怀旧酒店 - 北京王子大厦

Hidden in the courtyard of a historic temple, this cosy, modern, professionally run dining room raises customer expectations. Polished, immaculately crafted dishes starring top-notch local produce hit the spot every time. The premium signature menu is inspired by the chef’s personal history and stars luxury ingredients. The seasonal menu lavishly calls upon ripe, mature produce and Le Grand Dessert finale is definitely worth writing home about.

Ordering food at this neighbourhood joint is a no-brainer. There is only one thing on the menu – zhajiangmian. But diners come in hordes from the moment the place opens till it closes. These lovely, chewy noodles are dressed with the exceptionally deep and aromatic soybean pork sauce and topped with condiments such as shredded cucumber, radish and leafy greens. Feel free to garnish with pickled garlic and cumin chilli sauce for extra kick.

素食

This upmarket restaurant in Chaozhou is another gem from the F&B chain. Chef Gu, who hails from the city, has been cooking professionally for over 30 years. His menu is based on tradition but imbued with creativity. The boneless pigeon stuffed with bird's nest in matsutake broth delivers striking layers of textures. Professional wine and tea sommeliers take care of the libations. Chinese reds and whites aside, try the phoenix tea brewed with spring water.

This is the first Beijing branch of the Taizhou brand famous for super-fresh, top-notch seafood shipped from the East China Sea daily. Wild-caught yellow croaker is the mainstay of a menu that keeps pace with availability, however, brown croaker is also a firm favourite for many, and whether it is crafted into dumplings that burst with juices or minced and braised into springy ‘lion head’ meatballs, it always delivers succulent flavours and textures.

A remodelled, high-ceilinged courtyard mansion houses this stunning restaurant whose splendid view changes with the seasons. In a similar vein, traditional Beijing dishes have been treated to a modern makeover. Besides being carved traditionally, jujube wood-fired Peking duck can be served three ways, boasting crispy skin and juicy flesh. Seared sea cucumber with Zhangqiu scallion is another original dish that will blow your mind. Also check out their Beijing-themed cocktails.

Designed by German architect Ole Scheeren, this dining room seamlessly blends pared-down modernism with hutong traditions. Imagine circular booths that create an array of semi-private spaces. The experienced head chef from Hong Kong showcases his solid, savvy skills in signature dishes like roast pigeon. The menu includes many items that are available in individual portion sizes, so diners can sample the variety of his repertory. The delicately-crafted dim sum is recommended at lunchtime.