Juicy — Review by Bon Appetit
Flushing, United States — Chinese
Located in Flushing's Tang Mall, Juicy serves what the reviewer considers the most authentic Peking duck in New York City. The restaurant meticulously prepares each duck through a labor-intensive traditional process involving precise blanching, glazing, drying, and flame-roasting to achieve perfectly crispy skin. The final product is exceptional, with accompaniments like lotus leaf pancakes and fermented bean sauce that beautifully complement the duck's rich, fatty flavors.
What was great: Exceptionally crispy, crunchy, and glassy duck skin with perfect fat rendering, traditional preparation methods maintained over 30 years, roasted to order with tableside carving, expertly balanced flavors and textures, authentic Beijing Peking duck experience, quality duck sourced from Long Island daily
What could improve: Nothing mentioned
The Dishes
The star of the show is the Peking duck, which arrives at your table as a gorgeous golden-bronze bird with visibly puffed, crispy skin. The carving is performed tableside with theatrical precision. The first cut is the most prized - a center breast strip that showcases the perfect balance of rendered fat and tender meat, crunchy on the outside with incredible depth. Every slice of the breast receives a traditional willow or fish scale cut, ensuring each piece has both a sliver of skin and flesh. The duck is served with lotus leaf pancakes (essentially flour tortillas), sweet bean sauce (fermented soybean paste cooked with sesame oil and sugar), fresh cucumber, pickled vegetables, and scallions. The accompanying elements are not just garnish but essential components that cut through the richness and balance the fatty, aromatic flavors.
The second phase of the meal features duck bone soup made from the carcass, a classic nose-to-tail approach that results in a savory, mineral-rich broth. The leftover bones also become a crispy salt and pepper preparation with fried cartilage and bone pieces, offering textural contrast and depth. This alternative preparation of the remaining carcass demonstrates the restaurant's commitment to using every part of the bird.
The Experience
The experience is elevated despite the humble mall location. The reviewer had the opportunity to tour the prep kitchen where the magic begins - observing the meticulous process of air-pumping the skin from the meat, blanching to tighten the proteins, glazing with a subtle syrup, and drying in a climate-controlled room with industrial fans. The roasting happens in a special Ming holu oven imported from China with exposed flames, allowing the chef to manually control temperature and rotation. The whole operation reflects 30 years of traditional craftsmanship. Service is attentive with staff guiding you through the proper assembly method for the pancakes, treating the meal as an educational experience.
Value & Pricing
No specific pricing is mentioned in the transcript, though the presence in a mall setting and the à la carte nature of ordering suggests accessibility compared to haute cuisine establishments. The value proposition is clear given the complexity of preparation and quality of ingredients.
Notable Moments
This is a time to address the fact that this is ridiculous. This is the first episode of Street Eats we filmed outside of Asia back in New York and we've sold ourselves out. We're eating a dynastic thousand-year-old dish with caviar in a mall.
You hardly ever get to see duck skin of this thickness in New York City. This is what all that preparation was for - was to see this elevation of the skin away from the flesh and the top layer punching out with the moisture until it becomes not just crispy but crunchy.
The Verdict
This is genuinely one of the best Peking duck experiences available in New York City, and arguably the closest approximation to the authentic Beijing experience outside Asia. The reviewer's amazement at finding such traditional craftsmanship in a Flushing mall speaks volumes. Every step of preparation - from sourcing Long Island ducks, to the precise blanching and drying process, to the specialized roasting technique - contributes to an exceptional final product. This is essential for anyone serious about Peking duck or seeking an authentic Chinese dining experience in New York.