Special menu offers a beery Merry Christmas

Craig Au Yeung Ying Chai (right) from Hong Kong is in Beijing to design a set Christmas menu to match Stella Artois' beers.

Au Yeung says Stella Artois has a fine light taste, which he's matched with both strong flavors to provide contrast and slightly seasoned foods that balance well with the beverage.

The cross-media artist has prepared a five-course menu that is characterized with increasing flavor intensity, from appetizer to main course, and I was lucky to be among the first to try it at an event held by Stella Artois a week ago.

The menu is studded with Belgian elements－many of the ingredients are signature products of Belgium, such as mussels and chocolate, and the dessert is celebrated Belgian waffle, with figs and cherries.

The menu also has a relaxing and merry spirit, starting with an appetizer salad with strong elements of Christmas red.

The salad is a mix of boiled lobster, fennel head, parsley, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and avocado, and uses little seasoning except salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil fried with lobster heads.

Fresh and authentic, the appetizing mix of ingredients offers a rich bundle of textures.

But what I loved best was the main course, roasted chicken legs dressed with chocolate and chili sauce.