Austin Community News >> Hot Competition Over Chinese Barbecue

1/27/2007 AUSTIN – By Dale Rice (AMERICAN-STATESMAN RESTAURANT CRITIC). The Chinese year of the pig is only a few weeks away, but the war for the best pork and duck is in full swing in Austin.

For years, Din Ho Chinese BBQ has held sway as the top spot for roast duck and barbecued pork. Customers by the thousands have visited the place where the orange-red ducks, heads on, hang from a rack near the front door and the pork waits underneath on the steam table, ready to be chopped in pieces small enough to be handled by chopsticks. Then, with the late September opening of the Chinatown Center on North Lamar Boulevard, a new challenger to Din Ho stepped forth: First Chinese BBQ.

Foodies in local blogs and chat rooms debated the merits of each, with some contending that First Chinese had immediately seized the crown, and others insisting that Din Ho continued to reign supreme.

So it was time for this restaurant critic to step into the dispute where culinary darts were flying.

To judge the battle, I enlisted three companions to join me at the front lines. And to be fair, we headed out to compare the restaurants back-to-back on the same night.

We began at First Chinese BBQ, which is on the northern side of the expansive new Chinatown shopping center that is home to MT supermarket and more than a half-dozen Asian restaurants, including two noodle houses.

The restaurant was busy, but not packed, at 8 p.m., with the clientele consuming a wide variety of dishes from fish to vegetable that bore no connection to the "BBQ" in the eatery's name.

When the plates of roast duck and barbecued pork were placed on the table, relatively soon after we ordered, the perfumed aromas wafting from the dishes easily tempted noses three feet away.

The first bites confirmed the aromatic tease; the meats were tender, moist and succulent, with a light, spicy sweetness that enhanced the natural flavors of the duck and pork.

Both were relatively lean, with much of the duck fat rendered during the cooking. A duck leg, for example, was dry and crisp on the exterior, with mouth-watering meat underneath.

We nodded and smiled as we ate — all in agreement that First Chinese BBQ was a worthy contender to Din Ho.

With that foray under our belts, we headed to Research Boulevard and Ohlen Road, where Din Ho is located in a strip center with several other Asian businesses near Target.

At 9 p.m., the restaurant was nearly full as we sat and ordered — and found that we were nearly out of luck. There was no pork left, and after scurrying off to check, the waiter returned to tell us we had secured the last order of duck. Closing time was 12:30 a.m.

We should have left at that point.

The duck was terrible. Not only was it cold, but little of the fat had been rendered during cooking, so each bite contained a large amount of cold duck fat — a taste and texture that none of us found appealing. (It was also similar to the duck I encountered on my review of the restaurant in 2001.)

At least dinner that night taught us one thing: If you want roast duck or barbecued pork, it's best to dine early in the evening to ensure that the supply won't be depleted and to increase your chance of getting it warm.

To give Din Ho a second chance, we returned on another weeknight at 6:30.

To chaos.

The restaurant was packed, with every table occupied and the entrance so crowded it was difficult to get in or out the door, much less find the hostess who was in charge of the waiting list to which we affixed our names.

The wait was exacerbated by the fact that the young hostess was clearly intimidated by several families who walked in and grabbed tables the minute they were vacated, rather than standing in line like the rest of us.

After more than 30 minutes, we were seated, only to sit there another 20 minutes before a waiter arrived to take our order.

Fortunately, the duck and pork were available. Unfortunately, the duck wasn't much better.

First, the pork: It was moist, tender and flavorful. It also glistened with fat, as though the juices ladled over it simply contained all the pan drippings.

The duck this time was lukewarm, a shade better than the cold bird of the previous visit. But it, too, was exceptionally fatty, which was not improved by the temperature.

For us, the contest was over.

Victory belonged to First Chinese BBQ.

In the end, I'm afraid, success over the years hasn't treated Din Ho kindly. The fare was being savored by dozens of diners who were obviously enthusiastic, but the overall experience is not one I would send people across town to endure.

(Contributed by Austin American Statesman)