ISSUE #2 FOUND IN

chengdu
成都
 Found in
Chengdu 01.
By Jenny Gao LETTER
FROM THE EDITOR

It was inevitable that Chengdu droll and self-effacing nature. Apart

It’s easy to caricaturize Chengdu as a
playground swarming with beautiful
women, diabolically spicy hotpot and
endless leisurely prusuits
would become China’s newest “it”
city. International media began explor-
ing this ‘unchartered’ frontier some
years back, charmed by its slow pace of
life, fiery flavors and adorable pandas.
But rarely did these expositions delve
deeper than the stereotypical extremes
of the culture. It’s easy to caricaturize
Chengdu as a playground swarming
with beautiful women, diabolically spicy
hotpot and endless leisurely pursuits,
and this wouldn’t be wrong, but it’s
harder to uncover the subtleties and
complexities of the cuisine and culture.
Through this guide, I want to provide
a glimpse into my Chengdu, the city
where I was born and that has given me
endless inspiration through its flavors,
its energy, and its people. This is only
a snapshot in time, as the city evolves
ceaselessly. Restaurants relocate and
close at an alarming rate, and I live in
constant fear that a favorite spot might
have disappeared after a few weeks
away. But what has always remained
consistent is the attitudes of its people,
laid back, playful and quick to smile.
A look at the language of the region,
Sichuan dialect, reveals the speakers’
from phonological differences in
pronunciation and tone, there is an
inherent humor in its cadence and a
vocabulary that doesn’t exist elsewhere
in Mandarin, like the word 巴适 (ba si)
describing something generally great,
delicious or comfortable, vaguely like
the Danish ‘hygge', or the playful 耍
(suah) meaning ‘to have fun’. Locals will
go to the depths of back alleys and 卡
卡角角 (kaka gogo) or ‘hard-to-reach
corners’ in search of the best 苍蝇馆
(cang yin guan), literally, ‘fly’ restaurant,
an old and run-down hole-in-the-wall
with food so good that locals, compar-
ing themselves to flies, just can’t
stay away.
Fly restaurants, which I focus on at
length in this guide, are an essential
lens through which to experience the
city. They exemplify the attitude of
the Chengdu people; no matter who
you are or what you do, everyone
momentarily unites in a singular quest
for flavor, sharing tables on the side-
walk for a taste of some of the best
food around. Flavor trumps everything
around here, and appreciating good
food is part of mastering the art of
living. Locals discover these home-style

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 eateries in much the same way you or
I might, by wandering their neighbor-
hoods, getting lost, and stumbling
upon a gem. I encourage you to do the
same, and see what you find. The small
streets to the north of Kuan Zhai Alley
(Jixiang Street to Paotongshu Street)
are a wonderful place to do that, and I
provide a few good starting points.
the best of cutting-edge local and
International fashion. This guide offers
a glimpse into the state of culture in
Chengdu at this moment, through
the lens of good food and design. So
slow down to its pace, share a table
with strangers in a 苍蝇馆, and get
lost exploring the 卡卡角角 of the city.
You’ll be amazed at what you find. c

The face of the city is changing

however, with many of the fly restau-
rants in this list having ‘upgraded’ to
new digs and more facing impending
closure as the city sweeps away the
old and ushers in the new. Nowhere is
that more apparent than the contrast
of neighborhoods surrounding Taikooli,
Swire’s shiny shopping area and the
remnants of old Chengdu life that dot
the streets around it.

Creators, innovators and entrepreneurs

have embraced the city’s evolutionary
nature and are straddling tradition and
modernization with ease. See exam-
ples like the restored historic Chondeli
compound which houses an excellent
Sichuan private kitchen, boutique hotel
and modern tea house, or Dressing
For Fun, an edgy shop in a traditional
residential neighborhood showcasing

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06 Sleep found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU Sleep 07
 Sichuan
Food For thousands of years, Sichuan was known
Primer as “the land of plenty”
In China, Sichuan food is known for its
complex and sophisticated canon of
tastes, but much of it has never made
its way over to the West, where it’s
invariably known for only a few dishes
and face-numbing heat and spice,
which grossly underestimates the
cuisine.
Chengdu sits in the Sichuan basin,
which is flanked by mountains on
all sides and the vast Qinghai-Tibet
plateau to the west, making it so
difficult to reach that the Tang Dynasty
poet Li Bai described getting there
as “more difficult than the road to
heaven.” But its fertile plains lured
many onto the journey, and dynastic
upheavals over the last few thousand
years have drawn continuous waves
of immigrants into the province. Each
wave brought along its own culinary
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and cultural customs, making Sichuan
food one of the original fusion cuisines.
For thousands of years, Sichuan was
known as “the land of plenty”
(天府之国 tianfuzhiguo). Its warm,
wet climate and fertile plains created
agricultural abundance, which was
increased in the third century B.C. with
the completion of the massive and
sophisticated Dujiangyan Irrigation
Project, harnessing the power of
Sichuan’s many rivers.
Located along the Silk Road and Tea
Horse Road, major trade routes to the
West, Sichuan also absorbed many
outside influences into its culture and
culinary practices, most notably the
adoption of chili peppers from South
America and cooking techniques from
northern and eastern parts of China. c
09
 辣
According to principles of traditional Chinese
medicine, dampness creates imbalance in the
body and must be driven out by eating foods
that are “heating” in nature. In the early
days, the heat came not from chilies but from

SPICE
a combination of ginger, Sichuan pepper,
and cornel berries, the ruby red fruit of the
cornus mas plant. These aromatics comprise
the 辛辣 xin la, or pungent spice flavor, that
is valued by Sichuan chefs over pure, fiery
heat. It wasn’t until the 16th century that chili
peppers arrived in coastal China via maritime
trade routes, and centuries later that they
were cultivated in Sichuan. Locals adopted
chilies as they discovered their perfect
harmony with the aromatic numb of Sichuan
pepper, and they became an integral part of
the cuisine.

