Atour Hotel Chengdu Sichuan Normal University

Tucked away in a longstanding residential area, this noodle shop has a loyal following. The noodles are either served in spicy or white broth, or tossed in various seasoning pastes. For noodle soup, try their signature eight-treasure white broth made with chicken, bamboo shoots and dried seafood including shrimps, squids and oysters. Or have your bouncy noodles tossed in the famous mala chilli pork sauce for heady, addictive aromas.

This is the chain’s first outpost and it’s been in business for over a decade. A tank of live fish by the entrance reminds you that river and sea fish are the name of the game here. The menu revolves around novel Sichuan dishes, with a few regional offerings. For an overview of Sichuan cuisine, try the 24-flavour-profile set menu. We also recommend the preserved meat prepared in-house, or the pond loach seared with green Sichuan pepper, depicted by crisp textures and a numbing sensation.

Despite its hard-to-find entrance, this flagship of the chain has earned solid fandom among locals with its no-frills, home-style Sichuanese cooking that is frugally priced. Instead of an eye-watering kick, expect a mild heat that caters to a broader palate. Specialities from the Leshan area, like tofu pudding and marinated fatty pork intestine, are best sellers. The latter is slow cooked in spiced soy before being sautéed with garlic and celtuce.

Surrounded by furniture shops, this noodle place has a retro feel to it. Wooden tables and bamboo chairs add to the overall rustic flair. The noodles are made fresh in-house, which explains their incredibly silky, bouncy texture. Zha jiang mian is the must-try here: blanched noodles are topped with a soybean-based ground pork sauce that is robust, savoury and mildly spicy. If you enjoy their noodles, you can buy some raw to take home.

Named after a poet from the Tang Dynasty, this branch of the chain opened in 2018 in a scenic area famous for its flowering plum trees. Two rustically styled buildings are connected by lush greenery. The menu features Sichuan home cooking and river fish, such as yellowhead catfish prepared in a myriad of ways. But most diners prefer it simmered in a spicy, tangy broth perfumed with green Sichuan pepper and Chinese patchouli. Reservations recommended at weekends.

A quaint mansion obscured by a big tree is home to this restaurant run by the Woos. The cosy space shows hints of nostalgia; both cold appetisers and hot mains are based on tradition, but fine-tuned and modernised. The fried wild-caught yellow croaker in a mound of fried chillies has silky, moist flesh; with its bold flavour, it goes perfectly with alcohol. The sweet sticky rice dumplings with a runny filling round off your meal nicely.

In 1989, the founder started his first noodle shop just down the road. After several moves, he is back in his old neighbourhood once again. In his 70s, he still makes his own pork sauce like the old days, although the shop is now run by his son. His signature ‘weird taste’ noodles are dressed in a shiitake pork sauce that is mildly hot, sweet and numbing. Beef noodles in a spicy bean sauce include diced bamboo shoots for a lovely crunch.