I’ve been in London, England a week and to say I’ve been eating like a king would be an understatement. With a food scene that easily rivals New York, London has been attacking my senses from the day I set foot in my grungy Camden flat. Even the grocery stores impress me here. Marks & Spencer (or simply M&S if you will) is a Whole Foods rival that packages meals fit for an upscale restaurant.

For some reason or another I can’t get enough of their lunch sandwiches and use every opportunity I have to try a new one. (Scottish smoked salmon and cream cheese, get at me — see left). And don’t even get me started on the street markets. However, I’m not here to talk about sandwiches or curries…yet. I’m here to talk about duck – because that’s what I ate last night and that is what you deserve to hear about.

If you’ve been to London England before then you know their China town is duck crazy. Which is good news for me considering my unconditional love for duck. But really – I’ve been to my fair share of China Towns in this world and London’s really distinguishes itself by the fact that roast duck hangs in almost every single restaurant window.

With so many choices how does one choose? Well, lucky for you, I did my research on the two clear winners in the duck category – ate at both, and have reviews and final verdicts for both places. Alas, let’s get started.

Four Seasons: largely crowned as the king of roast duck, Four Seasons is located right in the middle of London’s one-street China Town and holds a bland décor with smiley, hurried staff. Look around and most other tables are eating duck with rice. What’s nice is the option to order the duck already de-boned, making the meal considerably easier and neater annnd date friendly! Recommended to me personally by a foodie friend I had high expectations for this place – which unfortunately fell short due to the stingy portion and overall dryness of the meat (where the duck sauce at?). The meal was quick and my expectations fell short. Maybe they were having an off day but sadly Four Seasons does not get my vote for roast duck.

HK Diner: recommended to me by another revered-foodie friend, HK Diner sounded not as authentic as I had hoped (especially with Hung’s right across the street). However, don’t let the name and unfriendly staff fool you – this place does a mean roast duck. With a good size portion and the rice on the side, this meal topped Four Seasons from the get-go. The duck was extremely tasty with a warm sauce adding to its moisture. The rice was served on a different plate meaning the meat wasn’t dried out and I could pace the meal how I wanted. No de-boning was offered but after Four Seasons I kind of liked taking the time to actually work for my food and I enjoyed elongating my restaurant experience. Minus the young, disinterested staff who seemed to rush me out the door this meal is something I’ll be dreaming about and definitely coming back for in my time here.