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Nico and Jack explore alternatives to Chengdu hot pot, starting with Mulu, where pre-cooked ingredients include meats, vegetables and sweet potato noodles. They choose medium spice and discuss how greens absorb spicy oil. Later they try Chuan Chuan Xiang, selecting skewers that are weighed and cooked in broth. The restaurant provides base sauce and sesame oil. The episode also mentions soy milk after spicy food and rabbit as a popular Chengdu dish.
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Mulu as an alternative to hot pot
Nico and Jack begin with a local recommendation: Mulu, a dish similar to hot pot but served with ingredients already cooked. They choose meats, vegetables and sweet potato noodles, selecting medium spice. Even at that level the oil is strong, so Nico suggests starting with greens because they absorb the spicy oil while sitting in the dish. The noodles look unusual but taste good, and the couple discuss the meal as a different way to enjoy hot-pot flavors.
They describe the Mulu as convenient and flavorful. Jack reacts cautiously to some ingredients, while Nico comments on spice and texture. Nico also jokes about mistaking a vegetable for a witch's hand. Their conversation compares what each likes and how the dish differs from the hot pot they expected.
Skewers at Chuan Chuan Xiang
Nico and Jack next try Chuan Chuan Xiang. They choose skewers of meat and vegetables, which are weighed to determine the price and then cooked by the chef in hot broth. The restaurant provides a base sauce and sesame oil, even though diners often prepare their own sauce elsewhere. They find the flavors intense and complex, with sesame oil balancing the spice.
They prefer Chuan Chuan Xiang to traditional hot pot and discuss how the chef's cooking makes the meal convenient. The video also notes soy milk as a way to soothe the stomach after spicy food and says rabbit is common in Chengdu. Their visit compares Mulu and Chuan Chuan Xiang as alternatives to hot pot.
Mulu offers a different format from hot pot: ingredients arrive cooked, and the diners choose their preferred meats, vegetables and sweet potato noodles. Nico and Jack select a medium spice level, which still tastes intense. Nico recommends beginning with the greens because they absorb oil as they sit. The couple talk about the texture of the noodles and how the dish fits their preference for trying something other than ordinary hot pot.
At Chuan Chuan Xiang, they choose skewers and watch them weighed to determine the cost. The chef cooks the skewers in a cauldron, and the restaurant supplies a base sauce and sesame oil. They find the combination spicy, with sesame oil adding a different flavor. Jack is cautious about some ingredients, while Nico comments on the taste and spice. The episode also mentions soy milk after a spicy meal and rabbit as a common Chengdu dish. Their comparison leads them to prefer Chuan Chuan Xiang over hot pot.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What did you think of the sweet potato noodles?
- A: They looked like shining leather and tasted good. The noodles were part of the Mulu meal Nico and Jack tried in Chengdu.
- Q: What was the most surprising thing you found?
- A: Nico mentions getting a $1 haircut and not needing a ticket to enter Zhu-long cave. Those were unexpected discoveries during the trip.
- Q: How does Chuan Chuan Xiang work?
- A: Diners select meat and vegetable skewers, which are weighed to set the price and then cooked in hot broth. This restaurant supplied a base sauce and sesame oil.
