For those who are familiar with Sichuan cuisine, two ingredients are crowned king and queen - chilli and Sichuan pepper. Before chilli was introduced to Sichuan, the majority of the cooking was characterized by a sweet and peppery taste (this is still the case with more classic dishes). However, nowadays chilli and Sichuan pepper have become inseparable as the soul of Sichuan cuisine. Don't be discouraged by dishes soaked in vibrant red chilli oil, you may get hooked!
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| Chongqing Spicy Noodle w Peas 经典豌杂面￥16 |
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| Special Beef Rib Noodles 秘制大排面 ￥15 |
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| Brown Sugar Bun 红糖锅盔￥6 |
Food: 8.5/10
Atmosphere: 7.5/10
Hygiene: 6/10
Address: 金阳路148号
Highlight:
- Affordable authentic taste
- Hygiene up to scratch
- None
天府掌柜
This is a one-stop-shop for those wanting to try traditional Chengdu dishes and in particular local street snacks.
三大炮￥9 "San Da Pao" - Three Canons: while the name sounds terrifying, I can reassure you there is nothing explosive on this plate. The name describes the way the dish is made. First, glutinous rice is steamed and pounded into a dough. Then the dough is rolled into a smaller dough, which is bounced off a set of copper plates making a loud "bang" before landing in a tray of soybean powder. After the sticky dough is coated in soybean powder, a spoonful of brown sugar syrup is drizzled on top to finish it off.
叶儿粑￥9 "Ye’er Ba" - these steamed glutinous rice cakes, marked by young green leaves as wrappers, are special treats eaten during Chinese New Year and Tomb-Sweeping Day in the Sichuan region. The cake has a soft gelatinous texture and a faint fragrance from the leaf.
银丝饼￥12 "Yin Si Juan" - this pastry is another classic snack, with the appearance similar to Middle Eastern kanafeh. The stringy pastry has a flaky and crispy texture, with a sweet peanut filling.
芋儿鸡￥38 - fried potato with chicken chunks, a homey dish.
回锅肉￥39 "Hui Guo Rou" - Twice Cooked Pork Belly: a dish that almost every Sichuanese knows how to cook. The pork belly is first braised before sliced thin and stir-fried with fermented bean paste and leek.
老麻抄手￥12 "Chao shou" is a Sichuan version of wontons. The locals referred to it as "Chao Shou" because it looks like the shape of a folded hand. Unlike the clear soup wonton, this one is served in vivid red chilli soup.
鲜虾烧卖￥38 "Siu Mai" - a not so traditional Sichuan dish, yet delicious.
糖油果￥14 "Tang You Guo Zi" - these deep-fried glutenous balls are something that we fell in love with this trip. When fried fresh, the balls are super crunchy, and have a caramel taste on the outside because of the brown sugar. Sadly, these ones we got weren't cooked fresh and so were cold and chewy.
Atmosphere: 5/10
Hygiene: 5/10
Address: 锦官驿街1号水璟唐8栋1号
Highlight:
- A one-stop-shop for some classic Sichuan dishes
- Taste-wise, most dishes were mediocre and not authentic
谭豆花
“Dou Hua”, literally tofu flower, is a variation of tofu. Compared to traditional tofu, it has a softer texture, almost delicate like a flower. Something that originally started off as a humble breakfast dish, it is now a snack enjoyed throughout the day.
牛肉豆花￥7 "Niu Rou Dou Hua" - beef dou hua: this dish was topped with beef mince, spring onion, crushed peanuts, chilli oil and fried chips. All these blend well with the silky smooth tofu.
甜水面￥8 "Tian Shui Mian" literally means sweet water noodles. With a simple sweet paste, the focus is placed on the dense gummy texture of the thick-cut noodles. We didn't enjoy this dish as much, it was too much on the sweet side for us.
钟水饺￥7 "Zhong Shui Jiao" - Zhong's Dumpling is named after the inventor Zhong Shaobai. With pork as the only ingredient, it is always dressed in red chilli oil, which is slightly sweet, salty and spicy.
冰醉豆花￥5 "Bing Zui Dou Hua " - this iced tofu was sweet and soothing, mixed in with sweet fermented rice, which gives it a mild, sweet and mellow alcohol aroma.
Atmosphere: 3/10
Hygiene: 2/10
Address: 西大街86附13号
Highlight:
- Probably the best "dou hua" chain in Chengdu
- There is also a good array of traditional snacks, and the taste is relatively authentic
- You'll have to overlook the hygiene and atmosphere (and share a table with others)
清粥小菜
水晶包 "Har Gao" - We were a little surprised to find these prawn dumplings, a common dim sum, here. They had the right texture and flavours, nothing to fault.
松茸鸡冠饺￥13 (Matsutake Dumplings) - These tasted similar to the Har Gao, except more mushroomy.
川北凉粉￥12 "Chuanbei Liangfen" - another cold appetiser made with mung bean power. The mung bean jelly itself doesn't have much flavour, and so the sauce plays a critical part. A mix of spices went into the sauce, and there was certainly a Sichuan touch to it. This particular dish originated in the Qing Dynasty in the city of Nanchong, and has become a famous Sichuan dish.
野菜锅摊￥9 (Wild Vegetable Crepe) - this crepe had a refreshing light grassy aroma.
Food: 7/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Hygiene: 5/10
Address: 广福桥北街8号花样年华商铺附21号
Highlight:
- A good selection of Sichuan and other Chinese (non-spicy) dishes
- Won't give you the most authentic Sichuan experience
小名堂
甜水面 "Tian Shui Mian" - One of Sichan's classic street snacks, these noodles are about the thickness of a chopstick, and are chewy in texture. They are served with a thick peanut paste, and topped with Sichuan pepper and a hint of chilli oil.
抄手 "Chao Shou" is something you will find in almost every small food joint in Sichuan. Looking almost like wontons, these dumplings, stuffed with pork, are served dry with a hint of chilli oil and soy sauce.
What's iconic about this dish is that everything is skewered onto a stick, and served in a massive earthenware bowl. The bowl usually comes with some chicken skewers and an assortment of vegetables. All ingredients are first cooked before being submerged in a chilli sauce containing more than 20 different spices. This dish is enjoyed cold, and is convenient to eat and share.
Food: 6/10
Atmosphere: 4/10
Hygiene: 4/10
Address: 东城根上街达州宾馆楼下
Highlight:
- A cheap and cheery place to sample a variety of local street snacks
- Ignore the flies and the hygiene aspects (a reality at most small restaurants in China)
马旺子
The restaurant itself has a modern Chinese touch to it, and there was no hygiene issue.
老坛酸菜嫩鸡柳￥49 (Chicken Filet w Fermented Vegetables) -
Sichuan people love pickles, they love them so much that each household makes its own. In this dish, the pickles were the highlight and gave the dish it's unique acidic flavour.
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| Handmade Steamed Bun, Brow Sugar Bun, Corn Cake |
老面红糖锅盔￥4ea (Brown Sugar Bun) - this is a typical Sichuan sweet snack, it's basically a pan-fried bun with brown sugar in the middle.
手工银丝卷￥4ea (Handmade Roll) - a twisty steamed bun intended to be plain, typically enjoyed over breakfast.
玉米粑￥4ea (Sweetcorn Pancake) - tastes like the name suggests.
红枣糕￥6ea (Red Dates Pudding)
These puddings were packed with flavour and shared a refreshing coconut centre.
冰粉￥8ea (Clear Grass Jelly) - The translucent jelly was served with a brown sugar syrup and topped with some peanuts and grains. It is usually enjoyed in the summer time as a cold snack.
Food: 8.5/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Hygiene: 7/10
Address: 大慈寺东糠市街1号
Highlight:
- Modern Sichuan cuisine retaining an authentic taste
- Be there early to secure a table (expect 30-60 minutes wait)
