Lai’s Glutinous Rice Balls | Lai Tang Yuan
Tang yuan is Chinese for ‘round balls in the soup’ (don’t you love the literal descriptions given to all things Chinese?) and lai tang yuan is a popular traditional dessert that emerged back in the 1890s when Lai started serving them from a small stand in Zongfu Road.
These glutinous rice balls are stuffed with various sweet fillings - black sesame is the original - are cooked in boiling water and served with a sesame dipping sauce.
So famous are lai tang yuan that the government acknowledged them as a ‘Time Honoured Food Brand’ in China. And if black sesame is not your thing, tang yuan is available in other flavors. Try tang yuan stuffed with walnuts, osmanthus flowers, rose petals, red bean paste, and jubes for an authentic experience of local Chengdu street food.
Chengdu-style Wontons | Long Chao Shou
Now, who doesn’t love wonton? If you’re visiting Chengdu, then you’re in for a total wonton treat.
Local Sichuanese call wontons chao shou and long chao shou - or Dragon’s Wontons - are a signature Chengdu snack. First created in the 1940s, long chao shou have a thin skin (or wrapper), abundant, flavorsome fillings that are predominantly pork mince, and are served with a delicious heartwarming clear or red chili oil soup. It’s easy to understand why they have become popular with locals and visitors alike and why the original restaurant has expanded into a popular chain where local Chengdu residents can enjoy their favorite snacks and food.
With the making of wontons a veritable art form, we defy you to be satisfied with just one serve while visiting this city of fabulous food.
Zhong’s Pork Dumplings with Spicy Sauce | Zhong Shui Jiao
While just about every conceivable corner of China lays claim to a version of dumplings, it’s only in Sichuan you’ll experience the life-altering zhong shui jiao - Zhong’s pork dumplings with spicy sauce.
Arising through the creativity of one street food vendor Zhong more than 110 years ago, the crescent-shaped boiled pork dumplings blend spicy, salty, tangy, and sweet flavors after being dipped and coated in an unctuous sauce of red chili oil, (a special) soy sauce, minced garlic, sesame oil, and oh-so-secret spices.
Thankfully, zhong shui jiao is affectionately referred to as Sichuan’s ‘little eats’ or xiao chi. Consider it a license to indulge in more than one serve.
Sweet Water Noodles | Tianshui Mian
Surprisingly, locals in Chengdu favor tianshui mian more than dan dan noodles. Why? It’s not entirely clear why, but it could have something to do with the two critical elements of tianshui mian, namely the handmade thick chewy noodles and the pre-cooked sweet soy sauce, which is a concoction of soy sauce mixed with water, brown sugar, crystallized sugar, ginger, scallion, star anise, bay leaves, and many other spices and herbs over heat until all flavors have fully infused.
Plain-cooked noodles are transformed into a delicious snack with the addition of the ‘special’ soy sauce, hot chili oil, minced garlic, sesame paste, Sichuan pepper powder, roasted soybean powder, and ground roasted sesame seeds. Although no vegetables and meat are featured in this dish, it is far from plain. Dig in with gusto!
Dan Dan Noodles | Dan Dan Mian
Dan dan noodles are famous street food in Sichuan and we can understand why. Found in countless restaurants throughout Chengdu, dan dan mian are freshly boiled thin noodles mixed with a sauce of hot chili oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame paste, Sichuan peppercorn powder, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Noodles are served in a small bowl and topped with scallions, crispy stir-fried pork or beef mince flavored with zha cai or ya cai, cooking wine, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and topped with roasted crushed peanuts.
Don’t hold back when it comes to eating this popular street snack. Simply stir everything together with chopsticks to coat the noodles with a bit of everything and devour. Expect a taste bud sensory overload as the smoky, soupy, spicy flavors take hold.
In Sichuan restaurants in China, dan dan mian is more a snack than a main course, hence the typical small bowl serving size. With every chef taking their own culinary license with dan dan noodles, we think you’ll be lining up another round everywhere you dine in Chengdu.
