Si Xia Li (Huli)

Verdict

Si Xia Li (Huli) is one of the most compelling reasons to eat outside Xiamen's tourist corridors. It holds a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand and delivers creative Minnan cooking at ¥¥ prices — a combination that is genuinely difficult to find at this level in Fujian. If you are a food-focused traveller in Xiamen and you only have one meal to dedicate to serious regional cooking, this is where to spend it.

About Si Xia Li (Huli)

Si Xia Li sits in the Huli district — away from the polished seafront of Gulangyu and the well-trodden lanes of Zhongshan Road, that geography is part of its identity. The Siming District address in Dingaozai puts it in a part of Xiamen where locals eat, not where tourists browse. That matters: the clientele here is predominantly Xiamen residents who return because the cooking is consistent and the price point is honest, not because the location has been packaged for visitors.

The energy inside reflects that local base. Expect a busy, conversational room with the ambient noise of a neighbourhood restaurant that does real volume. This is not a quiet dinner setting; it is a lively, lived-in space where the focus is the food and the pace is communal. If you are looking for a hushed, intimate atmosphere, look elsewhere. If you want a room with genuine energy and plates arriving fast from a kitchen that knows exactly what it is doing, Si Xia Li earns that visit.

The chef-owner brings close to 30 years of experience to the menu, with a background that includes stints in hotel restaurants across the region. That training shows in the technique, but the menu's character comes from what he chose to do with it: take the flavour logic of Minnan cuisine, the coastal, soy-forward, seafood-anchored cooking tradition of southern Fujian and the broader Hokkien diaspora, push it with Western methods and compositional thinking. The result sits in productive tension between familiar and unexpected. Dishes taste grounded in local tradition while showing clear evidence of a chef who has thought hard about why each element is on the plate.

Michelin team specifically cites two dishes. The oyster omelette layers umami from the oyster with the crunch of water chestnut and celery, a textural contrast that elevates a dish most Xiamen diners grew up eating. The slow-cooked pork belly with shiitake is the other anchor: long-cooked, deeply flavoured, the kind of dish that reads as comfort food until you notice the precision behind it. Both are worth ordering. For anyone exploring the Minnan tradition more broadly, Si Xia Li sits in good company with venues like Hokklo in Xiamen and, further afield, Wenru No.9 in Fuzhou and Hokkien Cuisine in Chengdu, though Si Xia Li's price-to-recognition ratio is harder to match.

Bib Gourmand designation is not a consolation prize for venues that could not reach a star; Michelin awards it specifically to restaurants offering high-quality cooking at moderate prices. At ¥¥, Si Xia Li hits that mark in a city where strong Fujian cooking at the higher end, as represented by venues like Yanyu (Jiahe Road) or 1927 Dong Yuan Si Chu, commands significantly more per head. For a city-wide view of where Si Xia Li sits relative to the full dining field, see our full Xiamen restaurants guide.

For food-focused travellers who track Minnan cuisine across its diaspora, Si Xia Li belongs in the same conversation as Xin Rong Ji (Xinyuan South Road) in Beijing and Ru Yuan in Hangzhou, though those venues operate at higher price points and with different ambitions. Si Xia Li's value is specific: serious technique, Bib-level recognition, a neighbourhood address that keeps prices in check.

At a ¥¥ neighbourhood restaurant with Michelin recognition, that consistency is the signal that matters most.

Practical Details

Budget: ¥¥, moderate pricing for Xiamen; expect to eat well without stretching your budget. Booking difficulty: Easy, the Bib Gourmand brings attention, but this is not a high-difficulty reservation. Book ahead to be safe, especially on weekends, but walk-in availability is plausible on quieter evenings. Location: Dingaozai, Siming District, away from the tourist core, so plan your journey. If you are combining dinner here with other visits, our Xiamen hotels guide can help with base location. Phone / Website: Not listed, check local booking platforms or arrive directly. Hours: Not confirmed in our data, verify locally before visiting. Dress: Casual; this is a neighbourhood restaurant, not a formal dining room.

How It Compares

See the comparison section below.

Also Worth Your Time in Xiamen

If Si Xia Li does not fit your schedule or you want to build a fuller picture of Xiamen's dining options, A Zhong Shi Fang and Bai Jia Chun Hao De Lai Jiang Mu Ya (Zhongxing Road) offer strong Fujian cooking at different price points and atmospheres. For a broader stay in the city, see our Xiamen bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide.