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Duck Chang's, Peter Chang's (Not that Peter Chang) Peking Duck on John Marr Drive in Annandale - Open since 1975


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Two things people might not know about Peking Duck:

1) It's owned by Peter Chang - but not the Peter Chang you're thinking of.

2) Mr. Chang also owns Duck Chang's in Annandale.

 

Yes.... He is the son of the famous Duck Chang that started his business in Annandale. I remember going there on occasion as a kid, and the one on Rt1 is actually pretty decent. I had duck from the Annandale location last week... Sadly it was just passable No one in the area can really touch Peking Gourmet Inn for their duck

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I disagree.  I've stopped (years ago) getting the peking duck from Peking Gourment Inn (PGI) because it didn't come close to the version served at Peking Duck on Rt. 1.  Your tastebuds my vary!  Same goes for their dumplings.  I don't think PGI comes close to the dumplings at Peking Duck.

Besides the duck and dumplings another favorite of mine is their Chicken with Black Velvet.  It's a chicken dish in a brown sauce served with a really wonderful, meaty (velvety) eggplant.  You can get a vegeterian version too.  Their sizzling platter dishes are very good too.  Hell, I love damn near every dish at this place!

It's a great neighborhood place.  The service and decor can't compete with downtown DC, but for what it is, it's a hit.

maybe the Rt 1 location is better than the Annandale location, becuase the one I had at the Annadale location was sub par..and a corpse would agree.  I think its time for a Duck throwdown :D

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I had the duck three ways on Tuesday night and it was absolutely solid. The milky colored soup made great use of the duck bones, was sweetened by cabbage and enriched with tofu blocks. The duckmeat with bean sprouts felt like I was cheating - no effort on my part, like eating shellfish I didn't shell myself. The spring onions were pale yellow and could have passed for leeks they were mild. Of course Peking duck was the star - handmade, thin pancakes, expertly sliced skin and meat. It was excellent as always but the thing that keeps me coming back is the fact that Peter Chang might just be the nicest guy in the biz. A+ service. Friendly, convivial, warm and kind. This place is a reliable workhorse for your duck cravings but a treasure all the same.

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wow.... I remember my parents taking us here when we were kids in the late 70's/early 80's.  back when there weren't a lot of chinese restaurants in the area.  I wonder what the kay-bee toy store that used to be there is now.....

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wow.... I remember my parents taking us here when we were kids in the late 70's/early 80's.  back when there weren't a lot of chinese restaurants in the area.  I wonder what the kay-bee toy store that used to be there is now.....

If you step into Duck Chang's today, you might have a momentary flashback. I certainly felt like I stepped into the final scene of A Christmas Story last night there, but mentioning this detail isn't to point out a negative, per se; remodeling is really expensive, even if it might be a bit overdue.

Regardless, the peking duck here certainly hits the spot (properly prepared crispy skin!). Much better than Peking Gourmet Inn at least, compared to the last time I dined there. Friends I met through little man's school and us celebrated Lunar New Year last night (4 adults + 5 children) with good food and cheer. Service was lovely, with Peter Chang, his wife and mother all stopping by frequently to check on us. I felt festive for once, wishing them all a happy new year and seeing such big smiles.

We ordered the following dishes:

Vegetarian Egg Rolls

Duck Bone soup (for 1)

Vegetable soup (for 1)

Spareribs

Peking Duck

Vegetarian Ho Fun

Fried Tofu

Szechuan String Beans

Beef with Scallops

Chinese Broccoli

By the end there were only some beef, duck bones, and fried tofu leftovers to take home. It is nice to see children who aren't picky eaters (the duck skin was the first entree plate to be cleaned off, and the adults had to "save" a piece for themselves asap!) and little to take home. Friends really loved their Duck Soup and it smelled very fragrant, and everyone loved the duck; the other dishes were fine and satisfied the typical Chinese-American criteria. I think also what was unbelievable was we all felt like the meal was reasonably-priced at $45 after tax and tip per family for the 4 families present. But we all pretty much agreed we have to come back for the Peking Duck.

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I am posting this not because I ate here recently, but mostly because I can't find a single mention of this restaurant on this site. That has to be rectified, so let's start with this post.

A second reason is because I'm researching some Peking Duck delivery options, and Duck Chang's covers that base. So I expect I'll be trying it soon and commenting on it here.

A third reason is that Tim Carman recently tucked into the Peking Duck there, and was positive about the experience.

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Steve and I had their Peking duck 3 ways a long time ago.  The Peking duck was on par with Peking Gourmet - decent but nothing to get excited over.  The soup was rich, on the salty side that time.  Duck stirred fried with bean sprouts is good - worth trying.  I notice that there’s no dine in.  I think Peking duck would suffer in transit.

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I was a big fan of their sister restaurant, Peking Duck, on Rt 1 in Alexandria (near Ft. Belvoir) but they closed a year or two ago due to heath reasons (of the chef).  

To comment on Eric's comment above, I'd just add that the thing I prefer about their duck vs. Peking Gourmet Inn is the speed at which they carve the duck.  At PGI, they remove the skin, fat and meat very slowly, so by the time you eat it, everything is cold (or at least not hot).  At Peking Duck (RIP) and Duck Changs, they do the carving at top speed so everything is nice and hot when you eat it.

Their dumplings are great as well!

