The Dudes of Food

Chinatown Food Court

5385 New Peachtree Rd
Atlanta, GA 30341

As I walked into the Chinatown Food Court, I realized that my brother-in-food and I were the only customers in the complex who spoke English as a first language: A sign of a great meal.

Deciding where to purchase our mid-Sunday feast was a journey within itself because there were many storefronts in the Food Court, There were so many choices, so many unopened doors. We concluded that the BBQ stand festooned with whole ducks dangling in the window would be our destination.

The order was placed for a whole pressed duck, $16. We were told to add rice (another $2 ish), and so we did (foodies know to listen to the owner). The wait was a little long, but the food court provides plenty of people and food watching to help pass the time.

The third, and final, Sign of Greatness: the initial crunch of the perfectly buttery and crispy golden-brown skin. But, what perhaps surpassed this experience was that after the initial crunch followed an unbridled emersion in three inches of hot BBQ goodness. Chinese duck meat is always served attached to the bones, and the huge chunks of meat effortlessly peeled off. What was particularly noteworthy was the amount of meat, especially in the breast, that came on each bone segment. You receive the whole duck and get to taste every part, including the neck and head if you are daring enough. The experience of eating this duck was a sharp contrast to a lightly flavoredPeking Duck. The sauce was thick and strong yet the skin was light. Although I am religiously loyal to Mings BBQ, the Chinatown Food Court pressed duck is a fierce competitor.

To cleanse our palates we sipped timidly on the dishwater soup that came with the meal. If cleansing was our goal, it was a mistake. The soup is superfluous.

Consumer hint: Skip the soup.

What to get

Pressed Duck with a side of rice-If you make this trip in 3 or 4 people, this is certainly an FSFW meal.