Nicholas Blair, executive chef at the Fairmont Peace Hotel. Provided to China Daily

"This is an amazing time and place," he says, waving an arm toward the casually elegant Cathay Room behind him. He's not speaking just of this Western-style restaurant, where he was preparing to serve a special Lunar New Year set dinner, but of the whole dining scene in China.

"Western fine dining was once taboo here - considered only for foreigners," he says. "Today it's a reflection of the lifestyle of young Chinese professionals."

The casual elegance of the room is a perfect setting for the comfortable new affluence of the diners. While plenty of foreigners come to the hotel to drink in the 1930s ambience of an art-deco gem, even more of the faces around the tables are Chinese.

Blair has enjoyed tweaking the way things are done in this venerable institution in small ways, without losing its essential character.

"When I got here, for instance, we would start with an individual French roll at every plate," he says.

Now service begins with a fresh-baked loaf for the table to share, and people break bread together. That intimacy over food reflects local eating traditions better, Blair believes.

Blair came to Beijing in 2007, eager to experience the build-up for the 2008 Olympics. He landed at Aria at the China World Hotel, where he was promoted to executive sous chef before jumping at the opportunity to open new Shangri-La hotels in Taipei and Dalian.