Ruilan Grandyard Hotel

This restaurant comes from humble beginnings as a street hawker stall. Thanks to the unrelenting support of the city's foodies for over 30 years, it has expanded into a two-storey restaurant serving Jiangsu cooking alongside Cantonese favourites. The juicy frog's legs with duck tongues in sizzling claypot are a must – their smoky aroma is intoxicating. Some find the fragrance imparted by the stinky tofu and pork intestine pot addictive!

Its Chinese name means "late and slow", referring to the process of growing produce on its organic farm for the good of the ecosystem. Other ingredients are sourced from sustainable farms nearby, offsetting its carbon footprint. The main menu features mostly Jiangzhe dishes, and seasonal specials written on the blackboard. The home-style braised yellow croaker is prized for its fine meat and delicious sauce, which is soaked up by rice added at the end.

In the 1950s, the owner's grandparents co-founded the legendary Jiming Restaurant. He inherited the heritage soup dumpling recipe and opened his own shop in 2017. The space feels upbeat and targets a younger clientele. Soup dumplings, filled with pork or crabmeat and roe, are made to order and steamed in the typical Nanjing way – with the pleats facing down so as to retain the juices. Also try the Nanjing braised noodles, and duck blood curd glass noodle soup.

The views of Xuanwu Lake and Mt Zijin are beautiful to behold, but the light-filled open kitchen, where the experienced chef prepares updated Huaiyang and Nanjing classics as well as seasonal dishes, also catches the eye. The crystal pork aspic boasts meaty flavour and a bouncy texture, with vinegar pearls providing mini explosions of tartness. The thinly shredded tofu in umami-laden Wensi tofu soup with crabmeat is testament to impressive knife skills.

Chef Liang's career spans three decades and includes stints at famous establishments in Macau. Here, he gives Cantonese classics a makeover with condiments from his birthplace of Shunde, for instance salted kohlrabi in sautéed baby lobster with radish cake, and Chinese olive kernels in sweet and sour pork. The Cantonese barbecue is a highlight; the crispy-skin chicken with silky, juicy flesh also tends to sell out. Pre-order to avoid missing out.

For over 20 years, this neighbourhood shop run by a husband-and-wife team has won the hearts of many with its Nanjing-style duck offal glass noodle soup. Toppings include blood curd, intestine and stuffed tofu puffs. The deluxe version also comes with duck heart and gizzard. The clear duck broth is simmered for hours to develop deep umami. It is even better when the broth is soaked up with duck fat Shaobing flatbread or paired with puffed rice crackers to add some crunch.

For over three decades, this local darling has been serving traditional Nanjing cuisine, including painstakingly crafted recipes that are hard to come by these days. In the hand-written vintage menu, you will find classics like Sichuan pepper-scented crispy skin duck and Dun Sheng Qiao – rice paddy eel that is deboned, pounded and deep-fried, before being poached in a meat broth with dried bamboo shoot. The generous portions are ideal for sharing.