Xuxian Lou can be a perplexing experience for those well-versed in Chinese legends. Its modern courtyard, graced with a jade-green pool, is a direct reference to the opening scene of the classic White Snake tale, in which the scholar Xuxian meets two snake spirits by the West Lake. In case you’ve missed the reference, a statue of Xuxian himself stands in the pool.

Is breakfast the meal at which all rules are broken? Even Beijing grannies, ordinarily so health-conscious, walk away from breakfast vendors laden with deep-fried youtiao, their flatter twin youbing, and at least half a dozen zhagao (炸糕). These sweet, deep-fried “cakes” are just one of the doughnut-like treats that made Beijing breakfasts such a grease-laden delight, at least until “modern” notions about nutrition, health and weight took hold. But there’s always room for a good doughnut, and the same holds true for their Chinese cousins.

Alameer sets itself apart from Beijing's cherished handful of homey Middle Eastern cafes by also being a bakery that specializes in Arabic sweets. You'd never guess it was a bakery, though, from the mosaic walls and metal garden furniture – intended, perhaps, to evoke more verdant surrounds than the dusty office buildings of Xinyuanli?

Luga is a man after my own heart: never settling, always striving. His many transformations sometimes baffle, but I wholeheartedly approve of his latest, Banh Mi Now, where they serve this much-missed staple of Vietnamese street food.

What’s grand about Grand Steam is not immediately apparent. Certainly it’s not the portions; our single scallop (RMB 12) could hardly be found under all the drooping vermicelli. Then again, something so defiantly chewy is probably best kept hidden. Perhaps “grand” refers to the Cantonese-style restaurant’s aspirations – high-quality, natural ingredients, steamed with low sodium and low oil. So comes the grandest discovery of all: the shortfall between expectation and execution.

Although you may not detect any “Milky Fragrance Floating” in the air, this oddly named restaurant (乳香飘飘) delivers plenty of grassland favorites, dairy-themed and otherwise, from the Ordos Banner.

Yunnan restaurants in picturesque courtyards are certainly nothing new, but our faith in Beijing’s dining clichés has been renewed. Dianke Dianlai is a fantastic restaurant.

Don’t overlook the shopping potential of Dongsi, once one of Beijing’s premier mercantile destinations, known as Silver Street (Yin Jie).

For a restaurant serving Japanese fusion and designed by a Really Famous Artist, Tea Garden is surprisingly sparse. Designer Huang Rui has let the courtyard remain mostly undisturbed, eschewing flashiness for subtlety.

The booming capital of one of China’s poorest provinces, Guiyang embodies many of Guizhou’s most enchanting attributes – friendly people, fine food, a passion for leisure, and an abundance of natural beauty – and ties it all together with urban finesse.