Tan’s Tofu Pudding | Tan Douhua
Softer and more delicate than silken tofu, tofu pudding is incredibly popular throughout China, going by different names depending on what region of the country you’re visiting. In Sichuan, where locals eat it for breakfast or as a dessert, tofu pudding is called dou hua.
Tofu pudding was a creation that emerged during the Han dynasty (202 BC-220) and later gained prominence during the Song dynasty (960-1279). In the north of China, tofu pudding is referred to as dou fu nao, while in the south, it is called douhua. Back in 1924, Tan Yuguang sold tofu pudding and because locals were so enamored with it, they referred to his business as Tan Douhua as a way to distinguish it from other vendors. He then settled in Yanshikou, the busy city center of Chengdu, where he opened an eatery. In 1988, when the restaurant was reopened on West Street, the third generation of the Tan family renamed the restaurant Xiao Tan Dou Hua (Little Tan’s Tofu Pudding). The subsequent generation of the family (that’s right, the fourth generation!) in 2015 registered a new name - Xi Yue Cheng Tan Dou Hua; a new outlet for the business, giving tofu pudding lovers several different locations to enjoy the very best version of this local specialty.
Sichuan Flatbread (Chengdu Crusty Pancakes) | Guo Kui
Guo kui is to Chengdu locals like bread is to westerners, sustaining them every day of the year.
Jun tun guo kui is made with dough that has aromatic minced meat kneaded into it. First, the dough is rolled into long oblong-shaped strips, then the spiced meat paste is spread over it, resembling a Turkish lahmacun or pide. This meat paste is crucial. A good guo kui street vendor will not only put on a show as they prepare their wares, but they’ll also use a liberal amount of the meat paste and almost always serve their jun tun guo kui hot and fresh.
The final product looks almost like a deliciously flaky oversized golden coin that is simply too delicious to resist, and while meat guo kui is popular (especially those made with minced or braised meat and vegetables), they are also available in other flavors. Hongtang guo kui - or brown sugar-filled flatbread - and jiaoyan guo kui, a salt, and pepper flatbread, are also favorites.
Sichuan Leaf Wrapped Sticky Rice Cake | Ye Er Ba
Ye’erba is a traditional snack that is rural in origin and now enjoyed by locals throughout Sichuan, especially around Chinese New Year and the Qingming Festival, when Chinese people visit the tombs of their ancestors and clean their gravesites, pray to their ancestors, and make ritual offerings.
The sticky rice dough is stuffed with tasty fillings, either sweet or savory, then wrapped with a leaf from a tangerine, palm grass, or bamboo tree, and then finally steamed. The leaves prevent the rice balls from sticking to each other. The traditional savory ye’erba is flavored with mince and ya cai (preserved mustard greens), giving the snack a distinctive taste, however, sweet versions are equally delicious. Try ye’erba with red bean paste and toasted walnut filling.
According to locals, a perfect ye’erba is described as san bu zhan, which means ‘not stick to the plate, chopsticks or teeth when eaten.’ Now you have everything you need to know to become a connoisseur of ye’erba!
Hotpot skewers | Chuan Chuan Xiang
It seems there is no end of hotpot-like options in Chengdu, at least you could be forgiven for thinking as much when you tuck into chuan chuan xiang. This is an easier version of a hotpot, with all ingredients (virtually anything goes) self-selected from a refrigerated buffet. Ingredients are on bamboo skewers and these are dropped into a hotpot and removed immediately after they are cooked. Eat straight from the hotpot (no chopstick skills are necessary) or enjoy one of the myriad dipping sauces. Diners are charged according to the total number or weight of the bamboo skewers. Tuck in!
Sweet Potato Noodles with Stewed Pig Intestines | Fei Chang Fen
While this Chengdu dish may not appeal to every western traveler, it is a favorite among locals as an authentic breakfast choice.
Fei Chang Fen - sweet potato noodles with stewed pig intestines - is made with precooked handmade sweet potato noodles. The noodles, formed by a wet dough being ‘banged’ through a colander over a pot of broth, are blanched and then placed in a bowl together with seasoning and vegetables, such as bean sprouts and celery. The noodle soup is topped with a stewed pig intestine. Choose from a spicy hot chili oil version or a clear soup version. Best devoured with a juntun guo kui!
Chengdu Stuffed Pancake | Dan Hong Gao
Traditional street food carts are few and far between in Chengdu however, if you do happen to spot one on your travels, then it’s highly likely Chengdu pancakes - dan hong gao - will be what’s on offer.
Effectively a mini crepe, dan hong gao is a Sichuan-style stuffed pancake that will feed even the most ravenous travel adventurer. Picture a pancake into which virtually any ingredients can be cooked - and then eaten as you would a taco.
Ordering is easy. Simply point to select your ingredients from the cart and these will be added to the egg-based batter, which is cooked in a small pan. Local Sichuanese, who have been dining on dan hong gao since the Qing dynasty love traditional combinations like potato and chili sauce, peanut butter and Hawthorne flakes, or pork floss and pickled veggies, but anything goes. Choose from sweet, salty, or spicy ingredients and create your own culinary adventure. Totally delicious at any time of the day!
Deep-fried Sticky Rice Ball Skewers | Tangyou Guozi
Yet another famous Chengdu street food snack - sticky rice balls deep-fried and on skewers; what’s not to like, right? These glutinous balls (made from rice dough) are a kind of Chinese version of Dutch donuts. Deep-fried in oil to which brown sugar is added, these sweet treats glisten once removed from the oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Crispy and chewy all at once, the rice balls are skewered on bamboo, usually, five apiece, making them easy to consume while on the go.
In Chengdu, it’s said the best place to eat this amazing Sichuan snack is within walking distance of Kuanzhai Xiangzi tourist precinct. Be sure to save space after an obligatory bowl of noodles if you’re in the area. Deliciously sweet, sticky, and covered in dark brown sweet molasses, these rice balls make a great dessert.
Spicy Vegetable and Meat Soup | Mao Cai
Dining alone in Chengdu? Then mao cai, otherwise known as spicy vegetable and meat soup, is for you. Mao cai has been nicknamed the ‘hotpot for one’ because essentially it is food cooked in a pot of boiling spicy soup. Just as you do with a traditional hotpot, you choose the ingredients - a vast selection of meats, vegetables, tofu, and seafood (locals favor potato, lettuce, beef, and duck intestines). Using a basket to drop these into a broth flavored with Chinese medicinal herbs and other spices, they are blanched before being transferred to a bowl to which dried chili powder, salt, and other seasonings have been added. It is quick, fresh, and spicy, and way cheaper than a restaurant hotpot. Perfect if you’re traveling solo and want a substantial and healthy meal.
Three Big Cannons (or three glutinous rice balls) | San Da Pao
Similar to Beijing’s much-loved ludagun (glutinous rice rolls stuffed with sweet bean paste) in terms of flavor, san da pao is a street snack of sweet glutinous rice balls and soybean powder that is very much a favorite of tourists and visitors to Chengdu.
San da pao literally means ‘three cannons’ making it clear how this snack earned its name. The three balls are thrown like cannonballs against a metal tray filled with toasted ground sesame and soy, making a loud ‘boom’ as they connect. Served with the addition of a sweet syrup of brown sugar and toasted sesame, san da pao is a treat to be savored at least once while in Chengdu.
Furonghuang Garden Restaurant
If you’re more old school and prefer to eschew the bright lights and shiny newness of Chengdu’s contemporary versions of hotpot houses, then a visit to Furonghuang Garden Restaurant is in order. Opening in the early 2000s, this classic Sichuan restaurant will not only bring to life every vision of a Chinese restaurant you ever had, it will also serve up some of the finest classic Sichuan cuisines in the province. Rated highly in the ‘bible’ of Chinese dining institutions, the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, Furonghuang Garden Restaurant continues to impress with favorites like Kung Pao Chicken, Tian Shao Bai (steamed pork belly slices with sticky rice), its tender signature dish, Xue Hua Ji Nao (chicken mince mixed with broth and egg white, otherwise known as ‘snowy chicken’). Considering its competition, Furonghuang Garden Restaurant does well to maintain its position as one of the best and well-priced in Chengdu.
Ming Ting Restaurant
As China’s capital of food, Chengdu has made a name for itself with its unusual ‘fly restaurants’. Quintessential examples of Chengdu’s street food scene, these fly restaurants are hugely popular with locals, and the chance to experience one first hand is a must for any dedicated foodie. Perhaps the pinnacle of these is Ming Ting Restaurant, which was established in 1997, and earned its reputation by serving exceptional food in pared-down, unrefined (some would call basic) decor. And while the restaurant moved from its original site in 2020 thanks to urban development, the essence and quality of the food have been retained. For the chance to dine with and like a local, there’s no better than Ming Ting.
Xuan Xuan Xiao Yuan
For a step back in time, at least in terms of decor, Xuan Xuan Xiao Yuan offers visitors to Chengdu an old-world experience of Sichuan food. Located in the Kuanzhai Alley precinct where new and old collide, this charming little restaurant is a hidden gem. With individual dining rooms artfully decorated, and a traditional courtyard reminiscent of the 1920s and thirties, diners can expect rustic-style dishes that satisfy. Executive chef Zhang Yuanfu, who trained under Master WANG Kaifa is keeping traditions alive with this nod to Sichuan culinary heritage.
Mawangzi
As one of the most popular and enduring restaurants in Chengdu, Mawangzi has been serving up the city’s best traditional and modern Sichuan cuisine for over a hundred years and today continues operating under the guidance of the original family’s fourth generation. A meal here is not only a food travel memory because of the authentic Sichuan food, the restaurant’s beautiful interior design is a masterpiece in design, with over ten thousand bamboos used in the restaurant’s construction. And yes, even the menu covers are handwoven from bamboo.
Chen’s Mapo Tofu Restaurant
Originally founded in 1862, Chen’s Mapo Tofu Restaurant - formerly Chen Xing Sheng Eating House - is an icon of Chengdu. Why the name change? The explanation is simple. The chef was apparently highly adept at mapo tofu, and eventually, it became synonymous with the restaurant. Mapo Tofu’s reputation has grown and there are now several branches in Chengdu. Apart from the house specialty mapo tofu, you will also find many other traditional local dishes, snacks, and street food, all cooked in a rustic style.
Hongxing Restaurant
Local Chengdu people make Hongxing Restaurant their number one choice when it comes to special occasion banquets like weddings and family get-togethers. The drawcard is authentic Sichuan food and surprisingly reasonable prices. If you’re visiting at the time of Chinese New Year, the banquet is always fully booked, so be prepared to arrange a table well in advance.
Shunxing Old Teahouse
Shunxing Old Teahouse is not just a common teahouse, it is also a restaurant and theatre where customers can enjoy authentic Sichuan food while taking in a performance of Sichuan opera and folk art. The perfect location to soak up West Sichuan culture will savoring some of the region’s most popular traditional dishes.
Taolin
A chain of restaurants that have gone viral and become a must-visit in Chengdu, Taolin is popular with locals because of its authentic good quality food and reasonable prices.
Teahouses
We had a hard time selecting our all-time favorite Chengdu teahouses, but with a little patience and persistence, we’ve put together this list. Visit any one of these for an authentic teahouse experience while on tour in Chengdu.
- Shunxing Old Teahouse is favored by the tourists because of its Western Sichuan style interior design, gaiwan tea, Chengdu local snacks, and Sichuan Opera performance.
- As one of the oldest teahouses, Heming Teahouse in People’s Park is the most popular teahouse among visitors who find themselves in Chengdu.
- For something a little extra special, visit the teahouse in Daci Temple, located just next to Taikoo Li Chengdu; it’s an oasis of tranquility in the CBD.
- The teahouse in Chengdu Gallery is a hidden gem in Kuanzhai Alleys.
- Xiangyuan in Wenshu Yuan Monastery provides an experience of Zen life area with its vegetarian restaurant and teahouse.
- Located in Pengzhen, around 20 kilometers from the city’s center, the Guanyinge Old Teahouse is over 300 years old and still retains the traditions and style of old Chengdu today.