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 ERJINGTIAO CHILI AT A MARKET
IN SHUANGLIU VILLAGE

WHOLESALE SPICE
MARKET IN CHENGDU

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 辣椒
CHILI
二荆条 Erjingtiao, the most popular variety
of chili in Sichuan, is known for its mild
spice but intense fragrance. It doesn’t
overwhelm the taste of a dish but instead

PEPPER
heightens sensations and awakens the palate
to deeper flavors. Its uses are varied and
inventive: dry-fried in oil for a scorched-chili
flavor; fermented with fava beans for Sich-
uan’s famous doubanjiang; pickled to lend
acidity to fish-fragrant sauce; ground up and
combined with aromatics to create the canvas
for the most fragrant chili oil; and mixed
with various other spices to make dozens
of Sichuan flavor profiles from mala (spicy
and numbing) to guaiwei (strange flavor), a
perfect balance of sweet, savory, spicy, sour,
and numbing.
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 符合味
COMP
Not all of the region’s flavor profiles are
spicy. Sichuan chefs are famous for combining
a limited number of ingredients to form at
least 24 compound flavors known as fu he

OUND
wei. Of these, only about seven feature the
spiciness famously associated with Sichuan
cuisine. Lesser known but just as iconic, 椒盐
味型 jiaoyanweixing (salt–and–Sichuan pepper

FLAV
flavor) is a deceptively simple combination
of roasted ground Sichuan pepper and salt
but is inventively applied on everything from
fried chicken to freshly baked butter cookies.
“Lychee flavor” has no lychees in it but

OURS
combines sweet and sour notes in imitation
of the fruit and is applied to a savory canvas
like fried pork over rice. What unifies all
of 24 flavors is a complex 鲜 xian(umami)
quality that doesn’t overshadow the natural
taste of raw ingredients but delicately draws
out their essence.
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 辣
An ancient Chinese spice that has been culti-
vated in Sichuan for thousands of years,
huajiao (Sichuan pepper) is responsible for
the cuisine’s famous tongue-tingling sensa-
tion. Some believe its use in Sichuan cooking

SICHUAN
is to numb the senses enough to allow one to
eat even more chilies. Huajiao is actually the
seed of a tree in the citrus family and isn’t
related to the common peppercorn. There

PEPPER
are dozens of varieties of in China, but the
most famous is grown in Qingxi village, along
the mountainous Tea Horse Road, an ancient
trading route dedicated to the transport of
tea and spices from China to the West. The
small village produces a variety called 贡椒
gongjiao (Tribute Pepper), so prized for its
many medicinal and culinary uses that it was
offered in tribute to the emperor. The deli-
cate kernels are painstakingly hand-harvested
every August in small quantities and sell out
almost immediately. Thrown whole into long
braises and stews or roasted and ground to
top iconic dishes like mapo tofu and twice-
cooked pork, just-harvested gongjiao can be
transformational.
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 苍蝇馆
FLY
No discussion about food in Sichuan can
ignore the 苍蝇馆子 (fly restaurant), an iconic
fixture of Chengdu that has come to embody
the very soul of Sichuan cooking. The name is

RESTAU
given to hole-in-the-wall restaurants that are
old and run-down, but so delicious they still
attract people like flies. The prerequisites for
a fly restaurant are 1. an impossible-to-find

RANT
location down alleys and around corners;
2. walls streaked with years of blackened
grease; 3. zero advertising or atmosphere;
and most important, 5. incredible flavors.
Each restaurant has its own signature dishes
that have been passed down and honed and
over generations. Fly restaurants are some of
the few places where luxury cars are parked
next to old bicycles and where, for a brief
moment, everybody hunkers down at the
same tables, pressed back to back with their
neighbors, united in the common pursuit of a
delicious meal.
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 BLANKET NOODLES
WITH PICKLED CHILI
AND CHICKEN GIZZARD

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 小吃
Even before fly restaurants, there were
vendors hawking tasty and inventive snacks
on the bustling streets of Chengdu. In the
late-19th to early-20th century, the buzz of
commerce filled the air, and enterprising

STREET
merchants created what is now Sichuan’s
famously diverse canon of street food:
steamed buns, wontons, freshly made soft
tofu drizzled with chili oil and pickles, hand-

SNACKS
pulled noodles, and so many others, all
sold on mobile carts or in baskets, slung on
bamboo poles over the shoulder. Many in
my parents’ and grandparents’ generation
remember those days as the golden era of
street food. Competition was fierce, and
excellence was requisite.

The winds of change swept through when

“capitalist” vendors were driven off the
streets during the Cultural Revolution, and
their goods eventually disappeared. These
days a lot of the more famous snacks can
still be found in state-owned restaurants,
which offer a sampling of every dish in a set
menu; but the flavors are usually abysmal
compared to their former glory. Great snack
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 stalls still exist but just need more sleuthing
to be found.

A place that my mother went to as a child

still serves the same thick, chewy strands of
甜水面 tianshuimian (sweet-water noodle),
bathed in an elixir of chili oil, sweet soy,
garlic, and sesame paste. A wooden cart with
no name parked by a red-brick wall outside
an elementary school still serves the same
light and fluffy egg pancake, called 蛋烘糕
danhonggao, stuffed with spicy stewed pork
and pickled radish. A stall on a busy street
corner still kneads bits of ground pork spiced
with huajiao and salt into flaky, chewy dough;
the dough is pressed into a flatbread called
锅盔 guokui, which is then fried to a golden
crisp on a griddle.

MR DENG’S TANGYOU GUOZI,

FRIED GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS
COATED IN A DECADENT
CARAMEL

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 More than just Sichuan’s favorite dish, hot
pot is a way of life. Locals eat hot pot at
least once a week. Either at restaurants or
at home with family and friends, they sit
around a bubbling pot of soup teeming with
chili peppers, lard, and spices. The difference
between Sichuan hot pot and versions from
other parts of China is that the flavor is in the
pot rather than the dipping sauce. The soup

火锅
base is a complex layering of flavors built
upon a base of rich beef tallow, fermented
fava-bean paste, and chili oil, and up to a
dozen spices and herbs thrown in as well.

