Best place for traditional Peking duck. This place is always buzzing and you must book ahead to ensure you get a table. Peking duck and the rest of the duck dishes that come out are absolutely delicious. Very busy place and nothing fancy but you will leave full and happy.
The best restaurant for peking duck in Melbourne I would say.
The skin of the duck is very very crispy and super delicious! I eat like crazy when I’m here!
Ordering the duck will give you 3 course - the first one is the peking duck, the second one is duck with bean sprouts (you can also change this to add noodles - we love their crispy noodles), and lastly the duck soup.
Everything is lovely, and definitely worth it!
An absolute institution. We love the duck and handmade noodles. Excellent value for money and this place is always booked out! A favourite in Melb.
Simon’s two duck options are both great in taste and value. This place is well-known around the area, and serves perfectly crisp duck, thinned pancakes with perfect servings of the usual spring onion/cucumber/hoisin. The second noodle or bean shoot course is generally a bit oily, but still has an ample amount duck meat. Service is also very quick! Ambience is more like a local family restaurant - not overly clean and little hectic, but well worth.
If you have cravings for peking duck then Simon’s will not disappoint! The decor is dated and the tables are a little cramped and covered in butcher paper but you come for the food and not the ambiance. Service is efficient and one of the staff even came around to throw pancakes onto our plates much to our amusement.
We definitely recommend ordering one duck per 2 people, and opting for the non-noodle set. We personally don’t mind the bean sprout stir fry and found the noodles to be way too soggy for our liking, not worth the extra charge. The duck itself has an incredibly crispy, thin skin and the meat is juicy and soft. The fat is rendered perfectly and there are no awkward gristly bits. We’d say this is one of the best peking ducks we have had in Melbourne.
Simon's Peking Duck: Popular for all the right reasons! The duck was so succulent and juicy, oozing out delicious flavours with every bite. The sauce that was paired with it is also a stand out! Portions were also very generous, filling us up very quickly. Would 100% return!
Emerensiana Vitalis Handoko
+5
Best peking duck restaurant in Melbourne for sure!
It always full during dinner time.
You need to book the ducks and table far ahead if you want to dine in.
The duck it self is so juicy and tender.
When you combine it with the pancakes and their plum sauce it just perfect and melt in your mouth.
Also loved their fried thin noodle with duck and the duck soup, taste so good!
You definitely need this restaurant this if you're looking for the best peking duck in Melbourne.
You won't regret it for sure.
Finally tried their famous peking duck! The skin was crispy, and it didn’t contain too much meat, that might make it tough. The pancake was thin, and really a perfect match with the duck. Came with two kinds of noodle and soup. One of the noodle was crispy, which I really liked. The other one was udon-like, and didn’t have as much meat. The soup was also a nice warmer in the winter. One of the waiter, which I suppose was the manager was yelling at the other waiters while serving our table, which was kind of uncomfortable to watch.
Had a great experience here, the staff were friendly and noticed that it was our first time there. The peking duck was very good and the price was reasonable. We got a stir fry dish and soup as well! A couple of Tsingtao beers and our meal was set. Definitely will be back. I have been to another peking duck restaurant near by and prefer simon's for sure!
We had Option B from the menu. Great tasting and succulent peiking duck, delicious noodles and hearty duck soup. Service was very friendly and prompt. Will definitely be back again.
The duck omgggggggg 😍😍 absolutely delicious. One of the best foods I’ve ever eaten. We had the second option where we also got noodles and broth. Didn’t need the extras the duck itself was more than enough. The service was average, it’s cash only and the menus look pretty old.
If I had to compare it to the "other" place that will not be named here, I would say that these guys tried to make each course as meaty as possible.
Pancakes were a bit dry and smaller. Duck was a bit meatier than it should be. 15 portions, not 16. Forces you to be romantic if it were table for 2.
Noodle stir fry was really good. It wasn't overloaded with bean shoots. Had a good amount of duck. Overall it had a lighter taste.
