On a weekday afternoon, the basement food hall of a central shopping centre was packed. Office workers queued for Chongqing noodles, while a different noodle joint from a major Chinese hotpot chain drew its own crowd.
At opposite ends sat two restaurants specialising in fish: one founded in Shenzhen and the other serving the dish Sichuan-style. Across the aisle, a milk tea shop from Xiamen served iced drinks alongside a busy Luckin Coffee counter.