御食园 Z & Y Peking Duck — Restaurant in San Francisco

Article in SF Gate got me really excited - duck "is carved into thin slices tableside" and "This Michelin-approved S.F. Chinese restaurant," I just had to try it. I pre-ordered their 15 course Chinese New Year Eve menu served family style for 10 persons. **1 star: Atmosphere and ambiance a) I booked a guaranteed round table downstairs because Chinese banquets require round tables with a lazy susan to make it easier for people to serve themselves since dishes are family shared (one large dish/platter per entrée). When I got to our table, our table was horizontal and stuck in a corner of the restaurant with those Chinese Emperor Chairs (super heavy, bulky and huge). I asked the waiter why was my table stuck in the corner when I was told that I would be getting a round table. He said that this is the table reserved for me. I did not want to make a scene because it was Chinese New Year's Eve and it's bad luck to speak ill of people or cause trouble. It was so bad that we couldn't even get ourselves into the chairs because they were no room for maneuvering those heavy bulky chairs. So, we moved the tables ourselves away from the chairs to let some of us sit against the wall. b) I asked for iced water. We were served room temperature water. I asked for a bucket/container of ice. The waiter said there isn't any ice. I told him the other tables had iced drinks. He said the ice is upstairs. Then I told him he should go upstairs and get us some us. He wasn't happy. Did he expect one of us to get our own ice, especially a handicap person to walk up a steep narrow stairway to the bar? Shouldn't this restaurant be ADA compliance? c) I asked for another paper napkin and the waiter said you have one. Since when does a Michelin restaurant question you when you want another napkin? Is this a bogus "Michelin." d) I asked for tea and was told it was an extra cost. You can't have a banquet without tea. I ordered tea for everyone even though some only drank water. By this time, I definitely was not a happy camper. My expectations and anticipation evaporated so fast that I was willing to walk out - I did not want to start my new year with this terrible beginning. **2 stars - Service - There were only two waiters. One was good and the other one was so-so. *3 stars - Food - 1st dish - braised platter (sliced beef tendons). We only had 2 slices each. I looked at the size of the dish and thought to myself, OMG -are going to starve and for us to pay so much for this banquet, it wasn't worth it. The other dishes were somewhat unique. - avocado salad, Tengiao skewer delight, Chicken with Morchella soup and Beijing Dalu noodles. It was too fusion for me. Other dishes: xiao long bao, miso sea bass, bacon scallop roll, white wine garlic clams, claypot braised lamb ribs, pea sprout in broth and tender beef with spicy rod chili, were okay. Nothing special. The duck was sliced and it was not "carved into thin slices tableside." Very disappointing. That's the whole point for coming to this restaurant. Some duck skins were good and some were beyond chewing. I don't understand how some skins were good and some weren't. The difference between this duck and others we had, was that it wasn't greasy and the sliced skin was paired with a duck slice. Our experience might have been better if we did not have to pass our plates to whoever is closest to a dish that you want. Can you imagine passing your plate to the end of the table and having it returned to you somewhat in a mess? You also had to keep moving dishes to make room for incoming entrees; you frequently had to ask the waiter to remove empty platters/dishes; and if you were a server for your table mates, your food was eaten cold. Food temperature is essential in tasting food correctly. That is the sole purpose of a...

First of all, as customers, we did not receive the treatment we deserved. The prices at this restaurant are significantly higher than average, yet neither the food nor the service lives up to the cost. From the moment we walked in, the hostess (or manager at the front) was impatient and dismissive to every guest—not just us. I don’t know what kind of personal tragedy she’s going through to present herself in such an unpleasant manner, but I genuinely feel sorry for her, and even more so for her family and friends.

