San Gabriel Valley has several spots where you can eat duck but at Array 36, an upscale Chinese restaurant in Temple City, it comes with a theatrical "fire show." Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Bill Addison describes the dramatic tableside presentation.
A chef wheels out a cart with a whole roasted lacquered duck swinging from a hook that's attached to a gold-plated dragon sculpture. The chef pours a variation of the spirit baijiu over the fowl before blasting it with a butane torch, setting the grinning dragon ablaze. Once the flames die down, guests receive a small plate of skin cut into squares that are meant to be dipped in brown sugar. A boneless pile of meat, garnished with more skin, follows and is served with crepe-thin pancakes, batons of cucumber and scallion, and hoisin. The last act, and Addison's favorite variation, includes more duck enclosed in a glass cloche where it gets a smoke infusion.
Chef Tony Tao , a Shanghai-native, offers a mix of Chinese regional specialities including snow pea leaves served in broth and stir-fried river shrimp. Addison recommends you forgo the dumplings and bao so you can focus on fresh seafood, braises, and seasonal greens.
Array 36 takes reservations the old-fashioned way — by phone. Only 20 lucky tables get the tableside fire show. Photo by Stephanie Breijo/Los Angeles Times © 2024.