Latest Black Pearl Restaurant Guide showcases China's food scene

The 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide was officially released on Tuesday in Quanzhou, Fujian province, highlighting the continued expansion and diversification of China's fine dining landscape.

This year's guide features 263 restaurants from the Chinese mainland, covering 32 cities, with Jiangsu's Nantong, Shandong's Qingdao, Hebei's Shijiazhuang and Liaoning's Shenyang newly included. The latest edition also saw seven restaurants upgraded to diamond ratings and 46 new entries, reflecting sustained growth and rising standards across regional culinary traditions.

According to the organizers, the guide continues to broaden its coverage of local cuisines. Over the past three years, 11 additional regional culinary styles have been incorporated, signaling a collective upgrade of China's indigenous food cultures and a shift toward greater diversity in high-end dining.

At the launch ceremony, Huang Wenjie, vice-mayor of Quanzhou, said the city is leveraging the release of the guide to further promote the standardization and internationalization of its catering industry. Designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, Quanzhou draws on a culinary heritage spanning more than a millennium and a catering industry chain valued at over 150 billion yuan ($21.6 billion). Huang noted that initiatives integrating gastronomy with cultural tourism, talent development and cross-regional exchanges are helping elevate the city's global profile.

Among this year's newly recognized restaurants is The Bay by Chef Fei, a Chaozhou-Cantonese fine-dining restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, which received a one-diamond rating in the 2026 guide, marking its first appearance on the list. The restaurant is led by acclaimed Cantonese chef Huang Jinghui, widely known as Chef Fei.

The chef said the award recognized both culinary execution and service quality, as well as long-term support from diners. He reaffirmed the restaurant's philosophy of seasonal cooking and ingredient-driven flavors, while continuing to explore innovation rooted in tradition.

Christian Dolenc, general manager of the Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, and area vice-president of operations for southern China, said the recognition underscored the hotel's commitment to culinary excellence. He added that in a city known for its dynamic food scene, the restaurant aims to contribute to the evolution of fine dining through authenticity, innovation and high service standards.

The organizers also announced the 2026 Black Pearl Annual Dish Awards, selecting 10 award-winning dishes from across the country. This year's awards place increased emphasis on innovative techniques and the modern reinterpretation of traditional dishes.

The Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas listings of the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide are scheduled to be released in March in Singapore.