Chengdu Style Restaurant

Dan Dan Noodles

Chewy wheat noodles in sesame-chili sauce with ground pork and Sichuan peppercorn tingle that lingers on the lips

Mapo Tofu

Silken tofu in a fiery fermented black bean and chili sauce with ground pork — properly numbing and saucier than most Bay Area versions

Wontons in Chili Oil

Plump pork wontons bathed in a glossy, aromatic chili oil with sesame and garlic — a textbook Chengdu street snack

Twice-Cooked Pork

Sliced pork belly stir-fried with leeks and fermented black bean paste until the edges caramelize and the fat renders out

Cucumber Salad

Smashed cucumbers in a bright sesame-garlic-vinegar dressing with chili oil — refreshing counterpoint to the heavier mains

String Beans with Minced Pork

Dry-fried green beans blistered in a wok with spiced ground pork — slightly charred skins with a satisfying chew

Kung Pao Chicken

The Sichuan original: tender chicken with dried chilies, roasted peanuts, and a sweet-sour-spicy sauce that actually bites back