Duck

The word for lovers of dark meat: duck.

* Saladang Song: Here, roast duck goes into yum ped yang, a salad with a spicy tamarind dressing, or guay tiao ped, a soup with fresh fat rice noodles in a rich duck broth dosed with soy sauce. (Yum ped yang, $9.95; guay tiao ped, $8.95.) Saladang Song, 383 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, (626) 793-5200.

* Jozu: Half a Long Island air-dried roast duck comes with a vegetarian egg roll and grilled baby bok choy drizzled with an aromatic sauce of veal stock, tamarind, black bean paste and plum wine. (Long Island air-dried duck, $19.) Jozu, 8360 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, (323) 655-5600.

* Sonora Cafe: You can have your duck roasted with honey-braised red cabbage and caramelized apples in a pomegranate tequila sauce, or braised and served in tamales with either guajillo pepper sauce or a slightly sweet Oaxacan mole. (Long Island roasted duck with pomegranate tequila sauce, $19.95; duck tamales, dinner appetizer $8.75; lunch entree with rice and beans, $13.50.) Sonora Cafe, 180 S. La Brea Ave., L.A., (323) 857-1800.

* Joe’s: Joe Miller’s roasted duck is one of the entree choices on the prix-fixe four-course menu, but you can also order it a la carte. The moist roasted duck breast is served on sauteed spinach with grilled pineapple and pieces of sage-scented foie gras, and it’s finished off with a light black pepper-caramel sauce. (Roasted duck breast, a la carte $23; prix fixe menu, $48.) Joe’s, 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, (310) 399-5811.

* Back Pocket: You won’t find duck on the menu at Gustaf Anders’ casual cousin, but it’s a special most of the time. The bird is cooked moist and crisp-skinned on the rotisserie and accompanied by warm pickled red cabbage and either red new potatoes or rich potatoes au gratin. (Rotisserie duck, $17.) Back Pocket, South Coast Plaza Village, 3851 S. Bear St., Santa Ana, (714) 668-1737.

* Chadwick: Chef-owner Ben Ford changes the menu weekly at his chic new spot. You might find kabocha squash gnocchi served with a Port-chestnut roasted duck ragu or roasted young duckling with caramelized shallots and peppery baby cress in a blood orange Port reduction. (Kabocha squash gnocchi with smoked duck, $28; roasted young duckling with baby cress salad, blood orange reduction, $30.) Chadwick, 267 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 205-9424.