Quanjude

I went here with my boyfriend for a night out thanks to Unilocal.Food is amazing and love all the décor and history.
Staff were very attentive and friendly.
The place is family friendly — which wasn’t really my thing being placed next to kids. I would recommend Quanjude if you like tasty Peking Duck.

Come for the Peking Duck, stay for the spectacular service.
Yep, that about sums it up — my first visit to Quanjude was an absolute joy. A good friend had been speaking highly of it for some time, and the stars finally aligned and my wife and I and our friend were able to visit last night.
My wife and I were the first in the door as they opened at 1800; the staff was prepared, waiting to receive guests, and were very polite, welcoming and made us feel as if we were regulars already.
Within moments, the restaurant began filling up, and this was a Tuesday night! Several reasonably sized groups all appeared, taking up several of the large round tables. We got the sense that this could be a popular spot for dinner after finishing work in the city for the day.
We ordered a bottle of Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir (2011), something I have several of at home, so, I knew what to expect — delicious, and worked great with the duck by the way.
For our meal, we had a few entrees, the 3-​piece items. Dim sums and dumplings. The staff was kind enough to split the order up so that each of us received a plate with one of each of the three things we ordered — that was a fantastic example of their attention to detail that impressed me.
After that came the duck. We went with the half-​duck, and for those of you who are a bit squeamish, you’ll be happy to know that the staff carves and presents the duck beautifully — no whole/​half carcass dropped upon your table here!
The skin was crispy, the meat tender, and every bite flavourful.
We also shared a beef dish with honey pepper sauce/​glazing — that too was very good and the combination filled us all up quite nicely.
I’ve commented before in several of my reviews on just how important I find good customer service, and I really must stress that Quanjude impressed the socks off me here. Extremely attentive, we were never wanting for more tea, for our wine to be topped up, for anything. They were present, but never pushy, friendly, smiling, and gracious.
I realise I’ve only given four stars here, but, as you may have read before, I don’t feel it’s fair to give 5 stars on Unilocal for a first visit — I need to see and experience consistency in order to know it wasn’t a «fluke.»
If you’re in the mood for a beautifully appointed restaurant with delicious (and affordable!) Chinese faire, and you’re up for Peking Duck, this is a MUST VISIT on your culinary calendar!

I have read that this place offers the best duck in Melbourne. I haven’t tried other peking duck places, but this place is definitely deserving of that compliment. We had already sampled another smaller meal earlier, so we only ordered the smaller serving of peking duck. It was very delicious and I will definitely remember that duck until something else trumps it in my future eats.
Some people have commented that the décor is tacky and tries a bit too hard. But I disagree. The moment I walked in, I felt that I was in a high-​end Chinese restaurant with a strong sense of tradition. The service was exceptional with a lot of attention to detail. Ordering the full duck even has a chef coming out and slicing the duck right in front of you. The duck isn’t just hacked to pieces, it is carved with care and precision. I know that might sound too much, but sometimes it isn’t just about the food, it’s about the whole dining experience.
Yes the price might be well on the higher side, but I think it is well justified if you are looking for a fine meal and experience the proud Chinese tradition.

Established during the Qing Dynasty in Beijing almost two hundred years ago, the famed Quanjude Restaurant certainly stretches the meaning of «established restaurant.» Some years ago, a franchise opened in Melbourne. It follows the Chinese style of fine dining to the tiniest detail… all exuberant opulence. Chandeliers of shimmering crystal, wood lacquered to mirror reflectiveness, seating upholstery embroidered with a thousand flowers, tables laden with sparkling cutlery, heavy brocades and porcelain that must be painted with the minimum motif of a dragon, phoenix or a bouquet of peonies. All serviced by an entourage of young service staff that act with military precision and promptness, not a hair, crease or smile out of place. And all this happens against a palette of the most fiery reds and striking yellows. Fine dining in China — as accurately encapsulated at Quanjude — is all about impression by appearance. And what an impression — the fit-​out in Melbourne is one part palace, one part museum.
…
Dining at Quanjude and David’s is a tale of two China. One China that is proud of its agrarian ancestry and attempts to evoke this nostalgia within the boundaries of simplicity. This is David’s, circa 2012, a homely token of history, sometimes faltering but otherwise flickering with the potential of greatness. Then there is the other China that is proud of its imperial heritage and isn’t afraid to impress with all the majesty, drama and glitz that this entails. This is Quanjude, an émigré that offers one of the finest Chinese dining options in Melbourne. To understand Chinese cuisine, it is necessary to appreciate, at the minimum, both these thematic strands of Chinese restaurant dining. Through their food (and memorable desserts), Quanjude and David’s are that bridge to greater understanding.

I came here for a family dinner and the first thing I noticed was the atmosphere and decorations of the place.
Covered in gold and red with shinny-​decorated plates, this certainly isn’t one of your homely take away Asian restaurants.
The place was very quite when we went, aside from our table there were probably only 2 – 3 other tables occupied.
This is a ‘peaking duck’ specialist, and I must say their duck really was something. It’s cooked to standard flavors (not fancy spiced variations here), and I found it to be a lot juicer and tender compared to other roast ducks I’ve had elsewhere.
The table is given a pile of pancakes, and each individual is given their own sauce and filling.
Price wise this place was a little on the dear side, I mean sure the duck’s pretty good… but it’s not ‘thhaaattttt’ good (if you get what I mean). The rest of the menu items were standard and tasty, nothing you would really go on about.
I’d probably come here again just because it was a bit more up class compared to most other Asian restaurants.