Beijing

Living it up

The team at Grace Beijing is full of surprises. The latest news from this boutique hotel on the fringe of the 798 Arts Zone is a list of exciting things to do in fall and winter. The first offerings are seafood paella using Nova Scotia lobster, an oyster promotion where you order six and get an extra on the platter; and a gourmet dinner package every last Friday of the month featuring Cuban cigars and single malt whiskeys. In November, they are planning two nights of campfire organic meat dinners featuring the best practices of Beijing's pioneers of sustainable agriculture. And finally, they say you can book the entire hotel for your company function or private gathering this Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year. To find out more, log on to www.gracebeijing.com. Pauline D. Loh

Grace Beijing, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 798 Art Zone, 706 Houjie 1, Beijing. 010-6436-1818

Xiamen

Extrasensory Cuban

Qba, the ground floor bar and grill at the recently opened Westin Xiamen, delivers the great flavors of Cuba to your plate and to your ears. The Latin nightspot is one of three Qbas the Westin features in China, with imported steak and local seafood platters served up in a casual business environment. The dexterous bartenders offer their own twist on mojitos (with mint or equally heady basil), plus Cuban rum, beers and cigars. A red-hot band from Havana will have your dancing shoes twitching. Mike Peters

398 Xianyue Lu, Siming district, Xiamen. 592-337-8888

Shanghai

Sir Elly's impresses

The restaurant is on the 13th and 14th floor of the Peninsula Hotel Shanghai, seated close to the Bund, and targets high-end customers who want their meals garnished with the best view of the city skyline. Under the critical eye of French chef David Chauveau, Sir Elly's is offering up his take on modern Mediterranean. The restaurant also has a cocktail lounge with some interesting signature drinks. Li Xinzhu

Peninsula Hotel Shanghai, 32 Zhongshan Dongyilu, Huangpu district, Shanghai. 021-2327-6756

Red hot Red Almond

A bit of spice is always nice and a little more is even better. Red Almond from the trend-setting Aqua Group brings spicy Sichuan to the heart of Causeway Bay at the newly opened Hysan Place. It serves traditional Sichuan cuisine with its signature "ma-la" flavors, and tongue-numbing heat is what many fans look forward to. The thinly cut pork belly with parsley and scallion is not ma-la and is a good order to help balance the meal. The spicy grilled meat on sticks (chicken, beef, and lamb) are all tender, tasty, and definitely ma-la. The soft tofu with sour and spicy sauce made with silky tofu has a chili sauce spicy enough to make it very interesting. Donna Mah

Red Almond, 1402 Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. 852-2155-2872

(China Daily 10/28/2012 page14)