Lavande Hotels·Nanjing Dachang Metro Station

Founded by her mother back in the 1990s, this tiny gem continues to specialise in no-frills snacks as the current owner follows in her mother’s footsteps with all-time favourites like duck meat glass noodle soup, whose broth is slow cooked for hours to build up deep umami, while duck blood curd and duck intestine add varied textures. Glutinous rice balls in red bean soup are perfumed by sweet fermented rice. Also try soupy pork dumplings.

The owner's father was a chef at Jiming Restaurant, an iconic Nanjing establishment. Having inherited his skill for making authentic Suzhou-style soup dumplings, she opened this no-frills shop in a residential neighbourhood in 2012. On the concise menu, the handmade soup dumplings with thin skin and juicy, mildly sweet pork filling are the main event. Regulars also opt for pork wonton soup. Closes at 2pm. Arrive early to avoid disappointment.

For almost 40 years, this small halal shop has won the hearts of locals with its well-made beef dishes. Potstickers are the must-try, seducing with crisp charred bottom, plump juicy beef filling and tempting scallion aromas. Beef wontons are little bombs bursting with meaty umami in a translucent velvety skin, served in a peppery beef broth. Other braised beef cuts and offal are also flavoursome, tender, and just the ticket with all kinds of noodles.

Trained in Huaiyang cuisine, the owner applies the same level of care to preparing his noodles. Suzhou-style noodles work magic with Nanjing-style marinated meats in his signature beef brisket and tendon noodle soup – incredibly tender meat in an umami-laden broth made fresh daily from beef bone. Alternatively, you can ask for the "dry" version tossed in sauces. The sweet and sour pork ribs are another must-try, delivering depth and sweetness.

This unassuming-looking joint in a residential building has been in operation for over 20 years and locals are hooked on the home-style Jiangzhe dishes. With about 40 items on the menu, it's all killer, no filler. Top picks include "ruan dou" rice paddy eel served in a sizzling pot – incredible wok hei marries scallion aromas, deep umami and peppery warmth. The brine-poached pork intestine features bouncy meat on a bed of shredded tofu skin.

The owner couple opened this shop in 2012 to serve rice paddy eel noodles, a speciality from their home county of Baoying, Yangzhou. The fried version is the most popular choice: boasting velvety eel, bouncy noodles and smoky wok hei. It is served with a bowl of eel bone soup. For the soup varieties, choose between milky eel soup and clear broth topped with sautéed eel in a thick glaze. Add pork balls, pork aspic or cracklings for something extra.

Opened in 2023, the interior is inspired by nature and splashes of green resonate with the nearby forest park. The executive chef, who hails from Yancheng, deploys his solid skills to finesse creative Huaiyang fare that highlights natural flavours. His Nanjing roast duck is steeped in a spiced soy marinade for 8 hours, before being air-dried and grilled to perfection. His deboned fish head in five-flavour sauce is equally popular.