Beijing's restaurant scene gets so much busier with the coming of summer. There is a lot to do and a lot to try.

The opening of the Beijing International Food Festival, and the ninth Zhongguancun International Food Festival in late April, inspired more than 20 restaurants to display their dishes at New Yansha Mall. It also provided an opportunity to check out traditional Chinese food and "New Chinese cuisine".

Some of the traditional restaurants represented were Quanjude and Bianyifang, known for their Peking roast duck, Donglaishun, famous for its lamb hot pot, and Hongbinlou, a Muslim restaurant that is 158 years old. The newer eateries were South Beauty, Shunfeng, known for its high-end Cantonese seafood, and Da Dong Peking Roast Duck.

The activities run until May 28.

Xiao Nan Guo, or Shanghai Min, is running a promotion called "I Love Shanghai". It is presenting 20 of its all-time best Shanghai dishes in a special menu at the eatery's various branches, including one newly opened on the third floor of Block A, Sanlitun SOHO.

Every diner who orders is entered in the lucky draw to win one of 10 iPads, in addition to getting a complimentary dish with every three items ordered. Some of the 20 dishes on offer are grandma's brown-braised pork chops, small-cage steamed buns with crab roe, and chicken soup with bean curd knots.

LAN Club recently released a new set of menus. At a recent media reception, the managing staff, along with three chefs in charge of Cantonese, Sichuan and Western cuisines, said it took six months to prepare the new dishes.

Graceland Club (Jue Pin), a newly opened restaurant and club, aims to offer good food paired with good wine on a membership basis. On the first floor is a huge fake tree and trompe l'oeil ceiling of white clouds and blue sky. The second floor has private rooms, while the rooftop seating area is under construction.

Some memorable dishes at the media tasting were beef prepared by the diners themselves on an Australian lava stone and a savory traditional meatball soup. The Chinese wine sommelier did a good job of choosing Australian wines that suit the Chinese palate.

Another recently opened restaurant is a branch of the Confucius Restaurant in Yizhuang Economic Development Zone, located just outside the capital city's southeast Fifth Ring Road. The restaurant looks like the Confucius Residence, and Confucian culture is a decorative theme. Although the dishes show no obvious connection with Confucius, their names do.

It offers mainly Shandong cuisine. There are more than 200 dishes, including the sea cucumber, said to originate from Confucius' family.

Grill 79 at China World Trade Center has a new chef de cuisine, Ryan Dadufalza. The Filipino-American worked in Japan and more recently with the Six Senses at Koh Samui in Thailand. He changes the tableware to suit the dish, suggesting white plates accentuate the taste, while pottery adds earthen tones.

Dadufalza has designed some seasonal and healthy dishes, such as "spring garden", with a lot of seasonal vegetables and tempting desserts featuring berries.

Chef Laia Pons Gonzalez at Jaan, Raffles Beijing, on the other hand, prepares a summer menu that is unique and characteristic of a female chef. There are lots of herbs and green vegetables, and the presentation is immaculate. One of her most applauded dishes at a summer media dinner was Australian roast lamb chops with baby potatoes, nutmeg and natural jus.

Since the weather has improved, Beijing's al fresco dining places are in full swing. Villa Castanea, near the Fragrant Hills, has a beautiful natural environment and is good for barbecues and German beer accompanied by a live blues band. The establishment will be open for afternoon teas and dinner until midnight for the summer.

China Daily