HOT POT
The result is a red-hot cauldron of flavor for
cooking an enormous variety of ingredients,
with only sesame oil, raw garlic, and a sprin-
kling of MSG used as a dipping sauce.

Eating hot pot is a social event, and it’s

a marathon rather than a sprint. It’s not
uncommon for gatherings to graze languidly
over the pot for hours, at which point the last
remaining morsels in the pot can be terrify-
ingly spicy—to the point of hallucination. In
the early 20th century some restaurateurs,
hoping to keep customers coming back for
more, heightened these physical sensations
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 still further with the (now illegal) addition
of opium in the broth. In recent years inno-
vations in hot pot have spurned trends like
麻辣烫 malatang and 串串香 chuanchuanx-
iang, both variations of meat and vegetables
skewered on bamboo sticks, cooked in spicy
broth, and dipped in ground chili and sesame.
The skewers can be served hot or, increas-
ingly popular in summer months, cold, as 冷锅 ONE HOT POT A DAY KEEPS
THE DOCTOR AWAY
串串 lengguochuanchuan.

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 卤菜
Another frequent sight on the streets of
Sichuan are storefronts with wide windows,
displaying caramel-colored poultry hanging
from the ceiling and trays of stewed aromatic
meats along with innards, tongues, ears, and

STEWED
tails. An essential part of the culinary lexicon,
卤菜 lucai is a mainstay of Sichuan homestyle
cooking. They serve as banquet centerpieces
and as cold appetizers before a meal. Meats

MEATS
are slow-cooked until tender in a rich and
flavorful broth that has been seasoned with
over 10 different spices, including cardamom,
dried ginger, chili, and traditional medicinal
herbs. The meats are then sliced and served
at room temperature.

Old shops claim that the secret to their

aromatic broths is years of adding to and
replenishing their soup bases. A cross
between the tradition of lucai and hot pot
has recently produced the 冒菜 maocai craze.
Now a popular street food, maocai consists
of a choice of meat or vegetables, cooked in
a broth heavy with aromatics and medicinal
herbs, then dressed in a chili sauce or dipped
in a mixture of dry chili and spices.

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 BAMBOO CHUAN CHUAN SKEWERS
COOKED TO ORDER

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 泡菜
Pickled vegetables are fundamental to
Sichuan cooking and, eaten along with rice,
are arguably the most important part of a
meal. The pride of every household is its
collection of 泡菜坛子 paocaitanzi, handmade

PICKLES
earthenware urns with a trough around the
neck that acts as a water seal for the lid. The
dark environment within fosters the perfect
conditions for lacto-fermentation; vegetables
emerge from the urns naturally crunchy and
acidic, distinctly flavored with Sichuan rice
wine, ginger, cassia bark, star anise, huajiao,
and chili.

Like lushui broth, pickling brine can be

decades old, passed down by the matriarchs
of the family, each generation adding its
own signature to the flavor. Different crocks
serve different purposes, some holding “old
pickles” like the long-fermented mustard
leaves used in the broth for 酸菜鱼 suancaiyu
(pickled-vegetable fish). Others are expressly
used for pickles to be left in the crock just
overnight; such vegetables have a high water
content, like cucumbers, celtuce, and small
radishes, giving them the name “shower
pickles.” Often served for free as an appe-
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 tizer, it’s not uncommon to judge a restaurant
based on the quality of its pickles or a house-
hold on the cleanliness of its crock. Despite
the simple ingredients and process, consis-
tently perfect pickles are remarkably difficult
to produce. Some claim that only the water
and climate in Sichuan produce the right
conditions for pickling; others say that some
people’s hands are ill suited to the craft and
will spoil them every time.

Like much else in Sichuan’s food culture, pick-

ling is an art and tradition that is steadfastly
preserved, protected, and celebrated. As
the Chinese saying goes, 民以食为天 minyishi-
weitian, “to the people, food is heaven”.

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 The
Guide
EAT DRINK SLEEP CULTURE SHOP ESCAPE
Very very affordable
Very affordable
Affordable
Treat
Super treat

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 MING TING 明婷饭店
The most famous of all Chengdu’s fly restau-
rants, Ming Ting was immortalized on shows
like BBC’s Exploring China and Vice’s Huang’s
EDITOR’S PICKS

EAT
World. Several years ago, the historic wet
market where it opened shop was zoned for
demolishment, and the restaurant found a
new location not too far away. The more ster-
ile new digs don’t quite live up to the charms
of the former, but Ming Ting is still perpetually
packed with locals and tourists who flock to fill
up on inventive and delicious home-style food.
Order: 荷叶酱肉 Lotus leaf wrapped steamed
pork belly, 脑花豆腐 Pigs brain tofu, 呛香鱼
Smoky Fragrant Fish 粉丝莲白 Vermicelli and
Cabbage 奇香排骨 Fragrant pork ribs.
Chengdu is a gourmand’s playground, with its
cornucopia of dining options from hole-in-the-wall ZHANG LAO ER
fly restaurants and snack stalls to 24 hour hot pot 外曹家巷26号附6号 LIANGFEN 洞子口张老二凉粉
and fine dining, there’s something for everyone 26 Outer Caojia Alley No. 6
11:00-21:00 Daily Zhang Lao Er Liangfen is a 70 year old shop
028-83315978 well respected for its no-nonsense service and
consistently excellent noodles. The size of a
shoebox, you have to be quick to grab one
of its 30 seats around the communal tables as
they’re never empty for long. A large menu at
the entrance list the standards like red chili oil
dumplings, dan dan noodles, and mung bean
jelly. But the tianshuimian, or ‘sweet water
noodles’, are the highlight here. Each bowl
is assembled and seasoned to order as the
cooks add chili oil, sweet soy sauce, sesame
and garlic with a few quick flicks of the wrist.
What makes these noodles special is not just
the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and numb-
ing flavors, but the perfectly thick and chewy
consistency of the hand pulled noodles.
Order: 甜水面 Sweet water noodles 黄凉粉
Yellow mung bean noodles 担担面 Dan dan
noodles 钟水饺 Zhong dumplings.

文殊院街39号
39 Wenshuyuan Road
8:30-19:00 Daily
028-81910576

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 WANGJI GUOKUI 王记特色锅盔
This may just be one of the most memorable
bites of your trip. Guokui, the classic flatbread
snack, comes in many forms in Chengdu. They
are either baked or fried, and usually stuffed
with sweet or savory options. This version is
hand-kneaded to order, with lard, scallions,
and minced pork or beef laced throughout
the dough, then fried to a golden, flaky crisp.
Each bite is intensely savory, with a tingle of
Sichuan pepper that lingers on your palate.
Order: 猪肉锅盔 Pork guokui.
新华大道德胜路北东街交界处
Intersection of Desheng Road
and Gulou North 3rd Street
08:00-18:00
GONG TING BAKERY 宫廷糕点铺
With so much choice, it’s easy to overlook one
of the city’s culinary gems, a humble bakery
with a cult following and over a hundred years
of history. Gong Ting Bakery, a favorite with
locals, churns out quality baked goods with
unusual flavor profiles, like their famous 椒盐
桃酥, ‘salt and Sichuan pepper’ cookies that
are an addictive balance of sweet and savory,
and melt in your mouth with a refreshing tingle
of Sichuan pepper. There are six locations and
one of the most popular is just down the street
from Wenshu Monastery. You can’t miss it with
the perpetual queue out the door, but this one
is worth the wait.
Order: 椒盐桃酥 Salt and pepper cookies
(small size), but almost everything is good
here.
酱园公所街58号2栋1层56号
（近文殊院）58 Jiangyuan
Gongsuo Road Bld 2 Unit 56
(Near Wenshu Temple)
08:00-21:00
028-86942646
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BROTHER QIU GUOKUI
邱二哥锅盔
Brother Qiu has been making his oven-baked
guokui for decades inside the gates of this res-
idential compound. His, the sweet version, is
filled with brown sugar and lard, and baked in-
side a tandoori style oven. Neighbors can of-
ten be seen stocking up on dozens at a time.
Order: 红糖锅盔 Red sugar guokui
金丝街45号大门口（近百家塘
街）45 Jinsi Street main gate
07:00-19:00
MR. DENG’S TANGYOU GUOZI
邓师傅糖油果子
Tangyou guozi are an old-school street snack
of fried glutinous rice balls coated in caramel-
ized sugar and sesame seeds served on a bam-
boo skewer. I never thought I liked them until
I tried Mr. Deng’s version with their ethereal-
ly light texture and addictive ever-so-slightly
burnt caramel coating. A fixture on the corner
of Jixiang Street and Tongren Road, he has
been churning them out of a mobile wok sta-
tion for years, but has recently upgraded to a
small stall on the side of a car repair shop.
Order: 糖油果子 Tangyou Guozi
吉祥路和铜仁中路交叉口
Corner of Jixiang Street and
Middle Tongren Road (Next to
car repair shop)
12:00-20:00
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 MOTHER WANG’S ROAST
RABBIT 王妈手撕烤兔
Perhaps little known to visitors, rabbit is one
of the most popular meats consumed in Sich-
uan, partly due to its reputation for being lean
and healthy, but also as the fertile Sichuan ba-
sin provides a ripe breeding ground for them
to, well, multiply like rabbits. In the city, you
can find all kinds of prepared rabbit meat for
sale, from the ubiquitous roasted rabbit heads
to drumsticks slathered in chili oil and five
spice. Mother Wang’s is an institution that’s
a must-visit on every trip. Perfectly roasted
whole rabbit is coated in a choice of mala or
five spice flavor, conveniently shrink wrapped
for travel and are a perfect accompaniment
to street beers. The Yulin location is open 24
hours for those late-night snack attacks.
Order: 麻辣手撕烤兔 Whole or half mala
hand-torn roast rabbit
玉林横街26号附26-27门面（
近玉林菜市场）26 Yulin Cross
Street North Alley
All Day
028-85554035
048
RONG RONG BLANKET
NOODLES 蓉荣北大铺盖面
There are hundreds of noodle varieties in Si-
chuan, but ‘blanket noodles’ has always been
one of my favorites. Large sheets of chewy
noodle fold over themselves in the bowl like
a silken blanket, and the noodle making pro-
cess is as fun to watch as it is to eat. Watch as
the experienced cooks stretch highly glutinous
dough into large thick swaths and tear them
into vats of boiling water to cook. The finished
noodle is topped with your choice of hot broth
and a variety of toppings. Chicken giblet blan-
ket noodles
Order: 牛肉铺盖面 Beef blanket noodles and
鸡杂铺盖面 chicken giblet blanket noodles
城隍庙北大街 近星辉西街
Chenghuangmiao North
Street, Near Xinghui West
Street
07:00-21:00
13198520879
found in CHENGDU
DRY CHILI WONTONS 干海椒抄手
Hidden deep inside a residential compound,
this gem may be impossibly hard to find, but
don’t underestimate the crowds of ‘flies’ that
flock here for tasty hand-made wontons be-
ing churned out of a tiny apartment kitchen.
Orders are taken at the door and you wait
for your number to be called. Arrive early to
avoid disappointment as they often sell out
before the end of service.
Order: 干海椒抄手 Dry chili wontons and 土
鸡竹荪汤鲜虾蟹粉抄手 shrimp and crab roe
wontons in chicken soup
建设路71号八二宿舍1区21栋
3单元1楼
71 Jianshe Road, Block 1,
Building 21, Unit 3 1st floor
11:30-14:00 17:30-20:00 DONGZIKO CHENSHI LIANGFEN
Closed in August
洞子口陈氏凉粉
18980083015
One of the last remaining fly restaurants that
still seems untouched by time, the food, ser-
vice and atmosphere here are worth the drive
from the city centre. There’s no menu, stacks
of dishes are wheeled out from the kitchen on
a cart every few minutes, and its first come first
served. Lunch time can be hectic, be prepared
to fight for a table and watch for the food cart
like a hawk. If you see anything you like on
someone else’s table just point to it and the
waiters will fire up the order for you.
Order: 凉拌鸡 Cold chicken 热凉粉 Spicy
mung bean noodle 肝腰合炒 Stir fried kidney
豆瓣鱼 Steamed fish with fava bean paste
洞子口福得路42号
42 Dongziko Fude Street
11:00-21:00
13688189193
found in CHENGDU 049
 There’s no menu, stacks of dishes are
wheeled out from the kitchen on a cart every
few minutes, and its first come first served.

050 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 051

 XIAOTAN DOUHUA TAI SHI ZAI
小谭豆花 太实在
This famous snack stall in the center of town One of the rare fly restaurants still in an orig-
is always packed with locals looking for their inal century-old siheyuan, or courtyard house,
douhua fix, a concoction of soft, silken tofu the days are numbered for this popular local
that makes a delicious base for a variety of canteen as the proprietress prepares for retire-
sweet and savory toppings. One of the most ment following the building’s impending de-
popular items here is the unlikely combination molishment. Dishes change daily and are laid
of soft tofu on hand pulled noodles. Topped out cafeteria style, there’s always a choice of
with chili oil, ground pork, soy sauce and a cold appetizers, hot meat and vegetarian dish-
hint of Sichuan pepper, the result is addictively es, rice, and a daily soup. Update: Still open as
more-ish. of Spring 2018.
Order: 馓子豆花 Sanzi douhua 豆花面 Douhua Order: 鱼香肉丝 Fish fragrant pork slivers
noodles 鱼豆花 Tofu flower 回锅肉 Twice-cooked pork

华兴正街39号
39 Huaxing Upper Street
07:30-21:30
028-86926526
CHUNYANG GUAN NOODLES
纯阳馆鱼香排骨面
Jixiang Road was practically unknown ten
years ago when Mr. Ma first opened his noodle
restaurant specializing in his ‘fish fragrant pork
ribs noodle’. Since then, the neighborhood has
rapidly gentrified as a string of restaurants and
bars exploded onto the scene, but stalwart
Chunyang Guan remains one of the best places
to get a hearty bowl of noodles and wontons.
Make sure to help yourself to some of their
excellent, complimentary house-made pickles.
Order: 红油抄手 Red oil wontons 鱼香
排骨面 Fish fragrant pork rib noodles
平安巷15号（近东城中路）
15 Ping’an Alley, near Dongc-
heng Middle Street
11:00-20:00
028-86269756
CHENGDU CHIKE
成都吃客
One of the best examples of a new-school ‘fly
restaurant’ that’s doing it right, this popular
spot serves up inventive dishes like addictive
shrimp skewers dunked in sizzling hot oil, fried
chicken palms with quail eggs, and cold mari-
nated frog legs in a hot and sour broth. It may
not be traditional, but it’s delicious. If this is
what modern Sichuan street food looks like,
we’d like to see more of it.
Order: 坨坨虾 Tuo tuo shrimp 烤鱼片 Roasted
fish 碳烤五花肉 Charcoal grilled pork belly

吉祥街6号附6号（近长顺路）
6 Jixiang Road Unit 6 奎星楼街8号
08:00-20:00 8 Kuixinglou Street
028-87763150 11:30-13:30 17:30-21:30
13666192694

052 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 053

 MAO LA HUO LA MA WANGZI RESTAURANT
冒椒火辣 马旺子川小馆
The queues here can intimidate, at peak times This very popular restaurant serves Sichuan
reaching up to two hours, but it’s one of the classics in a sleek and modern environment, a
best versions of the chuanchuan craze that solid option when in the Taikooli area. Be pre-
has taken over Chengdu. Choose your own pared to queue.
bamboo skewers laden with marinated meat, Order: 传统水煮鱼 Water boiled fish 碗碗旺
vegetables and innards from the fridge, hand Braised pig blood 玉米粑粑 Corn cake 乐山甜
them to the staff who cook it for you in a vat 皮鸭 Leshan duck
of flavorful, spicy broth, and pay by weight of
skewers consumed.
Order: 老卤鹌鹑蛋 Stewed quail eggs 农家小 大慈寺东糠市街1号小区
洋芋 Farmhouse mini potatos 串串香 Skewers 1 East Kangshi Street
兔腰 Rabbit kidney 11:30-14:00, 17:30-20:30
028-64231923

奎星楼街33号
33 Kuixinglou Street
11:30-14:00, 17:00-22:00
13880055358
NO NAME MAO CAI
无名冒菜
This endearing ‘fly restaurant’ specializes
CIGUO
in maocai, a variation of hot pot where your
吃过餐厅
choice of ingredients are cooked in a boiling
cauldron of broth spiked with TCM herbs. Por- This design-forward restaurant housed with-
tions are enormous so come with a friend or in the historic Chongde Alley compound is
ten and stake out one of the tables in the al- helmed by the architect Wang Hai and his op-
leyway next to the tiny storefront. Only open era-singing wife who have returned to Cheng-
for lunch daily. du after decades running the most popular Si-
Order: 冒牛肉 House special beef 冒菜 As- chuan private kitchen in Hong Kong. They’ve
sorted vegetables 火锅粉 Wide sweet potato taken over the whole compound and convert-
noodles 千层肚 Beef stomach ed it into a 36-seat restaurant, tea house with
one long table, and a 12-room boutique ho-
tel. Reservations are mandatory, tasting menu
only.
西二道街19号附1
19 Xierdao Street
Order: Tasting menu
10:30-14:00
028-83389238
镗钯街88号崇德里
88 Tangba Street
18:00-21:00
028-86002200

054 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 055

056 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU Sleep 057
 WENSHU TEMPLE VEGETARIAN BASHU DAZHAIMEN HOTPOT
RESTAURANT 巴蜀大宅门火锅
文殊院香园 Chengdu is hot pot mecca, and the city over-
The popular vegetarian restaurant within Wen- flows with options, from cauldrons bubbling
shu Temple is a quiet haven in the city and a with medicinal herbal broths to red hot elix-
good option for an inexpensive and delicious irs showcasing the region’s famous mala heat.
meal in the area. The first floor is a self-serve Far and away the most popular kind features
buffet at lunch and dinner and the second a base of intensely fragrant beef tallow, and
floor is a posher version with table service. Bashu Dazhaimen is one of the best. A hot
Order: Vegetarian buffet pot experience is not complete without a vari-
ety of innards like duck intestine, pig stomach,
kidney, and brain. After eating your tongue
文殊院街66号（寺庙） and lips into blissful numbness, the 红糖冰粉
66 Wenshuyuan Street herbal ‘ice jelly’ dessert made with crushed ice
10:00-21:00 will help cool you down.
028-86916831

YU ZHI LAN
玉之兰 北大街91号 （近四川书市）
91 Beida Street
Chengdu chef Lan Guijun has long been well- 11:00-02:00
known among culinary aficionados in Cheng- 028-86920870
du, but only in the last few years has morphed
into his current incarnation; an ambassador of
Sichuan cooking on par with the likes of Yubo.
After a sabbatical where he studied tradition-
al cookery and the art of pottery-making, he
was determined to elevate the aesthetics and
presentation of Sichuan food to match the
BAIJIA INTESTINE NOODLE
most progressive cuisines in the world. His
白家肥肠粉
restaurant, Yu Zhi Lan, is on a quiet, tree-lined Feichangfen, or intestine noodle, is a street
street in the center of town. Black unmarked food classic and addictive with its perfect bal-
doors lead into an intimate four-room house ance of acidity and spice. Knots of pig intes-
where several set-menu options are avail- tine add chewy bite to slippery sweet potato
able. Among the memorable dishes, “golden noodles in a spicy hot broth. Don’t forget a
thread noodles,” a Chengdu street food fa- side of flaky pork guokui to soak up the soup.
vorite, is taken to a next level with free-range Order: 肥肠粉 Intestine noodle 锅盔Guokui
duck egg yolk noodles hand cut into impossi-
bly thin silken strands.
Order: Tasting menu 玉林西街12号
12 Yulin West Street
07:00-20:00
长发街24号
24 Changfa Street
11:00-14:00 17:00-21:00
028-62491966

058 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 059

 GUI’S NOODLE WORKSHOP
私房桂面工作室
Lan Guijin of Yuzhilan’s newest noodle venture
features two set tasting menus (reservation
only) and several á la carte noodle bowls. The
menu varies depending on what’s available
that day, but you can’t really go wrong here, as
all the noodles are hand-made and the broths
simmered for hours with quality ingredients.
Order: The 36 RMB set with sampler portions
of 红油水饺 chili oil dumplings 担担面 dan dan
noodles and 土鸡丝凉面 cold chicken noodles
is good value

泡桐树街12号附9
12 Paotongshu Street Unit 9 LU’S DAN HONG GAO
11:00-14:00 17:00-21:00 工人村陆记蛋烘糕
028-64068621
A favorite childhood snack for many, the hum-
ble danhonggao is simple yet satisfying. Typ-
ically sold in carts stationed across the street
from elementary schools, long lines form be-
fore and after class for the freshly griddled egg
pancakes that somehow manage to be fluffy
and crispy at the same time, like the bottom
edge of a crumpet. There’s usually a choice of
savory or sweet fillings, and this is where Lu’s
options stand out. His ‘Strange Flavor Fragrant
and Spicy” and “Five Spice Sesame” versions
are great, and don’t sleep on his Binfen (ice
jelly) with red sugar. This spot is very popular
so be prepared to wait. Order: 怪味香辣蛋烘
糕 strange flavor danhonggao 绿豆冰粉 mung
bean ice jelly 五香芝麻 five spice sesame

内曹家巷工人村2栋
2 Inner Caojiaxiang Gongrencun
12:00-17:30

060 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 061

 DRINK
EDITOR’S PICKS

Chengdu is the city of leisure, it is said that you can hear the
clinking of mahjong tiles before the plane even descends, and
there is no better way to pass the time than to spend an entire
languid afternoon in a park with bottomless cups of tea, some
friends and a passionate game of mahjong

062 Sleep found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU Sleep 063

 NO MORNING 明婷饭店 KUAN YUN ZHAI YU
Instagram-worthy cafe on a quiet tree-lined 宽云窄雨
cul-de-sac serving simple cakes and desserts, Kuan Yun Zhai Yu (Flowing clouds, drizzling
handmade daily on site along with tea and rains) is an elegant teahouse in the heart of
coffee beverages. The independent book- Kuanzhai Alley, a complex of well-preserved
store and lifestyle shop of the same name courtyard houses along three parallel streets:
next door is also worth a visit. Kuan (wide) Lane, Zhai (narrow) Lane, and Jing
(water well) Lane. The tranquil interior with its
restrained selection of calligraphy, ceramics
青莲上街5号附2号 and furniture, is a quiet respite from the bus-
5 Qinglian Upper Street Unit 2 tling commercial area, providing a haven to
11:00-21:00 Daily enjoy a cup of tea in a modern, functional and
028-86008230 comfortable space.

宽巷子27号 27 Kuan Alley

09:30-22:30

LET’S GRIND FRESH 028-86690808

ROASTED COFFEE
This gem of a coffee shop is run by Gan
Shilin, one of China’s top coffee baristas. A
variety of single-origin beans are roasted
in house and ground to order for each cup.
Beans and other paraphernalia like Chemex
coffeemakers are also available for sale.

