If there's one thing Beijing has in spades, it's opportunity. I don't bat an eye when I meet 23 year old directors or big time entrepreneurs fresh out of university. Yet, it never occurred to me that the same could be said for Beijing's chefs, until I met the head chef at SALT a few weeks ago, 24 year old Ana Esteves.

I was enjoying an immensely satisfying Sunday brunch of homemade ravioli and medium rare steak when I noticed a fresh-faced chef directing traffic in SALT's open kitchen. Upon learning that this was the head chef, it took me a minute to pick my jaw off of the table and collect myself. After talking with Ana (and eating her creations), it was clear that age ain't nothin' but a number.

"When you feel the pulse of the city so strongly as you do here, it comes out in your food," she says, "I had no idea that this would all be so fast, but it's very exciting. There are also so many things that haven't made their way to China yet, so getting to introduce different foams, broths, fruit caviars–that's really fun for me."

As one of the youngest of Beijing's chef brigade, she is definitely not the only person born post-1980 to helm a kitchen. 26 year old Richard Hilton, the head chef at Café Noir in the Traders Upper East Shangri-la, understands the great prospects here, especially for Western chefs, but is also aware of the big challenges: "Probably one of the most difficult things for me was a drop in the level of staff knowledge, but if you teach what you've been taught, it's rewarding to see them progress as well."

Over at Pinot Brasserie in the JW Marriott, Chef Vincent Louillé (all of 25) has realized a dream he's had since childhood. "In France, at my age, it's impossible to work at a five star hotel as a head chef, so this is a great opportunity." Even though these chefs have achieved a lot at a young age, none are resting on their laurels. As Vincent says, "I'm young, and in cuisine, even if you're a chef, you still have many things to learn. It's a good challenge, and I like that."

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Emma Starks