Founded in Beijing in 2011, well-known brunch venue, The Rug, is upgrading to an all-day menu for the first time, breaking the boundary between each meal - diners can have a souffle in the morning or a pancake with bacon at night. Tokyo cod-roe burdock conchiglie and a crazy shredded beef, egg and apple burger (vegetarians can swap out the beef for avocado) are new to the menu, together with sous-vide tender chicken breast soba and New Zealand clam pizza.

A slice of bohemian Paris right in the heart of Beijing, Rive Gauche encapsulates French "bistronomy" cuisine, where executive chef Ivan Miguez interprets French classics with his own personal twist, imbued with influences from his travels around the globe and a sense of perfection from his years spent in Michelin-starred kitchens. Both his organic egg with crab, mushrooms, crispy baguette and parsley from the business lunch menu, and the popcorn with chocolate mousse and salted caramel from the a la carte menu are a pair of surprises using basic ingredients but delivering a rich flavor.

Beijing's revitalized modest French dining spot, Bistrot B, has updated its spring menu under the watchful eye of US chef, Jarrod Verbiak, who is the one-time protege of Daniel Boulud, one of America's leading culinary authorities. The Champvallon Louis XIV casserole of braised lamb, potato and onion confit is a must-try as the potato and onion absorb every drop of the Australian lamb's rendered cooking juices, which are brought to life with the essence of rosemary and garlic.

Sichuan cold chuanr (kebab) is a snack that originates from Chengdu, Sichuan province, and involves putting boiled chuanr in a pot of spicy soup base. The recipe of the soup is the key to the dish, and Chuanchuanjin, a cold chuanr restaurant, uses 27 different spices and stew them for four hours to make the soup. Other authentically-flavored Sichuan snacks at Chuanchuanjin include spicy duck blood curd and Sichuan pickles.