A flower painting inspires a colorful dish at Barolo in Beijing. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As he appreciated Zhu's floral series, he was immediately amazed, especially by the Magnolia painting. He later learned that the magnolia is a symbol of nobility, perseverance and love of nature in China. The strength of its bloom also stands for self-respect and self-esteem.

"We worked together for about a month to find stuff that matched, and then we chose four paintings for four dishes to create a special menu," he said.

The results are creations that rival some of the paintings of the artist.