Chengdu E Hotel

The owner’s collection of souvenirs from her trips around the world gives this spacious dining room an endearing quirkiness. Her wanderlust also translates into her quest for quality ingredients from around the globe, to be cooked in an authentic Sichuanese style. Roast pigeon smoked with Sichuan pepper leaves is simply unmissable. Cold appetisers like lamp-shadow sliced grass carp are also well made. You can opt for half portion for some dishes.

This branch of the upmarket chain is furnished in a lavish but understated manner, and commands lovely views of the Twin Towers. The menu boasts the brand's signature luxury seafood lineup, but the Taizhou recipes jazzed up with local touches steal the show. Try the sea anemone glass noodles with house-made pickles – the slippery noodles soak up the tart, spicy broth. Spicy braised pork intestine with Qiantong dried tofu impresses with nice textures.

The elegant room with full-length windows feels airy and bright. In addition to booth seats, there are alsoprivate rooms for parties. The Fujian-born kitchen team ensures the authenticity of each dish. The must-try lychee meatballs are deep-fried pork stuffed with chopped water chestnuts for crunchiness. Scallion aromas and pleasing textures depict the Quanzhou speciality, crispy tofu skin rolls with a five-spice pork filling.

The result of the chef's extensive travel and gastronomic experiences, the multicourse tasting menu rolls out novel recipes with seasonal ingredients. Quality produce from all over China is deftly crafted using modern techniques. Don't miss the house-made sourdough, made with 20-year-old starter (or yeast), and steeped in complex flavours. Its crispy crust contrasts nicely with the spongy crumbs. There are only five tables, so booking is a must.

After a recent renovation, the main dining room is bright and airy and private rooms can cater to different party sizes. The signature braised fish in spicy bean sauce is made with the river fish of your choice, like longsnout catfish, marble goby or topmouth culter. The rabbit cubes in guaiwei sauce are skin-on, boasting a silky texture and a fine balance between savoury, sweet and sour notes, alongside aromas and numbing spiciness.

The playful, vintage décor with fake tree trunks and red lanterns is aptly matched by a menu disguised as a martial arts instruction book. In addition to famous Sichuanese wok-fried dishes such as green chilli ‘ruthless’ chicken and braised swamp eel, we also recommend the daily specials up on the whiteboard. Seasonal offerings like bitter bamboo shoot and milk cap mushroom are worth a try. Inevitably packed to the seams, book ahead and arrive early.

As the chain’s flagship, this restaurant showcases live river fish such as long snout catfish, cavefish, and yellow head catfish cooked in Sichuanese style or in hot pots; the owner even acquired a fish farm to ensure their quality. The signature duo hot pot broth features a spicy base made with chicken, pork bones, chillies and pickles, and a tangy tomato base of Xinjiangese tomatoes. House-pickled bamboo shoots from Mount Tianmu are a must.