Chengdu Dining

People's Daily Online, July 26, 2012

 

There are three categories in Chengdu cuisine, Sichuan Cuisine, Hotpot, and Snack.

 

Sichuan Cuisine

 

Sichuan cuisine has developed over the centuries. Its distinctive flavors entice people throughout China and recently in foreign countries.

 

Sichuan cuisine is famous for piquancy, but its flavoring is complex as well as hot. Typical dishes include the following:

 

Ma Po Tofu (Bean curd with mince and chili oil): one of the most influential flavors of Sichuan cuisine, served in every Sichuan restaurant. Chen Ma Po's Bean Curd Restaurant at No. 197, West Yulong Street serves the most delicious and local one. For hundreds of years, Ma Po's Bean Curd has been popular among people all over China, even throughout the world.

 

Kung Pao Chicken (Spicy diced chicken with peanuts): a specialty of Sichuan cuisine, diced chicken, hot pepper and peanuts.

 

Fish Flavored Shredded Pork: fish-flavored dish in the unique style of Sichuan cuisine. Ingredients include shredded pork, agarics, bamboo shoot and carrot. The delicious dish has no fish but has the flavor of fish.

 

Twice Cooked Spicy Pork Slices: A traditional Sichuan dish. The tasty pork slices are fried crisp without greasiness.

 

Famous Sichuan Restaurants:

 

Piaoxue Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant: No. 10, Qintai Road

 

Shizilou Restaurant: No. 55, Shuanglin Road

 

Baguo Biyi: No. 20, Fourth Section, Renmin South Road

 

 

Hotpot

 

When people think of Chengdu, they immediately think of hotpot. Introduced from Chongqing, Chengdu hotpot has its own style ranging from simple spicy to moderate, three or four kinds of spices, as well as fish head hotpot, medical herbs hotpot, etc.

 

Huangcheng Laoma Restaurant: an old-fashioned hot pot restaurant, regarded as No. 1 among Chengdu hotpot restaurants. It is situated at No. 20, Qintai Road, Qingyang District, Chengu. A worthy representative of Sichuan culture and diet, Huangcheng Laoma offers hotpot, plus stunning entertainment -- a Changing Face opera performance/shadow play.

 

Shizilou Restaurant: another old-fashioned hotpot restaurant, offers hotpots with half spicy and half light soup. It has several branches in Chengdu, one located at No. 2, Wannianchang Road, Chenghua District.

 

Tanyutou Restaurant: near Qingyang Palace at No. 227, Qingyang Zhengjie, Qingyang District, branches all over the country. Its delicious specialty, fish head, differs from that of other restaurants.

 

Snacks

 

Hidden in the streets and lanes of Chengdu, snack bars still send out savory flavors.

 

The most renowned snacks include: Fu Qi Fei Pian (Braised Cow Lungs): Actually beef, heart and tongue take the place of lungs. This tasty dish is made with particular condiments using a delicate process. Specializing in this dish, Jingcheng Yuan Restaurant is located at No. 23, Zongfu Road, center of Chengdu.

 

Chuan Chuan Xiang: also called Ma La Tang, vegetables, sausages, shrimps and anything edible can be threaded onto a bamboo stick and cooked in the hot pot.

 

Lai Tang Yuan (Lai's Glutinous Rice Ball): the nutritious glutinous rice ball made by Lai (Surname of the maker) is soft and sweet.

 

With more branches than McDonald's, Lai Tang Yuan is easy to find in Chengdu.

 

Long Chao Shou (Long Wonton): with thin skin and tender stuffing, the savory snack is popular among locals and tourists. There are several branches in Chengdu: Chunxi Road Branch: No. 8, South Section of Chunxi Road, Jinjiang District Huanhua Branch: No. 9-3, Huahua North Road, Qingyang District Zhixin Branch: No. 1-14, Zhixin North Street, Wuhou District

 

Western Food Restaurants:

 

There are dozens of KFC restaurants in Chengdu, including:

 

Zongfu Restaurant: Floor 2, No 21-27,

 

Zongfu Road Renmin Road Restaurant: Renmin Shopping Mall

 

Chunxi Restaurant: Chunxi Mension, No.1-21, Da Kejia Lane

 

Tens of McDonald's Restaurants, including Chunxi Restaurant: Wangfujing Shopping Mall

 

Several Pizza Hut Restaurants:

 

Yanshikou Restaurant: No. 9, Lihua Street (floor 1, Hualian Shopping Mall)

 

Zufu Restaurant: No. 6, Zongfu Road (Ziwei Hotel)

 

Kehua Restaurant: No. 9, Kehua Zhong Road