[Photo provided to China Daily]

The foam on top of the coffee cup was bright yellow, the fragrance intoxicating.

The idea of making a latte with turmeric is a modern twist, but the spice itself is centuries old, a prized commodity on the ancient Silk Road.

It was hearing about the turmeric latte, in fact, that lured me back for a meal at Tribe, the award-winning cafe-style restaurant that launched in Beijing in 2014 with organic food and drink at its core.

I found more change in the wind than the spicy brew I'd come for.

First, expansion has been the word this spring. In the past few weeks, Tribe has opened a third Beijing outlet at Solana mall and its first foray outside the capital, a restaurant in Shanghai that's its biggest eatery yet.