Alex Sanchez. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Sometimes when it is difficult to get certain authentic ingredients in Beijing－for example, rabbit－he would make the dish without the missing ingredients but he avoids inappropriate substitutes. In other cases, when the loss of a key ingredient would make a dish not authentic, he will simply not serve that dish, Sanchez says.

He adds that good service has been essential the restaurant's success. He likes to talk with customers to answer questions in person, and devotes a lot of time to training a professional staff.

For people working around Sanlitun, the restaurant offers a two-course lunch menu for 78 yuan ($12) a person, with three options for each course. You can add a dessert or beverage for an additional 20 yuan per head when ordering the business-lunch set menu. (Paella, which requires about 35 minutes of preparation time, is available a la carte but not as part of the lunch set.)

If you go

Open noon to 10:30 pm; 3/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. www.niajo.com; 010-5208-6052.

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