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On 9/27/2020 at 12:38 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

The Peking duck was on par with Peking Gourmet - decent but nothing to get excited over. 

This is my recollection also, although I have a preference for Duck Chang's (for BYOB purposes). I've never *not* had Peking Duck here because I used to come here when I was craving Peking Duck - does anyone have any other experience with the menu?

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2 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

This is my recollection also, although I have a preference for Duck Chang's (for BYOB purposes). I've never *not* had Peking Duck here because I used to come here when I was craving Peking Duck - does anyone have any other experience with the menu?

In this carry-out or delivery world, I had my eye on the duck livers -- I figure a place that specializes in duck should have livers in good supply with plenty of turnover -- the duck meat with chili peppers main dish, and maybe some dumplings. 

Anyone else have suggestions for what might travel well for 20-30 minutes?

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As I said above, I love their dumplings and always get at least one order of steamed and one order of fried.  Another favorite dish that doesn't seem to be listed on this menu is Velvet Chicken or Chicken with Velvet Sauce.  It's chicken and eggplant in a brown sauce.  Sometimes the eggplant is better than others, at least that's the way it was at the Alexandria place.   Both will travel well.

ETA - I've ordered the Velvet Chicken from here even though it's not on the menu

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We had carryout from there last night – as we have every Sunday night since March in supporting a family and establishment where we have been customers for over 40 years.  A duck always makes it to Christmas Eve dinner at the house where our three lads grew up with “Duckers” as their neighborhood Chinese restaurant.  It is still their first choice for a coming home meal out that always includes sesame beef and deep-fried Cha Dumplings with a garlic and scallion sauce.  I get the velvet pork quite often and I’ll give it a go with chicken soon.  One more thing.  They have real egg rolls and not just the thin spring rolls. Ask for some of the house mustard to go along with them.

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On 9/28/2020 at 5:00 PM, jderryup said:

 where our three lads grew up with “Duckers” as their neighborhood Chinese restaurant.  

Funny!  In our house we call it "Changers", is in "Do you want to get Changers tonight".  I'm really missing the Route 1 restaurant especially in the time of Covid.

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I just read on an Annandale Facebook group that the shopping center that leases to Duck Chang's has been sold. Apparently Duck Chang's has to do significant upgrades to its space to have its lease renewed. A Go Fund Me has been set up to assist in this endeavor. I grew up in Annandale, but don't get there as much. But every time I'm in Annandale I pick up "to go" food from Duck Chang's. Hopefully they can continue on. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-duck-changs?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=m_pd share-sheet&fbclid=IwAR2QWAMw6Vr0SkXIjAjXCopzUCRH62TzNh6FVORaynFCDYCRLjBaPLzwvsU

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I came here (not eating out so I've been largely absent from the community for a while) specifically to see if I could spread the word about Duck Chang's situation.  I've donated and am hoping that they are getting a long term commitment from the new landlord in exchange for the upgrades that they are going to be making.   

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I had dinner at Duck Chang's two nights ago, and the Peking Duck is still fabulous. My two big criteria for Peking Duck are 1) crispy skin and 2) rice crepes that smell like rice, not shortening. Duck Chang's pretty much rated a 10/10 on both of these. However, be prepared for a $68.95 sticker shock (for about 10 pancakes-worth).

It was really good.

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On 11/29/2023 at 10:20 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

Going back this weekend to see how their PD stacks up against THE Peter Chang's PD.  What else is good?

Eric, My memory is now a week old, and I only “saw” a couple of plates from about ten feet away (and I wasn’t really looking). All we had was the Peking Duck. I believe Mr. Chang, Jr.,  himself cut our duck (right outside the kitchen door, but in the dining room). Our older server may (or may not) have been his spouse. I would just ask, and if you can speak any of the Chinese languages, that may be a plus because I’m pretty sure no other customer in there did (at 4 PM).

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You used to be able to order the Peking Duck "3 ways".  Standard Peking Duck - crispy skin, some meat.  Duck soup, and then noodles (stirfried) with the rest of the duck meat and some veggies.  Of course my info is from the late 70's and early 80's when it shared the shopping center with KB Toys...

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My big issue with PGI was the (lack of) speed at which they carved the duck.  By the time the carver is done removing the skin, the fat and cutting the meat, the skin was cold and wasn’t crisp. 
 

However, the last time I had the duck in Annandale, (at Peking Duck) they didn’t roll the first pancake for everyone at the table which I always liked. I think they do that at PGI but it’s been ages since I had it. 

Also, they didn’t carve the duck table side at Peking Duck which they used to do, which was also a nice touch. 
 

I’m not sure that answer was much help!  
 

 

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5 hours ago, lion said:

Duck Chang or Peking Gourmet Inn for duck? 🤔

Can't speak to Duck Chang, but I had a solid PD at Peking Gourmet a few weeks ago. Really crisp skin, good amount of meat, although it's not quite as tasty as Q, which is my favorite at the moment. 

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Thanks for the replies, Bart and Mtureck!

I hadn't rememebered Q since been a bit down on Peter Chang after a bad experience at the Arlington branch last summer. First time it disappointed me with my regular dishes tasting like Americanized Szuech style. However, since he'll be opening a restaurant in Herndon, of course will try it. 

For over a decade before the pandemic, PGI was default duck place with myself and friends especially with the table side cutting theatrical style of serving. 

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