SUMMER is drawing near, and as the temperature rises it's time to enjoy a barbecue showcasing diverse fresh ingredients with close friends and family.

Hot weather, together with plenty of sunshine, brings lots of fresh produce into season - from various types of meat and seafood to tasty vegetables and refreshing fruit.

And many of these are ideal for grilling on the barbecue. What better way to spend a sunny day than setting up a barbecue and enjoying a glass of chilled wine and good conversation?

The combination of slow cooking, fire and smoke gives barbecued food a distinctive texture, crispy on the outside and tender inside, plus an irresistible smoky flavor, says Colin Laurent, executive chef at the Sheraton Shanghai Pudong Hotel.

As cooking BBQ delicacies is usually a straightforward business - brushing sauce on the ingredients and turning them constantly to ensure they cook evenly - anyone can have the sense of achievement of being chef for a day.

Simple though it may be, some tips can improve the BBQ experience.

"Quality ingredients are vital, whether meat or seafood," says Yoshiyuki Katsuta, grand chef of Western cuisine at Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai. "Barbecuing is a simple way of cooking, bringing out the natural taste of the ingredients."

The smoker unit helps determines the flavor and texture, adds Katsuka. Although gas is popularly used, wood, especially from a fruit tree, adds a unique smoky flavor to the food.

Marinating ingredients in advance is also important - making the food tender, juicy and bursting with flavor - yet is often ignored, says Laurent.

Another vital factor is the choice of sauces, says Malte Klatte, food and beverages operations manager at Radisson Blu Hotel Pudong Century Park. These should surprise the taste buds, enhancing but not overpowering the food, says Klatte.

As BBQ food is popular all over the world, each country has its own specialties, representing its own characteristics through local seasonings.

And if the thought of gathering all the ingredients and lighting a barbecue is all too much for a lazy, sunny afternoon, there are plenty of options where professionals will do all the hard work, with some letting guests don the chef's hat to barbecue the goodies themselves.

Here are four options, combining sunny spots, good views and quality food and wine.

Radisson Blu Hotel Pudong Century Park

The restaurant Infinity, located on the ground floor, has BBQ areas both inside and outside, but the outside area, set in a beautiful garden with lush greenery and an outdoor swimming pool and baby pool, is especially recommended. It also features a poolside bar, complete with graffiti artwork, to keep thirsty diners supplied with drinks.

A BBQ buffet and set menu are available.

At 288 yuan (US$45.93) plus 15-percent surchage, the buffet includes 11 starters, 18 kinds of meat, 13 seafood varieties together with vegetables.

BBQ beef short rib, grilled prawn and cheese krainer - a kind of sausage with cheese filling - are recommend by Malte Klatte as their signatures.

Three kinds of sauce are homemade for matching different food - apple ketchup, sweet and sour plum sauce and Japanese teriyaki sauce.

The restaurant also has a good selection of wine for food pairings. Klatte recommends an Australian Merlot for red meat and a German Riesling for seafood.

Cook it yourself: available

Venue: Infinity

Tel: 5130-0000 ext 4009

Address: 1199 Yinchun Rd, Pudong

Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai

The hotel is known for its beautiful lawn at the back, dating back more than 50 years, which is also the venue for barbecuing action.

Diners can enjoy birdsong while tucking into a barbecued steak.

The BBQ is served in buffet-style (380 yuan per person, with a minimum of 15 people per group).

Eleven kinds of ingredients are prepared for charcoal grilling, including lamb, steak, sausage, squid, shrimp and vegetables.

Various appetizers, salad and seasonal fruits are also included.

The BBQ sauces are Asian-inspired, including a spicy Korean-style sauce and an East Asian-style blend containing peanuts and coconut.

Two kinds of wine are included in the buffet set - a Merlot for meat and a Chardonnay for seafood. There is also free flow of whisky, beer and soft drinks.

"I choose a special charcoal for grilling, which gives the food a unique aroma, similar to the smell when cooking game in a forest," says chef Katsuta.

The BBQ service should be ordered one week in advance.

Cook it yourself: available

Venue: Hotel lawn

Tel: 6415-1111 ext 5203

Address: 58 Maoming Rd S.

Sheraton Shanghai Pudong Hotel and Crowne Plaza Century Park Shanghai

In these two venues, the cook-it-yourself option is not available, but the BBQ fare will be grilled by experienced chefs.

At the Sheraton Shanghai Pudong Hotel, the barbecue is served on the hotel terrace, which has a garden view.

The chef places particular emphasis on the marinating process, with each food marinated differently, according to the character of ingredients. For example: grilled swordfish is marinated with garlic, ginger, cinnamon and coconut milk; grilled sea bass has a marinade of olive oil and fresh cilantro; and sirloin beef is marinated with crushed garlic, mustard and herbs.

The hotel's BBQ promotion starts on June 15, running until the end of August.

Meanwhile, at the Crown Plaza Century Park Shanghai, BBQ action this year takes place at its eye-catching poolside terrace - complete with views of Century Park and the Lujiazui skyline.

Both a la cart and buffet BBQ options are available. Quality ingredients include lamb chops, king prawns, pork cutlets, chicken wings, sausages and sweet corn. Diners can choose their favorite sauce from eight varieties chef Jeff Lou prepared, everything from tangy brown sauce in the style of British HP Sauce to traditional Tabasco and lemon wedges.



Sheraton Shanghai Pudong Hotel

Venue: Feast Signature Restaurant

Tel: 5089-9999

Address: 38 Pujian Rd, Pudong



Crowne Plaza Century Park Shanghai

Venue: Poolside terrace

Tel: 5190-8888

Address: 1433 Minsheng Rd, Pudong