Beijing

Beijing's vegetarian food has three entirely separate lineages, and that is exactly what makes it interesting. The first is imperial: Tanzhe Temple was founded in the Western Jin, and its refectory keeps court techniques reaching back to the Liao and Jin dynasties, with a strong emphasis on heat control and presentation. The second is monastic: the Tibetan-style vegetarian food at Yonghe Temple is another flavour family altogether — the butter is replaced with plant fats and the richness survives. The third is the Michelin and international track, where places such as Tianchu Miaoxiang and Jingxinlian have turned vegetarian cooking into contemporary fine dining, with plating, service and wine lists all in place. Three lineages coexist in one city without interfering with each other.

We walk all three with you: Tibetan-style temple food at Yonghe, a Liao-dynasty imperial vegetarian meal at Tanzhe, and a small hutong kitchen for whatever surprise turns up. The Beijing white pear in April and May, and the persimmon cakes in October, are seasonal only — catch them if you can.

Allow three or four days for a Beijing vegetarian itinerary: one day for Yonghe Temple and the hutongs, one for Tanzhe Temple, one for Michelin and contemporary kitchens. Tanzhe is out in Mentougou, about an hour and a half from the centre, and needs half a day. From November to March it is cold and windy and the Yonghe area is exposed, so dress warmly.