Dim Sum Time: Cai Yi Xuan at Four Seasons

I've already raved about Mio, the Italian restaurant at Four Seasons, and now it's time to talk about Cai Yi Xuan, the hotel's Chinese restaurant.

As you'd expect, the decor has some serious class. Walls of bronze panels give the venue an imperial feel without being over the top.

The masterpiece of our meal was a hongshao rou (sometimes translated as red braised pork) with abalone and black truffle. Several different textures and flavors clung loosely together on the pork belly, and the caramelized braising sauce was sublime. The abalone was well-sourced and paired well with the sauce. The truffle added a hint of its wild taste without taking over the dish.

Cai Yi Xuan's cold dishes are based on Zhejiang cuisine, while many of its main dishes have a Cantonese influence. You can also get dim sum during lunch hours; we're told it's made to order.

The soup dumplings (xiaolong bao) are fabulous. A touch of crab roe was as gentle as a tickle while complementing the soup and pork flavors. Baked barbecue pork buns were also a hit. I would not be at all surprised if those buns periodically reappeared in my dreams. Sesame balls managed a crisp exterior before melting in the mouth (and not on the chopsticks).

Another dish that we were quite excited about was a double-boiled chicken soup served in a coconut with floating, gelatinous morsels of fish maw. It tasted as good as it smelled.

Mio and Cai Yi Xuan differ widely in their respective cuisines, but they both achieve a stunning level of excellence. Due to wallet constraints, I'll probably reserve Cai Yi Xuan for special occasions but I'll definitely be working on coming up with some creative reasons to go back.

Cai Yi Xuan 采逸轩 Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm. 2/F, Four Seasons Hotel, 48 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区亮马桥路48号北京四季酒店2层

Photos: Josh Ong