Beijing's 20 Most Interesting People: Da Dong

We have a saying here at the Beijinger that even if nothing interesting could be written about 99 percent of Beijing's approximately 20 million people, there would still be 200,000 great stories remaining. To us, what makes a person interesting was not only their long-term presence in Beijing, but that they had done something of note within the last 12 months. Here is one of our picks, and you can always find more in our October issue, now out on the stands.

Da Dong
Founder/Chef, Da Dong Roast Duck

Why he’s interesting: They don’t call him Da Dong for nothing. Even if he weren’t 1.93 meters tall, what he’s done with the city’s most iconic name would probably big him up enough to deserve that nickname and moniker that his restaurants bear. Along with opening a new restaurant in August at the east gate of the Workers Stadium, Dong Zhenxiang, as he was born, won Restaurant of the Year (Chinese), Best for Impressing Visitors (Chinese Cuisine), and most important, Best Beijing Duck, at the Beijinger 2013 Reader Restaurant Awards. Where Quan Ju De was once synonymous with Beijing’s most famous dish, Dong has shown that quality and service can unseat even the oldest brands.

What he says: “Many European chefs visit our restaurant and cannot believe the scale of our kitchen. That’s why we’re the best – we can do many dishes well, not just a few.”

Photo: Judy Zhou