Soup was outstanding. Tasted like duck and seasoned well. I enjoyed this one very much.
You might be wondering why I’m posting so many reviews in the same day. Just got my account today but would like to share my experience :) anyways simon’s Peking duck restaurant. WOW. Was here for a baby’s one month and everything was so well cooked and organised. I. Hold the stop eating 😂 highly recommend!!!
if you’re after a quick fix of Peking Duck and come in just at the right time then this is the place to go. Don’t expect the traditional way where the duck is presented to your table before carving it and each piece carefully wrapped for you and your guest(s). We chose Option 2 which was duck 3 ways (including duck meat with noodles and duck bones soup). The first course comes already cut up for you to wrap yourself then when you’re finished comes the noodles then the soup.
Yum yum yum!! What a delightful restaurant! Came with a party of 4 and we had the duck Option 1 and we ordered two ducks as we love Peking duck! Loved when the waiter carved the ducks in front of us and it’s quite impressive how quickly they make the pancakes in front of you! Will be back for more again and again!!
Ordered a duck in 3 courses for 2 ppl to share, peking duck with chinese crepe, fried egg noodles and soup which costed around $65 in total. The combination of crispy duck skin with the crepe, cucumber and sauce was amazing, I just couldnt stop myself it was so good and the skin wasnt greasy at all. The egg noodles and soup were both average, but definitely made the whole duck meal more complete and fulfilling.
We go to Simon's Peking duck all the time. It's consistently good. Customer service is great. The duck is crispy and the sauce goes really well with it. They have spicy chilli oil and fresh chilli, which is a plus!
Even though it's a bit out the way, I will always be happy to make the trip to Simon's for the absolute delight that is their peking duck.
The flavours and freshness are consistently great, the service today was unexpectedly friendly and even funny for a moment!
While the prices aren't for those on a budget, they are by no means unreasonable either. And the reward for that margin is well worth it :)
Love the Peking duck, skin is crispy and meat is so tender. We chose the option 2, it comes with approx 15 pieces of duck with crispy skin, a soup and the noodles. This set is good for about 3pax, place is very small and not suitable for family who needs to push the pram in... is very crowded so must book before you come!
Our favourite place to have Peking duck! A 3-course duck is perfect for 2ppl! Staff are always very friendly. We were running late once and they moved our booking without an issue.
Delicious Peking duck, I have been to both Old Kingdoms in Fitzroy and Surrey Hill but Simon’s outdo them by far. I haven’t had the authentic Peking duck in Beijing so my experience is solely based on my melbourne accounts but it was delicious nonetheless. Out table shared two ducks, one with course A and one with B. Definitely worth paying extra for noodles (go with the crispy egg noodles!) Our mother usually doesn’t enjoy duck meat because of its particular scent but Simon’s were so fresh that she devoured as much as everyone else. We will absolutely be coming back regularly.
Great Restaurant Mentions
+5
Best Peking duck in Melbourne! Sad to hear uncle Simon has passed but the quality of food is still excellent! Peking duck, stir fry duck, duck soup...no wastage of their food and it’s all so yummy!
Keep up the good work new owners!
This place serves legendary peking duck. I don't even know why anyone would bother ordering anything else.
I'm going to miss Simon. He would make every meal so entertaining, it was such a joy to introduce friends to this place. I've been back since he passed away and fortunately they are keeping the legend alive here.!
Yum!! We got the full duck with noodles, $64.50 and you get 15 pcs of peaking duck (good value for money), duck noodles and duck soup. Remember to book to come to this place, as you have to preorder a duck. Also, if you like chilli, ask for chilli oil.
Delicious Peking duck and soup, decent serving sizes and adequate customer service. A little loud and crowded but not a bad place to come and try the dish they're named after.
Duck was more tastier than old kingdom, you can actually taste the gaminess and there was more meat. The pancakes were unfortunately way too oily... it got too sickening because of this. The soup was very herbal (star anise), I prefer old kingdoms. Simons duck hoisin sauce was much better as it was nice and thick. Service was attentive and prompt. Would recommend this busy place. Good to try at least once.
