A Gastronomic Guide to Chengdu

Eating in Chengdu, Asia's first UNESCO City of Gastronomy: the many flavours of Sichuan cooking beyond heat, from mapo tofu to refined tasting menus and tea.

Photo: FISU CC BY 3.0

Sichuan cooking is often reduced to chilli, but its cooks speak of distinct flavour profiles, and in Chengdu the heat is only one voice among many. The city rewards the diner who comes to listen as well as to sweat.

More than heat

Chengdu became a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2010, the second in the world and the first in Asia. The signature of its cooking is mala, the combination of chilli heat with the numbing tingle of Sichuan pepper, which is energising and not harsh when balanced well. But the vocabulary goes well beyond it, from fish-fragrant to strange-flavour. Yu Zhi Lan is the place to understand that subtlety through a refined tasting menu, and small restaurants of its kind should be booked well in advance.

If you want less heat, ask for “bu la”, not spicy; waiters will ask “la bu la?” to check.

The classics

Mapo tofu, soft tofu in a spicy sauce of minced meat, fermented soybean, chilli oil and Sichuan pepper, is the dish that made Sichuan famous. It is linked to a Chengdu eatery founded by a couple named Chen in the nineteenth century, and its heart is doubanjiang, a fermented broad bean and chilli paste, especially from Pixian. Chen Mapo Tofu is the classic address, serving it in a cast-iron bowl.

Dan dan noodles, with a smoky chilli oil sauce, and chaoshou dumplings in a hot-and-sour red oil are good companions, while gongbao jiding, the original kung pao chicken, is generally milder than its reputation. Rabbit is a local favourite, stir-fried with chillies and peanuts or roasted.

A gentler table

For a counterpoint to the intensity elsewhere, Mi Xun Teahouse serves vegetarian dishes and tea in a calm setting. Leave time for a traditional teahouse in People’s Park.

Where to stay

In the city, Upper House Chengdu, formerly The Temple House, is the defining hotel, Niccolo Chengdu is a high-rise alternative.

Outside the city, Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain is a retreat, and a day at Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan combines well; see Chengdu beyond the pandas.

Sources: Lonely Planet: Chengdu, capital of Chinese Sichuan cuisine; Wikipedia: Mapo tofu. Check the official websites for current information.