SANLITUN is an area in Beijing favoured by expatriates, somewhat like Kemang in Jakarta, including a street lined with bars and restaurants along one end but with embassies at the other end. Tucked behind this street, in a little alley amid blocks of low-rise apartments, is a cafe called Le Petit Gourmand. When you walk in, you immediately feel the warmth and cosiness of the place, jazz music softly playing in the background.

It had a lived-in