It impressed the Michelin inspectors with what they said was its uncompromising perfection. From strictly selected ingredients to impeccable cooking skills and exemplary service, every detail is top notch, the guide's critics say.

The menu, focuses on Taizhou cooking with fish from the East China Sea, the guide says, it offers a complete and enjoyable dining experience made possible by "comprehensive orchestration" and "thoughtful arrangement".

Xin Rong Ji won more accolades as its outlets in Jianguomenwai Street and Jinrong Street, Xicheng district received one star each. That brings Xin Rong Ji's haul of stars nationally to eight, something unmatched by any other establishment on the mainland.

Howard's Gourmet's founder and chef Howard Cai thinks even though the Xinyuan South Road branch is a new restaurant, but from tableware to wine set and from the whole design to the atmosphere, Xinyuan South branch is an elevated one in Xin Rong Ji's chain.

The two restaurants in the Beijing guide that snaffle two stars are King's Joy and Shanghai Cuisine. King's Joy, in a classic courtyard house next to Yonghe Temple in Chaoyang district, serves vegetarian fare with organic vegetables from local farms and wild mushrooms from Yunnan.

In Shanghai Cuisine, in Sanlitun, the Shanghainese chef Zhu Haifeng reinterprets classic Shanghai cuisine with a contemporary perspective. Its braised winter melon looks simple yet delivers deep, lingering flavors, and the stuffed field snails are highly recommended.