Mighty Duck

Follow that bird: Joeís enormous flagship feast requires a cooperative effort. Photo By: Christina M. Felice

Joe’s Peking Duck House offers great food at reasonable prices.

by Patrick Rapa

Joe's Peking Duck House925 Race St. 215-922-3277 Sun.-Thu., 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 11:30 a.m.- 11 p.m.No wheelchair access. Reservations available. All major credit cards.

You want flashy decor and a trendy, pan-Asian meal? Go to Penang. But if you’re after large portions of non-fusion, non-fashionable Chinese delicacies, eat at Joe’s. From its unassuming, mauve-inflected dining area to the Genesis-and-Police soundtrack piping in from above, Joe’s Peking Duck House makes it pretty clear that it spends all of its energy and resources on the food.

Wonton soup ($4.50 for two) is a subtle thing. Its success is usually judged not by the noodle-encased meats or the snow peas, chives and other greenery resting on the bottom of the bowl, but by the broth. All four lunchmates were impressed by the light, flavorful broth. "The wontons were also really full of flavor but not heavy-feeling," observed Debra. Also, said Howard, "The veggies in the soup were perfectly crispy, a sign that the chef knows the art of timing." Howard also marveled at the wontons, "light, airy comet-shaped, shrimp-filled morsels."

Lunchmate Frank was also pleased with his hot and sour soup ($2.25 for one). "The tofu was of much better quality than in most places I've had it," said Frank. Still, he wondered if they'd toned down the spiciness, suspecting he didn't know what he was getting into when he ordered it. In other appetizer news, the egg roll ($1.25) was huge and meaty, and the scallion pancakes (a.k.a. Chinese pizza, $3.50) were crispy enough to bite into with some satisfaction, but appropriately spongy to absorb the dipping sauce.

But this isn't called Joe's Hors d'Oeuvres House. Time for the main course. The cartoon duck on the menu is a dead ringer for either Huey, Dewey or Louie -- a smiling, Disney-esque waterfowl sporting a dark cowboy hat and a smiling, wide-eyed expression. But the duck tale here is that those adorable cartoon scamps hid succulent meat and crispy skin under those little, colorful beanies. Those who generally like duck seem to really love what Joe has done here. Served in two parts (mixed with rice and veggies, and wrapped in warm, soft pancakes, like tortillas, with thick hoisin sauce and crunchy scallion sticks), Joe's signature dish is a large, moderately extravagant ($25.95) and satisfying hands-on dining experience.

Joe also puts some finessed moves on the classics, like General Tso’s Chicken ($8.75), served with crisp broccoli and heaps of white rice. Some found the sweet, clove-tinged sauce too thick, while others praised the dish for that same attribute. Says Frank: “It was closer in texture and tanginess to good Southern barbecue than most of the supposed barbecue meals I’ve had in this part of the country.” Frank, of course, misses the authentic barbecue meals he grew up with in the Deep South (of Jersey). Along with his meal, he enjoyed several bottles of Tsingtao (seemingly the only Chinese beer in town.)

Of course, since this was all going on the company card, we ordered a hell of a lot more food. Our kind waiter delivered one sizzling plate after another, with the occasional good-hearted joke, and made sure the water glasses were always full. Everyone was smitten by the house special, a squishy pan-fried noodle dish mixed with shrimp, squid, chicken and pork ($8.50).

Two shrimp dishes were also expertly prepared. The first, a cashew dish ($8.95), featured plump shrimp and crunchy vegetables. "I asked the chef to prepare the dish spicy, and it had a nice kick to it," said Howard. The salt and pepper shrimp ($10.95) was a rousing success. "Often the saltiness in dishes like this is overwhelming, but these were perfect," observes Frank. "I wish they sold it by the bucket, like fried chicken." Frank basically grew up at the Echelon Mall food court.

Joe's menu has something all restaurants should copy: a choose-your-own adventure section. It's called Create Your Own Entree, and it allows the diner to combine various meats (squid, pork, beef) with vegetables (bell peppers, tofu, straw mushrooms) and a litany of sauces (Szechuan garlic, Kung Po, satay, curry). Debra came up with shrimp and broccoli in a light black bean sauce and was pleased with the results -- a large portion for only $9.25. Which is pretty much the story with Joe's: lots of tasty, carefully prepared foods at reasonable prices.

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