I only order 1 thing in this place, and that is the Peking Duck set meal. The set meal consist of:
1. Sliced duck meat and chinese pancake and the condiments (this is the best)
2. Either bean shoots or noodles cooked with the duck meat which supposedly comes from the same duck from no. 1
3. Soup made with duck broth.
I have fond memories of this place, the previous owner, Simon, was such a character. He has since passed away, RIP Simon.
Had Simon's Peking duck option 1 menu. Food was delicious and plentiful (for just my partner and me). Although, the customer service was quite average.
We ordered a Peking duck set and a plate of salted fish chicken fried rice. The Peking duck is amazing, the meat was juicy and flavourful, duck skin was so crispy. The duck with noodle is good. Fried rice is delicious (might be a bit salty for you as I like salted fish) and reasonably priced. It was really busy on a Saturday evening so I reckon you should book a table before hand. They asked me how many duck I would order when booking. So I didn’t have to wait for more than 10 minutes for the duck. Staff can be a bit more friendly (greeting and smiling more) but they assisted us with all of our needs quickly. They were helpful and didn’t seem to be rude at all. It seems like everyone was in a rush as the place was so busy and packed with people. I’m ok with how
they served us. I will definitely be back again!
Pros: the duck was superb!! Crispy skin, juicy and flavourful duck boxes all ticked. The crepe wraps were made delicious also.
Cons: service was underwhelming. The waiters seemed rude. More cucumber would have been preferred for the wraps to balance out as the duck was rich in flavour and fat.
Rip Simon 🌹
Came here a few times and always left satisfied. Love the Peking duck, especially the sauce which is so tasty. The accompanying soup and bean sprouts are average, and the noodles are a bit salty. As a bonus, we got a free banana and ice cream dessert when celebrating a birthday!
we come here every year for mothers day. they are always booked and tables are jam packed but food is still always great and service is not bad either. owner always came by to say hello and entertain the kids, could not fault this place even if i wanted to.
Simons Peking duck is one of the best places in Melbourne for Peking duck. Amazing customer service on Simons behalf. Would definitely recommend this place :)
I heard that Simon Lay passed away on Sunday. If this news is true, Rest In Peace Simon 😢 you’re the best in the world of Peking duck (or peiking duck). Thank you for all the enjoyment you gave us.
Long time fave of ours (partner LOVES roast/peking duck) and probably the best peking duck we’ve had in Australia.
Super thin crepe pancakes, perfectly cooked crispy skin duck and the house sauce is amazing; not too strong like some hoisin can be.
If the owner Simon is in, he adds some hilarious banter and formal lessons on how to roll/fold a proper pancake.
NB: It’s cash only and make sure to book ahead, as it is always full every session.
(Side note: last couple times have felt like the overall quality is declining a bit, but still love it.)
Been here couple times and still taste the same! Sooo good! We (4 of us) order the number 2, 1 peking duck, 1 soup and 1 noodle (we choose the egg noodle). The peking duck is literally the highlight.. and it came first😭 sad hahaha then we add the pork with broccoli and mushroom which is just okay, the egg noodle is nice and the soup is pretty okay; since the peking duck-cucumber-spring onion-sauce pretty tasty the soup a bit tasteless. But still~ the peking duck is the best❤️🤟🏻
Rule number one. Book first. Rule number two, see number one. Simon’s has been always my fave Peking Duck experience. Food is extraordinary, Simon really push it into another level. He has a great sense of humor, theatrical, and excellent service. Every visit to this place always fulfill my expectation and even more. Bon apetit.
This place is fantastic! The food is absolutely delicious and the duck is reasonably priced. But my favourite part of the night was the staff. They’re outgoing, hilarious and friendly - it really made the whole experience. Will definitely be back.
