A Fun Mother’s Day
My family usually celebrates holidays and occasions by exploring a new restaurant, and Mother’s Day was no exception. I’m usually in charge of picking the restaurant and making reservations, so I followed my Chinese food craving and chose Z&Y Peking Duck. Coincidentally, May is AAPI Heritage month and we aptly enjoyed the experience while supporting a local AAPI business!
Wandering through Chinatown and North Beach is incredibly nostalgic for me as I went to grade and elementary school in the neighborhood. I arrived on the corner of Jackson and Grant Ave with 30 minutes to spare, so I figured I would take a trip down memory lane. The area is seeing a post-pandemic wave of new restaurants but there are still many beloved establishments embedded on every block. With the temptation of espresso martinis all around, I decided to turn down a libation in exchange for something less buzzy (or boozy?) In my line of sight was City Lights. I wandered in, smelled an aroma of warm amber, and followed it to the back of the store. As I was about to get lost in the back cover of a novel, I heard a loud round of clapping upstairs. It turns out they were hosting a senior open mic night. How spectacular! I eavesdropped coyly sitting on a nearby industrial metal stool for a few minutes, then hastily left with a new book in tow as I realized I was going to be late if I didn’t hurry back to the restaurant!
Z&Y Peking Duck is the more elevated sister of the original Z&Y Restaurant across the street. Although there were some open tables when we arrived, it filled up quickly for dinner service! I suggest making a reservation and letting the restaurant know you would like a Peking duck for dinner because we were told they sell out daily. The restaurant pre-plans their allotments for the day with less than a handful to spare because authentic Peking duck is an artfully prepared delicacy. We ordered a few basic accompaniments like a clear broth soup, steamed veggies, chicken fried rice, and 2 helpings of XLB soup dumplings. All spectacular, but the star of the show was the Peking duck. Perfectly prepared, the lean meat and crispy golden brown skin was very different from the Cantonese style duck we’re used to. The dish is served hot on a small ceramic platter over flames and comes with very thin crepe-like wraps, not soft steamed buns. Less carbs and more room for the good stuff! It’s a 10/10 in my book.