Last Sunday, my family and I went to Sun Wah, the famous peking duck place in Uptown (Chicago). It's a good thing my mom made reservations (something you generally don't do at Chinese restaurants) because Sun Wah was featured in the Chicago Tribune a few days before, so non-followers soon caught wind of this place making it incredibly busy for a Sunday night. I'm no peking duck expert, but a lot of attention is paid to the way it is prepared and even carved, and supposedly Sun Wah has it down pretty well.
My family has been here several times, but this was my first. The peking duck was carved tableside. After carving the bulk of the duck, they took the scraps and used it for duck soup and duck fried rice, which came quickly soon after. Additionally, we were given pickled radishes and carrots, as well as buns to make duck buns. The duck was incredibly juicy and tender, and the skin was perfectly crisp. I honestly don't have much to compare to, so all I know is that this was some damn good peking duck. The buns are basically like Momofuku's pork belly buns, but I must say that the buns we constructed ourselves with the peking duck were a tad better, and significantly cheaper. A peking duck with duck fried rice, duck soup, veggies, and 6 buns costs $32, which is enough to feed 4 people pretty well.
Sun Wah has always been highly recommended, but I definitely recommend reservations and letting the waitress know ahead of time that you'll be getting the peking duck meal, especially if you're going to be there during peak hours.
Sun Wah
Near the corner of Argyle St. and Broadway
