There’s a reason why some people argue that Metro Vancouver offers some of the best Chinese food in the world—we have a multitude of Chinese restaurants that serve culinary creations from different regions of China, and it keeps growing.

The latest newcomer in the city’s Chinese food scene happens to be the Straight’s next door neighbour, and we have exclusive details on the highly anticipated opening.

Those who have walked past 1643 West Broadway (previously Maurya Indian Cuisine) the past several months may have noticed the storefront undergoing a major facelift—think stone lions, Chinese-style doors, and an entrance that boasts traditional Chinese clay roof tiles.

Old Beijing Roast Duck will be the newest Chinese fine-dining restaurant in town, and it is gearing up for its Vancouver debut in a few weeks.  

The dining establishment is originally from Beijing, and has been operating three restaurants in Shanghai and Xi'an since 1997. This will be the roast duck chain’s first location in North America.

General manager Denny Sun is excited to bring his family’s restaurant business to Vancouver. He is the one who encouraged his father and restaurant proprietor, Sun Yi, to open a location in the 604 instead of Toronto.

“I want more people to know about Chinese eating culture and Chinese history, so that’s why I wanted to open a restaurant in central Vancouver rather Richmond,” Sun explained to the Straight in an interview at his restaurant.

This will be an upscale Chinese eatery, but don’t expect to step into a space that exudes modernity and Western décor. Guests will feel like they’ve been transported back to China’s Qing Dynasty when they step into Old Beijing Roast Duck.

The 2,500-square-foot space that seats 86 guests features an interior unlike anywhere else in the city. The entrance features a dozen or so Chinese lanterns, as well as dated photographs of famous restaurateurs and landmarks in Beijing. Traditional Chinese vases, clay teapots, antique wooden chairs, clay roofs, and signage with Chinese characters are only some of the items that make its interior so impressive.

When guests are finished gawking at the aesthetics and architecture of the space, they will find a traditional Chinese menu that features mostly Northern Chinese-style dishes, as well as its specialty: Beijing roast duck.

If you’re unfamiliar with Beijing roast duck (also known at Peking duck), it’s a traditional dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era. The duck is roasted in a special oven before being sliced in front of diners. The skin and meat are placed onto a thin piece of pancake, which are accompanied with pairings such as strips of cucumbers, scallions, and sweet bean sauces.  

Each roast duck restaurant has its own duck chef and unique method of cooking the duck. At Old Beijing Roast Duck, the restaurant’s key to success is its secret duck-roasting techniques and signature bean sauce.

“We use B.C. local duck from the Fraser Valley,” said Sun. “We choose the best ones here that we feel is similar to the ones we use in China. This duck has more fat on the skin, so when it is cooked, it will taste better.”

The restaurant’s duck chef Sam Wong has had over eight years of experience roasting ducks. He and other chefs at the restaurant went to China for two months of training at the chain’s flagship eatery.

“What makes our roast duck taste so good is the experience that we have had throughout the course of 20 years,” said Wong to the Straight at the soon-to-open eatery. “The skin is crunchy and crispy, and our signature sauce brings out its flavours. We follow the traditional and secret recipe that we learned in China, and we’ve brought it to Vancouver.”

In addition to Beijing roast duck, customers will also find dishes such as fresh blackened fungi (mushroom) salad, tea-infused smoked chicken, skillet duck breast in bird nest, devil-fried duck heart with Maotai (a distilled Chinese liquor), soft tofu braised with saffron and chestnut, and spicy fish pot, among many others.

As for dessert, the menu includes some fun and contemporary picks such as ice cream and fruit plates served on a ceramic tree pot, as well as traditional items like rice-and-red bean mash and sticky rice dumplings in sweet wine.

Different types of Chinese tea will be served, with individual clay teapots and teacups for each guest. A wine list will be offered in the future, because Sun thinks red wine pairs perfectly with his restaurant’s Beijing roast duck.

“We want Vancouver people to learn about real Chinese food and real Chinese culture through what we offer,” said Sun. “From our interior design, which is very traditional Chinese-style architecture and décor, to our food, which features traditional Chinese flavours…I don’t think you can get anything similar in the Vancouver area.”

Old Beijing Roast Duck is aiming for an opening by the end of August.

Scroll through the photos below for your first look inside the new food establishment.