CHENGDU: City of Gastronomy – A Sichuan Food Series

Asia’s First City to be Named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy

The Food Video Series Where I Randomly Choose a Sichuan Food Themed Playing Card and then Go Try it in Chengdu, China – the Capital of Sichuan.

The Story

One day I was exploring a tacky tourist shop in Chengdu, where I’m currently living. I came across a pack of playing cards that featured a different Sichuan specialty dish on each card. A big part of the reason why I moved to Chengdu was because I fell in love with Sichuan food after frequenting an authentic Sichaun restaurant back when I lived in Vietnam. I bought the cards and vowed to try every dish – all 54 of them.

That became the basis for this series.

My week goes a little something like this:

  1. I shuffle the cards and choose one at random
  2. I research the dish the best I can – translating Chinese sites, looking through old cookbooks, etc.
  3. I search mapping apps and Dianping (China’s Yelp) for a good place to try the dish
  4. I plan a day around the area and the dish. For example, if it’s close to a tourist attraction I might include that in my video, or perhaps I’ll include a bit about local life in China.
  5. I hit the city geared to the boobs with my cameras, mics, and more – exploring the streets, the local markets, the parks, etc – and eventually making my way to the restaurant to try the dish.
  6. I put together the video and share it all with you (Thursdays 3:00 PM EST!)

Why not watch the first episode?

Ants Climbing a Tree // Chengdu: City of Gastronomy 01

If that one didn’t do it for you (I assure you, after making over 30 more they’ve definitely improved), you can check out some of my favorites from the series so far.

The Best of the best

Please subscribe to keep up with the latest episodes, and tune in every Thursday at 3:00PM EST for the latest episode!