10) Golden Bay Fresh Seafood Restaurant
Block A2, CBP, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd. Pasay City
Tel. 556-7525
Daily, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Maybe it was because of the palatial interiors, but my expectations here were very high. When the duck was served and presented elegantly, with the skin sporting a nice, golden caramel color and each slice appeared to be evenly cut, my hopes were raised even further. The meat was lean and not so fatty, and each bite was as tender as it was moist. This was among the less succulent ones we tried, yet the duck was still very tasty, and went particularly well with the plum sauce.  A half serving costs P 800 while a whole duck costs P1600.

9) Crown Prince Seafood Restaurant
286 Escolta St. Sta. Cruz, Manila
Tel. 247-7753
Daily, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

I was excited when I stepped inside this elegant restaurant at the edge of Manila's Chinatown. The duck here is available in three different serving sizes: one-fourth (P 350), one-half kilos (P 700) and one whole (P 1400). As I was taking the photo of the duck, I noticed that it had a fine aroma. This duck did not have too many bones in it and the skin was crispy. The texture was okay (my companion said it was a bit on the tough side), but the flavor? Delicious! The duck meat veered a bit towards the salty side but this was where the plum sauce and hoisin sauce came in to create a harmony of flavors.

8) Gloriamaris Dimsum Kitchen
Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Ave., Greenhills, San Juan
Tel. 722-5508
Daily, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Lunch service here begins at 11 a.m. and that is when the roast duck becomes available. You can order the duck in three sizes; one-fourth (P 500), one-half (P 1000) and 1 whole (P 2000). It is also available as a rice meal set with boiled cabbage and slices of century eggs (P 228). The portion served to me appeared to be on the lean side. Surprisingly, even though it had minimal fat, the flavor of the duck was not affected. You could still taste its mild, gamey flavor pretty well,  and the meat's texture was tender and far from dry. If you like, you can add some sweetness to it with the plum sauce or settle for the sauce dripping underneath the duck for extra flavor. This version should be on your list if you like your roast duck skin a bit crispy.

7) Mabuhay Palace
g/f Manila Hotel, One Rizal Park, Manila
Tel. 527-0011 loc. 1346
Daily, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

My first impression of this duck was not that favorable, but I was a convert by the end of the meal. At first I felt there was not enough visible fat, the meat appeared to be dry, and the skin did not have an even golden caramel color. It didn't help that it was served with hoisin sauce instead of plum sauce. But somewhere between the elegant setting of the restaurant and eating with my dining consultants who are experts on Chinese cuisine (a.k.a my parents), I found myself liking their duck. I began to notice its soft and flavorful meat, which wasn't as dry as I thought it was. The skin was crispy and the uneven coloring didn't affect the overall flavor of the dish.  The hoisin sauce turned out to be a fine accompaniment to the duck, as a little dab of it works just as well as the plum sauce does. You can try out this duck out for yourself in three different portions: one-fourth (P 500), one-half (P 980) and one whole (P 1,900).

6) Big Buddha
2nd level, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City
Tel. 729-0586
Mondays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturdays to Sundays, 11 a.m. to 12 m.n.

If you are in a mall and the craving for roast duck hits you, this is my best recommendation. The duck here is available in one-fourth (P 450), one-half (P 880) and whole (P 1700) serving sizes. My first impression was good as the duck had an even, caramel-brown color, and the slices were generous. It appeared to have minimal fat, and some portions had more fat than others. As expected, those were the tastier ones. The meat was tender and tasty, and though not quite as succulent as other versions, it could win you over with its crispy skin. As for the plum sauce, it appeared that they made it themselves and I found it to be on the sweet side with a starchy consistency. In the end, I was definitely impressed with the quality of this duck.

