Grilled Pork Belly
Chengdu: City of Gastronomy #5
Kǎo wǔhuāròu – 烤五花肉
Hunks of pork belly on a stick, seasoned with the special Chinese barbecue seasoning, and grilled to perfection.
In China, BBQ is called shāokǎo (烧烤). It almost always involves various items on a stick covered in a combination of chili powder and cumin. It’s a great street food, especially after a night out on the town.
We headed to the student area by Sichuan University’s Wangjiang Campus. It’s a pretty cool area of Chengdu with lots of cheap eats, and some really fun bars.
Most shao kao stands are open late, so they’re a perfect after bar snack.
The translation for wǔhuāròu is literally 5 flower meat – they call it that because there is usually five layers of fat in the meat. It’s streaky pork, or pork belly – probably China’s favourite cut of meat.
Grilling the meat helps get rid of some of the grease, but the bit that stays goes really well with the cumin and chili – maybe my all-time-favourite two spices.
Shao kao stands are great for people who can’t speak CHinese. You simply choose what you want and hand it over. The cost depends on how many stick you take. Even if you don’t want any meat, you’ll find a large variety of vegetables to choose from.
Where to Eat Grilled Pork Belly in Chengdu
Most BBQ street food stands will have wǔhuāròu. The stand in the video is in a complex on the corner of Hongwasi and Beiyuan.
Restaurant: 王师烧烤 – Wáng shī shāokǎo
Address: 红瓦寺街共和村商务楼5号附11号 – 5 Hongwasi St
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Map in China
If you are looking to have a few drinks before eating it, there is no better bar scene in Chengdu than the Jiuyanqiao Bar Street. The atmosphere is lively, and the area is beautiful with the Anshun Bridge lighting up the Jinjiang, or Jin River.