I have always preferred Beijing to Shanghai, for the city is more cultural and less stressful than my hometown.

And probably for the above two reasons, the dining options are less extensive and sophisticated, as Beijing people are much more casual and less demanding.

This time I chose to stay at the Grand Hyatt because of its convenient location. The hotel is decent, but the rooms do need some revamping. I visited the hotel’s in-house Chinese restaurant, Made in China, which purportedly serves the best duck in town, but I must say it was quite a disappointment. The duck was very oily and quite tasteless, and moreover, for such a high-end restaurant, the service was close to non-existent.

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