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Sichuan Hotpot — Bubbling communal pot of chili-laden broth. Haidilao is the famous chain (80-120 CNY/person, expect 1-2 hour wait). For authentic local heat, try Xiaolongkan or Shu Jiuxiang. Order yuan yang (half spicy, half mild) if it's your first time.
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Dan Dan Noodles (担担面) — Thin wheat noodles in chili oil, Sichuan peppercorn, minced pork, and preserved vegetables. 8-12 CNY at any street stall. The noodle shops along Yulin Road serve the best versions I've found.
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Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) — Soft tofu in a fiery sauce of chili bean paste, fermented black beans, and ground pork, finished with a snowfall of ground Sichuan peppercorn. Chen Mapo Tofu on Xiyulong Jie claims to be the original since 1862. 25 CNY.
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Chuan Chuan Xiang (串串香) — Skewers of everything (meat, vegetables, tofu, organs) dipped in spicy oil. You pick your own skewers, they cook them, and you pay 0.5-2 CNY per stick. An entire meal costs 30-50 CNY.
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Rabbit Head (兔头) — Yes. Braised rabbit heads are Chengdu's most iconically local snack. Sold at street stalls and restaurants for 15-25 CNY. You crack them open and eat the cheek meat and brain. Spicy or five-spice flavored. This is the test that separates tourists from travelers.
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Zhong Dumplings (钟水饺) — Pork dumplings in sweet-spicy chili oil. Different from northern dumplings — these are drowned in sauce. 15 CNY for a generous portion.
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Sichuan Opera Face-Changing — Not food, but inseparable from dining culture. The Shufeng Yayun Opera House in Culture Park has nightly shows (150-320 CNY, 1.5 hours). Performers swap colorful masks in milliseconds using a technique so secret that revealing it is supposedly illegal. Free mini-performances happen at Jinli Street restaurants.
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Teahouse Culture — Heming Teahouse in People's Park. Tea from 15-30 CNY. Sit for 4 hours playing cards. Get an ear cleaning (cai er, 30 CNY) from a professional using thin metal tools — it's oddly satisfying. This is the real Chengdu experience.
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San Da Pao (三大炮) — Sweet rice balls thrown against a board (they bounce and make three "cannon" sounds), then rolled in soybean flour and served with brown sugar syrup. 10 CNY. Found on Jinli Ancient Street.
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Morning congee and youtiao at neighborhood shops — 8-12 CNY for a bowl of rice porridge and a fried dough stick. The most un-glamorous meal on this list and one of the most satisfying.
