Absolute Cate

If you are someone who complains there is no place in Beijing to get a good Shanghai “shengjianbao” (pan-fried stuffed buns), you will change your mind after visiting Absolute Cate.

Neverland Coffee

Surrounded by office buildings, hotels, a cinema and a shopping mall, Neverland Coffee is nonetheless an oasis of calm in the busy CBD. The place is awash in cheerful colors; the silk curtains are green, the cushions purple and the corner sofas red. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow sunshine to illuminate it.

A whole-day meal challenge – Quest for appetizing, inexpensive at the CBD

Working in the CBD puts you at the center of the city’s dynamic dining scene. But weekday lunches can be tricky beause of time constraints, which in turn narrows the selection of appetizing yet inexpensive meals. The key is imagination and some leg work, we learned.

Coffee to fine dining under one roof

Pizza Italia has three restaurants on each floor, each presenting a different theme on one of Italian cuisine’s main courses.

Coffee and tea at old Houhai

Foreigners who have lived in Beijing long enough find little excitement in visiting tourist Houhai’s high-priced restaurants, bars and coffee shops.

Village-side healthy, zesty drinks

The opening of The Village in Sanlitun injected the area with a young, trendy and vibrant energy. The shopping mall includes a fountain where children love to run around, it regularly invites DJs to play in the square and it holds free art exhibitions to support the work of students.

Great Shaanxi noodles in hiding

The old and grubby residential building opposite Tongli shopping mall retains Sanlitun’s original face: markets, coffee shops and bars smack in the middle of Beijingers homes.

Shanghai favorites in a quiet, old neighborhood

Jianzuocai Restaurant is located in the vicinity of Wudadao, a quiet neighborhood that is a museum of early-20th-century European architecture. At the time, Tianjin and Shanghai were known as the “two shining pearls of the East.”The restaurant shrimp dishes are its most popular because of the shellfish freshness and tenderness. The fried shrimps (38 yuan), a golden color, are crispy outside but tender inside. The fried shrimp balls (38 yuan), rolled with mustard, acquire a subtle layer of flavors.

Expert in health and rich flavors

The restaurant steamed fish with goji berry and chrysanthemum (48 yuan) combines the light flavor of fish and flower. Goji berry is believed to increase energy levels, the quality of sleep, mental acuity, calmness and feelings contentment. Chrysanthemum is prescribed to combat autumn’s drying effects on the body.

A Corner of real Japan

Over two decades, Tianjin’s development zone has become home to many foreign companies – particularly Japanese factories. It is not surprising, therefore, that the port city has a significant Japanese populatio– and a considerable number of Japanese dining places.One of these is Uchida, a favorite among Japanese expats who make up 80 percent of the restaurant’s customers. Some come with their colleagues; others ith their families. The atmosphere can sometimes make you feel like you’ve been transported to Japan.