Expats in Beijing come and go, but the Manchia family will leave the city with flying colors!

This family of chefs have moved back to the UK, but this time, they have several suitcases worth of memories made in China! Professional chef Pauline van Hasselt, who previously graced our pages as our associate editor, has attracted a strong following in Beijing’s expat women’s circles with her witty and wacky narratives and tasteful cooking classes. Her husband, Joel Manchia, continues to wow guests with his culinary expertise at the Four Seasons Hotel chain in London. Their princess, 7-year-old Laila, and their furry companion Charlie, will continue brightening up everyone else’s days with their antics!

Our advice to new families in Beijing:

Make your life easier, connect with the expat community and find your mommy tribe.

The wackiest thing that we’ve done in Beijing is…

The whole three years have been wacky as heck!

WeChat discovery that saved my life:

Parenting groups and WeChat Pay

Dad’s date dish for mom:

Takeaway from the Kangaroo app

Thing that my kitchen needs to be complete:

I love my knives!

When we leave Beijing, we’ll miss…

The friends and community

During the weekends, we…

Usually go to Roundabout for treasure hunting.

In 10 words, Beijing is…

Fast, furious, exciting, filled with good friends, and sometimes lonely

Mom’s life mantra:

Happy and healthy

This article appeared in the beijingkids June 2019 Home & Relocation Guide issue.

Photos: by Uni You