Italian chef Damiano Nigro. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Presentation is a practiced art here already, and the Bites kitchen is rolling out Nigro creations like braised octopus glazed with teriyaki, dumpling ravioli a la carbonara, Piedmont Tajarin pasta sauteed with lobster, and soft beef cheek cooked in Barolo wine.

Served daily through Sunday, the four-course lunch menu is 480 yuan ($69) and a five-course dinner set is 680 yuan plus 10-percent service charge－quite a bargain since the price includes an elegant wine pairing.

When Nigro returns to Italy next week, he will re-join his kitchen team's pursuit of a second Michelin star.

Does he have any advice for restaurants in China doing the same?

"To get a Michelin star in the first place, you have to be doing your very best quality every day," he says. "That's really all you can do."

If you go

Special menu through Sunday, lunch and dinner; 95 Donghuamen at east gate of Forbidden City, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6401-6676.