Perhaps because of its gamey flavour, Bengalis are generally sniffy about ducks. It is not the top meat on their tables; on Sundays, too, it is given the brush-off with families sitting down to rice and chicken or goat curry.
But thanks to the Chinese of Kolkata, many Bengalis learnt to enjoy it braised, cooked with chilli oil, or tossed with orange and have the duck laced with a reduced sticky sweet and tangy sauce.
Chowman, easily one of the best Chinese restaurant chains in the city, is back with its much-awaited Oriental Duck Festival—it isn’t an opportunity you should miss—and from the looks of it, has quite a few takers in Delhi. Most of the tables were full at its East of Kailash outlet with customers knowing the festival was on.
We began our meal with the house soup, a semi-thick chicken-and-prawn soup, followed by Duck Gyoza – flattened, lightly fried, pancake-like dumplings stuffed with duck meat, followed by Roasted Duck Baos filled with just the right amount of meat. Another good starter to try is the Braised Duck with Young Ginger.
The restaurant offered good suggestions for other dishes after knowing that we like it hot—the Smoky Chilli Duck amped up the heat but as we followed that up with Schezwan Orange Roasted Duck, my tongue which was on fire, could find comfort in the sweet and sticky duck. We accompanied this with Meifoon duck noodles, Thai style.
This year, the festival features over 19 delectable duck delicacies—including Tangra-style dishes and typical Kolkata-style Chinese dishes like duck in chilli pineapple sauce—and the month-long celebration is available at all Chowman dine-in outlets and online delivery platforms until January 5, 2026.
“The Oriental Duck Festival has become a much-awaited tradition for our patrons, and each year we strive to elevate the experience. It’s a celebration of transforming duck into exquisite culinary creations, where authentic techniques meet creative innovation,” said Debaditya Chaudhury, managing director of Chowman. How we wish some of the festival dishes became part of the restaurant’s regular menu.
At Chowman, Delhi NCR (East of Kailash, Noida Sector-18, Indirapuram and Gurgaon Sector-31); Meal for two: R1,300+ taxes; 12 pm – 10.30 pm