Asia's new economic power welcomes visitors with ambitious restaurants and hotels

In the span of just a few years, the crowded hutongs around Beijing's Houhai Lake have become chic. All along the lake, these narrow alleyways, packed with communal houses, are now home to stylish restaurants and bars that manage to retain their character and history. Even at midnight on a weekday, throngs of people meander the alleyways, seemingly heedless of the time.

Encouraged by the money pouring into Beijing as it prepares for the 2008 Olympics, restaurants and bars are blossoming everywhere in the city, often in curious places like abandoned houses along deserted hutongs. The same energy is filling China's other cities, too—it's a phenomenon visible to anyone who visits the Middle Kingdom. The economic boom and new globalism that created the xinguizu—the nouveau riche—have also made the nation a must-visit for tourists and business travelers alike. While even remote provinces are now open to guests, China's major eastern cities are still the top destinations, and each one has a completely different character.

Beijing provides an enthralling mix of old and new China. Tiananmen Square is an exercise in communist-era excess—the imposing Stalinist buildings that line the square contrasting with the northern end's Forbidden City, home of the last Qing emperors, with its classic Chinese architecture and endless series of courtyards. But the city also has new neighborhoods going up every day.

Beijing's dining scene is lively. Almost every cuisine is now available, but it's essential to try the numerous traditional dishes like Peking duck, cooked in wood-fired ovens. Restaurants specializing in the dish tend not to be the fanciest, but the food more than makes up for the simple surroundings. Delicious and filling hot pots are another northern Chinese specialty, reflecting Mongolian influences. Visitors should do as the locals do and choose steaming hot white buns or handmade noodles instead of rice.

About 800 miles to the southeast, in Shanghai, the changes have been so swift that some streets and neighborhoods, such as gleaming Xintiandi, seem to have risen overnight. The Huangpu riverfront, called the Bund, has made the most dramatic transformation in recent years. The once-deserted colonial-era buildings, which look like they were airlifted from London or Paris, are all being redeveloped. Three on the Bund, which houses Jean Georges and a slew of other chic restaurants, is also home to Giorgio Armani's main Shanghai store. Just a little farther down, at Bund 18, is Cartier's main store. Across the river, in Pudong, the skyline looks like a scene from a Star Wars movie, with the Oriental Pearl TV Tower resembling a surreal spaceship.

Shanghai appears poised to challenge Hong Kong's status as the gourmet mecca of Asia. A number of highly acclaimed celebrity chefs have followed pioneer Jean-Georges Vongerichten, like twin brothers Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, the youngest chefs to earn three Michelin stars. Other celebrity chefs are negotiating prime retail space in new developments and five-star hotels. Hong Kong restaurateurs and property developers are playing key roles in the city's exploding nightlife. Michelle Garnaut and Paul Hsu have opened mirror branches of their Hong Kong restaurants in Shanghai—M on the Bund and Ye Shanghai.

Still, critics complain that many new restaurants with inexperienced owners have spent all their money on decor, with food as a second priority. As for Chinese food, the best is still found in small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants specializing in local favorites such as xiao long bao (pork dumplings) and drunken chicken.

Hong Kong, never one to be left behind, is going through its own evolution, riding on the coattails of China's growth. Disneyland opened there in September, and five-star hotels the Four Seasons and the Landmark Mandarin Oriental also opened earlier this year. Both hotels house serious fine-dining restaurants—Caprice and Amber, respectively—with extensive wine lists.

With its colonial heritage and potpourri of nationalities, Hong Kong is still ahead of its northern sister cities in restaurant variety and quality. Though 95 percent of the people are ethnic Chinese, almost half were born outside Hong Kong. Many brought their regional styles of cooking and new ingredients with them. As one longtime Hong Kong resident put it, "I am from Hunan, but the Hunan food here is better."

Few other cities do yum cha (a meal composed of snacks, also known as "dim sum") as deliciously as Hong Kong. Atmospheric teahouses such as Luk Yu and Dim Sum, both located in the suburb of Happy Valley, have preserved the best of this institution. Cantonese food is renowned for its subtle flavors, fresh ingredients and lightness, compared with other regions' cuisines. Must-tries are roasted duck and the abundant, fresh seafood.

