YIBAIJIUDIANNANWAITANDIAN

Italian

With its own herb garden, and the latest catch shipped daily from Weihai and Bohai Sea, this eatery promises food that is as fresh as it gets. Well-versed in the properties of all his produce, the chef fine-tunes his recipes according to the season. The Jiaodong cold appetiser platter includes four kinds of seafood with different seasonings. The braised sea cucumber with scallion and huitlacoche presents deeply aromatic layers of briny-sweet flavours.

Brass ceiling panels and chandeliers lend a touch of nostalgic elegance to the otherwise modern room. For an experience authentic, Fujianese is the mainstay of the menu, with all of the kitchen team hailing from the province. Try the umami-laden duck essence made the traditional way: a whole duck is steamed for hours and the juices collected with no water added. Check out the tea menu, which has a wealth of nice choices from Fujian.

A ‘Tan’ is a pickling jar typically used by the Sichuanese. It may sound rustic and simple, but the restaurant set in a historic building features classic Chinese motifs tweaked with modern retro glam. The kitchen team of mostly Sichuan natives shows solid skills in signature items such as sautéed eel with Chinese patchouli that flaunts flowery aromas and fiery heat. For a sweet finale, try the soft, jiggly iced jelly in brown sugar syrup.

The owner hails from Zhoushan, famous for its seafood. His mother taught him how to make noodles and he started this shop over 10 years ago to bring authentic Zhoushan noodles to Shanghai. Noodle soup is typically paired with fish shipped from his hometown, such as yellow croaker braised in bean sauce or the premium deboned beltfish, available only in October and November. The delicious yellow croaker spring rolls are hugely popular.

French

In business for over 30 years, this noodle shop has recently moved to this new location. Rest assured that the menu and flavours remain the same and all noodles are served with toppings cooked à la minute. Try the toothsome cuttlefish noodles with pickled cabbage for a lovely crunch, complemented by seafood umami. Local favourites such as braised pork belly in spiced dark soy, and tofu skin-wrapped pork are also worth trying.