Banquet halls to home stoves

Once a master of state dinners, Sun Lixin now teaches cooking to millions online, proving that even the most refined dishes can live on in everyday, family kitchens, Li Yingxue reports.

Deep in the maze of Beijing's hutong (alleyways), inside a lived-in siheyuan (enclosed courtyard), the air is thick with steam and the steady crackle of fire. A wok flashes over an open flame. Oil shimmers, spits, and releases a familiar, irresistible aroma.

Leaning toward a slightly trembling phone camera, a nearly 70-year-old chef speaks in a warm Beijing drawl:"Watch this step carefully — this is called coating. Don't lose focus."