Counter intelligence: Yummy Peking duck

Yummy Peking duck

If you've never had Peking duck before, here's your chance. Very few restaurants offer this Chinese delicacy, and those that do usually require you to order a whole bird a day in advance.

But Yummy Chinese Restaurant, 2450 Nicollet Av. S., Minneapolis, is currently offering half a Peking duck, served in two courses, for $17.99. The first course is slices of crisp skin and succulent breast meat, served with puffy pancakes, scallions and hoisin sauce. The second course is a flavorful duck soup made from the bones. Add rice and another stir-fry or two, and you'll have enough for four. No reservation required, but calling ahead (612-870-8000) is a good idea -- they occasionally run out.

Eating for hunger relief

If you don't have plans for dinner, it's not too late to sign up for tonight's seven-course Share Our Strength dinner at 6 p.m. at Cosmos Restaurant in the Graves 601 Hotel, 601 1st Av. N., Minneapolis.

Participating chefs include Tim McKee of La Belle Vie, Steven Brown of Levain, Jack Reibel of the Dakota, Seth Bixby Daugherty and Christina Kaelberer of Cosmos, plus visiting chefs Cornelius Gallagher from New York City's Oceana Restaurant and Bradford Thompson from Mary Elaine's at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz. Courses range from warm lobster with smoked tomato vinaigrette to foie gras with sea urchin, summer truffle and puffed rice.

Cost is $250 a person (75 percent is tax-deductible), and it supports a worthy cause: Share Our Strength is the food service industry's initiative to fight childhood hunger. Call 612-312-1168 for reservations.

Southside sushi

Sashimi, sushi and tempura in a very stylish setting are offered at Ba-Gu, a new Japanese restaurant at 4741 Chicago Av. S., Minneapolis. Spider rolls, rainbow rolls and other maki (rolled) sushi are available, as well as a big selection of nigiri sushi (the kind with the fish on top). Ba-Gu owner Willis Dry also owns Koyi Sushi in Minneapolis' Warehouse District.

Remember Udupi?

The popular Columbia Heights Indian vegetarian restaurant formerly known as Udupi has changed owners and staff, and is also changing its name to Nala Pak. The menu still offers many of the same south Indian vegetarian specialties, such as masala dosas (crêpes stuffed with potatoes and spices) and uthappam, (rice flour pancakes) but has added some non-traditional dishes, such as an Italian-style uthappam.

JEREMY IGGERS