Year on a Plate

Emmanuel Zhao from Scarlett fuses Chinese ingredients with Western presentation. Jiang Dong / China Daily

Vegetarian offerings were all kicked up a notch with the opening of several high-end eateries. Ye Jun / China Daily

French chef Michael Jakovljev recently took over the kitchen at Heritage, the former Le Pre Le Notre. With experience working in five Michelin-starred restaurants, he prepares meats at low temperature, and by vacuum cooking, to preserve the fullest flavor, while keeping the best texture.

Kenny Fu at Le Quai continues to make the best beef ribs in Beijing. He has a knack for marrying Western food knowledge with Chinese cuisine, which brings presentation and taste to perfection.

Another notable young Chinese chef is Hou Xinqing, Huaiyang style chef de cuisine at Summer Palace, China World Hotel. He adapts Huaiyang style classics - shelled shrimp, sour and sweet yellow croaker - into modern looking dishes.

A roundup of the year's culinary scene in China won't be complete without mentioning A Bite of China, a seven-part documentary that attracted international attention after it was broadcast on CCTV in May.

Many viewers felt the documentary evoked childhood memories, when food was fresh and organic. It also sparked off an interest in ingredients and cuisine styles from various provinces.

Traditionally, China has four major cuisine styles namely Shandong, Sichuan, Huaiyang and Cantonese. While the four major styles are deeply rooted, many restaurants now offer fusion cuisine.