Enjoy authentic flavors of home cooked food

It's not often that one comes across as good of a value eatery as the newly opened My Dining Restaurant. The restaurant's name in Chinese literally means "Home", reiterating its promise to serve up dishes with authentic home flavors.

Its chef team has strong ties with major five-star hotels in Beijing. Executive chef Tian Zhiyong worked at both Grand Hotel, and Made in China at Grand Hyatt Hotel. The food at My Dining retains the same high standards.

Its "Buddha jumps over the wall" soup is a genuine treat, with abalone, shark fin, fish maw and soft tortoise shell. The soup is tasty but not too heavy. A small helping is reasonably priced and enough for five people.

On the ground floor, a glass door lets guests watch fruitwood Peking roast duck being prepared. The duck skin melts in the mouth, and the flesh is really tender. The quality is almost as good as in Made in China.

Homemade pork with bean curd pancake and crispy roll is an interesting traditional Beijing specialty, named after the crunching sound - gezhi - it triggers when you bite into it. Big honey-glazed prawns come in plates of five, and their sweet and sour taste may appeal to foreigners. Wok-fried fish fillet is served with a mixture of mashed red and green pepper, and coriander, giving the fish a great, fresh flavor.

The dcor is Chinese inspired and it is possible spend 40 yuan ($5.9) per person for a simple meal, or 80 yuan per person to try some of the more expensive dishes.

Daily 11am-10pm. 1/F Yanhuayuan, B24 Jianwai Dajie, east of Sci-Tech Shopping Mall, Beijing. Tel: 6515-8676