Home Inn Beijing Xizhimen Beijing North Railway Station

This restaurant specialises in instant-boiled mutton, a traditional Beijingese charcoal hot pot dish. Prized for its fine lean meat without the gamey taste, lamb from the Mongolian Sunite prairie is used, along with beef from western Shandong. Specify how fatty or lean you want your lamb. The bite-size shaobing flatbread goes well with the hot pot. Round off your meal with sweet shaobing covered in sesame sugar.

This period mansion, complete with a stone garden and carved wooden windows, provides the perfect foil to the restaurant’s polished cuisine. The menu celebrates the all-time favourites of Huaiyang cooking, such as braised pork belly in brown sauce with arrowroot, and sautéed swamp eel in pepper sauce. Hand-peeled lake shrimps with fox nuts boast velvety texture and are best enjoyed with aged vinegar. The seasonal menu is also worth checking out.

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.

Vegetarian

With signage inscribed by the younger brother of Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, circa 1921, this state-owned restaurant is a real treasure. Dark wood is a prominent decorative feature, while red tablecloths lend it a rustic, classic vibe. Since 1997, diners have been coming to the current location to enjoy its authentic, no-frills Huaiyang cooking, with dishes like scorched eel with garlic and soy. Only private rooms can be booked ahead.

Named after the provincial flower of Hunan, this brand is part of the Xin Rong Ji Group. It serves Hunanese classics such as steamed fish head with chopped chilli that packs a punch. Pork tripe soup with pickled radish cooked in a casserole over charcoal imparts tangy, briny depth. Softshell turtle is another speciality, either steamed with yellow chilli or red braised. The smaller "horse-hoof" variety is perfect for a party of two.