中国·福州——热爱城市从热爱美食开始

Being featured in the Michelin, Black Pearl, and Golden Phoenix Tree guides

Fuzhou is fully committed to promoting its identity as the signature city of Fujian cuisine

Recently, the Michelin Guide for Fujian Province 2025 was released, marking another milestone for Fuzhou’s culinary scene. A total of 21 restaurants have been included in the guide.

Since Fuzhou launched its bid for “City of Gastronomy” in 2022, its catering industry has experienced rapid growth. The city has attracted three prestigious restaurant guides -- the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, the Michelin Guide, and the Golden Phoenix Tree China Restaurant Guide -- further promoting the integration of multiple industries centered around Fujian cuisine. Now Fuzhou is embracing a new trend of high-end, brand-oriented and international growth of its catering industry, further enhancing its identity as a city renowned for its “Fujian cuisine.”

Attracting three prestigious restaurant guides

This year, the Michelin Guide for Fujian Province 2025, the Golden Phoenix Tree China Restaurant Guide 2024, and the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide 2024 were released. A total of 40 restaurants from Fuzhou made the list, highlighting the impressive strength and rich heritage of Fuzhou’s catering industry.

Since its inception in 1900, the Michelin Guide has built a stellar reputation in the global culinary world with its professional, independent, and objective rating system, becoming the authoritative guide in the culinary industry. In the highly anticipated Michelin Guide for Fujian Province 2025, two restaurants from Fuzhou are awarded One Michelin Star: Jiangnan Wok‧Rong and Wenru No. 9. The exceptional quality of their dishes has garnered high recognition from Michelin inspectors. Additionally, eight restaurants are featured in the Michelin Guide, showcasing a range of cuisine styles such as Sichuan and Fujian, reflecting the diverse and inclusive nature of Fuzhou’s food scene. Moreover, 11 other establishments, including A Xin Xian Lao (Gongnong Road) and Min Shi Fu, are included in the Bib Gourmand list.

Black Pearl restaurants are those selected and ranked according to the food standards of Meituan’s Black Pearl Guide which is regarded as the highest honor in China’s fine dining industry. Zheng Chunfa Fotiaoqiang (Sandi Center) and Harmony Garden (Huaqiao New Village) have been honored with the “Black Pearl One-Diamond Restaurant” title. Both restaurants show a commitment to refined living aesthetics, with every detail, from the dishes and tableware to the decor, meticulously crafted to offer an exceptional dining experience.

The Golden Phoenix Tree China Restaurant Guide, launched on foodnwine.ifeng.com, has become a prestigious and highly anticipated event in the fine dining world. Based on the insights of top chefs and culinary experts in China, this guide recognizes restaurants that have made significant contributions to the Chinese catering industry, with a lasting impact on both the inheritance and innovation. 17 restaurants from Fuzhou, including Xishi Yijing Fujian Restaurant (Sanfang Qixiang), are featured on the one-star list of the Golden Phoenix Tree China Restaurant Guide 2024, highlighting the excellence of Fuzhou’s catering industry.

Fujian cuisine has become a hot topic in the catering sector

The reporter noticed that most of the Fuzhou restaurants featured in the Michelin Guide for Fujian Province 2025, the Golden Phoenix Tree China Restaurant Guide 2024, and the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide 2024 specialize in Fujian cuisine. This further demonstrates the strong competitiveness of Fujian cuisine in international culinary rating systems.

With the release of these prestigious guides, Fujian cuisine has quickly become a hot topic in the catering sector in China, and Fujian cuisine restaurants have become popular destinations for tourists. Among them, the Fujian cuisine restaurant at Hyatt Regency Fuzhou Cangshan has garnered significant attention. Focusing on traditional Fujian dishes, the restaurant not only preserves classic flavors but also cleverly incorporates elements from various regional cuisines, offering diners a unique and innovative take on Fujian cuisine.

According to reports, Hyatt Regency Fuzhou Cangshan plans to leverage the platform of Hyatt Group to promote Fujian cuisine across the country. By sending its culinary team to sister hotels nationwide and organizing a range of dynamic Fujian food festivals, the hotel aims to promote cross-cuisine exchange and collaboration, ultimately enhancing the reputation of Fujian cuisine in the national catering industry.

Fuzhou accelerates its bid for “City of Gastronomy”

Since Fuzhou launched its bid for “City of Gastronomy” (hereinafter referred to as “bid”), the city has implemented numerous measures and achieved remarkable results.

Recently, Fuzhou has launched a global campaign to collect slogans for its bid for “City of Gastronomy.” The campaign has received an enthusiastic response, with over 10,000 slogan submissions across various channels.

In order to enhance the food industry, Fuzhou has upgraded 12 city-level food experience demonstration streets and established 84 provincial-level Fujian cuisine restaurants. Additionally, the city has boosted the catering consumption through the issuance of special catering vouchers. Since 2023, Fuzhou has hosted promotional events for Fujian cuisine, such as the “Fuzhou, the City of Gastronomy” Fujian Cuisine Promotion, in cities like Shanghai, Chengdu, and Beijing. In April this year, Fujian cuisine was also presented at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, further enhancing its international recognition.

Fuzhou’s bid has breathed new life into its catering industry. With nearly 60,000 catering businesses in the market, Fuzhou’s catering revenue reached 41.64 billion yuan from January to September 2024, showing a year-on-year growth of more than 11.3%, according to statistics.

Fuzhou has achieved remarkable results in its two years of efforts for the bid. In 2023, the China Hospitality Association recognized Fuzhou as the “Fuzhou, China · Fujian Cuisine Landmark City,” and the World Federation of Chinese Catering Industry named Fuzhou the “International City of Gastronomy (Fujian Cuisine).”

Next, Fuzhou will hold the annual “Fujian Cuisine 100” Award Ceremony. As a grand event in the city’s catering industry, the “Fujian Cuisine 100” Selection and Award Ceremony is regarded as the “Oscars” of the Fujian cuisine sector. The award ceremony will bring together industry experts, food enthusiasts, and senior media professionals to explore the culture of new Fujian cuisine. Awards such as “Fujian Cuisine 100 · Jasmine Restaurant,” “Banyan Brand,” and “Benyang Food” will be presented to catering businesses that have made remarkable contributions to the Fujian cuisine sector. (Fuzhou Evening News Reporter: Quan Yiyue)