ORANVEGCAFE
镗钯街39号 39 Tangba Street 澄素自家烘焙咖啡馆
10:00-19:00
One of the original third-wave coffee shops
18111634646
in Chengdu, the young husband-and-wife
operators are passionate about sourcing and
roasting their beans. Priced out of the previ-
TAN CHA 谈茶
ous location on gentrifying Kuixinglou Street,
A beautifully-designed one-table teahouse they’ve recently moved to a quieter part
inside historic Chongde Alley compound of town.
attached to Ciguo private kitchen and Zhuxia
boutique guesthouse. Great place for a quiet
cup of tea near the bustling Taikooli area.
西安北路二巷38号附8号 38 Xian
North Road 2nd Alley Unit 8
08:00-22:00

镗钯街88号崇德里 13688123440
88 Tangba Street
18:00-21:00
028-86002200

064 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 065

 LOTUS WIZAR
An elegant and low-key bar known for some This upscale cocktail lounge with a wide selec-
of the best cocktails in town. Perfect for a tion of cocktails and flashy space is popular with
quiet drink, serving classics with a local twist young and monied locals, and provides an al-
like the 糖葫芦, a play on candied hawthorne, ternative to Jing Bar when in the Taikooli area.
a familiar schoolyard snack in Chengdu.

东大街99号1楼 99 Dongda Street

1st Floor
青莲上街5号附4号 16:00-02:00
5 Qinglian Upper Street Unit 4
028-81475633
18:00-02:00
028-84551922

ALOOFER
This picture perfect cafe and bar straight out
of the pages of Cereal magazine checks all the
hipster lifestyle brand boxes, from the giant,
photogenic cactus centerpiece in the room
to its daytime flower workshops. The bar pro-
gram is not quite there yet but you can’t beat
the relaxed space for an afternoon tea.

FUGUE BAR
小通巷18-20号 18-20 Xiaotong Alley
This quirky speakeasy deep inside an unre-
10:00-19:00
markable shopping plaza is hidden behind a
028-87469830
wall of jazz LPs. The focus here is on whiskey,
with over three hundred options to satisfy even
the most discerning of malt connoisseurs.
JING BAR
Chic bar with a chilled outdoor lounge over-
looking the inner courtyard of the Temple 大世界商业街1楼138号
House Hotel. Drinks are pricey but well-made
with a large selection of wine by the glass. 18:00-02:00

笔帖式街81号
81 Bitieshi Street
16:00-01:00
028-62974192

066 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 067

 HONEY & MALT 蜜和麦
This chill neighborhood craft beer bar in
the expat-heavy Tongzilin area serves an
impressive selection of domestic brews with
a modern system that’s able to adjust differ-
ent pressures and temperatures for up to 30
kegs. With the craft beer scene exploding in
China over the last few years, this is a great
place to sample a selection of local brews like
Master Gao from Nanjing, Harvest Brewery in
Chengdu, and Trip Smith in Guiyang.

桐梓林东路20号附8号
20 Tongzilin East Street
17:00-02:00
13668199324

CHUN K KTV
We’ve all been there. When the buzz kicks in
after a few drinks, there’s no better place to
take the party to the next level than KTV. The
often imitated but never duplicated Chun K
has the best English song selection and is the
glitziest, fanciest, funnest of them all.

一环路东五段8号天府国际 8 First Ring

Road East 5th Section
10:00-19:00
18111634646

NASA CLUB
An underground Chengdu club experience.
NASA opened in late 2013 at the Polycenter,
an expansive complex of high-rise residential
and commercial buildings that has become
a notorious nightlife destination in Chengdu.
Started by local hip hop head and DJ Super
Best Friend, it’s at the forefront of the city’s
edgy nightlife scene.

成都339购物中心B座B1
18:00-21:00
028-86002200

068 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 069

 SLEEP
EDITOR’S PICKS

070 Sleep found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU Sleep 071

 THE TEMPLE HOUSE
明婷饭店
Instagram-worthy cafe on a quiet tree-lined
cul-de-sac serving simple cakes and desserts,
handmade daily on site along with tea and
coffee beverages. The independent bookstore
and lifestyle shop of the same name next door
is also worth a visit.
笔帖式 81号 81 街
Bitieshi Street
028-66369999
NICCOLO 尼依格罗酒店
This five star hotel is located inside the IFC, a
luxury shopping centre and office compound
with an Imax theatre, ice-skating rink and
sculpture garden. The 230 rooms and suites
are bright and beautiful and there are a num-
ber of dining options on site including Italian
Niccolo Kitchen, Cantonese Yue Hin and Tea
Lounge featuring a tea sommelier who can
help you navigate the extensive menu.
红星路三段1号国际金融中心3号楼 1
1 Hongxing Road 3rd Section Unit 3
028-68719820
072
BUDDHA ZEN HOTEL
圆和圆佛禅客线
This 35 room boutique hotel is conveniently
located directly across from Wenshu Mon-
astery. The atmospheric decor includes tra-
ditional Buddhist ‘Tangkas’, ancient temple
paintings and antiques, and the oldest man-
made Qing Dynasty embroidery in Sichuan.
There is a vegetarian restaurant Rong Zhai on
site, Zi Zai Spa for treatments and a teahouse
as well. There are also a number of choice
food options within stones throw of the hotel
(see EAT).
ZHUXIA 文殊坊B6-6院 B6-6 Wenshufang
(near Wenshu Temple)
崇德里驻下酒店 028-86929898
Wang Hai, the native Chengdu’er who de-
signed this space was determined to keep a
piece of history alive in this area of Chengdu,
which was rapidly transforming into an un-
recognizable skyline of glass skyscrapers. He
decided to rebuild and restore the old Chong-
deli building compound into this boutique 12-
room guesthouse, excellent Sichuan restaurant
Ciguo (see EAT) and teahouse Tancha (see
DRINK). The reconstructed site has become a
unique showcase of traditional Chengdu life,
and often draws out the local literati and artists
communities.
崇德里1号 1 Chongde Alley
028-86002277
found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 073
 CULTURE
EDITOR’S PICKS

074 Sleep found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU Sleep 075

 DUFU THATCHED COTTAGE WENSHU TEMPLE 文殊院
杜甫草堂 An active Buddhist monastery built in the
A large and beautiful park honoring Du Fu, Tang Dynasty, the serene grounds house over
one of the most beloved poets in Chinese his- 80 monks with five halls, 190 rooms, a library,
tory, who composed 240 poems while living beautiful gardens and a popular vegetarian
here. There is also a small Tang Dynasty ar- teahouse.
chaeological museum with an excavation site
displaying ancient artifacts. Next door is also
worth a visit. 文殊院街66号
66 Wenshuyuan Street
09:00-18:00
青华路37号 028-86662375
37 Qinghua Road
08:00-18:00

JINLI FOOD STREET 锦里街 PEOPLE’S PARK 人民公园

A tourist draw of street food and souvenir Chengdu’s culture of slow living and leisurely
stalls that albeit kitschy, is worth a visit, es- pursuits is best exemplified in its park life. Re-
pecially if you’re visiting Wuhou Temple next lax and enjoy a cup of tea in the largest park
door. Be prepared for crowds, and while there in the city. A popular past time while sipping
is a large overview of traditional street snacks, tea is getting your ears cleaned by masters
don’t expect the best representation of each. who have preserved this ancient practice,
considered a form of acupuncture that brings
a healing effect to the rest of the body. It is a
武侯祠大街 231号 strange sensation, but oddly enjoyable after
231 Wuhouci Street getting used to it.
09:00-22:00

祠堂街9号 9 Citang Street

6:00-22:30

WUHOU TEMPLE 武侯祠 CHENGDU FOOD TOURS

Built in the 1600s and carefully preserved, Canadian foodie Jordan Porter runs excellent
this temple is dedicated to Zhuge Liang, a street food tours in Chengdu and the country-
renowned military strategist during the Three side beyond. Custom tours available.
Kingdoms period when Chengdu was part of
the Shu Kingdom.
www.chengdufoodtours.com
15114027611
武侯祠大街 231号
231 Wuhouci Street

076 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 077

 WIDE AND NARROW ALLEY SHUIJINGFANG BAIJIU
宽窄巷子 MUSEUM 水井坊博物
A network of parallel ancient streets dating Ever wondered how China’s national fire wa-
back to the Qing Dynasty that have been ren- ter baijiu is made? Shujingfang, one of China’s
ovated to become a hot cultural and tourism biggest baijiu brands that has been acquired
site, they are Kuan (wide) Alley, Zhai (narrow) by spirits conglomerate Diageo, has a muse-
Alley, and Jing (water well) Alley. They have um in the city centre that can answer all your
become a popular destination for restaurants, questions.
bars, and nightlife, a great example of the
city’s leisurely pace set against a backdrop of
水井街25号
history and rapid modernization. 25 Shuijing Street
9:00-17:00
宽窄巷子 028-84436999
Kuanzhai Alley
08:00-18:00

GUANGHAN SANXINGDUI
GIANT PANDA BREEDING MUSEUM 广汉三星堆博物馆
RESEARCH BASE 熊猫基地 An archeological site where numerous gold,
Probably the most popular attraction in bronze, jade and pottery artifacts dating to
Chengdu, the reserve is 18 km north of the city the 12th centuries BC were found in the 80’s,
centre and home to 120 giant pandas and 76 pointing to a remarkably sophisticated ancient
red pandas, their smaller, more active cousin. civilization previously unknown. Considered
It’s best to visit in the morning around feeding by some to be more outstanding than the
time (8am) as they spend most of the after- Terra-cotta Army in Xi’an, this is well worth the
noon sleeping. 30 minute drive out of the city.

熊猫大道1375号 广汉市西安路133号
1375 Panda Avenue 133 Xi’an Road, Guanghan
08:00-18:00 08:30-18:00
0838-5500349

PENGZHEN GUANYINGE OLD SICHUAN CULINARY MUSEUM

TEAHOUSE 彭镇观音阁老茶馆 成都川菜博物馆
A century-old tea house that doesn’t seem to A private museum dedicated to Sichuan’s culi-
have changed with the times. Faded murals nary arts and culture, there is also a restaurant
of cultural revolution era artwork and slogans on site and cooking workshops for groups are
adorn the walls and neighborhood seniors available. Worth checking out if you’re already
camp out with tobacco pipes and sip bot- planning to visit Pixian.
tomless cups of tea from sunrise. Arrive early
around 7am to avoid crowd.
古城镇荣华北巷8号
8 Songhua North Alley, Pixian
双流区彭镇马市坝街近交通路三段 9:00-18:00
Shuangliu District Mashiba Street near
Jiaotong Road 3rd Section 028-87918008

078 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 079

 SHOP
EDITOR’S PICKS

080 Sleep found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU Sleep 081

 DRESSINGFORFUN FANGSUO COMMUNE 方所书店
Located on a quiet residential Chengdu This visually stunning bookstore and lifestyle
street, DressingForFun is an edgy multi-brand Mecca by Taipei’s Eslite group is located in
boutique stocking both international and lo- the basement of Taikooli shopping centre.
cal brands like Sankuanz and J.W. Anderson. The cavernous structure with its many hidden
nooks, tunnels, and stunning centre room with
9-meter high ceilings was inspired by a “sutra
干槐树街24号 depository”, a private place to store knowl-
24 Ganhuaishu Street edge such as books, sutras, and letters in an-
cient China.

中纱帽街8号成都远洋太古里西里
B1层 M068-M070 Taikooli B1
M068-M070
10:00-22:00
028-86586858

SIHE FOUR 肆合 NO MORNING 無早

A lovely independent book store and lifestyle
Destination boutique hosting an impressive
shop carrying quirky homeware and an im-
selection of independent Chinese designers
pressive selection of independent local and
including Masha Ma, Simon Gao and Ran Fan.
international magazines. Next door to a cafe
of the same name, this is a good place to
lounge for a couple hours in the afternoon.
天仙桥北路3号附19号
3N. Tianxianqiao Road No. 19
028-81134501
青莲上街5号附2号
5 Qinglian Upper Street Unit 2
11:30-20:30
028-86008230

TRIPLE MAJOR CHENGDU

This fashion-forward concept store introduc-
es independent and progressive designers
to China as well as highlighting rising local
designers with locations in Chengdu, Beijing
and Shanghai.

四圣祠南街13号
13 S. Sishengci Street
15:00-19:00
028-86950521

082 found in CHENGDU found in CHENGDU 083

www.flybyjing.com