The Place
Feitun offers a palatable composite of Singaporean and Malaysian cuisines, with Thai and Indonesian dishes thrown in for good measure. In other words, this new restaurant delivers a Southeast Asian smack to the palate. 
The restaurant, which is housed on the ground floor of Royal Hotel Guangzhou, hosts dozens of tables and one charcoal grill laden bench with marshmallows ready to be barbecued.
While the establishment does have traditional printed menus, it also trendily offers patrons a digital, WeChat-hosted menu, which is the recommended method of browsing Feitun’s edible offerings and placing your order.
The Food
The bill of fare here includes the national dishes of Singapore and Malaysia, as well as a range of charcoal satay.
The much lauded, time-tested bak kut teh (Hokkien dialect for ‘meat bone tea’, RMB38), introduced to Singapore and Malaysia in the 19th century by Chinese coolies, is a signature and must-try dish. It’s a piquant broth boiled with meaty pork ribs, bones, garlic and a complex selection of herbs.
The tea portion of the dish’s name refers to oolong tea usually served with the meal. Here the light-colored, flavorful bak kut teh comes served with youtiao (a type of Chinese cruller) and a sweet soy bean sauce instead of tea. A fair amount of white pepper is used in the dish, a clear indication of Teochew influence.
Another standout menu item is the Kampar curry chicken bread (RMB55), which is prepared on site. Preparation takes about 30 minutes and, when the dish arrives at your table, a waitress will cut it open in the same manner one opens a pomelo.
On our visit the chicken was tender and the bread perfect for sopping up curry.
The famous seafood laksa here allows diners to choose between noodles and rice vermicelli. Unfortunately, its taste is less impressive than its well-reputed counterpart at the perished Pandan.
Also worth a try are the Sumbal mussels (RMB36), fresh mussels smothered in an intoxicating hot sauce.
Other notable dishes include Hainanese chicken rice (RMB36), one of several contenders for the title of Singapore’s national dish; crab bee hoon (RMB158), a vermicelli dish served with a whole crab; and the popular, normally out-of-stock charcoaled durian (RMB50).
The Vibe
Feitun harbors an all-white décor and trendy minimalist design that, on our visit anyway, seems to attract mostly female visitors. Dining here on a sunny afternoon is relaxing, in part because there aren’t rowdy tables typical of Chinese restaurants.
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: lady groups, lonely men
Good for: food porn, zesty flavors
Nearest metro: Tiyu Xi Lu (Exit A), 5 minutes
Open daily, 11.30am-3pm, 5.30-11pm (Mon-Fri); 11.30am-11pm (Sat-Sun). See listing for Feitun Charcoal Grill.
[Photos by Tristin Zhang]
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