Food Hunting | Chongqing (Updating)

Notice：This blog is integrated with my Apple Notes, frequently updated.

Any questions about Sichuanese cuisine—or Chinese food in general—feel free to Contact Me. I’m always happy to expand the content based on your needs.

I hope information I provide will guide food lovers to truly worthwhile dining experiences in Chengdu by offering well-suited recommendations. I'll be thrilled if this guide leads you to a dish you love at any of the recommended restaurants.

Don’t waste your calories on worthless food!

A List of Restaurants You Can‘t Miss

【Traditional Sichuanese Cuisine 】

三味多 San Wei Duo（Master‘s Kitchen of Classic Sichuanese Cuisine）·
· Chef Wu MIngshi (伍明仕) is a real master chef, who has been teaching and training classic sichuanese cuisine since 1980s. Amazing plates aethestic both on visual and cooking skills.
· Tell Chef your group size and budget (150 yuan/pp will be good), group size of 6-10 for the best BANQUET experince. Ingredients are prepared according to chefs arrangements. Walk-in order is never recommend.
· Close to the North Railway Station. distance from city center. A destination restaurant for all professional gastronomist.

尘香 Chen Xiang （Banquet dishes in affordable restaurant）
· Traditional Sichuanese Cuisine, Chongqing Style.
· Dry Braised longsnout catfish （干烧江团） is their signature dish that heritaged from recongnized masters.
· Good Walk-in Option if you are near Chao Tian Men & Jiefang Bei (朝天门/解放碑）
· Better experience for guest at least 4-10, if less, food waste alert!

渝碚路宴宾楼 Yu Bei Lu Yan Bin Lou Restaurant（Banquet dishes in affordable restaurant）
·40 years old brand of Traditional in Sha Ping Ba
·Some old dishes, Hechuan Pork slice(合川肉片), Snowflake Chicken Mousse（雪花鸡淖）are still availabe via reservation.
· if you have a higher budget and a group 6-10, ask chef design a menu for you.

老四川酒楼（解放碑洪崖洞店）Lao Sichuan Restaurant（Jie Fang bei Hong Ya Dong Store）（Old brand of Beef dishes）
·Oxtail Soup Stew with Goji berry is signature dish. Cold-eating beef products, such as Dengying beef灯影牛肉, Jingmao Beef精毛牛肉，Fengwei Beef 凤尾牛肉 are all local & classic
·Tips: a chain but please choose this store only.

桌哥下饭菜（观音桥店）Zhuoge Xia Fan Cai （Restaurant rice killing dishes and Chongqing regional Flavor）
·A small chain in Chongqing （4 branches only）, who is able to prepare all chongqing ingredients by themselves. Signature is Twice cooked pork 回锅肉。
·What I recommend is their own made 莽海椒（fermented sticky rice stuffed chili）、鲊肉（fermented rice with pork, which is earlist form of sushi）、鲊海椒 (fermented rice and chili) dishes. Its a regional flavor of east Chongqing, where very close to Hubei & Hunan. its a common Tujia Ethnic 土家族 flavor. Tips: just try two of them are good. or you will feel little “rice powder + fermenting sour” repeat, although they are all tasty.
·if you are really interested in Tujia Ethnic 土家族 flavor, i know some in 石柱，but still looking for a good one in main city.

【Noodles, Street food & Snacks】

赵伍面庄 Zhaowu Noodle Shop 【Chongqing Xiaomian重庆小面 & Pea Paste & Minced Pork Noodle & Beef Noodle牛肉面】
· Chef Zhaowu is recongized as “the god of noodle” in Chongqing (according to some noodle lovers perspective). Several Branches are set by his family member and provide recipes from him.
· I tried the Yuekejun约克郡 Branch. But foodies are recommend the 吉祥苑 branch，where Chef Zhaowu himself works and 松石大道 Branch where his son in charge of the flavors

一口汤饺 Yikou Tangjiao 【Handmade after order，tasting size clasic noodles and dumplings】
· Chef Ma is trained from Xiaobinlou 小滨楼, which is the best street snack store in Chongqing since 1980s.
· Try Soup dumplings, Pot stikers and Dandan/Sujiao/Jiangya(ginger & duck spicy) noodles. All are tasting size.
· Not all-day service, confirm time before you go.

三块石头面 Sankuai Shitou Mian （Three stones Noodle）
· A special guy reject provide other condiments other than beef + beef broth （spicy） only. He care about the orginal flavor of beef.
· 20-30 Bowls a day ONLY（Morning to Lunch）. Better reserve it before you go.

【Hotpots】

肆味 Siwei Hotpot（Luxury style hotpot）
·The hotpot broth recipe is designed for the owner himself, which means a high requirement on all ingredients.
·The only hotpot serves different wagyu cuts in Chongqing
·Special Select furniture & tablewares and great great Yangzi River (night) view. My choice if I want host best friend who is going to visit Chongqing.

艾嬢七八九老火锅 Ainiang 789 Hotpot（Hotpot Mama’s hotpot store in Residential building）
·A brand from 1987 and the owner Ainiang (艾嬢) is respected as Hotpot Mama for hotpot skill training. Lots of popular brand owner are her students nowadays.
·still prepare beef tallow broth by hand craft every 5-6 days （i sneaked into her kitchen and watched the whole process by chance）

枇杷园食为鲜火锅 Pi Pa Yuan Shi Wei Xian Hotpot (The world largest hotpot store) & 鲜龙井火锅大观园 Xian Long Jing Huo Guo Da Guan Yuan
·800 hundred tables of Pi Pa Yuan are set along a mountain slope, able to host 6000 people at the same time.
·Recommend for a glance at Pi Pa Yuan and Choose Xian Long Jing for dining experience, including traditional courtyard enviroment and some speical local performance, eg, Molten Iron Fireworks show。
·Two Hotpots are 300 meters away from each other. but both are a little distance from city center.

洞亭火锅 Dong Ting Hotpot
· One of the earlist air-raid bomb shelter Hotpot in the city center.
· Bomb shelters is a heritage of 1930s-1940s Chongqing History. A unique vibe.
· Only 20 tables. Some times busy. Better confirm seats before you go.

牛圈老火锅 Niu Juan（cow enclosure）Hotpot
· Located just steps away from a cow butching factory, ffar from city center. (45 mins drive from Jiefang Bei)
· If you want extremely fresh beef and offals (even no chance to a fridge), this is a good option. BTW they make broth by themselves.
· Better confirm opening before you go. Best visiting time is after 7pm (when butchers start work)

【Drinks】

半刻酿造 BackFuture 精酿&咖啡
· A local craftbeer brand in Chongqing.

El Nido
·One of the best Bar brand in China. This is a
chongqing branch. Niche beers on Tap,seasonally changing and expensive.

交通茶馆
·An historical tea house of Chongqing still keep a 1970/80s style vibe.

【Want Tea, Ingredients and Spicies】

万戈干副批发市场 Chongqing Wan Ge Tea, Spice & Dry Goods Wholesale Market·
·The Largest spices wholesale market of Chongqing City. Chillis and Peppercorn serves thousands of Hotpot in Chongqing.

渝南冻品交易市场 Yu Nan FFrozen Ingredients Market
·Lots of hotpot used ingredients processing there, including tripes, aortas, and squids,etc. if you are interested in hotpot ingredients supplying. A good option here.
·

重庆凯恩国际家居名都Chongqing Kai En Hotel and Restaurant Goods Wholesale Market.
·If you want buy some ceramic plates, bowls, dishes for your restaurant or studio, there are some good brand here.