Fatburger has opened up a new front in Beijing's burger wars with their first Mainland China branch in The Grand Summit complex just north of the Kempinski Hotel. We dropped in for lunch today (hat tip to Beijing Boyce for his timely twitter post) and found the place hopping on this, its first official day of business after a slight delay due to some issues with sourcing their beef.  Business was so brisk, in fact, it was hard not to feel a bit sorry for the forlorn O'Brien's counter (owned by the same management) in the corner.

With only four tables and a sushi counter of untreated wood, Midorikawa uses its petite size to advantage, offering an intimate escape from the world beyond its latticed windows. As diners exchange confidences over a bossa nova soundtrack, sushi chefs with sharp outfits and sharper knives slice pricey, pedigreed seafood airlifted from Tokyo's Tsukiji market.

The German-based site Clean Energy Project recently posted an interview with Yinghui Zhang-Carraro, a “freelance writer and resident of Beijing,” about Beijing’s organic food market.

Last week we set the challenge. The first two users to post reviews of ANY BEIJING RESTAURANT in our directory that had NOT been written about before would score a copy of One Night in Beijing PLUS a bottle of wine each. And the winners are…

Settled in wood and wicker booths overlooking a warren of hutongs, diners straddle the border between Beijing and Bangkok at this refined Thai restaurant. With decorations, key ingredients (like galanga and lemongrass) and a chef imported from Thailand, Patara is rigorously authentic.

The decor of this soulful little restaurant a block north of the Bell Tower is equal parts rustic teahouse and friend’s living room. The old-style wooden menu (in Chinese only) offers a hodgepodge of regional comfort foods. Try the whole braised fish (RMB 39), the potato vermicelli with homemade sauerkraut, beef and chilli (RMB 26), and the divine lao Beijing-style frozen hawthorn jellies.

Not sure if this is a classic piece of Chinglish signage or a witty piece of wordplay for an establishment offering more than coffee.

Once Beijing’s glitziest restaurant, The CourtYard’s glow has diminished of late. That’s why owner Handel Lee has brought in maestro chef Dan Segall (Louisiana, RBL, Domus) to overhaul the food. We caught up with Dan in the restaurant kitchen just two hours before March 8th's menu launch to find out more.

It’s been an age coming, but the CBD’s luxury Fairmont hotel is up and running. Lunar 8 is one of its food outlets – a large, pan-Asian a la carte restaurant in the vein of IFW and Made in China.

It's your last chance to vote in the Beijinger’s 7th Annual Reader Restaurant Awards - the ballot closes at the end of Monday, March 8. Thousands of votes have already been cast, so make sure you have your say. Voting is easy - just click here.