Macao still hasn't shaken off its image as a side excursion from Hong Kong. Although Las Vegas casino groups are investing hundreds of millions of dollars there, the food-and-wine scene remains unexciting. A few new restaurants have opened, but none comes close to Robuchon at the Lisboa Hotel. However, there are some positive signs: The number of visitors from China is increasing by about 20 percent each year, and several new hotel-and-casinos are expected to open by 2007, including a Wynn resort and the Venetian Macao. The Sands hotel and casino has already opened and is raking in bigger profits than its Vegas counterpart.

Macanese food is a unique combination of Portuguese and Chinese cuisines, peppered by Indian and African seasonings. Cod, prawns and seafood stews all come in multiple variations. Macao is not about sophisticated dining; it is a place to fill your stomach with simple but unique dishes such as African chicken or hearty seafood stew.

Shanghai Hotels

Grand Hyatt Shanghai
Jin Mao Tower, 88 Century Blvd.
Telephone (011) 86-21-5047-1234
Web site www.shanghai.grand.hyatt.com
Rooms 510
Suites 45
Rates $437-$5,300

This hotel is located on the upper floors of the 88-story Jin Mao Tower, a silver skyscraper inspired by Chinese pagodas in design. The hotel rooms combine art deco with traditional Chinese style and are incredibly high tech. There are also spellbinding views over the river to the Bund, and across the forest of nearby skyscrapers in the financial district of Pudong.

The Portman Ritz-Carlton
Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing South Road
Telephone (011) 86-21-6279-8888
Web site www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/shanghai
Rooms 510
Suites 68
Rates $380-$4,800

This Ritz is a bit long in the tooth for fast-changing Shanghai, but it's hugely popular because of its convenient location, right on bustling Nanjing Road, surrounded by a mini-city of stores, bars, coffee shops and restaurants. The hotel has six restaurants and a gym. For $18,000, two guests can enjoy a police motorcycle escort from the airport, two nights in a suite once occupied by Bill Clinton, customized leather jackets and a candlelit dinner.

Shanghai Restaurants

Jean Georges
Three on the Bund, 4th Floor, 3 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road
Telephone (011) 86-21-6321-7733
Web site www.jean-georges.com
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Cost Tasting menu $80
Credit cards All major

The French maestro's first restaurant in China has become a favorite with the nouveau riche, keen on finding out what all the fusion-food fuss is about. Foie gras is the single most popular item. The tasting menu showcases the chef's culinary skills, with dishes like kingfish sashimi and crabmeat ravioli. Jean Georges shares a home on the Bund in an elegant stone building with hot Australian chef David Laris' eponymous restaurant.

M on the Bund
5, The Bund, 7th Floor
Telephone (011) 86-21-6350-9988
Web site www.m-onthebund.com
Open Lunch, Tuesday to Sunday; brunch, Saturdays and Sundays; dinner, daily
Cost Entrées $23-$36
Credit cards All major

The first independent fine-dining restaurant in the city, this has become something of an institution during its six years in operation. Owner Michelle Garnaut and chefs Michael and Julie Roper, who are husband and wife, concentrate on classic Mediterranean dishes with a modern or quirky twist and offer a decent selection of wines from Down Under. The terrace is a great spot to admire the fabulous view of Pudong, and diners can head to the adjoining Glamour Bar nightclub after dinner.

South Beauty
Unit 1, Taojiang Road
Telephone (011) 86-21-6237-2885
Web site www.qiaojiangnan.com
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Cost Entrées $8-$32
Credit cards All major

This is a national chain that aspires to match international standards, and it usually succeeds. The menu is dominated by spicy Szechuan classics such as chicken with peppercorns and chile-laden minced pork with bean curd, plus some Cantonese-style seafood favorites. Decor is modern minimalist, service is efficient and the English-language menu is unusually comprehensive. Start with a cocktail at nearby Sasha's, located in a glorious 19th-century French mansion.

