This elegant Japanese restaurant, a favorite of many Shunyi-residents, has opened a new branch in the heart of Sanlitun. The menu’s emphasis is on capturing the essence of quality ingredients, which in turn means higher prices. Each of the several small private rooms feature a teppanyaki grill as the centerpiece (hence the restaurant’s suitability for group dinners), and regulars give the entertainingly prepared (by a private chef) and artistically presented food high ratings.

With another branch on Guanghua Lu, this new Wangjing restaurant delivers decent Italian cuisine in a charming, unpretentious setting. The prices don’t compare to Annie’s, but the food, decor and service have a distinctly homey-rather-than-chain-feel – from the vintage wallpaper and dimly lit candles to the congenial, well-informed staff.

The revival of Tongli Studios continues with “Parisian Vietnamese Brasserie” Muse’s new branch. Primed to attract ample foot traffic, it’s certainly a big improvement over the now-defunct Guanghua Lu incarnation. Diners familiar with Muse will recognize the Gallic-influenced mahogany theme, parquet flooring and black-and-white photos of Paris. The menu also remains virtually unchanged; the signature “Train Lights” pho with beef slices, tendon and meatballs (RMB 42), Nem Saigon Shrimp Rolls (RMB 25) and set lunch meals (consisting of rice dishes made from chicken, pork, beef and/or shrimp, RMB 28-38) are all intact. The food, however, is better here than at other branches of Muse past and present. A glass of rich Vietnamese-style coffee costs RMB 18 (hot) or RMB 20 (iced). Across the street, Luga’s Pho Pho offers Vietnamese dining at lower prices and with a more straight-up, carefree ambiance; if you want a slicker experience rounded out with a bigger variety of dishes, Muse is the place to be.

The White Bar at Lan, a glitzy sweep of marble beneath burlesque chandeliers, has been reborn as a sushi lunch buffet for the coming months. Diners perch on faux-chrome stools as chefs prepare a procession of fishy dishes that keep on coming until you’ve had your fill. At RMB 200 (including free-flow Asahi beer), the quality definitely fits the price tag. Sushi of yellowtail, white tuna and salmon is silky fresh, and the wasabi is the real stuff. Inventive maki, notably the kung pao chicken rolls, brought a smile to the face; filled with spicy tempura chicken, encircled in barbecued eel fillet and dusted with crab roe, they’re lip-smackingly good. If you still haven’t ogled Lan’s astonishing interior, White Bar gives you a fine excuse to pay a visit.

Daily 11am-2.30pm. 4/F, LG Twin Towers, 12B Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District. (5109 6012/13)
朝阳区建国门外大街乙12号LG双子座4层

Vegetarians’ Celebration sounds like the type of place where herbivores go wild. At least, you feel that way when you read the menu. Names like “Ocean Elixir” and “Rendezvous of the Loving Hearts” make almost every dish sound intriguing. Nor are they bad translations – the titles really do encapsulate the flavor of each dish. Take “Heavenly Rain Falls on the Plants in a Whisper” (RMB 48), for instance; a savory blend of bamboo shoots and broad beans sautéed with olive leaves, with a couple of red-hot chilli peppers thrown in for that extra sizzle! It’s a lot of flavor for no MSG and a “less oil, less salt” house rule, and so tasty that even non-vegetarians will find it hard to complain.

Daily 10am-11pm. 1-13 Haoyun Jie (Lucky Street), Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District. (5867 0204) 朝阳区朝阳公园西路好运街1-13号