I’ve been stumbling into food obsessions for as long as I can remember. My very earliest recollection, in fact, involves tandoori chicken. I was in third or fourth grade when I discovered fajitas. And since then, foods you wrap yourself, from the rice paper at a Vietnamese bo 7 mon spot to the pancakes that surround Peking duck, have been a lasting fixation of mine.
Yes, Peking duck. It’s a “can’t live with them, can’t live without them” dish of which, while high on my list of crave-worthy foods, a satisfactory version is rare. Even more precious? One that’s also affordable. But I found a Peking duck that checks both boxes. At China Wok in Tysons, I wrapped to my heart’s content for $22.95. That was the price for a half duck, which I readily dispatched on my own, but it could easily be shared by two less ardent eaters. A whole duck is $43.95, more than $20 cheaper and many degrees crispier than its best-known competitor.
The rest of my party’s dishes came out quickly, including a hand-pulled version of zha jiang mian. The tofu-and-pork ragout was excessively sweet, but the motley, lacy-edged noodles made up for it. It distracted me until my duck arrived, finely sliced with juicy muscle and crispy skin separated. On another plate, the leg and wing waited for me to wrest from the bone. I did so with pleasure, spreading each rough-hewn pancake with hoisin, then placing scallions and meat within. The combination of ingredients collaborated just as they should, though I missed the cool gush of a bit of cucumber. Still, when I’m dreaming of Peking duck, this small, casual restaurant is my new destination of choice. And that’s a wrap.
8395 Leesburg Pike, Tysons
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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