Eat beat

Jia springs into the new year

Jia's executive chef Ho Hau-yuen has designed a special menu for the upcoming Spring Festival holiday. Braised sea cucumber with black mushrooms in oyster sauce along with the wok-fried beef tenderloin and goose liver and balsamic vinegar are the two must-try additions. The Hong Kong native's signature poon choi, Guangdong's famous casserole, features a variety of seafood and rare mushrooms stewed to perfection.

No 2A Jiangtai Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5926-8281.

Winner winner, chicken dinner

Japanese-cuisine restaurant Daruma specializes in grilled poultry and sake. Deep-fried chicken wings feature crispy skin, juicy meat and perfect seasoning. The grilled chicken with scallion is also succulent. A signature winter warmer is the miso ox-intestine pot boiled with fishbones and cabbage.

No 81 Sanlitun Jiubajie, Chaoyang district, Beijing.

Chua Lam's new location, new stew

Chua Lam's Dim Sum opened its second branch in Beijing. For the festive season, poon choi was added to the menu. The soup is stewed for six hours with abalone and 10 other ingredients, including sea cucumbers, fish maws, shrimp from Thailand, pork belly and mushrooms.

B1, No 81 Jianguolu, Chaoyang district, Beijing.

Shanghai's tangy taste hits Beijing

Shanghai Tang restaurant opened its Beijing branch in December, bringing its modern and exquisite take on Shanghai cuisine to the capital. The stewed pork belly is typical of the Shanghai flavor－the pork is springy, like jelly, while the bamboo shoots and the egg that are stewed together with the pork absorb all the flavors of the broth.

6F, No 1 Jianguomenwai Ave, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5961-1777.

Casa Talia displays fireworks of flavor

Casa Talia is offering its special New Year menu until Jan 6. The foie gras, cranberry and chili explosion combines the sourness of the fruit and the silkiness of the foie gras with the spicy bite of the chili jelly to deliver a burst of rich flavors. Meanwhile, the Christmas paella is a seafood feast with a festive vibe.

1F, No 9 Dongdaqiao Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6553-7021.