BEIJING (Kyodo) Yi Kehan, a 17-year-old Beijing student, was hooked a year ago when she tasted "chawan mushi," or Japanese-style savory egg custard.

"There is a similar dish in China, but the Japanese version was different in ways I can't quite explain. I wanted my aunts to try it, too, and that's why we came today," Yi said, accompanied by her two aunts at a popular Japanese restaurant in the Chinese capital.

The popularity of Japanese food has shot up in Beijing in recent years, helped by rising income levels and enhanced exposure to the outside world, as well as the cuisine's reputation for being healthy.