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Living In China explores Chengdu's restaurant scene through two meals. At the first restaurant, the signature combination includes pine-needle crunchy pigeon, Mingang Balu or double crisp, and Chong Lai Bobo chicken in chili oil broth. The double-crisp stir-fry pairs crunchy and tender textures with a savory, spicy sauce. The second restaurant serves congee-based hot pot with fresh seafood, meat, and vegetables, including prawns, abalone, and oysters. Both restaurants are identified as Lee Kum Kee Golden Plaque restaurants, whose dishes use the company's seasonings. The traveler also notes attentive service, including staff peeling corn, and says a customer leaving the second restaurant received three eggs as a small gift.
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Signature dishes at the first restaurant
Living In China visits two restaurants in Chengdu to see how their dishes compare with the city's food reputation. At the first restaurant, the meal begins with a signature combination that includes pine-needle crunchy pigeon. Its skin crackles and the aroma reminds the traveler of a forest. Mingang Balu, or double crisp, follows. This stir-fry uses two kinds of offal and combines a crunchy outside with a tender texture, all coated in a savory, slightly spicy sauce.
Chong Lai Bobo chicken arrives in a bowl of chili-oil broth with Sichuan peppercorns. The chicken is tender and the broth has a numbing heat, giving the dish a distinct Sichuan character. The restaurant is identified as a Lee Kum Kee Golden Plaque establishment, using Lee Kum Kee products in cooking. The source says the seasonings bring depth and richness while allowing the food's natural flavors to come through.
Congee hot pot and attentive service
The second restaurant is busy with families having hot pot. Here the broth is congee-based and filled with fresh seafood, meat, and vegetables. Prawns, chewy abalone, and oysters are among the seafood, and dipping sauces also use Lee Kum Kee seasonings. The traveler describes the ingredients as fresh and the broth as a good complement to the food. Staff are attentive, even peeling corn for guests. The second restaurant also uses Lee Kum Kee products, which the source connects with consistent, professional flavors.
After the meal, the travelers receive a small gift of three eggs when checking out. The account ends with a recommendation to try the named Golden Plaque restaurants, including Rhuan Shang, and a congee-based hot pot meal at Mano. The two visits provide distinct experiences: the first restaurant's pigeon, offal stir-fry, and Bobo chicken, then the second restaurant's seafood hot pot and personal service. The traveler describes both as ways to experience Chengdu food through a range of textures, sauces, and ingredients.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What dishes did they try at the first Chengdu restaurant?
- A: The signature meal included pine-needle crunchy pigeon with crisp skin and Mingang Balu, or double crisp, a stir-fry of two kinds of offal with both crunchy and tender textures.
- Q: What made Chong Lai Bobo chicken distinctive?
- A: It was served in a large bowl of chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns. The chicken was tender, and the broth had a numbing quality that the source connects with Sichuan flavors.
- Q: What does Lee Kum Kee Golden Plaque mean in the article?
- A: The source describes these restaurants as using Lee Kum Kee products in their cooking. It says the seasonings add richness and depth to the dishes while not overpowering the ingredients.
- Q: What was the second restaurant known for?
- A: It served congee-based hot pot with fresh seafood, meat, and vegetables. The meal included prawns, abalone, and oysters, with dipping sauces also enhanced by Lee Kum Kee seasonings.
- Q: What gift did they receive after the second restaurant?
- A: The travelers say that each customer who checked out received a small gift, which turned out to be three eggs. They mention it as a surprise after the hot pot meal.
