I didn’t realize that DaDong has already opened two branches in Shanghai. The first one is on the 5th floor of Reel Plaza—not the 5th floor of Réel Mall, but rather in the adjacent Reel Plaza, which has a dedicated elevator; just take it up to the 5th floor. The space inside is incredibly spacious, but if you don’t have a reservation, expect a long wait. So if you’re planning to dine here, be sure to book in advance. You can also have the duck prepared ahead of time; otherwise, if you order it fresh, it takes about 40–50 minutes to roast a whole duck.
The other branch is located on the 6th floor of IAPM. According to online reviews, the dining area there feels somewhat cramped, but it’s less crowded, so you probably won’t need to queue for now. Overall, the ambiance is quite nice, and surprisingly, the taste is exactly identical to that of their Beijing locations—there’s absolutely no difference. The service style is very Beijing-esque: while such service might be considered decent in Beijing, it certainly doesn’t qualify as good service by Shanghai standards. As a result, many people online have complained about their service. Of course, they also don’t charge the 5% service fee that their Beijing outlets do.
After being open for quite some time, the lavishly designed menus have become somewhat worn, but they really are beautifully crafted—if you look closely, you could easily spend an hour browsing through them~~~~ The photos are exquisite, and each dish is accompanied by a poetic verse. If you skip the seafood and similar items, the prices aren’t too high either, making this place a pretty great choice for enjoying roast duck~~~
As always, the appetizer is Nest-shaped Duck Treasures~
Pork neck—the texture of this dish is quite nice, though the flavor leans slightly mild, topped with freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns.
Mr. Dong’s Braised Eggplant—truly worthy of its reputation as a signature dish, absolutely delicious~~~
Continuing with dim sum: Blooming Crispy Delights
Since roasting the duck takes quite a while, the star of the show makes its grand entrance last—the roast duck…
The carving technique isn’t nearly as skillful as in Beijing… but it’s equally delicious, served with duck broth as well.
As for the drinks, interestingly enough, the two glasses are of different heights—one stout glass is shorter than the other~~~
At the end, we were gifted large lychees. Though they looked appealing, they weren’t very tasty….
While the décor may not be as extravagantly luxurious as in Beijing, it’s still quite pleasant.
Photos in this post taken with SONY NEX-5R + 35mm f1.8, post-processed in Lightroom.
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