Chinese-style food and Olympic-featured dishes have been served on Friday in a welcoming banquet held by Chinese President Hu Jintao for international dignitaries who have come to attend the Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony.

The "royal lantern" assorted cold dishes, including crystal shrimp, beancurd sheet fish rolls, goose liver pate, leafmustard boiled with oil, and a thousand-layer beancurd cake, were served on a traditional Chinese royal lantern-shaped plate.

Specially-designed "Bird's Nest" seasonal vegetables have been served due to the special moment of Olympics, and the steak on lotus leaf and cod in soy sauce have combined Chinese and Western characteristics together.

Also on the banquet menu was the matsutake soup in "melon cup".

The guests were also served with a refreshment and fruit icecream.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2008)