5) Xintiandi
Level 4, Crowne Plaza Galleria, Ortigas Ave. cor ADB Ave, Quezon City
Tel. 633-7222 loc. 7240
Daily, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The thing that stood out for me about this duck was the color. The skin was a gorgeous, golden, dark brown color that you could almost mistake them for their Peking duck cousin's. And it doesn't end there. Upon tasting I found the skin to be just as crispy as those on the Peking duck. What I also found interesting was the color of the meat. Normally, chefs would cook the duck thoroughly so the meat is usually a grayish color, which is especially true if they claim to use duck from China or Hong Kong. However, here, they chose to cook the duck medium rare. You could still find a blush of pink in the center of some of the meat. This resulted in a tender, moist duck with great flavor. A one-half serving costs P 1330 while one whole duck costs P 2330.

4) Uno Wharf Seafood Palace
270 Escolta St. Calvo Bldg. Binondo, Manila.
Tel. 232-1054
Daily, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

If you ask the waiters here, they will say that you can avail of the roast duck in either half (P 600) or whole (P 1200) sizes size. But if you check the menu, you will find that you can also order them in a smaller portion served as an appetizer (P 380) or as part of a rice meal set (P 120). That was the best value I came across. The meal came with rice, duck, boiled cabbage and a garlic flavored broth—and the serving sizes were generous! The sauce made from the dripping of the duck was used to flavor the rice, while the plum sauce was served on the side. The duck meat itself was excellent—meaty, succulent, and full of flavor. Its texture was just right in my opinion, neither too tender nor too tough.

3) The Century Seafood Palace
GF, Century Park Hotel, Pablo Ocampo St. cor. M. Adriatico, Malate, Manila.
Tel. 524-1821
Daily, 10:30 a.m. to 3pm, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

For more than a decade, this restaurant has been a favorite among the local Chinese community for weddings and birthdays. It's pretty common to see two wedding banquets going on here simultaneously on weekends. I figured if the kitchen here can handle that and come out with good food consistently, they must do a pretty good roast duck as well. As it turned out, indeed they do. Available in half (P 700) and whole (P 1400) serving portions, it was served with their own blend of plum sauce that is probably the best I tasted so far. It was well-balanced in terms of sweetness and tartness, and not too strong to overwhelm the duck. The meat was lean, tender, and very succulent--the juices from the meat burst inside my mouth and filled it with flavor when i bit into it. The skin also added a nice, crisp texture. My companion noted that this duck wasn't as greasy as some other versions, as you don't ever feel the fat from the duck congealing on your lips. This is definitely among the exceptional roast duck versions around.

2) Jasmine
2nd Floor, New World Hotel, Esperanza St. cor. Makati Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 811-6888
Daily, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Available in three different serving sizes: one-fourth (P 650), one-half (P 1300) and one whole (P 1950), the duck here was as beautiful as the restaurant's interiors. It was carefully sliced up and beautifully presented on a platter surrounded by a ring of jellyfish. The jellyfish's crunchy, springy texture was a good contrast to the tenderness of the duck meat and the crispy skin. There was a bit of chili in the jellyfish which helped give this dish an added dimension in flavor. As for the duck, it was thoughtfully deboned for the most part. The meat was cooked to the right degree of tenderness, and with only a thin layer of fat.  But most importantly, this duck was extremely delicious that I felt as if I was in the emperor's court as I ate! Definitely fit for royalty.

1) Lili
5F Hyatt Hotel and Casino, 1588 Pedro Gil cor MH Del Pilar, Malate, Manila Tel. 2451234.
Mondays to Saturdays 12 n.n. to 10 p.m., Sundays 11: 30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

What struck me most about Lili's duck was the presentation. Austere with not even a sprig of parsley, it seems like the duck wants to draw your attention all to itself. It was beautifully-roasted with a honey, gold-caramel color, and it was sliced up in portions that were neither too thick nor too thin. Most of the meat had been deboned so you wouldn't be bothered as you eat with your chopsticks. Try eating the meat first without adding the plum sauce so you can taste how exquisite the flavor is on its own, and you'll enjoy how soft and succulent it is. Not that you need it, but you could moisten the duck further with drippings from the roasting on the side. If you check their menu, it will say the duck is only available at a one-fourth serving size (P 607 net). Hungry for more? Then you need to make a one-day advance reservation for the one whole version, which comes at P 2428 net.