Travel | Chengdu
83
Soulfood at the Temple House hotel ’ s Mi Xun teahouse – including a bowl of ‘ cold tofu with tea egg ’.
5 Senses – Taste DAN DAN NOODLES AND MAPO TOFU
Chengdu ’ s cafés are undeniably the place to go for top-notch Sichuan dishes . But , if you ’ re looking for a relaxing – perhaps even romantic – meal , some of the city ’ s hotels offer equally enticing local cooking in supremely comfortable surroundings . Swing by the St Regis ’ s Yan Ting for superb dan dan noodles , for example ; the Shangri-La ’ s Shang Palace for authentic mapo tofu and ‘ watercooked ’ fish ; or the Grand Hyatt ’ s # 8 for steaming hotpot .
Tak bisa disangkal bahwa kafe-kafe Chengdu adalah tempat tujuan bersantap terbaik Sichuan . Tetapi jika Anda sedang mencari tempat makan yang santai atau bahkan romantis , sejumlah hotel di kota ini juga menawarkan hidangan lokal yang memikat di lingkungan yang amat nyaman . Pergilah ke Yan Ting di Hotel St Regis untuk menyantap mi dan dan yang luar biasa , salah satunya . Atau ke Shang Palace di Hotel Shangri-La untuk menyantap mapo tofu autentik dan ikan masak kuah . Ada pula # 8 di Grand Hyatt untuk hidangan hotpot yang panas .
the famed ‘ snowflake ’ jasmine green tea grown near Mt Emei , some 200km south of Chengdu .
In the centrally located People ’ s Park , Heming Teahouse occupies a handsome spot in the shade of trees and a zigzagging covered walkway at the edge of the central lake . Servers take orders ( and cash first ) for a selection of teas listed on multilingual menu cards ( priced from ¥ 15 ). And once the tea arrives ( accompanied by a flask of hot water ), kick back and do what the locals do : chat and laugh ; pick at peanuts ( or salty cookies ); watch day-trippers circumnavigate the lake in paddle boats ; or simply lose yourself for a moment watching willow tree leaves stroke the rippling water .
A 15-minute stroll from the park , the Kuanxiangzi ( or ‘ Wide Alley ’) and Zhaixiangzi (‘ Narrow Alley ’) neighbourhood of ‘ reimagined ’ courtyard shophouses , cafés and galleries is a lively destination day and night . Little garden teahouses ( completely at the opposite end of the scale to vast Heming ) are discreet settings in which to sample Sichuan teas – and to help digest some of the myriad snacks that are available here from stinky tofu and grilled rabbit to chilli-speckled ice cream . Sure , this district is firmly aimed at the tourist – but the Chinese tourist , so it ’ s still curious fun for those of us from further afield .
The Chinese would use the term renao to describe the street life in and around Kuanxiangzi , Wenshuyuan and Chengdu ’ s other recreation districts . It ’ s tricky to translate , but it suggests an exhilarating , infectious liveliness – and despite its laid-back laissez-faire attitude , Chengdu has renao by the truckload . Look at the boutiques and restaurants in the Taikoo Li precinct adjacent to Daci Temple in the centre-east quarter of the city : they draw
That ’ s the Chengdu way . Carefully , calmly , with an eye on flavour , and a focus on the quality of ingredients – and the quality of life .
Chengdu ’ s chichi crowd , but there ’ s a similar energising buzz here too . Fine places to chow down are plentiful – but the prices are perhaps a little steeper than the ¥ 7 it costs for the sweet-water noodles or ¥ 10 for a mind- ( and taste bud- ) blowing bowl of dan dan noodles at the eateries opposite Manjushri Monastery .
Nonetheless , at Mi Xun Teahouse ( the courtyard restaurant of the coolly luxurious Temple House hotel ) the kitchen turns out yummy vegetarian dishes that highlight locally sourced , organic ingredients , such as tofu with lightly pickled ya cai ( a south Sichuan favourite ) or stir-fried vermicelli with carrot and celery . Healthy , delicious and , at only ¥ 20 for a small dish , supremely affordable .
My Mi Xun server recommends a cleansing tea to accompany the food – which has a mild mala element . “ Meng ding gan lu is dried and rolled three times ,” she explains , “ and that gives the leaf its silvery whiteness . But be careful ! Water no more than 85 ° C otherwise the tea might be scorched !” Drinking tea must be taken seriously .
That ’ s the Chengdu way . Carefully , calmly , with an eye on flavour , and a focus on the quality of ingredients – and the quality of life .