A common question among people who haven’t been to Chengdu is: What kinds of snacks can I find in Chengdu?You would get different answers from different Chengdu natives, and they might include such things as: Longchaoshou (wonton), Lai Tangyuan (a different kind of dumpling) or Dandan noodles.
In Chengdu, there is one bus route that links together well-known or lesser known ‘fly restaurants’ (in Chengdu, a fly restaurant is one that is described as cheap and small, but that offers delicious food). It is route 154, an 11-seat mini-bus that goes to various fly restaurants in Chengdu. Along its route, it passes by 14 fly restaurants which provide tasty yet different-flavored Sichuan food, making an otherwise dull bus trip enjoyable.
Recommended tours:
- 1-Day Dujiangyan Panda Keeper Program Tour
- 1-Day Chengdu Panda and Sichuan Cuisine Tour
- 4-Day Wolong In-Depth Panda Tour
Huaxingjie Stop
Nearby restaurants: Yutian Restaurant, Zilinoole Shop
Yutian Fan Dian
Average price: 25 yuan
The specialties of Yutian Fan Dian include Hong Shao Rou (braised pork), Fan Qie Pai Gu Tang (soup with tomatoes and pork ribs), He Ye Shao Pai Gu (pork ribs wrapped in lotus leaves), Shui Zhu Rou Pian (pork slices cooked in a large pot, very spicy), but their Sao Zi Zheng Dan (eggs with minced meat) tastes good too. It makes you drool to see it served in a small bowl. The one most worth mentioning is their pickled vegetables, which makes many foreigners regret leaving without taking some with them.
Zili Mian Dian
Average price: 10 yuan
This is a typical Chengdu noodle shop but, in this restaurant, they pick every material or ingredient with the utmost care and make them in strict conformance to traditional methods. The old three Za Jiang Mian (noodles dressed with a thick sauce), Pai Gu Mian (noodles with pork ribs), and Niu Rou Mian (noodles with beef), is what they boast of, and they are offered at a reasonable price.
Shuangzhizijie Stop
Nearby restaurants: Huaxingjie Jian Dan Mian, Maopai Huo Guo Cai
Huaxingjie Jian Dan Mian
Average price: 10 yuan
You can’t miss the Fan Qie Jian Dan Mian (noodles with tomatoes and fried eggs) in this restaurant. The eggs in this dish are fluffy, and the fine noodles are infused with flavors. Its all-vegetable cold dishes are also very good. Overall, it’s a restaurant that serves night-time snack style Chengdu food. It is open for 24 hours daily.
Recommended tours:
Contact us for a private tour of Leshan and Mount Emei.
Mao Pai Huo Guo Cai
Average price: 20 yuan
The environment is average, with tables crammed into a narrow space, but they provide tasty food. So many customers frequent this restaurant that you’ll find people waiting in line from noon until night. You can order a Quan Jia Fu (a dish with a variety of meat and vegetables) that’s enough to fill three people’s stomachs.
Guiwangqiao South Stop
Nearby restaurants: San Jie Wei Dao Chang, San Dao Guai Shao Cai Guan
San Jie Wei Dao Chang
Average price: 12 yuan
Ban Ji Pian (sliced chicken) is this small restaurant’s specialty. People who work nearby like to have lunch there, ordering a Ban Ji Pian and a bowl of Ji Tang Fan (rice cooked with chicken soup). The pepper oil in this restaurant is spicy but not hot, with white sesame seeds strengthening its flavor. It’s very likely that the Ji Tang Fan will be sold out if you arrive late.
San Dao Guai Shao Cai Guan
Average price: 22 yuan
You can get a variety of authentic homely style dishes there that are served in large portions. The recommended dish is Teng Jiao Wu Yu Pian (sliced snakehead), which is better than what you can find in many restaurants specializing in cooked fish.
Fu De Jie Street Stop
Nearby restaurants: Zhang Niang Kao Rou, San GeTian Luo
Zhang Niang Kao Rou
Average price: 35 yuan
Niang means mother or aunt. The owner of this restaurant is very hospitable, and she grills the meat herself. Yao Pian (sliced animal kidney), Wu Hua Rou (streaky pork), and Niu Rou (beef) are very good. There are different flavors for Niu Rou, for example, it may be treated with garlic, black pepper or coriander, or it may be made hot and spicy. Jiang Xiang Wu Hua Rou (streaky pork treated with a thick sauce), tastes really good. It tastes even better when wrapped up in lettuce.
San Ge Tian Luo
Average price: 120 yuan
Dishes in this restaurant are a little unconventional, for example, Chao Luo Rou (fried snail meat), Yu Xiang Xia Ren (shrimps tasting like fish), and Chao Tian Luo (fried snails), which many people do not like. This restaurant is good at making spicy dishes, and the spicier they are, the more you will like them.
Mazhenjie Zhan
Nearby restaurants: Zhang Ji Shan Yu Mian
Zhang Ji Shan Yu Mian
Average price: 20 yuan
Shan Yu Mian (noodles with eel) in this restaurant is first class. Everything is carefully selected and the food is served in large portions. This restaurant is a little hard to find. It is located within an inconspicuous housing complex at 38, Haohuasijie Street.
Caojiaxiang Stop
Nearby restaurants: Mingting Fan Dian, Wang Ji Te Se Guo Kui
Mingting Fan Dian
Average price: 45 yuan
Mingting Fan Dian is praised as being the best fly restaurant in Chengdu by those who love exploring small lanes for delicious food.
Wang Ji Te Se Guo Kui
Hong Tang Guo Kui (a huge pie filled with brown sugar) is this restaurant’s specialty. With just one bite, the brown sugar flows out, an experience that is heaven to the tongue and palate. Two dishes that go well together are Xi’an Rou Guo Kui (similar food, only that the filling is meat instead of brown sugar) and Fei Chang Fen (rice noodles with pig’s intestines).
Recommended tours:
- 2-Day Wolong Panda Cub Keeper Program Tour
- 2-Day Wolong Red Panda Keeper Program Tour
- 4-Day Wolong In-Depth Panda Tour
Zhang Jia Xiang Stop
Nearby restaurants: Shi Hui Pi Jiu Ya
Shi Hui Pi Jiu Ya
Average price: 50 yuan
For 58 yuan, you can have a Pi Jiu Ya (duck treated with beer) that is large enough for two people. It is spicy in such a way that you can’t push it aside, even if you feel it’s too spicy. The special-flavored Chuan Chuan (pot-stewed meat put on a stick) is splendid. If you go there in the summer, you must order crayfish. It is both spicy and sweet at the same time. The heads of these shrimps are already removed and the shells are crisp, so that you can eat them directly.
Hong Hua Nan Lu Stop
Nearby restaurants: Mao Ji Mao Cai
Mao Ji Mao Cai
Average price: 21 yuan
Make sure you order Mao Niu Rou (beef cooked differently). Duck intestines are good too. It’s a small restaurant, meaning that you have to wait for a seat at the height of lunch and dinnertime. In the evening, when many people have finished work, they will come and buy some take-away food. By offering delicious food at a low price, they really prosper.
Wanna know more about decilious food and restaurants in Chengdu, you're highly recommended to browse the followings:
