Beijing South Railway Station Temple of Heaven Manxin Hotel

A Wenzhou native opened this joint over 10 years ago to serve authentic dishes from his hometown. Without complicated preparations and fancy plating, the food appeals with absolute freshness. Pick your favourite seafood from the live fish tanks by the entrance and ask for the best way to have them cooked. The mud snails in scallion oil taste crisp and velvety; the gingery pork tripe soup with egg omelette hits the spot without being too spicy.

This small, obscure shop in an alley features an understated grey-brick façade and pared-down décor. The calligraphic menu is short but sweet, heavy on river fish and home-style cooking. Try their braised tofu with fish roe, or hot and sour young lotus root with chicken gizzards. Round it out with grass jelly in Osmanthus honey, or the piping-hot egg-drop glutinous rice wine (in winter). Seats are limited, so come early or expect to wait in line.

Restaurant

Since 1994, this restaurant has been synonymous with authentic zhajiangmian. It moved to this three-storey location over ten years ago and is always jam-packed. Once you step in the shop, you can’t miss the two caldrons of rich and flavoursome soybean sauce made fresh every day, to be served on the side with house-made noodles. Beijing snacks such as fried pork balls, and blanched ox tripe in sesame sauce are other solid options.

Tucked away in an alley, this restaurant converted from a historical siheyuan has a restored courtyard where customers can dine under a century-old toon tree. A Chaoshan native, Chef Fei sources the best ingredients from his hometown to turn them into refined culinary gems. The fish maw sautéed tableside with dried shrimps, crabmeat, chopped chillies, dried radish and XO sauce boasts layers of flavours. Try the boneless marinated goose web too.

In this chic modern place inspired by Paris's Left Bank, Gallic techniques and recipes hold no secrets for the seasoned head chef from Hong Kong. Chinese influences are also apparent in the fermented tofu-flavoured butter served with the bread, and the longjing tea panna cotta. His flexible prix-fixe lets diners choose four or five items from the à la carte menu, including signatures such as foie gras mousseline in pistachio tart shell, and scampi ravioli.

Chinese