Beijing

A four-handed feast

The Ritz-Carlton Beijing welcomes Michelin-starred chef Pino Lavarra (right) from the hotel's sister restaurant in Hong Kong for an enticing week of Italian cuisine at Barolo on April 23-27. Lavarra and chef de cuisine Eugenio Iraci will team up to create a "Four-Hands Michelin Dinner" as well as special express lunch and brunch menus. Lavarra won national recognition at home when he opened The Dining Room with chef Paolo Simeoni, and his career also took him to Germany, England and Malaysia before winning his two Michelin stars and then moving to Hong Kong last year.

Barolo at the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, 83A Jian'gui Lu (Road), China Central Place, Beijing 010-5908-8942.

- Mike Peters

Pastry with a view

The French croissant and the American donut are two classic pastries. But a famous pastry chef in New York combined them to make the "cronut", an immediate sensation. Atmosphere, China World Summit Wing's 80th-floor lobby bar, offers cronuts in 16 flavors including classic chocolate, raspberry, pistachio and new styles of orange, banana and black sesame. These cronuts combine the sugar-coated shell of donuts and the texture of croissants, with flavorful cream stuffed inside. A cronut and a cup of coffee is 108 yuan ($17) from 2-8 pm every afternoon, while a la carte cronuts cost 40 yuan each. Atmosphere is Beijing's highest bar and offers a great view on sunny days.

80/F, China World Summit Wing Beijing, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie (Avenue), Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-8571-6459.

- Ye Jun

Watchable soup pot

There is a touch of the mad scientist in every chef, but The Cut's Andreas Block caught us by surprise when we ordered soup and he presented a coffee cafeterie packed with mushrooms and other goodies. In this case, a rich beef consomme had been simmering for hours in the kitchen: Block then poured the soup into the glass apparatus for a slow steeping with the fungi and other vegetables. The result was "Wagyu beef hot pot", a fine winter warmer that has given way to a similarly prepared tomato consomme for springtime dining.

The Cut at the Fairmont Beijing, 8 Yongandongli, Jianguomenwai Daijie (Avenue), Chaoyang district. 010-8507-3617.

- Mike Peters

Hong Kong

Tea with a spring kick

On a hot summer day, a refreshing ice cold drink is a welcome thirst quencher. A popular choice in Hong Kong is a tall glass of iced lemon tea. Beveldere vodka has created a Belvedere Lemon Tea vodka that blends black and green tea, chamomile, lemongrass, lemon, ginger, honey and rose buds to add the perfect spring notes, including cut grass, fresh lemongrass and a hint of honey. Cocktails made with vodka will complement dishes at a summer barbecue, such as grilled dishes, salads and fresh fruits.

- Donna Mah

(China Daily 04/19/2014 page16)