Duck House (Monterey Park, CA)

Duck House Restaurant
501 S Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754
626-284-3227
www.duckshouse.com
Sun 10/19/2025, 07:05p-09:10p





If we're talking about Peking duck in the Los Angeles area, one of the places that I've had recommended to me since at least the late 2000s has been Duck House, also known as 鹿鼎記 (lùdǐngjì, or "the deer and the cauldron"). I'd been wanting to go ever since then, and finally made it out recently to try the restaurant's signature bird.

A bit of history: Duck House traces its roots back to 2003, when it was started by Michelle Fan of Eastern Pearl Catering. Back then, the eatery was known as Lu Din Gee Cafe, and resided in storefront #B102 inside a San Gabriel strip mall at 1039 East Valley Blvd. The business soon began making a name for itself due to its Peking duck, and eventually took on the secondary moniker of "Duck House." Around the start of 2009, Catherine Fang (a relative of Fan's I believe) launched a second outpost (now officially named Duck House) in Monterey Park in the former home of Gourmet Delight 501. The original then shuttered sometime around July that year, and was subsequently turned into a spot called Tasty Duck. Meanwhile, there was also talk of a third Duck House at 835 West Las Tunas Drive in San Gabriel (the former home of Newport Seafood), but apparently that one never came to fruition, so today we're left with just Monterey Park.


Pictured above is Duck House's main dining room, which has indeed been renovated over the years.


There's also a more patio-like dining area out front, which I actually prefer given that it's a bit more secluded.





Here we see Duck House's menu, which is pretty extensive--par for the course if we're talking about Chinese restaurants I suppose. Do keep in mind that there's a mandatory 16% service fee, which can be thought of as taking the place of a gratuity. Click for larger versions.


We were also presented with a supplemental menu, along with the restaurant's wine list and selection of sake and beer. Corkage is a mere $20 here, so I'd definitely suggest BYO-ing. Click for larger versions.





北京烤鴨 (Peking Duck) [$110.00] | 三吃 (Roasted Peking Duck in Three Ways)
We'd reserved the běijīng kǎoyā in advance, and thus unsurprisingly, it was the first dish to arrive. I began with the skin, which ate thin and crispy, with the right amount of fat and plenty of duck-y oomph. The meat itself was on point as well, conveying a more restrained, less overt version of that same anatine goodness. I then plopped both components into one of those thin, stretchy lotus leaf pancakes (héyè bǐng, or 荷葉餅), tossed in some cucumber and scallion, and drizzled on some tiánmiànjiàng. The end result was pretty sublime, with all the various ingredients coming together in delicious, harmonious fashion, the savory-sweetness of that duck sauce really working to tie it all together.


Libation-wise, I BYOB'd the 2006 Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine showed off a surprisingly youthful nose filled with dark/blue fruits tinged with peppery spices. On the palate, the Napa Valley Cab demonstrated soft-but-omnipresent tannins, with notes of blackberry and cherries joined by more of that pepperiness along with elements of leather and tobacco. Overall, I found this obviously mature, yet still quite vivacious, and a fitting match with tonight's Beijing roast duck.


白菜豆腐鴨架湯 (Duck's Bone Soup with Napa and Tofu)
Our second preparation of duck was in the form of this very cozy, very homey, very satisfying soup. The broth was imbued with the elegant, yet potent depth of the bird, and I liked how the Chinese cabbage lightened the mood. Very apropos for the cooler weather we've been having.


孜然鴨架 (Cumin Seasoning Deep Fried Duck’s Bone)
The carcass of the duck was then deep-fried, making for a gratifying gnaw given its balance of flesh and bone. I especially enjoyed how the warm, earthier tones of the cumin played off the savoriness of the meat.


天蠶蝦 (Angel Hair Shrimp) [$16.95] | 酥脆的金黃絲線包裹著大蝦和蜜瓜, 吃時搭配酸甜的自製蘋果醬, 香甜又多汁 (A beautiful combination of Prawns and Honey-dew wrap with fillo dough, deep-fried till golden brown serve with Apple sauce)
Next came my favorite dish of the night, and one of the best preparations of prawn I've had in a while. The crux here really was that fried filo thread exterior, which I found delightfully flaky and shattery. It was a wonderful foil to the soft, sweet, saline xiā hiding within, while the apple sauce provided a tartness that meshed unexpectedly well with the innate sweetness of the shrimp.


鰻魚米糕 (Taiwanese Style BBQ Eel on Sticky Rice) – Small [$20.95]
Eel came out as soft and sweet and savory as I was hoping for, but the hero here for me was actually the rice. It had just the right amount of "stick," while its sweetness was matched by an appropriate amount of savoriness, boosted by the incorporation of what I believe were xiā mǐ.


A pot of 菊花茶 (Chrysanthemum Tea) [$5.95] made for a comforting beverage thanks to its floral, roasty flavors. The júhuā chá actually ended up being on the house, I'm assuming because we ordered quite a bit.


干貝蟹粉扒菜心 (Dry Scallop & Crab Meat top on Baby Bok Choy) [$25.95]
Next was a subtle dish that married the delectable xiān wèi of crab and dried scallop with the light, bright, bitter qualities of xiǎo bái cài.


干鍋香辣排骨 (Wok-Fried Spicy Pork Rib Pot) [$22.95]
Last up was another winner: the restaurant's signature dry pot (gān guō) pork. The meat was spot-on in terms of texture and tenderness, and came out mouthwateringly spiced, its potent kick of cumin paired with an agreeably sour heat. At the same time, the various veggies--the cabbage especially--helped keep it all in check. Yum.

I had pretty high hopes coming into Duck House, and I'm happy to report that I was not let down. I imagine that the actual Beijing duck has to be considered one of the top in Southern California, but I was arguably more impressed by the other dishes I tried. In fact, while enjoying this meal, I was already thinking about coming back to try more of the menu--in particular, that Buddha Chicken (八寶葫蘆雞) is really calling my name!