Fangjia Kitchen, led by chefs from Beijing's top restaurants, gives sophisticated travelers an alternative perspective on the land. Provided to China Daily

Beijing

Beijing is an exciting city with plenty to keep the visitor occupied ?including its rich and varied cuisine. Li Jing goes into the kitchen.

After soaking up all the natural beauty and historical allure that Beijing has to offer, the city's culinary classes offer sophisticated travelers an alternative perspective on the land. From Black Sesame Kitchen to The Hutong, there are lots of options for visitors to get to know how China cooks and eats. A few, like Fangjia Kitchen, are led by chefs from Beijing's top restaurants, such as Zen and Nuage.

At the workshops, participants are invited to sample the gourmet cuisine whipped up by the chefs and choose which dish they want to learn.

Tucked away in the touristy Fangjia Hutong, the kitchen is set in a 30-square-meter room, which comfortably accommodates an open kitchen and an eight-seat dining table. The room is a part of the former residence of Prince Xunjun, Emperor Qianlong's second son, and the imposing gates and ancient trees in the courtyard tell stories of old Beijing.

James Hunt from Australia is one of the students. On his third visit to China, he no longer needs to see the sights such as the Great Wall or Forbidden City.

"I want to find more hands-on experience. It's a lot of fun learning to cook and seeing how real Beijingers live."

Zen Restaurant's executive chef Huang Chanzhu runs the Cantonese cooking class at the kitchen. At one of his classes, the chef was teaching his students how to make shao'erdong (braised mushrooms with bamboo shoots).

"It is a seasonal dish for spring and it gives me a chance to share Chinese culture with foreign visitors in the relaxed ambience of the class."

Besides the regular classes, private classes can be booked three days in advance.

To Jessie Zhang, the founder of the kitchen, the most memorable booking was made by a mother from United States.

She had made an e-mail reservation for a dumpling-making class, saying it was a birthday gift for her daughter. On the day of the class, the daughter and her boyfriend, both on a tour around China, came for the class. As the daughter sampled the dumplings she had made, she was told the class was a special arrangement by her mother.

"The daughter was very surprised and moved and it was exactly what we wanted to give travelers - a unique and impressive travel experience."

Zhang says the idea of hosting cooking classes for travelers was mooted when she was traveling in France.

"I got a chance to join a hands-on cooking class in a castle by a local chef. This made the trip unforgettable." Zhang wants more travelers to have such experiences while visiting Beijing.

The 28-year-old former public relations executive has put together a cluster of top chefs at Fangjia Kitchen to teach classes, from Beijing-style dumplings and homemade noodles to classic Cantonese and Sichuan dishes.