Street Food in Chengdu pictures (1 of 19)
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Here is the photo gallery of some of the street food I tried in Chengdu, China.
Other than the mala Sichuan cuisine, Chengdu is famed for “small eats” or 小吃. As a die-hard fan of local street food, I have to say that I was rather disappointed–and underwhelmed–with the street food in Chengdu. Don’t get me wrong, I did like a few dishes there, especially the mala ones, but I expected more.
While there are lots of eye-catching and pretty looking small eats available in various outlets, these small munchies fall short in the taste department, in my honest opinion. Plus, the flavors are not as varied as Penang street food…
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Dan Dan Noodles (Dan Dan Mian/担担面) is another classic Sichuan dish that one shouldn’t miss out when you’re in Chengdu. While Dan Dan Noodles are easily available in many Chinese restaurants nowadays, nothing beats having a bowl in its place of origin…the taste and authenticity triumph it all.
When my Dan Dan noodles came, I wasn’t sure of it because of the plain look (pictured below). After I mixed the noodles with the spicy mala sauce (similar to the sauce on bon-bon chicken), the flavors started to develop and shine through. The ground pork and crushed peanuts paired with the noodles so well that I finished my serving in no time and asked for more…
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Bon Bon Chicken (棒棒鸡) pictures (1 of 3)
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I am back from Chengdu, Sichuan after the brief weekend visit.
Chengdu is highly regarded as the culinary capital of China with mouthwatering Sichuan cuisine and famed local “small eats” (小吃).
Here is bon-bon chicken or “bang bang ji” (棒棒鸡), which is available in many Chinese restaurants in the US. Bon-bon chicken is a very popular “small eats” in Chengdu. It’s basically poached chicken cut into small pieces, and then drenched in a bath of spicy and “mala” (numbing and spicy/麻辣) sauce. It’s topped with chopped scallions, chilies, sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, a pinch of sugar, Sichuan peppercorn powder (花椒粉), and MSG! MSG is very common in Sichuan food. At a mala hotpot dinner, I saw diners making dipping sauces composed of sesame oil, oyster sauce, salt, and MSG. It was really interesting…
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Pan-fried Dumplings (煎饺) pictures (1 of 4)
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This is an example of perfectly cooked pan-fried dumplings (煎饺)–probably one of the best dumplings I have ever tasted (even my Chinese friends were raving about them).
I love it that these dumplings are so pretty with delicate pleats and light brown marks of pan-fried glory. I don’t think they used water to pan-fried these dumplings…they are probably pan-fried over very low heat while covered with a lid. The thin and soft dumpling skin is filled with shredded napa cabbage, ground pork, and they are best served with black vinegar dipping sauce or Guilin chili paste…
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In China, there are many dishes where the name originated from a folklore, legend, or story. Beggar’s Chicken (叫化鸡) is another dish with an interesting history. (Read my post about “Goubuli Baozi/Steamed Pork Buns” to learn about another legendary dish.)
Legend has it that a homeless, starving beggar had a chicken but didn’t have a stove [...]
I went to Tianjin (天津) today, a city east of Beijing and a mere 30 minutes away by high-speed bullet train. It’s a city with lots of history but I came here mostly for these baozi and to check out the food scenes here.
Goubuli baozi (狗不理包子) is famous in China with branches all over mainland [...]
Greetings from Beijing!
I am here for a few weeks. It’s summer now and the weather has been warm and breezy. If it’s not because of the frigid cold winter months, I might well be delighted to live and work in Beijing, for a little while.
I simply can’t say enough how I love Chinese food–I mean, [...]
The many colors and sights of Penang, Malaysia
Voted as one of the places to go in 2009 by The New York Times, Penang is an up-and-coming and popular tourist destination in Asia. The good news: my family in Penang has started a new Penang private tour/Penang culinary tour service, catered specifically to foreign tourists and visitors.
Unlike [...]