Hong Kong Hotels

Four Seasons
8 Finance St., Central
Telephone (011) 852-3196-8888
Web site www.fourseasons.com/hongkong
Rooms 345
Suites 54
Rates $415-$495

Hong Kong's newest five-star hotel is on a prime harbor site next to the International Finance Centre, the city's tallest building. IFC is the place of the moment, with numerous hip restaurants sharing retail space with the likes of Valentino, Burberry and Prada, attracting both tourists and locals. The contemporary, ultrachic Four Seasons is stylish in both its modern-decor rooms (with silk and wood paneling) and its equally well-appointed and spacious rooms in Chinese motif. Caprice, the hotel's 120-seat French restaurant, appears ready to give the top local restaurant, Gaddi's, a run for its money.

Island Shangri-La
Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central
Telephone (011) 852-2877-3838
Web site www.shangri-la.com/island
Rooms 531
Suites 34
Rates $312-$500

The Island Shangri-La continues to set standards in Hong Kong with attentive service, beautiful, plush decor and fantastic restaurants. A 16-story-high Chinese landscape painting adorns the enormous atrium, which stretches between the 39th and 55th floors. All the restaurants at the hotel have maintained high international standards and are among the best in their respective cuisines—Nadaman for Japanese, Restaurant Pétrus (a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner) for French, Lobster Bar and Grill for seafood and Summer Palace for Chinese.

Hong Kong Restaurants

Gaddi's
The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Kowloon
Telephone (011) 852-2315-3171
Web site www.hongkong.peninsula.com
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Cost Entrées $45-$55
Credit cards All major

Located in Hong Kong's renowned Peninsula hotel, Gaddi's has been serving impeccable French cuisine for more than 50 years, setting the standard for fine dining in Asia. Quality remains high, with fresh ingredients flown in. From the highly sought-after chef's table to the seasonal menus, the restaurant does not disappoint. During the SARS epidemic that terrorized southern China in early 2003, many restaurants had to lay off staff while Gaddi's still required reservations on weekends.

One Harbour Road
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai
Telephone (011) 852-2584-7938
Web site www.hongkong.grand.hyatt.com
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Cost Entrées $20-$35
Credit cards All major

No other Chinese restaurant can offer such a complete fine-dining experience, with the freshest Cantonese dishes, an attentive yet discreet waitstaff and an elegant setting with stunning views of the harbor. The focus is on fresh ingredients and seafood, as well as highly recommended delicacies such as bird's nest and abalone. The restaurant wine list is very simple; ask for the hotel's more substantial main list.

Toscana
Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, 3 Connaught Road, Central
Telephone (011)852-2877-6666
Web site www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/hong_ kong
Open Lunch, Monday to Saturday; dinner, daily
Cost Entrées $40-$50
Credit cards All major

Chef Umberto Bombana's cooking melts away the pretensions of a ritzy hotel and makes regulars feel like leaning back and taking off their shoes. Bombana puts the emphasis on fresh Italian ingredients and interesting combinations, in addition to the classics. While his seasonal menus—like one spotlighting white truffles in the fall—are sensational, the best meals are ones where he is given free rein. Inquire about the chef's personal selection of three to five courses incorporating the freshest ingredients of the day and let him do his magic.

Macao Hotels

Mandarin Oriental Macao
956-1110 Avenida da Amizade
Telephone (011) 853-567-888
Web site www.mandarinoriental.com
Rooms 407
Suites 28
Rates $200-$300

Just minutes from the ferry terminal and a short drive from the international airport, this hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the peninsula. Behind the rather drab facade is a well-appointed resort with a fantastic spa. A good retreat destination, the Mandarin Oriental has a heated tropical swimming pool and a wide range of activities for children and families. All four restaurants in the hotel, especially Mezzaluna and Naam Thai, are highly regarded by the locals.

