In this Wudaokou Watch column, we'll profile a different Beijing-based student from abroad each week to hear about their life in China's capital.

In keeping with their usual focus on balanced but filling meals, Obentos has released their latest winter arsenal to keep the chills at bay.

Located at the end of the Shijia Hutong, directly opposite Dengshikou Subway Station Exit A, the Royal House (国赫宫) is a gorgeous example of French architecture. Hidden behind the surrounding yellowing sycamores, its majestic windows and four cascading rooftops stretch up into the blue winter sky, making for a home that would make the Hunchback of Notre-Dame proud. Nearby, a Beijing baoan sits in his metal booth outside the compound's ominous black gate, socks off, feet up, snoring gently as we pass.

Mellower Coffee – a Shanghai coffee chain with a handful of Beijing branches including a location at Shuangjing’s recently opened Space 3 complex – stands apart for a number of reasons.

Listening to Christmas carols might still elicit warm fuzzy feelings of home and the urge to make mulled wine for a lot of us #LoudAndProudSuckersForChristmas, but not everybody looks forward to flying for 20 hours to get home just to mush around in tepid gray or non-existent snow. There are plenty for whom the winter holidays are simply a great excuse to go traveling, and it's for these folks that we've rounded up a few destinations with reasonable ticket prices that are sure to make your holiday season jolly.
 

OlymPicks is an ongoing blog series whereby we highlight news, gossip, and developments regarding the buildup to Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics.

EAT: Your bite-sized guide to the best eats to be had in Beijing this week.

The globe-trotting Jinshang complex on Xinyuanli that houses Bottega, Q Mex Taqueria, and Boxing Cat Brewery has just got even more international with the addition of Peruvian restaurant Pachapapi.

Ponte – which means bridge in Italian – is intended to become the cultural and culinary bridge between China and Italy, but it could just as well be the stepping stone between for-the-masses Italian food, and well, the real deal.

When you’re seeking out a café, what kind of place do you have in mind? If you're looking for a spacious spot with comfortable seating where you work for hours on your laptop, then Ace Café London isn’t for you. Nor is it the right place to take a special someone on a first date and gaze longingly into their eyes.