Winlong International Hotel

In business since 1994, this no-frills joint is part of the collective culinary memory of many locals. The menu on the wall is for reference only – head to the glass-fronted fridge to see what's in store that day. The signature dish is feng rou: skin-on pork trotter braised until tender in a brown sauce with chestnuts, mushrooms and dried shrimps. Ordered by almost every table, the sautéed frog is succulent, well-seasoned and nicely caramelised.

Away from the city centre, this joint serving home-style Fujian cooking has earned acclaim from locals for over two decades. Like its numerous counterparts, there isn’t a menu – just pick your seafood and meat from the fish tank and chiller, then ask the server for the best way to prepare them. With tender meat and rich aromas, ginger duck stew is a best-seller. Fried green lobster in peppered salt stands out with bouncy meat and crisp flavours.

For over 10 years, regulars have been flocking here to sample ingredients that are rarely found elsewhere. The owner used to be a food distributer and has always been picky about his seafood. Adventurous eaters may try wild-caught mudskippers braised with shallots and black beans for springy meat. Gigantic sea snails and swimmer crabs are also exceptional and can be paired with home-style staples like braised pork rice, tofu in sa cha sauce or blood curd soup.

Founded in 1999 under a different name, it has ever been popular with local ginger duck fans. On the right side of the entrance, row upon row of claypots make quite a spectacle. Muscovy duck is slow-cooked in rice wine with ginger and other herbs for two hours to build irresistible aromas. The duck is tender and falls off the bone and the broth is gingery, but not spicy. The soft, chewy pork blood sticky rice cake is also recommended.

For over 40 years, this noodle shop has prided itself on its lor mee, or Fujian-style noodles in thick starchy gravy. In his 70s, the owner still helms the kitchen himself and cooks each order of lor mee in individual portions. You may have to wait for your order, but you won’t be disappointed. For toppings, choose from beef, pork liver, oysters or shrimp. Peanuts and garlic make the gravy nutty and aromatic. Made to order vinegar pork and fish roll are also worth trying.

The founder was a hawker who sold fish ball soup over 150 years ago, during the Qing Dynasty. Now run by the fourth-generation owner, the brand has grown into a restaurant chain, but its speciality remains the same. Catch of the day is deboned, puréed, hand-beaten and hand-squeezed into flavoursome globes served in a pork bone broth. The mock chicken roll, made with water chestnut, minced pork and fish, is another must-try.

A veteran chef hailing from Quanzhou opened this rustic noodle shop in 2022 selling only Hokkien hae mee, or Fujian-style prawn noodles. Bouncy noodles of medium thickness served in a broth simmered for seven hours with complex depth and flavours. Though the signature hae mee is a must, you can add your own personal touch with incredibly fresh and umami-laden seafood toppings such as baby lobster, prawn, crabmeat, squid or razor clams.