Four minutes after sitting down, my party of two was forced to make way for an unscrupulous foursome. We waited 15 minutes for another table. Eventually, the waitress delivered a complimentary omelet, glazed deliciously with soy and miso, and all was forgiven, if not forgotten.

With a head chef from Edomae Sushi, a favorite with the local Japanese community, Du features lunch sets (RMB 25-80) so popular that Club Du downstairs is occasionally used to seat the overflow.

This posh sushi bar within the 1949 courtyard complex was formerly the Sugar Bar dessert cafe. Chef Martin’s five years in Japan show in his expertly carved sashimi and carefully prepared sushi rolls.

Taking its place amongst the galleries, shops and lofts of the Pingod 22 Art Street, this Japanese eatery is banking on the growing crowd of media professionals, artists and hipsters drawn to the area. If the quality of the food is anything to go by, it should be a safe bet.

Bianyifang might be Beijing’s oldest duck roasters, but long have they lurked in the feathery shadow of another time-honored brand. One hundred and fifty years ago, Quanjude took the former’s fowl, crisped the skin over a fruit-wood flame and rolled it in pancakes. They haven’t looked back since.

Perhaps they ought to, for the granddaddies appear to be making a comeback. This shiny new branch of Bianyifang can seat around 400 diners (and that’s less than half the capacity of the restaurant they opened at Qianmen last year).