It doesn’t seem that long ago I was making wildly enthusiastic faces about Dali Renjia (my mouth was really full). But in the breakneck world of Beijing chow, chefs move on, places are sold, prices and salt levels rise. Soon enough, your order of tudou wan comes daubed in ketchup.

Thankfully, you can’t keep a good idea down. Wen Juan, one of the former Dali Renjia owners, has opened Haney right across the street.

There is no shortage of charming courtyard restaurants in Beijing, but few are as cozy as Little Yunnan. The tiny but functioning wood stove in the center of the room keeps the space toasty and the tea kettle bubbling. Two lofts lined with couches serve as small private dining rooms, and the smattering of plants along the windowsill and books along the shelves help make this restaurant a tiny den of warmth.

Lost Heaven's high-end Yunnanese folk cuisine has been attracting crowds down in Shanghai for a few years now, so it's about time that we got one up here in the north. We've been giddily waiting for Beijing's first Lost Heaven to open at Ch'ien Men 23 in June. Read on for our sneak peek.

By bringing together multiple minority group cuisines, traditional Yunnan flavors, and Burmese and Thai influences, the Lost Heaven Group has created a unique menu out of familiar flavors. What's more, the group works to craft a unified unique restaurant-going experience with its custom-designed decor.

We dropped by Lost Heaven, which is currently in private soft open mode, to see how things are running so far. In a word? Prettyfreakingawesome.

Beijing isn’t lacking for hot pot spots, so when a new one appears, even enthusiasts might ask “Why bother?” Gao Gao answers that question with high-quality ingredients and a commitment to recreating the freshest Taipei hot pot.

The first thing that strikes you about Feast is that it’s a fine-looking restaurant. Of course, nobody really comes to a place like this to enjoy the design, so it’s just as well that the all-you-can-eat offerings deliver. Mix up your own salad to ease yourself in, and try not to overindulge in the bread and cheese selection – you’re going to need every inch your stomach allows.