Boutique beer house

Blauer Engel is quenching thirst in Tianjin with a variety of brews, including novelty beers, such as Chimay Red Cap with notes of apricot and pear, the Bavarian classic Franziskaner Dunkel, Muenchen Royal Draft and a beer menu that changes every month. Cocktails on offer include beer-based Habsburgs Honey, and beer food that will remind you of Oktoberfest all year round. During happy hours from 5-8 pm, it's buy one get one free.

Blauer Engel, Hotel Indigo Tianjin Haihe, 314 Jiefang South Road, Hexi district,Tianjin. 022-8832-8888.

- Sun Ye

Healthy roast duck

Beijing Fairmont's Lunar 8 Chinese restaurant is wowing local gourmets with a healthy Peking Duck minus the grease. The signature dish is a Peking roast duck prepared with a secret recipe of Chinese herbs and spices. Sliced two ways, skin with meat, and skin separated from meat, the crispy skin and tender meat has effectively raised the bar for the best quality roast ducks in the capital. The restaurant's chef is innovative, and has come up with his own interpretation of traditional Chinese dishes, including sauteed calamari with Iron Buddha tea, sauteed codfish with spicy sauce, and double-boiled ginseng with chicken.

Lunar 8, Basement Level, Fairmont Beijing, 8 Yong'an Dongli, Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-8507-3618.

- Ye Jun

Artichoke & truffles

At Shangri-La Beijing's Stay French restaurant, the air is steaming up with the fragrance of a truffle scented artichoke soup. This elegant starter distills the best flavors of the season into a single bowl and is very typical of Yannick Alleno's cooking philosophy - that of good food in a comfortable ambience. Made with pureed artichoke hearts, top stock from chicken and fresh cream, the soup is then garnished with 20 g of black truffles, shave just before serving.

Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing, 29, Zizhuyuan Road, Haidian district, Beijing. 010-6841-2211.

- Pauline D. Loh

Michelin brunch

The Principal's Sunday brunch in Hong Kong by newly-awarded Michelin-star chef Jonay Armas is not to be missed. There are plenty of freshly-blended juices and ingredient-driven dishes, such as paprika-infused mussels, natural cockles and lemon zest, lemon-marinated tuna with mango, young coconut and avocado, and mains served with a signature 63 C egg each Sunday. Experience an explosion of flavors and textures served from noon. HK$590 ($76) per person, or HK$690 with free-flow drinks. Christmas Eve menu is HK$950 (HK$1,350 with wine pairing) and New Year's Eve menu is HK$980 (HK$1,380 with wine pairing) per person.

The Principal, 9 Star Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. 852-2563-3444.

- Donna Mah

(China Daily 12/15/2012 page12)