Cooks and waiters from China and France pose for a group photo at Maxim's Paris headquarters in 1983.

A new challenge

Despite its success, the restaurant is facing a challenge - a dearth of young chefs. "The monthly salary we pay is only around 3,000 yuan, and people can't afford to live in Beijing on that," Shan says.

"The reason I still work here stems from the deep emotional ties I have with Maxim's. I have been here through the triumphs and the problems since the restaurant opened. Young chefs won't stay here for such insignificant pay," Shan notes.

Shan is the oldest of the restaurant's 30 Chinese chefs, the youngest of whom is 21. However, the veteran doesn't plan to work for any other restaurant in Beijing, even though he has been promised a higher salary elsewhere.

"I've known every goblet and every fork here since it opened," Shan says. "Together, Maxim's and I have witnessed the growth of the appreciation of Western food in China."