Taiwan beef noodle soup. Photo provided to China Daily

Taiwan's signature dishes

Kerry Hotel, Beijing hosts "A Taste of Taiwan", a food festival showcasing some of the island's signature dishes: three-cup chicken with fresh basil, the sublimely aromatic Taiwan beef noodle soup and a steamed Mandarin fish with subtle notes of pineapple. A seven-course set menu from Elvis Chen, executive sous chef from the Far Eastern Plaza Hotel in Taipei, offers a 258 yuan ($41) per person deal at the hotel's Horizon Chinese Restaurant through June 7. Many dishes will continue to be on offer through June 14 at lunch and dinner buffets in Kerry's Kitchen at the lobby level. All diners during the promotion will be eligible for a lucky draw: Prizes include a trip for two to Taipei.

Kerry Hotel Beijing, 1 Guang Hua Lu (Road), Chaoyang district, Beijing. Reservations: 010-8565-2088 (Kerry's Kitchen) or 010-8565-2188 (Horizon restaurant).

Mama in the kitchen

What does a Greek expat do when he misses mama's cooking? If he's Themis Kouris, restaurant manager at Sureno restaurant in Opposite House, he invites a mama to be guest chef for a week. And she has come: Mama Katerina promises a feast of authentic Greek foods, from moussaka to stifado, on a special Greek a la carte menu.

June 9-14, Sureno at The Opposite House, 11 Sanlitun Beilu (North Street), Beijing. 010-6410-5240.