Trailblazing Chinese restaurant in Sweden is showing what the culture is really all about

Saaf, tall and blond with a pierced lower lip, chose a strong multigrain baijiu with an alcohol volume of 52 per cent to pair with the full-flavoured spread before us: blue and white porcelain dishes of peanuts with roasted chillies, lotus root in red oil, grilled oysters topped with confit garlic and chilli, and steaming dandan noodles.

Earlier, we sampled a jasmine tea lager from Master Gao, China’s first microbrewery, and a Tibetan pale ale, which is brewed 3,000 metres (9,800ft) above sea level.

We also enjoyed Cantonese shrimp balls and glossy stir-fried greens, and fish wrapped in banana leaf – a delicacy of the Dai ethnic group from the southern part of China’s Yunnan province. Saaf chose a far mellower baijiu with a rice aroma to match these more delicate dishes.