We were at a very authentic Chinese restaurant and and a family showed up and asked waiter for recommendations they said the roast duck is very good which is very true. The roast duck shows up to their table and the guy takes a bite and bites straight into bone and he starts loudly complaining how there’s bones in it and why isn’t there meat and that chicken has a lot more meat and why doesn’t the duck have more meat and that this is a rip off and then it’s all bones and he’s mad that they sold him this. The restaurant ended up taking back the dish and giving them a refund simply because of the customers ignorance it was so cringe.
This is exactly why some Chinese restaurants have a special Chinese menu that you need to ask for.
To be fair, not every Chinese restaurant knows how to slice duck properly. The proper way slices the meat and skin off of the bones, so that each piece has a bit of meat and skin, and presents the flesh separately from the bones.
Some places though just hack into the carcass so that every piece has bone. They say it’s ‘fun.’ I as an ethnic Chinese say it’s ridiculous. I have had it done right and I have had it done poorly and surprisingly the price point is the same! Some places really skimp on the seasoning too, at the same price point.
Other dishes tend to be fairly similar across different restaurants but it seems like with duck you can really tell who gives a shit / was trained properly as a chef.
Uh…
What you are describing is how, specifically, Beijing Roast Duck is served. China is a huge country with a bewildering variety of cultures within it. There are a million ways to prepare and serve duck here, and many of them do what you describe as “ridiculous” as the normal way to do it.
Instead of parading your ethnicity, thinking it’s a shield, how 'bout you come here and spend a few years and learn?
They would generally know if you are speaking Chinese. Otherwise “I would like to see the secret Chinese menu.” would probably work, if they have one.
