Eat beat

Christmas with a festive Cru

Cru restaurant launched a special menu for Christmas Eve filled with festive fare. The dinner starts with fresh Gillardeau oysters from France, and turkey with chestnut stuffing. The main course choices include Australian grain fed rib-eye steak and baked whole Maine lobster which is tender and tasty. There's a Christmas pudding with vanilla ice cream to finish on a sweet note.

No 83 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5908-8530.

A naughty list, but very nice

The Atrium, an upscale 70th-floor lounge with 270-degree views of the Guangzhou skyline, launched a deluxe festive afternoon tea, which is available until Jan 1. Pastry chef Mak Keng Seng presents a variety of festive sweets from around the world, such as traditional German-style stollen, Italian chocolate pannacotta and French-style opera cake.

No 5 Zhujiang West Road, Tianhe district, Guangzhou, Guangdong province. 020-8883-3888.

A Gouda time to get warm in winter

Italian cuisine restaurant Tavola revealed a new set lunch menu for the winter season. A duck breast carpaccio with pink grapefruit, cauliflower cream and walnuts offers a colorful start and a hearty pasta dish of fusilli with pumpkin puree, pine nuts and Gouda cheese is a perfect winter warmer. Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas should not be missed.

2F No 19 Dongfang East Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-8532-5068.

Jingle Bells, Singapore's the way

Tease by Creature S launched a Southeast Asian-style Christmas dinner in a Beijing hutong. Seasoned with fish sauce, fresh lime juice and topped with grated coconut relish, the pumpkin soup takes diners to Singapore, as does the turkey, which is marinated with mixed herbs, lime leaves and Southeast Asian spices.

No 15 Baishu Hutong, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-8635-5376.

Maki performs a leading roll

The Maki is a Japanese restaurant in Beijing focusing only on hand-rolled sushi. The trick to it is the nori, which is just 0.2 millimeters thick. The chef must make the rolls with his hands at the temperature of 36 C, and diners are encouraged to finish their rolls as quickly as possible to enjoy them at their best. From scallop to sea eel, there is a wide selection of fillings.

No 209 Ciyunsi Beili, Chaoyang district, Beijing.