Fotiaoqiang (Buddha jumps over the wall)

There are surprisingly few Fujian restaurants in Beijing but Min Yue Huang, on the third floor of Sunshine Holiday Plaza, more than makes up for that culinary gap.

The restaurant serves up Fujian and Jiangxi foods, as well as Cantonese, Jiangsu and Zhejiang style dishes.

"Fujian cuisine is one of eight major Chinese cuisines," said Liu Bei, executive chef. "It's rather light tasting. Dishes are smooth, tender and tasty. Most dishes contain low levels of sugar, salt and fat but a high level of protein."

The chef explained that Fujian cuisine used to be sweet, sour and a little spicy. But as people have become more and more health conscious there has been a reduction in the number of pickled and deep-fried dishes.

Being a coastal province, seafood features strongly in Fujian cuisine. At this eatery there are more than 300 different seafood dishes to choose from. The menu includes pictures of the different fish and explanations of how they are cooked.

Seafood dishes include fried sea snail slices in a bird nest and Fujian big fish ball , which has an elastic texture and a mashed pork stuffing. Hainan style fired oyster with eggs is made like a large pancake with unshelled oysters and leek leaves in it. The Fujian-style dry-fried hand-made thread noodles with shelled king prawn and squid slices is also a winner.

The "Buddha jumps over the wall" is another famous Fujian soup. The dish contains a variety of ingredients including shark fin, abalone, sea cucumber, fish stomach, scallop, ham, pork tendon and mushroom. The ingredients are simmered for a long time to make the gravy thick and tasty. The soup is said to have been invented by someone in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province, more than 100 years ago. It is still considered a dish for distinguished guests. A pot of the speciality soup costs a whopping 388-yuan per person.

The restaurant has two menus, one of which is a standard menu, the other a collection of Fujian and Jiangxi specialities. While Fujian dishes are relatively lightly flavored, Jiangxi dishes contain more spices. Stone pot dishes are also characteristically Jiangxi. Try the stone pot chicken claw , or stone pot beef tendon and stomach slices for a taste of the best.

As well as Fujian and Jiangxi foods, the restaurant also offers some Jiangsu and Zhejiang foods. Dishes include Shaoxing drunken chicken and Hangzhou style soy preserved radish , which taste very crisp. Both are cold dishes. The restaurant has two public dining areas, and 22 private rooms. Decoration is Fujian style, with red sandalwood furniture and frames, crystal plates and glassware.

Average spending is 200 yuan per person. The menu is in both Chinese and English.

Min Yue Huang
Open time: 11am-2:30pm, 5:30-11pm.
Location: 3/F, Sunshine Holiday Plaza, 52 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian District.
Tel: 010-62187288