Wyndham Fuzhou Guian

The interior sports a tasteful green colour scheme with plant motifs and fish scale tiles for a style poised between Jiangnan and Fuzhou. In the same vein, the menu features authentic Huaiyang classics alongside Fujian produce and Minnan twists. Braised yellow croaker ‘lion’s head’ meatball impresses with rich silky texture and deep umami. Consider pre-ordering the ginger eight-treasure duck. Each of the 12 private rooms is equipped with tea serving facilities.

The restaurant is located in a historic area where many famous scholars lived during the North Song Dynasty. The interior sports original architectural details, while the menu pays homage to traditional Fujian food culture. The head chef has been cooking professionally for over 30 years; his sliced conch in red vinasse sauce accentuates the briny-sweet taste of the sea snail. Hand-pounded rice cake is the perfect companion to any seafood dish.

In business for over 10 years, this restaurant has become part of the collective food memory of Fuzhou citizens. Despite the remote location and lack of ambience, locals come in droves for well-made home-style dishes and seafood at wallet-friendly prices. The deep-fried Bombay duck in peppered salt seduces with velvety meat and a crispy crust. Drunken spare ribs in sweet and sour sauce feature layers of textures and subtle warmth from the spices.

This architectural behemoth dripping in charm boasts a striking entrance and a cathedral ceiling in the dining room. A live fish tank showcases the freshest catch shipped from Chaoshan daily. Other fish and produce are displayed over a bed of ice, in wet market style. The Chaoshan chefs pride themselves on authentic recipes like braised meat in a spiced soy marinade. Also try the blanched yellowtail scad served cold with a bean sauce on the side.

Min Shi Fu is well known for its live seafood and local delicacies. There is no menu. Just pick your own ingredients from the live fish tank and ask the server to recommend the best ways to prepare them. In addition to live shrimps, crabs, bivalves and whelks, the signature oyster fritter is very popular and boasts plump oysters, aromatic scallion and crisply fried egg batter. Everything is cooked to order and showcases solid techniques.

This restaurant, which doubles as an art gallery, is adorned in the owner’s art collection. In the kitchen, the young chef from Putian adds a new twist to Fujian fare. Large mactra clams, blanched in boiling chicken stock for 10 seconds by the table, impress with deep umami, perfect cooking and crisp texture. Traditional sliced conch in wine lees sauce is given a new spin, with the red vinasse exuding a unique fragrance.

This tiny shop in an alley has been around for decades. Without bells and whistles, it has earned a loyal following with its rustic traditional Fuzhou sweets. The concise menu stars a lineup of all-time favourites. Simmered in a claypot for nine hours, the peanut soup is a creamy and nutty delight. Taro paste pleasantly surprises with small chunks of starchy taro which adds to the texture. The lotus root cake and sweet sticky rice are also worth a try.