Southern Belle was a Shanghai heartbreaker

Many of us who live in China's biggest cities are from elsewhere, be it a far-off province or far across the ocean.

But while most of us find life exciting and interesting in the fast-paced city, with its never-ending variety of people, music and food, there comes a time when you just want some comfort from home.

The evidence of this is around almost every corner in Beijing, where there are eateries big and small, inexpensive and fancy, dedicated to every regional fare in China.