I had dinner here on a Tuesday night and was shocked to find it packed to the brim even after 8pm. You need a booking any day of the week! There was at least one peking duck on every table. We had the peking duck and the waiter served the duck to every table and asked people to put out their plates to catch a pancake when he threw it. He then showed us how to wrap the first pancake. It was very entertaining and the waiter was friendly and gave good service.
The duck skin was crispy and fatty and delicious. The pancakes were thin and the combination of the duck, pancakes, sauce, spring onion and cucumber was heavenly. The leftover duck meat then got fried with crispy egg noodles and was delicious too. I have to say I was not a fan of the soup with tofu as it was quite bland, but I will most certainly come back!!
I don't come here for the ambience, service or decor. I come simply for the Peking duck. The glorious crispy skin, succulent duck meat and the thin crepe-like pancake. No other place does Peking duck like Simon's.
All the other add-on dishes (noodles and soup) are just fillers. They are nothing to rave about.
Tonight's duck was delicious yet again.
Crispy Peking duck skin added in extra fragrance which is better than the one I had in Beijing. Comparatively, Simon’s put less MSG in the soup than Old Kingdom.
My absolute favorite place to come for Peking duck. This place is always busy and buzzing with life. The duck here is crispy and freshly paired with homemade crepes and condiments followed by noodles and soup . The owner Simon is always floating around making everyone feel like family. I dont know if Simon remembers me because I eat there so much or he is just nice enough to make me feel like he does HAHA
Very good place to have your Peking Duck around the eastern suburb. Although not as good or authentic as Quanjude in Melbourne CBD this place certainly has its unique way of serving and cooking.
Loved our meals here and service is above average as they usually get very busy and we can understand. Would come again.
Updated review 2017 (last review in 2015):
Managed to grab a last min table on a tues evening! Boy were they packed! And lucky we did because the peking duck was sooo goood (as always).
Prices has gone up ofcourse. Think we paid aboit $60-65 for the 3 course duck meal. The peking duck, the stirfry duck noodles and the duck soup. And a coke... the duck was crispy and not much fat at all. Love how they always seem to have the perfect amount of freshly cooked pancakes. But i would have loved to have double the amount of cucumbers though...! Go for the crispy fried noodle stirfry - so tasty! Still had plenty of duck in this stir-fry. We had go takeaway as we were pretty full after the pancakes. This 3 course would have been perfect for 3 people! Soup was a great refreshing way to end the night. So much flavour. Love the tofu and green mustard in it too.
Overall lovely evening. Service was as always very quick. Tight squeeze space but that adds to the harm of it right??! 😁😁
Wow, simply amazing. If you love your duck this is the place to be. The skin was so crispy! Don't know how he does it! Great atmosphere , Simon is quite the character and makes for a great night out.
Very busy and very quick turn over
Duck was crispy and had a lot of juicy meat!
Home made pancakes were delicious! We ordered option 2, which came with 15 duck pancakes, home made noodles and duck soup... it was A lot of food for two people! Would definitely come again for these yummy duck pancakes!
Simon Peking duck restaurant. Duck is ok but not that fantastic. I prefer the old kingdom better than this one. But the location is easy to park and find.
Great three course Peking duck. The best I've had in Melbourne. More often than not it's just two course at other places. Make sure you book, it appears always full.
I have a weak spot for peking duck and this place is clearly the standout for me when it comes to the duck itself. The skin is perfectly crispy, with little fat underneath and a very good proportion of meat (and bones) on each serving plate. The handmade pancakes are also excellent. The second noodle dish for my family is usually a combination of the hor fun and crispy egg noodle and by the time we get to the broth, we are completely full, which is a very satisfying feeling :) The cost is also an absolute bargain considering the quality of food. Unfortunately, don't expect excellent service, as the staff are usually hard to find and sometimes look distressed to be burdened with additional requests. In addition, we were told that we could only order one additional dish (outside of the peking duck) even though we wanted to order two dishes. An unusual rule, but fortunately, the waiter checked with the chef who allowed us to order two dishes! yay...
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes