Dragon-i Peking Duck Restaurant @ 1 Utama Shopping Centre, PJ

Quack! Did you hear the ducks calling?

Have you noticed some of 龙的传人Dragon-i Restaurant outlets look different recently? Being the leading Shanghainese and Hong Kong restaurant chain operator in Malaysia since 2004, Dragon-i has up their game by relaunching “Dragon-i Restaurant” to “Dragon-i Peking Duck Restaurant” in 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

As the name suggests, you can now feast on the signature dish of China, Peking Duck at this exclusive outlet. What also sets Dragon-i Peking Duck Restaurant one level above the usual Dragon-i outlets is the exquisite, fine dining inspired setting, along with a premium menu featuring the traditional, authentic tastes of Shanghai and Huaiyang.

Taking the centrestage of the restaurant now is the open-kitchen concept roasting room where we can observe the original way of preparing the specialty Peking Duck. Here we get to see how the experienced chefs roast each and every hand-picked Peking Duck using the specially-built traditional brick hung ovens.

It is true that delicious food takes time and effort. Each Peking Duck is meticulously roasted for about an hour over the fruit-tree wood before it is served. Dragon-i Peking Duck Restaurant has also flown in some experienced chefs from Beijing to monitor the roasting, ensuring that the restaurant delivers only the most authentic iteration of Peking Duck to the customers.

I bet the smoky floral aroma of Peking Duck is so irresistibly good that almost every table orders a duck to try. Since it is so well-received by the crowd, we can’t wait to try it out too.

DRAGON-I SIGNATURE PEKING DUCK

There are two choices of Peking Duck meal to choose from:

Option 1: Peking Duck 2-course meal @ RM105

Peking Duck + Duck Bone Soup with Soft Beancurd

Option 2: Peking Duck 3-course meal @ RM158

Peking Duck (Whole) + Duck Bone Soup with Soft Beancurd + 1 Duck Dish from the following options:

1. Deep-fried Duck’s Bone with Salt and Pepper

2. Stir-fried Duck’s Bone in Hunan Style

3. Braised Rice Noodle with Black Truffle and Shredded Duck Meat

4. Stir-fried Shredded Duck Meat with Vegetarian Shark’s Fin

When the freshly-roasted Peking Duck is served to our table, the chef skillfully shreds off the skin, followed by breast meat and leg meat of the duck and plates them beautifully right in front of us.

Peking Duck Three Courses (Whole) (京式片皮鸭  - 三食) @ RM158

First Course: Peking Duck 
(一食 - 片胸皮，胸肉，腿肉，青瓜丝，葱丝，蜜瓜条，自创京酱，荷叶饼)

  

Look at those ultra-thin slices of bronze, crispy skin! Every slice gives a nice crunch on the mouth, while the meaty part is tender and succulent without losing its moisture.

Cucumber, Green Onion, Honey Melon are the must-have condiments for Peking Duck.

For the best enjoyment, let’s savour it in the most authentic way: Place a slice of cucumber, green onion, honey melon, and a dollop of homemade BBQ sauce onto the paper-thin popiah skin. Then roll it up with the duck meat and let it burst in the mouth with its rich, juicy flavours!

Second Course: Duck Bone Soup with Soft Beancurd
(二食 - 豆腐鸭架浓汤)

You must be wondering where’s the rest of the duck! Don’t worry, for the 3-course Peking Duck meal, you’ll get to enjoy the whole duck in various cooking styles. Our second course is the duck bone soup, slow-boiled for several hours and punch-packed with savoury flavours of the bird.

Third Course: Stir-fried Duck’s Bone in Hunan Style
(三食 - 湖南炒鸭架)

For the remaining parts of the duck, we have it in spicy Hunan style for that fiery kick. But if you prefer something less adventurous, there are 3 other non-spicy options available.

DRAGON-I PEKING DUCK RESTAURANT’S NEW MENU

Apart from the signature Peking Duck, the restaurant’s new menu also entices patrons with various unique flavours from the East. Let’s see what new dishes have we tried...

