One hazy afternoon during his state visit, unorthodox President
Rodrigo Duterte sneaked out of his official suite at the Grand Hyatt
Hotel and walked along the busy Wangfujing snack street to have his fill
of fine local cuisine.
Surrounded by some 50 closed-in aides and friends, Duterte headed on
Wednesday to the five-star Da Dong Beijing Roast Duck Restaurant, which
has attracted a number of celebrities and VIPs.
Clad in a dark green jacket with a Philippine flag emblem worn over a
dark blue collared shirt, the President slipped into the restaurant
located some 200 hundred meters from the hotel’s backdoor and caused a
media frenzy. But he was running late for his culinary agenda and
declined to be interviewed.
Named after the celebrity Chinese chef who owns it, Dadong was
described by a local as a “five-star” restaurant where meals could
easily cost around 1,000 renminbi (P7,150) per head. It offers fusion
Chinese cuisine and has sleek interiors and a few function rooms for
small groups.
Yan Lin, reception director at Dadong, said it must have been a
last-minute decision by the presidential party to dine at the restaurant
because the lunch reservation was made at 1 a.m. of the same day. The
restaurant staff had to come in early morning to prepare for the arrival
of the Philippine President and his party, he added.
The booking was made for 12:30 p.m., but the party arrived at 1:40 p.m. and finished past 4 p.m.
“They ordered seafood—fish, also the beef, crab, sea cucumber, chicken,” Yan told the Inquirer through a local interpreter.
“He ate some fish but not crabs or other seafood. Also the sea
cucumber, also the beef,” Yan said, referring to the spicy beef dish
that has grilled beef cubes enhanced with herbs and spices.
Celebrity diners
Yan said the party must have liked the beef so much because the group
later ordered the same spicy beef dish for delivery at the hotel, which
was bustling with activity during the entire four-day visit that saw
the Philippine leader rekindle bilateral ties with China.
Mr. Duterte drank some red wine with the entourage during this late
luncheon, said one waitress who served the party. A section of the main
dining area was closed to accommodate the group, while a big round
table was brought in from another function room to serve as presidential
table.
When the Inquirer went to eat lunch at the same restaurant two days
after President Duterte’s visit, there was still palpable excitement
among the restaurant staff. Yan agreed to share some of the pictures he
had taken using his mobile phone and volunteered to send other pictures
taken by the staff.
Asked if other heads of state had dined there, Yan said a prime
minister of Israel did. “There were national leaders (who had been there
before) but not in such a big event, usually low-profile,” he added,
pointing to a wall that had pictures of some of the famous personalities
who had dined at the restaurant. They included Prince Albert of Monaco
and Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy during his 2014 state visit.
Mr. Duterte, who will soon be included in the celebrity gallery,
wrote on the red piece of paper given him: “Best Wishes!! RDuterte Pres.
Philippines.”
Most relaxed
That Wednesday was the most relaxed of the four days of the
President’s state visit. He arrived Tuesday night straight from his
Brunei visit and had the whole Wednesday to himself before his address
to the Filipino community in China in the evening.
Instead of visiting some heritage sites like the Great Wall of China
or the Forbidden City, Mr. Duterte opted to have a gastronomic
experience a day before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping
and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People.
On Thursday, China rolled out the red carpet for Mr. Duterte with a
pompous welcome ceremony ahead of a series of bilateral meetings and
other official engagements. The President’s team brought home $24
billion in investments and financing commitments from China, including
private sector-initiated deals.
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