A blank and silky canvas, tofu gets the Sichuan treatment at this respected and popular Chengdu institution. Xiao Tan Dou Hua, literally “Little Tan’s Tofu Flower,” attracts a sizable crowd of local residents, business travelers, and the occasional tourist like The Astronomer and me at every meal.

We placed our order and paid upfront before snagging a seat in the dining room. As non-Chinese speakers, this protocol was incredibly frustrating because we weren’t able to apply our tried and true “point, nod, and smile” technique very easily.

A traveling businessman from Shanghai, well versed in English, Chinese, and deliciousness, sensed our distress and jumped in to save the day. We have him to thank for our most excellent meal here.

To start, we dug into a platter of beef steamed in rice meal (粉蒸肉). This classic Sichuan dish was prepared extraordinarily well—the meat was tender, delicately coated, and spiced just right.

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