Chengdu PODI Hotel

This low-key private dining concept can dispense with signage. The owner-chef Lan Guijun is a local legend who raised Sichuanese cooking to the level of haute cuisine, so foodies always find their way here. The quaint rustic room is dotted with ceramic art and pottery made by the chef himself. The dishes of the elaborate, multi-course set menus depend on market availability, but you can specify food allergies when booking.

Chinese

Chinese

For over 20 years, this no-frills restaurant has had a single item on the menu – authentic Chengdu hotpot. Diners have never get bored because of the 18 soup bases and the stunning variety of dipping sauces, meat, offal, and sea and river fish on offer. Don’t miss the pencil-width strips of crisp, juicy Emei eel. The mala soup base is infused with Chinese herbs, perfect for blanching celtuce or pork cracklings. Their appetisers and snacks also hit the spot every time.

Privacy is a priority here and the tables are separated by wooden slatted partitions - private rooms also available. The veteran kitchen team specialises in traditional Sichuanese dishes, many of which require painstaking execution. The sautéed pork liver with chilli is perfectly cooked with just the right amount of numbing heat. The classic cold appetiser, fu qi fei pian or sliced beef offal in chili oil, is springy, flavourful and addictive.

Set in a delicate stone garden, this restaurant in a quaint building offers private dining rooms only. The kitchen team painstakingly and faithfully revives nostalgic Sichuanese recipes. For example, the cabbage in chicken consommé takes hours to prepare and boasts a rich, crystal clear broth with exceptional depth. Contrasting textures and a tingling sensation depict the mapo tofu with diced beef and fish snout. Delicate service adds to the experience.

The simple shop has little ambiance to speak of, but that hasn't put hungry locals off from flocking here since 1999. In fact, it's the favourite late-night spot for many who come for its famous pork trotter soup – simmered with Chinese herbs for eight hours until the connective tissues are gelatinous and the soup is loaded with collagen. Stir-fries such as spicy chitterlings, and green chilli pig snout fried rice are also brimming with wok hei.