Macao Restaurants

Clube Militar de Macao
Macao Military Club, Avenida da Praia Grande, 795
Telephone (011) 853-714-009
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Cost Entrées $12-$25
Credit cards All major

This historic military club, open to the public since 1995, ranks as a favorite with the area's Portuguese community. The old colonial building has been well-preserved, with whirling wooden ceiling fans in the dining and function rooms. Traditional Portuguese dishes, such as codfish with olive oil and garlic, and Macanese favorites, such as African chicken and grilled prawns, are all well-executed. The club has an extensive Portuguese wine list stocked with bottlings rarely found outside Portugal.

Robuchon a Galera
Hotel Lisboa, Lisboa Tower, No. 2-4, Avenue de Lisboa, 3rd Floor
Telephone (011) 853-377-666
Web site www.hotelisboa.com
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Cost Entrées $35-$60
Credit cards All major
Grand Award

A Wine Spectator Grand Award winner, Robuchon is a hidden gem with top-notch food and an incredible wine list. The seasonal tasting menu is comparable to any Michelin two-star's, and the wine list is unparalleled in Asia, even compared to top restaurants' in Tokyo or Singapore. Open since 1991, Robuchon is also probably the most underappreciated restaurant in Macao—reservations are never a problem, except for the few times a year when Joel Robuchon is in town.

Beijing Hotels

China World Hotel
No. 1 Jianguomenwai Ave.
Telephone (011) 86-10-6505-2266
Web site www.shangri-la.com
Rooms 622
Suites 94
Rates $350-$3,700

Located in the World Trade Centre, this hotel is part of a massive commercial complex, the first in the capital city to have hotels, offices and shops in one self-contained site. The hotel underwent a $30 million renovation two years ago and currently houses six restaurants, a florist and a cigar shop. Management is by the five-star Shangri-La group, which has hotels throughout the vast nation.

The Peninsula Palace Beijing
8 Goldfish Lane, Wangfujing
Telephone (011) 86-10-6559-2888
Web site www.beijing.peninsula.com
Rooms 468
Suites 57
Rates $340-$4,500

The sterling reputation of the Peninsula group makes this an easy choice. This five-star property is right in the heart of the busy Wangfujing shopping district and only a 15-minute stroll from the Forbidden City. Recently redesigned guest rooms and suites feature hardwood floors, 42-inch plasma televisions and high-speed broadband Internet access.

Beijing Restaurants

The Courtyard
95 Donghuamen Ave.
Telephone (011) 86-10-6526-8883
Web site www.courtyardbeijing.com
Open Lunch, Sundays; dinner, daily
Cost Entrées $14-$30
Credit cards All major
Award of Excellence

This novel concept, an art gallery/restaurant, is located in the shadow of the Forbidden City. Owned by Chinese-American lawyer Handel Lee and his associates, it serves fusion food and offers one of the best wine lists in the country, a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner, featuring an extensive selection from Bordeaux, Burgundy and California. Its views of the moat and vermillion walls of the Forbidden City are truly striking.

Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant
32 Qianmen St.
Telephone (011) 86-10-6701-1379
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Cost Whole Peking duck, $20
Credit cards All major

This is the real deal. There are three branches throughout the city, and all adhere to the traditional method of roasting the duck slowly, over a wood-fired oven, so that the skin reaches the perfect level of crispness. Try the Peking duck with plum sauce, wrapped in thin pancakes, and wash it down with bottles of cold Tsingtao beer.

Redmoon

Grand Hyatt Beijing, Beijing Oriental Plaza, 1 East Chang An Ave.
Telephone (011) 86-10-8518-1234
Web site www.beijing. dining.grand.hyatt.com
Open Lunch, Monday to Friday; dinner, daily
Cost Entrées $9-$60
Credit cards All major

A trendy cocktail bar and restaurant, Redmoon is located in the Grand Hyatt hotel. Diners can order plates of sashimi while sitting at the oval-shaped bar, or opt to lounge around on sofas. A band plays gentle music on classical Chinese instruments, and an adjoining cigar lounge offers the chance to enjoy Cuba's finest.

Jeannie Cho Lee is a freelance food-and-wine writer based in Hong Kong.