Tried HuTong in Vancouver today, and the highlight was definitely their fruitwood-roasted Peking duck. The moment it arrived, you could smell a clean, aromatic wood fragrance -- warm and slightly sweet, not smoky or heavy. The skin was crisp without bitterness, the fat rendered nicely, and the meat remained juicy. Wrapped with the thin pancakes, sauce, and sides, the overall flavor felt very authentic and true to traditional Beijing-style duck. Comfortable atmosphere and well-paced service. A place I'd confidently return to for Peking duck. read more

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More expensive duck than Chang 'An or Quan Ju De, not anywhere close to the same experience. Expensive small portion dishes ($20 for a small eggplant dish). Bottled water only, no hot water or tea. If you order the duck, you have 3 options: 1) get a duck broth 2) get fried duck 3) take the carcass home. If you get the broth, you can't get the carcass YOU PAID FOR. In our case, they didn't tell us that detail then they made it seem like they were doing us charity by giving us the duck carcass WE PAID FOR. read more

It's ridiculous that this place doesn't have a higher rating, though it's unfortunately common for authentic Chinese restaurants on Yelp. On Chinese rating apps the food is rated close to 5 stars. If you've spent any time in Beijing, you will know Hutong is the real deal. I've been to the restaurant on multiple occasions, in groups small and big, and it's consistently fantastic. Service is great, the owner is awesome and the duck is the best I've had outside of China. read more

Came here for Peking duck. You have to reserve the duck in advance. The cost was 111 CAD include one round of condiments ( shredded scallion, cucumber slices, sweet duck sauce, brown sugar, and a stack of crepe). If you need more condiments, there is a surcharge. They also have their own IPA you can try. Husband said it was pretty good! The chef started slicing the duck the minute you sit down so the food arrived promptly. There is a plate of crispy duck skin which goes really well with the brown sugar. Then another two plates of duck with meat. The crepe is really good, the best I've had in North America. It is thin but elastic. Overall it has has a really good flavor. It can be a bit much when eating the duck as one course because after about 5-6 rolls, I didn't want to eat it anymore. We also ordered a plate of dumpling with pork and cabbage. The filling was super juicy and well seasoned. It goes well with some black vinegar and chili oil. I took a star off because service was a bit slow with only one server and the owner occasionally come to help. I never got water because the server was so busy waiting on other tables. I had to for it after 20 minutes. read more

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Seems like poor customer service when I was even just outside the door. Other posts show higher price comparing to other Peking duck.

Came here to try some skewers. Parking here is available on the side streets. The funny thing about the cramped storefront is that well, it does look like and feel somewhat like the real deal in Beijing. They even have the Chinese-style grill going, just like at the night market. Simply beautiful. The meat was juicy and covered with that oh-so-wonderful cumin, but the pieces were a bit small for the price. Hence the 3 stars instead of 4. I didn't try the bubble tea as they looked a bit too fluorescent for my liking. read more

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My family is a big fan of peking duck, me, not so much. I am more of the lettuce wrap person than the flour wrap, but I came by for a family dinner. The place is super cramped, and our table barely fit all 7 of us. To give you an idea of how small the place is, the chair I was sitting on and the chair behind me basically cut off the tiny walkway to get through the place. The reason why my uncle wanted us to try this place is because they make their peking duck with the meat still on, and for him it seems healthier. With the flour wrap, it tasted okay, but I only ate one flour wrap because I wasn't into it. We were also served the skin part of the duck to dip in sugar, and that was so bad, it was like I was drinking oil with little bits of sugar. So oily and I did not like it at all. They also fry the duck bones, which was so good! My only complaint was some parts were too crispy it was sharp. Maybe fry a bit less, but it tasted amazing! The last dish with the peking duck was the duck soup, it tasted bland to me, didn't taste fresh. If they served it fresh it probably would've tasted a lot better. We ordered a lot of side dishes and honestly I can't remember any of their names. But my favourite ones were the spicy stir fried napa cabbage and pig skin jello like cubes (idk my mom said something along the lines of pig skin but there is a picture so see for yourself). The zhajiang mien was really good, the noodles tasted like the ones you get at Chef Hung's and the sauce was nice and not too salty. The fried pork balls were meh, you'd think they'd be sweet & sour because of the smell, but it is just a dull flavour. Service was pretty inattentive, we never got a tea refill, and we asked them about 3 times to refill but they kept forgetting until they came by with a pot right when we finished our meal. I probably will come back here if my family wanted to, and try some new dishes. Hopefully the rest of the menu is better. read more

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Ordered a course of their Peking duck for thanksgiving and it was quite a delightful roast :) I love how they give you the wraps in its original packaging. Definitely plan to return to dine in to try the rest of their menu. read more

Having never been to Beijing I can't speak to the authenticity of this new restaurant, but the couple of dishes we tried were yummy. There were many items on the menu we had never heard of and had no context for, so we tried some safe things like pan fried dumplings and a variety of BBQ meats on skewers. At the other tables, diners had pots of steaming meat stews and plates of cured meats. We weren't feeling very adventurous, so we didn't ordering any. I give them 3 stars only because we tried very little of the menu items, so I don't have a true sense of their food. The restaurant decor is hip and artsy, I especially like the big photos of cobblestone streets in China. I'm super curious about the stews and other dishes, especially when it comes to homestyle Chinese (which is what this restaurant advertises), so I kindly ask other Yelpers to go and let me know what's up with Hu Tong. read more

