Haute pot

Eye-popping decor gives a new hotpot eatery plenty of glamour, but the natural and fresh foods it offers make its beauty more than skin deep, Mike Peters discovers.

The press invitation promised "the most gorgeous hotpot in Beijing". That was an ambitious boast, considering that the luminous Caocao restaurant, from a popular Taiwan franchise, was also just opening on the other side of Sanlitun Soho.

Yi Jia Ren, however, easily leaves you feeling that it lives up to its claim. The decor is truly beautiful, but it's the combination of cozy booths for foursomes, fresh foods and pleasant background music that had us walking away all smiles.