Hotel listings

BEIJING

Yangzhou cuisine

Try an array of authentic Yangzhou dishes prepared by a team of guest chefs from Yangzhou at 21st Floor Restaurant, The Great Wall Sheraton Hotel Beijing. Known as one of 8 major schools of Chinese cuisines, Yangzhou-style dishes are considered light, healthy and nutritious, but also full of flavor. The May promotion features classic creations such as salted pork jelly, braised reeves shad fish, sauteed prawn with ginkgo, Yangzhou style pork meat ball, and a large selection of famous Yangzhou dim sum, all served with tea.

010-6590-5566 ext 2295

For hungry diners

Eat all you can at an a la carte dim sum feast with 88 choices at Horizon Chinese Restaurant, Shangri-La's Kerry Center Hotel Beijing, all through May, priced at 88 yuan per person. Diners arriving before noon get a 15 percent discount. 010-6561-8833 ext 41

Al fresco dining

Caf Mistral at Pullman Beijing South offers a buffet through May, featuring seafood, fancy desserts, a variety of BBQ foods and ice-cream in the hotel's garden that has a pavilion and a stream. 010-8722-8888

Every weekend and public holiday, the Chinese restaurant Sui Yuan, Doubletree by Hilton Beijing, prepares an all-you-can-eat a la carte dim sum buffet with over 30 choices, all prepared by a Hong Kong chef with more than 30 years' experience. All this, plus a cold appetizer buffet, congee, dessert and tea. Price is 88 yuan per person, including tea. 010-6338-1999 ext 1726

Master chef Sam Feng offers spring vegetables, including the freshest produce from Yunnan - from wild mushrooms to organic vegetables - starting from 30 yuan net. Available for both lunch and dinner until May 31 at DI Chinese restaurant, InterContinental Beijing Beichen. 010-8437-1288

Fresh seafood

Courtyard caf and Hua Mei Garden Chinese Restaurant at Courtyard Marriot Beijing has a variety of seafood dishes in May, the highlights being iced Japanese abalone, pan-fried king prawn with pesto sauce, grilled cod fish with fresh mango and grilled bell pepper. Cost ranges from 58 yuan to 138 yuan per person, plus 15 percent surcharge. 010-6708-1188 ext 2201

SHANGHAI

Prego at The Westin Bund Center Shanghai is taking customers on a virtual tour of romantic Italy while treating their palates to a different regional food each month. This month's focus is on Campania, the home of macaroni. Experience authentic spaghetti, paccheri pasta and rice timbale from May 18 to 31.

021-6335-1786

Flavors of Portugal

Portugal is flavor of the month at the Four Seasons Shanghai, which is showcasing culinary treats from the Mediterranean country until May 24 courtesy of guest chef Gil Alexandre from Macao, itself a former Portuguese colony. Guests can spoil themselves with tenderloin of black pork and bread pudding, and saluted cod fish with corn bread, among other treats and delicacies. Lunch costs 238 yuan and dinner is 278 yuan (excluding a 15 percent service charge). Diners will go into a free draw to win a return airfare for two to either Macao or Lisbon.

021-6256-8888

Dining with passion

The Spanish are known for their love of life and this is something they also express through their food. The Spanish seafood buffet at Radisson Plaza Xing Guo Hotel Shanghai on Wednesday evenings offers some of the finest 'fruits' of the Atlantic, including cod, monk fish and squid as well as seafood paella and more. Indulge from 6 pm to 10 pm until June 24.

021-6212-9998 ext 3150

French bite

The 45-minute Express Lunch at Allure, Le Royal Meridien Shanghai's signature French restaurant, is a great value-for-money alternative to grabbing a quick sandwich or coffee in between business meetings or a busy schedule. Allure is offering a three-course business lunch seven days a week for 128 yuan per person plus a 15 percent surcharge.

021-3318-9999 ext 7022

Five-star upgrade

Millennium Hongqiao Hotel Shanghai was upgraded to a five-star hotel last month by the China National Tourism Administration. It boasts spacious rooms with the latest technology, several restaurants and bars and a variety of function and meeting rooms. An 840-square-meter outdoor garden complete with a goldfish pond and pagodas will be finished by the end of June.

021-6208-5888

Hakka cuisine

Hakka cuisine is a staple in Taiwan. Its homely flavors, pickled vegetables, special spices and dipping sauces are now available in all their glory at the Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel from 11 am to 2:30 pm, and 6 pm to 10:30 pm until the end of May.

021-6275-0000 ext 2282

(China Daily 05/16/2009 page8)