A restaurant that specializes in Peking duck?! Count me in!

Z & Y Peking Duck is a popular restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown and for good reason. You actually have to call in advance to reserve your order of Peking duck (they do half or full duck orders) and of course I took no risks and called ahead of my reservation.

The menu boasts a plethora of Chinese classics from dim sum to spicy seafood and meats to noodles and everything in between. The selection was a little overwhelming (this would be a great spot for a larger group to try more dishes) so narrowing down what to order was a struggle because everything sounded great. We picked the most “popular” dishes but honestly I don’t think you could go wrong here.

Complimentary Pickles.

Crab and Pork Xiao Long Bao (8-8.5/10).

Typically I only eat the traditional xiao long bao with a pork filling but I wanted to try something new. The xiao long bao came out piping hot and were filled with a flavorful broth and stuffing. The skin was maybe just slightly thicker than what I prefer but that’s being extra nit-picky.

Beef Pancake Roll (8.5-9/10).

This was one of my favorite dishes of the night. The flaky yet soft pancake was rolled with slices of beef and thinly sliced raw cucumbers. There was already some sort of sweet sauce inside the roll so everything was seasoned. So good.

Peking Duck Carving Station.

The chef was cutting duck after duck all night. It was so fun to watch!

Peking Duck (9/10).

We preordered the half duck where the meat was tender and the glistening skin was crispy. The duck comes with pancakes and an array of toppings (cucumbers, scallions, hoisin sauce, and sugar). I’ve never seen the sugar topping before (it looked like either demerara or turbinado since the crystals were larger) but it was a nice textural component. This is a must order when visiting.

Royal Style Grilled Lamb (8.5/10).

We never order lamb at Chinese restaurants but this was listed as a popular item on their menu and several tables around us had it so we decided to give it a shot. The meat was juicy and succulent and tossed with lots of herbs.

Dan Dan Noodles (8/10).

The dan dan noodles were solid where we opted to get the mild spice level. Even with the mild spice level, it still had a little kick but more of the numbing sensation that you would get from Sichuan peppercorns.

Pea Shoots (8/10).

Of course we had to get some vegetables and sautéed pea shoots is always a favorite.

We both really enjoyed our meal at Z & Y Peking Duck where every dish was tasty and we can’t wait to go back, hopefully with a larger group. Overall, my rating is an 8.5/10.