厦门翔安壹号酒店

Separated from the city centre and Xiamen Island by a harbour, this shop specialising in sha cha noodles is popular with students. Thanks to the coarsely ground peanuts, the sha cha broth is brimming with rich nutty flavours; the level of spiciness is also spot on. For toppings, in addition to classics such as oysters, pork tendon and beef short loin, the dried tofu, duck blood curd, pork kidney and pork intestine are also excellent choices.

This restaurant is set up in a Fujian red-brick mansion, with a black, white and wood colour scheme punctuated by pops of bright red. Both the owner and the chef are Sichuan natives, specialising in cuisine from the city of Zigong, famous for its salt industry. To ensure authenticity, most condiments are shipped from Sichuan. Try the chilli fish roes and fish maws with pickled cabbage and ginger, or diced rabbit hot pot in Sichuan pepper sauce.

This is the first flagship of a local restaurant chain. The faux-industrial decor works nicely with the greenery and ocean views. The menu is dominated by local seafood and Minnan dishes, depicted by shrimps in sa cha sauce that boast firm texture, mild heat and a deep nutty flavour. Also try Buddha jumps over the wall, crab roe stewed rice, Angus beef in mustard sauce or Chic’s very own sea perch thick soup with fish maw.

The chef-owner has almost 30 years' experience under his belt, with notable stints in various hotel restaurants. Respecting traditions while re-inventing Minnan cuisine by incorporating Western techniques and creative touches, he has come up with a menu that is familiar and fresh at the same time. Try his oyster omelette, in which umami meets the crispness of water chestnut and celery. The slow-cooked pork belly with shiitake is another treat.

Deep inside a cultural park, this restaurant is reached easily by following the signs. Its idyllic, lush location is part of the charm; the Zen-inspired interior is equally serene. Changing twice a month, the single set menu follows the Chinese calendar's 24 solar terms. The 10 courses go from light to heavy flavours with the climax being the minced mushroom patty in a black pepper sauce. The private rooms of various sizes must be booked in advance.

Its façade may be nondescript but its open-air kitchen provides quite a spectacle. Minnan-style soups are slow-cooked over heated sand on clay stoves for three to four hours so need to be pre-ordered; the availability of some soups is limited. Signatures include Muscovy duck soup with mud crab, which combines seafood umami with meaty flavours, and braised soft-shelled tortoise seasoned with ginger and green Sichuan peppercorns.

This simple shop is famous for beef noodle soup and noodles dressed in beef ragout. The signature beef noodle soup with pickled cabbage is a must – the beef long loin is perfectly cooked to be tender but firm. The beef bone stock is flavoursome, and the pickle cuts through the richness. The red-braised beef noodle soup, and the marinated meat platter with dried tofu, hard-boiled eggs, beef tripe, intestine and shin are also popular.