Things only got worse when the server Vivian brought out our first dish—with a bug crawling on the plate. We immediately pointed it out, and her response was simply to remove the insect and say, “It just accidentally flew onto the plate,” before walking away. No apology. No explanation. While the hostess’s attitude was off-putting, Vivian’s handling of this was downright nauseating. We ordered six dishes—four Beijing-style, two Sichuan. Every single one was borderline inedible, yet we still tried to finish them because of how much we were paying. The last dish was bullfrog, and after one bite, we had to spit it out. As someone who loves bullfrog and has eaten it countless times in various flavors, I have never experienced numbness across my entire tongue from just one bite. By then, we knew better than to give feedback—we just wanted to pay and leave.

Even the staff Kim giving us takeout containers commented on how untouched the bullfrog was. When we said it had no flavor beyond the numbing pepper, he replied, “The chef marinated it too long,” and walked off. Again, no apology, no ownership. EXCUSE ME???? How long you marinate something has nothing to do with me. I’m just a paying customer expecting to enjoy a decent meal. I shouldn’t have to pay to be mistreated.

Secondly, as a Beijinger who’s been abroad for nine years, I came for a taste of home. What I got instead was a complete mockery of the cuisine I grew up with. The so-called “Peking duck” tasted like reheated supermarket duck, and the lu zhu was made with no understanding of the dish. Even the Sichuan items were poorly executed.

Of course, I can’t claim to represent every Beijing native’s taste, and I understand that some people may not have tried authentic Beijing cuisine before. But even the Sichuan dishes were done so poorly, it was genuinely revolting. This is a restaurant that charges premium prices under the guise of fine dining while delivering poor-quality food and worse service. They can’t even get the basics right—not the food, not the training, not even a sense of common courtesy. This goes beyond disappointment; this is a case of deceiving customers and violating basic consumer rights.

This restaurant uses the illusion of upscale dining to overcharge for low-quality food and untrained, indifferent service. It is deeply disappointing, and frankly insulting to both the cuisine and the customer.

There’s a saying in Chinese: “民以食为天, 食以安为先, 安以质为本, 质以诚为根” — “Food is heaven for the people. Safety comes first. Safety comes from quality. And quality must be rooted in sincerity.” Z&Y seems to have forgotten...

I’m struggling to write a review that does this place justice, because "5 stars" feels woefully inadequate. You don't just eat at ZY; you have an experience that fundamentally alters your perception of food and, in my case, your life expectancy. Let's start with the duck. I've had Peking duck all over the world. This is not that. This is something else entirely. The skin was an impossibly thin, glistening pane of mahogany-hued crackling that shattered at the mere suggestion of a touch, releasing a puff of aromatic steam. The meat beneath was so succulent and flavorful it felt like it had been imbued with the very essence of duck. The gossamer-thin pancakes, the perfectly julienned scallions, the rich, complex hoisin sauce... it was a symphony. I wept. Openly. But here’s the thing. I didn't go to Jade Carver just for a meal. I went for a last meal. I had a... financial disagreement with a gentleman named "Fingers" Malone, and I had less than 24 hours to produce a sum of money I'd only ever seen in movies. I was a mess. The manager, a preternaturally calm man named Mr. Chen, must have noticed my distress. He glided over and asked if the duck was to my liking. I confessed my situation. He didn't blink. He just nodded, took a sip of his tea, and said, "The most important debts are debts of honor. The second most important are those that might interfere with a patron enjoying our duck. Let me make a call." I don't know who he called. I don't want to know. All I know is that 20 minutes later, Mr. Chen returned to my table, placed a warm, lavender-scented towel beside me, and said, "Mr. Malone has agreed to a creative and mutually beneficial restructuring of your debt. He looks forward to the banquet we will be hosting for his associates next month. Please, enjoy the second course." I came for the duck, and I left with my kneecaps intact. So, would I recommend ZY? Let's just say the service is discreet, intuitive, and apparently capable of navigating the city's criminal underworld with the same grace they use to carve a duck. This restaurant isn't just the best Peking duck of all time; it's a sanctuary. It's a lifesaver. The fact that they also serve a duck that will make you question all your previous life choices is just a bonus. 10/5 stars. Would recommend to friends and enemies in need of financial...