Peking Garden in Pacific Place

Last Friday one of our trainees left our esteemed establishment to fly back over yonder to his native desk in the London office.

The office held a farewell party in his honor. 
Speeches, albeit brief, were made.  Drinks were had.  A menu was selected and set.  Peking duck was ordered.  Beggar's chicken was pre-ordered.  It was quite an affair.

  I thought their cold appetizers (drunken chicken in Shaoxing wine, smoked vegetable rolls, jellyfish with cucumber in garlic and cold noodles with peanut sauce) were all very well done. 

These sweet and sour and spicy battered shrimps were probably my favorite dish of the night.

Abalone soup with rice crackers

I loved the dishes used in the restaurant, particularly these large platters that have nice cutouts.

The highlight of the night was the beggar's chicken.  The story behind the name goes like thus: there was once a very poor man who had no kitchen.  And one day someone gave him a chicken.  So in order to eat it, he covered it in mud and baked it over an open fire.   And because it was delicious, so the Beggar's Chicken was born.

 

Here it is, before the trainee, as the guest of honor, smashed it with a big gold gavel.  You need to pre-order this dish 24 hours in advance.

The inside:

To be perfectly honest, I did not think the chicken was all that tasty.  It was my first time trying Beggar's Chicken and I could not understand the fuss.  Is it all a gimmick?  While we are in critical mode, I shall also pronounce that I am not entirely a fan of Peking Garden's Peking Duck.  I think it is a bit dry and flavorless.  Is that harsh? 

Oh well, I still enjoyed the meal immensely.