dinner for a special occasion, they [don’t often] think about [a] Chinese restaurant. That's what we're pursuing: to make people think of QuanJuDe when they are having a special occasion.”
One crucial step was to get the duck’s flavor exactly right. Ren says, “Our signature dish, the Peking duck, is using the very traditional Chinese palace way of making it. Our techniques and cooking methods completely retain the QuanJuDe tradition.” That tradition includes an open hanging oven and adding subtle fruit flavors. The only differences are using locally raised Canadian ducks and incorporating modern appliances.
The centuries-old recipe maximizes the skin’s crispiness. “We wash the duck, blow air to separate the skin and meat, and air dry it at a lower temperature [for three days], so it can make the duck skin more crispy and also minimize the oil level on the skin,” explains Ren. “We put it in the oven, 180 degrees for almost an hour.” The duck is then served with steamed spring pancakes, cucumbers, scallions and Tianmian sauce (fermented sweet bean sauce).
Ren also introduces guests to new flavors not in the original Beijing location. His menu is truly a taste across China with cooking styles from Sichuan to Cantonese, Huaiyang to Fujian, and many more. Some of his favorite dishes are the local lobster, sablefish cooked in black vinegar and a Cantonese-style lamb rack marinated with honey and soy sauce. Delicacies include abalone, geoduck, sea cucumber and fish maw.
Inspired by his father who was a chef, Ren spent decades cooking at five star hotels such as the JW Marriott, InterContinental and Hilton. He says, “I grew up in the Shanghai area, which is mostly Huaiyang cuisine. My master was from Hong Kong, so I learned Cantonese cooking from him.” With his extensive training throughout China from Shenzhen to Shanghai, Ren chose QuanJuDe to be his first endeavor outside of his home country.
Being in Canada, Ren experiments with new culinary ideas, including an option to put caviar on the Peking duck. He searches surrounding farms for the best seasonal ingredients, such as local morels and Matsutake mushrooms. He explains, “We take some traditional recipes and put our own spin on it.”
An early supporter of Ren’s mission to popularize Chinese fine dining was former Vancouver resident Chef Joseph Tse of Macau’s Three MICHELIN Star The Eight. First seeing QuanJuDe’s construction site in 2017, he gladly served a short stint in 2022 as its Chef in Residence.
With soft jazz music playing among ancient paintings and an ode to Chaoyang Gate, QuanJuDe was designed to feel delicately modern and cozy, but also distinctly Chinese. Ren explains, “Our design is based on Chinese architecture from the Qing Dynasty palace.” Adding to the culinary adventure, the restaurant features its namesake iDen, an immersive private room where diners can choose virtual backgrounds ranging from Chinese palaces to forests.
In essence, QuanJuDe is a rare find on this side of the world. Chef Ren hopes that even more Vancouver locals and tourists will taste QuanJuDe’s Chinese fine dining experience to enjoy its timeless recipes with a subtle Canadian twist.
Hero image: QuanJuDe
Thumbnail: Ken Huang/QuanJuDe
