Phillip Taylor, Aria's 28-year-old new chef

Previously he has imported pork from Australia, but he's found that black pig in China is of good quality at a cheaper price.

He had thought he wouldn't get fresh seafood like he was used to in coastal Australia. But with water tanks to keep live seafood at hand, he can offer lobster, turbot fish and crabs.

It is not the first time the young Australian has worked in Beijing. Three years ago, Taylor worked at the same restaurant as junior sous chef with chef de cuisine Matthew McCool.

In his eight years as a professional, he has worked in Australia, Europe and Asia. He came to work in Beijing in 2010, he explains, because his wife, a Beijinger, missed her family.

"I came back to Beijing because I love living here. Every day is exciting; it has amazing culture, friendly locals and plenty of new ingredients for me to discover," he says.

In between his stints in the capital, he spent a year and a half working in two Michelin-starred restaurants in London. At Pied a Terre, a two-Michelin-star restaurant, he made all the sauces and prepared meats. After a year he went to Galvin at Windows, a one-Michelin-star eatery, as a senior sous chef.

The young chef then moved on to the Shangril-La in Sydney to work with McCool again for nine months, before he returned to Beijing three months ago to take the position of chef de cuisine at Aria.