7Days Premium Xiamen Airport Dianqian Subway Station Branch

“Hokklo” means "hospitable" in Fujian, in keeping with the welcoming space furnished in elegant East-meets-West style. Hailing from the Minnan region, the head chef champions a refined modern take on traditional Fujian cooking. Signatures include steamed wine-scented yellow croaker, mud crab braised in aged wine with dried longans, and Hakka-style braised He Tian chicken claypot with salt and wine. Peruse the seasonal offerings and extensive wine list, too.

For 10-plus years, this flagship establishment has been packed with loyal patrons. The modern stylish interior showcases top-notch dried seafood which is used in the famous Fujian Buddha jumps over the wall dish, but you can also enjoy other first-rate dishes without breaking the bank. Try Minnan prawn noodles in orange coloured tomalley soup or made to order black mochi packed with black sesame aroma. The seasonal menu is also worth exploring.

This simple shop is famous for beef noodle soup and noodles dressed in beef ragout. The signature beef noodle soup with pickled cabbage is a must – the beef long loin is perfectly cooked to be tender but firm. The beef bone stock is flavoursome, and the pickle cuts through the richness. The red-braised beef noodle soup, and the marinated meat platter with dried tofu, hard-boiled eggs, beef tripe, intestine and shin are also popular.

Its façade may be nondescript but its open-air kitchen provides quite a spectacle. Minnan-style soups are slow-cooked over heated sand on clay stoves for three to four hours so need to be pre-ordered; the availability of some soups is limited. Signatures include Muscovy duck soup with mud crab, which combines seafood umami with meaty flavours, and braised soft-shelled tortoise seasoned with ginger and green Sichuan peppercorns.

Separated from the city centre and Xiamen Island by a harbour, this shop specialising in sha cha noodles is popular with students. Thanks to the coarsely ground peanuts, the sha cha broth is brimming with rich nutty flavours; the level of spiciness is also spot on. For toppings, in addition to classics such as oysters, pork tendon and beef short loin, the dried tofu, duck blood curd, pork kidney and pork intestine are also excellent choices.

This restaurant is set up in a Fujian red-brick mansion, with a black, white and wood colour scheme punctuated by pops of bright red. Both the owner and the chef are Sichuan natives, specialising in cuisine from the city of Zigong, famous for its salt industry. To ensure authenticity, most condiments are shipped from Sichuan. Try the chilli fish roes and fish maws with pickled cabbage and ginger, or diced rabbit hot pot in Sichuan pepper sauce.

This restaurant is all about à la minute cooking, and diners get to witness the action in the glass-clad kitchen. Home-style Fujian dishes are their strong suit: the pork soup with whelks is loaded with umami and briny sweetness. The braised pork trotter with mashed Fuding taro boasts bouncy, flavoursome meat and creamy, starchy taro. All-you-can-eat steamed rice, and sweet potato congee are a nice touch. With only 10 tables, expect a wait.