Food and travel magazines can be terrific sources of inspiration, but I must admit that I found them pretty useless on the ground in China.

For our first meal in Sichuan Province, I had my sights set on a tempting place that Chef Danny Bowien and Bon Appetit Editor Andrew Knowlton visited on their trip, or maybe it was a spot that Matt Gross favored in Saveur; either way, both articles lacked any pertinent details, like proper addresses, that would’ve been immensely helpful for locating. Hard lesson learned: follow my nose, not fluffy journalism.

Thankfully in Chengdu, and most of China, really, a solid place to eat is never more than a few steps away. When Plan A didn’t work out the way we had hoped, The Astronomer and I spontaneously lunched at Dan Dan Tian Shui Mian, a well-known spot among locals (over 100 reviews on Chinese Yelp!) for “Old Chengdu Traditional Dishes.”

Every table in the restaurant was topped with the usual chopsticks, napkins, and vinegar, as well as bo bo ji, a large pottery bowl filled with skewers of chicken innards and vegetables soaked in chili oil. We weren’t sure if the skewers were complementary or not, but decided to wing it and dig in.

I indulged in surprisingly snappy lotus roots and asparagus, while The Astronomer sampled the cauliflower. The cost of the skewers was tabulated at the end of the meal. This was a really delicious and unexpected starter.

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