The famed Beijing duck is a hot gold medal contender for the most-popular food in the host city of the on-going Olympic Games.

The Quanjude roast duck restaurant on the 840-meter-long Qianmen Street, which was closed for a year-long refurbishment, reported a sales volume of more than 500,000 yuan (about US$72,771) on August 7, the day before Games' opening ceremony.

Despite a seating capacity of more than 1,000 people, customers still had to queue for seats, with no guarantees assured.

"The restaurant opens from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM and from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the evening. But you have to come at least one or two hours before the opening time to make sure you get your table," said a restaurant staff who wouldn't give his name.

"If you want to book a private room, you will have to make your reservation days earlier," he said, adding all the rooms for this week had already been booked.

Keeping with the Olympic spirit, Quanjude, the century-old Beijing roast duck restaurant chain, offers cold dishes in the shapes of the National Stadium and the National Aquatic Center, better known as the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, respectively, two Games venues.

In addition, each day it sends 600 roast ducks to the Olympic Village for athletes eager to sample traditional Chinese fare. Much like those who are consuming them, the birds have been through a strict anti-doping test to ensure they are "100 percent" safe.

Quanjude roast ducks are cooked over a fruit-wood fire. The restaurant chain has five overseas properties in Japan, Australia and Hong Kong.

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2008)