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If you are from Beijing or are keen to experience some interesting authentic food and culture, please go. Peking duck is very nice. Same with hotpot. But the owner is a very arrogant old man from Beijing with belief of his food is definitely superior compared to all "westernized" Chinese food in Vancouver and if you don't appreciate enough to an extent that he thought you should, he will likely to be mad at you. Be careful and prepared to be treated as you are discriminated idiot who know nothing about food at all. Again, food is amazing though! read more

I disagree with previous reviews; I ate here recently with my wife, who is from Beijing and whom I met there while living there, and we both loved the experience as authentic, delicious and fun; the place was packed, and they have a real artist cutting the duck, trained properly to do so at the table side, and it was moist and delicious! I lived in a Hutong, so I should know :P I'll be back! read more

This place is quite interesting. It's located in kits but is a super chinese resto. Ie. owner doesn't speak English. All patrons at Chinese immigrants. Cool to try Beijing style Peking Duck and the food was decent all around. The Duck isn't that common in vancouver so I recommend it for that. The other dishes were quite unique as well not necessarily that great. But definitely acceptable. read more

This is quite a traditional Chinese restaurant serving Peking Duck served in a way that's quite different than what you'd expect from other notable Chinese restaurants in Vancouver ( eg. Sun Sui Wah, Shiang Garden , etc.. ). If you plan on having the peking duck, you have to call in advance to reserve an order. I called a day ahead, but I heard you can call a few hours ahead to let them know and they'll have a duck prepared for you. The duck is a very standard size duck (if you've had roast duck at ANY other chinese restaurant or BBQ joint; you'll realize they're all the same size). The preparation is as follows 1) A very small portion of skin only is brought to the table ( apparently, it's cut from the duck breast only ). 2) Two servings of thinly sliced duck ( with both meat + skin ) is brought out. 15 slices of those round pancake thingies as well as a dish containing hoisin sauce / sliced onions / cucumbers. If you want extra portions of the pancake / scallions / cucumbers. Each cost $2. A tad bit on the pricey side given how small the portions are. 3) Finally a duck soup is brought out ( medium sized, suitable for 4 or 5 people ). The soup was very nice and I enjoyed the smooth rich taste of it. The duck is quite lean as I didn't notice very much white fat at all. The meat is soft ( as you'd expect from a duck ). The skin is not very crispy. In fact, the skin has almost the same texture as a roast duck you'd find at a BBQ joint. This is a big change from what you'd get at most other Chinese restaurants where they'd serve the skin separate from the meat ( and it's very dry / crispy ). The only thing that differentiates this duck from one you'd pay $20 for at a cheap BBQ joint is that this duck is noticeably leaner. The entire duck course costed $88, a fair bit more than what you'd pay at most other restaurants. I didn't get a chance to try the other dishes but they did look quite appealing, from my observations of other people's tables. I will say the portions were quite meager given the cost of the dishes ( a trend that seems to align with the main duck course ). All in all, not really worth it considering how little it differentiated itself (leaner duck) from other peking duck choices in the city. If you want my opinion on the best place to get Peking Duck. Sun Sui Wah read more

Beijing roasted duck is perfect but I have to say that most of the other dishes are too salty and the fried foods taste a lot hard, they must cook them in advance. read more

I created an account just to review this place. Terrible atmosphere, I'd advise you never go there. The owner occasionally walked around and leared at the female customers in an extremely unprofessional (and creepy) way - including my girlfriend. read more

The worst Chinese restaurant in Vancouver ever!!!! Don't come in here! Pricy and ingredient is not fresh. I freaking found a string in the noodle dish. When we raised the issue about the overcooked lamb, the chef stormed out arguing that's how it is supposed to be, like we don't know how lamb should taste. Very disrespectful!!! read more

From the outside, it's a cute little restaurant in Kits. But inside, on a recent Friday night, the place was devoid of people. And now I understand why. The waitress and chef looked almost annoyed as we walked in and took a seat. Having lived in China before, we could read the menu but had some questions. But when we asked the waitress, she literally had no words. "Any recommendations?" Blank stare. "What do you like to eat?" Blank stare. When we finally finished with the ordering, the food came out promptly and wasn't actually bad... except for a spinach salad that was supposed to be tossed in sesame oil and wasabi. Unfortunately, they forgot to spread the wasabi out so there were chunks of it and when swallowed whole... well, we were all coughing and choking. When we told them this, the chef yelled at us: "This is how we eat it in Beijing." o_o My friend, who was dining with us, happens to be born and raised in Beijing. "I'm from Beijing, and this is inedible. This is not how it's supposed to be." The chef actually continued to yell back at us. We were just so astonished that they would speak to customers like that. At the end of the night, my friend (the recent immigrant from Beijing) was so ashamed of the entire experience. I really wonder how they keep afloat with no business on a Friday night. All I can say is avoid this place. read more

Disgusting! Do yourself a favour and don't go. What was wrong? First of all, it's painfully noisy: loud music and louder conversations. Secondly, bad food. On the recommendation of our server we had the pan-fried dumplings. The filling was good but the wrappers were gummy and thick. The lamb "with steamed dumplings" was greasy, fatty, and tough. The dumpling (note: singular) was bland but better than the greasy meat. Although there were 3 of us and just the 2 dishes, we left most of the lamb. Couldn't get out of there fast enough. Incidentally, we were the only Caucasians there. Explains why all the signage is in Chinese. Perhaps they have another menu for those in the know? read more

Don't ever go to this place! Worst place I have ever been to in Vancouver. Price is unreasonably high given the poor quality and tiny portion. Boss was so rude! We were trying to stir sauce with noodles in the Peking duck wrapper plate because the original bowl was too small and sauce its cold... then the boss came over and started criticizing us in a very provokable and sarcastic way. Worst experience in Vancouver I didn't tip for the first time read more

Favourite Peking duck place in Vancouver no doubt. The duck has the perfect kind of crispy skin to tender meat ratio. All around great food, only downside is that you usually have to make a reservation to be able to dine as they have a limited supply of duck per day. Although that also means the duck is very fresh. read more

I see there are extreme opinions about this spot. First of all, this place is very cramped and packed in, a sign of someone who started the business not knowing how well the restaurant is going to do. No losing star for this. Well, by the judge of things, this place has many loyal followers. I am not a true fan of northern dishes, but I find the dishes I tried very tasty and refreshingly presented. For the southerners, this place is a surprise. Dont's: - Be late for your reservation, or your seat will be given away. Have everyone there at the same time. - Be late if you pre-ordered the Peking duck, the skin will be imperfect when sliced after it sits too long. Remember, they make duck as pre-ordered. - Be critical of the food as the head chef is the owner. He also tends the storefront. Very sensitive. Do's: - For starter: Try the marinated duck tongue and the fried fish, goes well with Tsingtao, or Stella. - Order the Peking duck, one of the best in Vancouver. The duck broth that they serve at the end of the meal is clear and not salty like other places. Note to the owner: If you could somehow get the duck master to squeeze in to slice the duck in front of the guests, that would be a show on its own. Or better yet, move into a larger premise as loyal fan base builds up. Cheers. read more

Should have found this place earlier. The Peking duck package was great and authentic. Great service, very homely and friendly. Would definitely go again. read more

Seems like everything is changed since they changed their name. Now this restaurant serves one of the best roasted duck in town. The chef is from Beijing, Bian Yi Fang, the 600 years old restaurant. Traditional and yummy......find out by yourself :) read more

I've only ever had the spicy hot pot here and it's solid. If you don't want to go all the way to Richmond and don't want to go to the trouble of making hot pot at home, this is a decent option. My only caution is that it is on the greasy side and only has the basic hot pot ingredients. Even though it is in the middle of Kits, this is *not* western-style Chinese. This is not the place to bring your friend who only eats chicken with broccoli. However, I've always found the people who work here incredibly friendly, so this would be a good place to try hot pot for the first time. read more

Delicious food. But the portion is a bit small compare to the price they charge. Love the braised pork. The hot spicy seafood mix is good as well. The servants are attentive and nice. May come back later. read more

Great restaurant - delicious, healthy, and a fair price. We ordered seaweed salad, bean curd and scallions, rice, 3 lamb skewers, and pok choy with vermicelli and pork ribs (soup). All of it was flavourful and subtle and really tasty. It was around $35 including the tip. We left feeling well fed* and energized, it was really healthy for a restaurant. They mean it when the say 'homestyle,' and no msg is a relief. The waitress was great, busy but helpful. *This is meaningful - we can eat 3 pizza's at Farina between the two of us, and when we get takeout from Kishimoto they include chopsticks and soy sauce for 3 people. read more

Expensive! Not worth it. The restaurant is traditional Beijing style, but the dishes only okay, wasted money on my first dinner in Vancouver . read more

We ordered two dishes: one hot pot with beef and napa cabbage, and stir fried prawns. The hot pot was bland with the "broth" consisting of water with three red dates and two shrimps. The stir fried shrimp dish was actually very good, being crispy and fresh. The waiter was friendly, but did not seem well trained. We were not offered anything to drink. We had to wait a long time to receive chopsticks, bowls, and spoons after asking for them. The restaurant itself looks very nice and is clean. In the end, we paid $100 for what should have costed about $20-$30 in my opinion. I would not recommend this restaurant because of the high price you pay for a mediocre experience. read more

The food is fantastic and traditional, haven't eaten such amazing Chinese food for a while, love the Beijing duck. The service is great as well, they deserve a five star, I download yelp because of the food! read more

Hot pot place. Basically go here if you want to pay 14.99 for hot water (no joke), which they call the base soup. Really incompetent wait staff. Told us they were out of beer when everyone else had beer. Avoid like the plague. read more