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Located on the 3rd floor of Beijing International Hotel, this fine restaurant offers special Tanjia food (feudal official cuisine) whose origins lie in family banquets during the Qing Dynasty and which have been popular for almost the whole of the last century. The families of moneyed upper classes ate out when entertaining, the home being reserved for family meals.

Officials of those times rose to power through a strict examination system, their having originally been invited from different provinces. Once settled in their jobs, they merged with established families through marriage and other alliances. And they brought their particular style of cooking with them, justifiably proud of their dishes.

As a family grew in number, each branch would vie with the others to present a favorite dish from the past. Thus they constantly adapted and improved upon recipes handed down through the generations. It took about 100 years for the style of cooking now referred to as Tanjia to fully develop. Tan is the name of the original members, and jia means family.

The Tanjia style incorporated dishes from eight Chinese provinces, but the Cultural Revolution put paid to its consumption for some years. During the 60 years after the 1911 fall of the Qing Dynasty, the old cooking skills were almost lost. People had so much on their minds that little thought was given to passing on details of what was essentially a luxurious cuisine.

But a Tanjia revival has taken place because chemical additions to other foods were rejected as people learned more about their harmful effects. Tanjia cooking emphasizes all natural foods without additives of any kind. Thus it is now being enthusiastically consumed at the Tan Restaurant.

Recommendations: Braised Top Grade Shark's Fin with Rice Set; and Braised Turtle's Rim in Clay Pot.

The restaurant's open kitchen ensures that patrons can, if they wish, witness their dishes being prepared. This is where Pappalardo-a native of Varese in northern Italy-is in his element. Asked to describe the restaurant, he said:"It's about quality, view and chef. The dishes here are simple and traditional, merging the strong northern Italian flavors with the vivid colors of the south. This place suits everyone, in itself a reflection of the Hyatt style."

Recommendations: Beef Carpaccio with White Truffle Oil Dressing; Spinach Tagliatelle Carbonara; and Grilled King Prawns with Vegetable Millefeuille.