必比登¥¥Chao Zhou
This architectural behemoth dripping in charm boasts a striking entrance and a cathedral ceiling in the dining room. A live fish tank showcases the freshest catch shipped from Chaoshan daily. Other fish and produce are displayed over a bed of ice, in wet market style. The Chaoshan chefs pride themselves on authentic recipes like braised meat in a spiced soy marinade. Also try the blanched yellowtail scad served cold with a bean sauce on the side.
必比登¥Noodles
Close to scenic spots, this simple shop attracts locals and tourists alike. As its sign says, lao hua, or rice vermicelli in pork broth, is the signature dish. But their hand-pulled noodles and ribbon rice noodles are equally good. For toppings, opt for the classic combos, or customise your own: braised pork intestine and deep-fried dough stick deliver lovely textures and mop up the broth. Bone marrow dressed in scallion oil is also worth trying.
必比登¥¥Fujian
Min Shi Fu is well known for its live seafood and local delicacies. There is no menu. Just pick your own ingredients from the live fish tank and ask the server to recommend the best ways to prepare them. In addition to live shrimps, crabs, bivalves and whelks, the signature oyster fritter is very popular and boasts plump oysters, aromatic scallion and crisply fried egg batter. Everything is cooked to order and showcases solid techniques.
必比登¥¥Fujian
This restaurant, which doubles as an art gallery, is adorned in the owner’s art collection. In the kitchen, the young chef from Putian adds a new twist to Fujian fare. Large mactra clams, blanched in boiling chicken stock for 10 seconds by the table, impress with deep umami, perfect cooking and crisp texture. Traditional sliced conch in wine lees sauce is given a new spin, with the red vinasse exuding a unique fragrance.
必比登¥Noodles
The owner from Xi’an couldn’t find any restaurant serving authentic cooking from his hometown, so he opened his own! The spartan room is clean and rustic. The kitchen team from Shaanxi deftly pull noodles by hand. The signature biangbiang noodle – there is only one long noodle in a bowl – is toothsome and expertly crafted. The aromatic spiced oil dressing clings nicely to the noodle, while cabbage, bean sprouts and chives provide crisp textures.
必比登¥¥Fujian
This kitchen run by Fu'an natives specialises in dishes from their home city; "167" refers to the length of the city's coastline in kilometres. Naturally, seafood from Fu'an is the main draw – look for yellow croakers, sea bass and the like in the display fridge – but other home-style favourites such as drunken pork ribs in a sweet, tangy sauce, fried rice vermicelli with lovely wok hei, and herbal soups double-boiled in urns are also popular.
必比登¥Small eats
Despite a very low-key ambiance, this shop in a residential neighbourhood has built a loyal following courtesy of its mini wontons called bian rou, made fresh daily in-house. Bouncy pork filling is enrobed in a translucent, wafer-thin wrapper made with starch and ground pork, served in umami-laden pork bone broth. On top of that, order blanched noodles tossed in sauces, soy-marinated egg, or blanched pork with tendon attached that boasts springy texture.
必比登¥¥Fujian
Opened in 2020 as the premium version of a longstanding Fuzhou institution, Jing Li targets an upmarket business clientele. Burgundy seats and details grace the elegant wood-rich interior. On the menu, local Minnan classics are creatively melded with other cuisines. The dishes made with red yeast rice wine lees, such as the deep-fried wine lees-marinated eel, and longevity noodles with pork trotter braised in wine lees, are particular standouts.
必比登¥Fujian
In business for over 10 years, this restaurant has become part of the collective food memory of Fuzhou citizens. Despite the remote location and lack of ambience, locals come in droves for well-made home-style dishes and seafood at wallet-friendly prices. The deep-fried Bombay duck in peppered salt seduces with velvety meat and a crispy crust. Drunken spare ribs in sweet and sour sauce feature layers of textures and subtle warmth from the spices.
必比登¥Small eats
This tiny shop in an alley has been around for decades. Without bells and whistles, it has earned a loyal following with its rustic traditional Fuzhou sweets. The concise menu stars a lineup of all-time favourites. Simmered in a claypot for nine hours, the peanut soup is a creamy and nutty delight. Taro paste pleasantly surprises with small chunks of starchy taro which adds to the texture. The lotus root cake and sweet sticky rice are also worth a try.
必比登¥Noodles
Founded by Lin Yi Nen over 40 years ago, this no-frills shop has moved many times, but always within the same neighbourhood. Its bestseller is old-time comfort food – pork blood curd soup with noodles or rice vermicelli. The noodles are toothsome and velvety and toppings, like pork offal and pork blood curd, are served in separate dishes. The spongy pork blood curd soaks up the flavoursome clear broth and every bite bursts with umami.
必比登¥Fujian
This restaurant founded in the 1960s may look a bit dated, but the incredible smell of beef never fails to lure us in. Despite strong local competition, Yi Qiang stands out with their longstanding Fuzhou recipes, such as beef rib soup, beef offal and ground beef meatballs, served with noodles and buns. Their beef rib soup is mildly perfumed with Chinese herbs, emphasising the robust, beefy flavour. Pair with a basket of xiao long bao.
必比登¥¥Fujian
Just a stone's throw from the famous Yongde Guild Hall, this restaurant in the Shangxiahang Historical District is made up of the restored buildings housing private rooms, a main dining room and a tea parlour. The menu is mostly Fujianese, with a few Cantonese options and original creations. The Yongchun white duck soup impresses with deep herbal aromas; the Xiamen Sha Cha seafood hot pot with abalone, squid, oysters and shrimps is too good to miss.
必比登¥Small eats
In 1937, Grandpa Chen started hawking his sweet peanut soup with a bamboo pole on his shoulder. Today, his grandchildren make the rustic sweets just as he did, but serve them in a neat cosy room at affordable prices. The peanut soup tastes divine, hot or chilled, as melt-in-the-mouth peanuts impart a lingering nuttiness. Taro paste is also well crafted and sports a velvety texture and robust flavour. The toasted sesame topping is to die for…
必比登¥¥Seafood
For over 10 years, this restaurant has been serving live seafood alongside a range of Fuzhou dishes. Only private rooms are available and there is no paper menu – diners are asked to pick their own seafood from the live fish tank. What sets it apart from the competition is its obsession with rare seafood and exotic ingredients. Try sautéed clam worms with flowering chives that taste meaty and smoky, or buttery skate liver in lotus leaf buns.
必比登¥Noodles
This no-frills shop is famous for lao hua, or Fujian-style noodle soup. First, pick your noodles from the 18 choices, then choose your toppings from dozens of options, ranging from offal and blood curd to oyster and squid. Made fresh daily, their MSG-free pork bone broth boasts depth and umami. Feel free to sprinkle scallion, coriander, pickles and fried garlic on top. Beef brisket fat dressed in a mildly spicy sauce is also a good choice.