As summer temperatures heat up, restaurants and cafes across the country unveil new seasonal menus packed with vibrant, refreshing dishes perfect for warm weather. Diners can look forward to a culinary journey featuring the best of summer’s bounty from imperial-inspired creations to cool, creative coffees.

Judelou Restaurant, renowned for its distinctive Beijing and Shandong cuisines and imperial court dishes, opened a new location in Sanlitun, Beijing. The restaurant’s design echoes the elegance of imperial palaces, utilizing space-planning techniques like scenic construction, light borrowing and perspective changes to convey the beauty of Eastern aesthetics.

The menu features many recreations of imperial dishes and classic Shandong specialties. A must-try is the braised sea cucumber with pork, made with sea cucumbers from the coastal areas of Fujian province. The delicacy is cooked with diced pork, allowing it to fully absorb the savory meat broth, resulting in a dish that is salty, fresh and delightfully chewy.

Chef 1996 Restaurant in Beijing is unveiling a new lunch menu in honor of the Paris Summer Olympics. While some of the restaurant’s chefs are in Paris at the China House to showcase Chinese cuisine to the world, the restaurant offers fresh interpretations of classic Sichuan dishes.

A standout item on the new menu is the Dongpo chicken tofu, a dish sometimes featured at state banquets. This exquisite creation starts with chicken broth simmered for seven hours and filtered multiple times using minced chicken to achieve a clear consomme. The dish mimics the texture of tofu with finely minced chicken, offering a tender yet firm bite that delights the palate.

Another highlight is the innovative camphor tea-smoked duck. This dish is renowned for its rich, aromatic flavor and surprisingly crispy texture. It is paired with the restaurant’s homemade fruit jam, which provides a sweet, tangy contrast, enhancing the flavor profile and adding layers of complexity.

Grid Coffee opened its first branch in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, featuring a unique design inspired by the local “shed” architecture from fishing village typhoon shelters. The cafe blends metal corrugated shapes, industrial rust colors, woven elements and green plants for a distinct ambiance.

The new branch showcases a diverse selection of coffee from various origins prepared using three classic methods — Americano, cold brew, and pour-over. This variety ensures that coffee enthusiasts enjoy their favorite beans in multiple styles.

Looking ahead, Grid Coffee plans to expand its presence in Shenzhen with two more branches expected to open by the end of the year.