Signature Appetizer Platter (Five Varieties) @ RM83

5 colorful components beautifully presented in 5 petal-shaped plate, resembling a blooming flower:

Chilled Chicken with “Hua Diao” Rice Wine (醉鸡)

Deep-fried Vegetarian Beancurd Skin Roll (脆皮素鹅)

Crispy Caramelized Eels (蜜汁脆鳝)

Stewed Mushrooms (小冬菇)

Pickled Radish (酱萝卜)

*Each variety is also available individually

Double-boiled Hydrangea Beancurd, Sea Cucumber and Matsutake (Individual portion) @ RM38
(上汤参茸炖绣球)

We are totally blown by the chef’s excellent knife skills when we are told that the beancurd in the savoury superior soup is delicately sliced into 2,800 extremely thin shreds, forming a shape of chrysanthemum flower when it swims in the broth. Overall, the broth is light, simple and comforting!

Braised Pork Belly served with Steamed Buns @ RM88
(宝塔扣肉花包)

Another excellent piece of art you must try here is the braised pork belly. Unlike the usual chunky Dong Bo Rou (東坡肉) served in cubes, the premium pork belly here is finely sliced, wrapped and layered to form a perfect pyramid. What a feast on the eyes before we dig into the meaty goodness!

Cutting through the pyramid, we are delighted to taste the tender and smooth pork belly with good ratio of fat-to-meat. Good to go with dollops of preserved vegetables (梅菜) buried within the pyramid, rich brown sauce and steamed bun. Tastewise, it hits right at the mark without having any ingredient overshadowing another.

Sautéed Diced Chicken with Dried Flower Chili in Szechuan Style@ RM38
(干煸红袍清远鸡)

For those who are up for a fiery challenge, try the Szechuan-style diced chicken and you’d feel your throat on fire. I love how the sesame bits add a delicious aroma to the overall spicy dish.

Sautéed Mixed Vegetables @ RM25
(上汤参茸炖绣球) 

Shanghainese Steamed Meat Dumplings (4 pieces) (上海小笼包) @ RM12

Steamed Egg Yolk Custard Charcoal Bun (3 pieces) (流沙包) @ RM16

While our adventurous taste buds would love exploring more of the new menu, nothing beats the enjoyment of digging into our all-time favourite Xiao Long Bao which explodes in the mouth with hot porky soup, or the luxurious golden custard bun which oozes out a creamy rich concoction of molten sweet custard and savoury egg yolk.

Overall Verdict

1. Be it the time-tested classics or the new innovative dishes, Dragon-i Peking Duck Restaurant has nailed it.

2. In terms of food presentation, taste, restaurant ambience and dining experience, I have no complaints at all.

3.  Recommended: Peking Duck, Double-boiled Hydrangea Beancurd Soup and Braised Pork Belly

Feel free to visit any of the flagship Dragon-i Peking Duck Restaurants here:

❤ Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

❤ 1 Utama Shopping Centre

❤ Sky Avenue, Genting Highlands

❤ Komtar Mall, Johor Bahru

Dragon-i Peking Duck Restaurant
1 Utama Shopping Centre
Lot S313A,
2nd Floor New Wing,
Lebuh Bandar Utama,
Bandar Utama,
47800 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
Outlet contact: +603-7725 8822
Dragon-i Hotline: +603-7806 3188

Website: www.dragon-i.com.my
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mydragoni/
Official WeChat account: dragonimy
Business Hours: 11am – 10pm daily

Other Dragon-i outlets:
❤ Mid Valley Megamall, KL
❤ Cheras Leisure Mall, KL
❤ Berjaya Time Square, KL
❤ Sunway Pyramid, PJ
❤ The Curve, PJ
❤ IOI City Mall, Putrajaya
❤ IOI Mall, Puchong
❤ Aeon Bukit Tinggi, Klang
❤ Queensbay Mall, Penang
❤ Gurney Plaza, Penang
❤ Ipoh Station 18
❤ City Square, Johor Bahru
❤ Bukit Indah, Johor Bahru
❤ Dataran Pahlawan Megamall, Melaka
❤ Imago Shopping Centre, Kota Kinabalu

*List is updated at the point of publication