Live Your Best Lives
There are countless Sichuan delicacies, and Dujiangyan, which is not far from the "food paradise" Chengdu, is no less inferior. Although it is generally similar to Chengdu, with skewers, dry pot, and hot pot everywhere, it also has its own unique delicacies, such as Zha Zha noodles, scallion rolls, and snap fish.
The food areas can be divided into three parts. The first is the area near the scenic area, such as the Night Beer Square; the second is the farmhouses along the line from Dujiangyan to Qingcheng Mountain; and the third is the cold water salmon and trout in Hongkou Township, which attracts many Chengdu people.
Dujiangyan City (referring to the old Guan County area) actually has a wealth of delicious food. Besides the riverside, Xingfu Avenue is lined with restaurants, many of which are time-honored establishments. In the evening, be sure to head to the Night Beer Square for skewers, spicy hot pot, ice jelly, jelly with soy sauce, dregs of noodles, and dregs of pancakes. Enjoying the river breeze and a beer is truly relaxing.
Zhazha noodles are a rich, Western Sichuan-style noodle dish. To make it, remove the noodles from the pot when they're 80% cooked, leaving them completely dry. Then, while still hot, sprinkle them with a topping of roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, sugar, and other ground ingredients, covering them completely. Stir with chopsticks before eating; the fragrant, warm flavor is simply mouthwatering.
For the natives of Dujiangyan, during their childhoods of scarcity, a bowl of bing fen (ice jelly) was a summer favorite. Even today, on the streets of Dujiangyan, you can still hear the faint cries of vendors calling out, "Ice jelly, icy and sweet ice jelly!" It's very affordable, made by tossing watermelon cubes, bayberries, and other preserved fruits into brown sugar water. While the flavor may not be as good as it used to be, it's still a refreshing treat, a refreshing treat that captures the memories.
Scallion rolls are a Dujiangyan snack, and even locals can't pinpoint when they first became popular. But in places like Wuguiqiao Street and Sanfangban Alley, the crowds of people selling them are ubiquitous. There aren't any formal shops, so you sit down at a few low tables and chairs on the street, and the owner will bring you a plate of dough, a few small plates of shredded radish and lettuce. Roll them up, dip them in a secret sauce, and pop them in your mouth, revealing a spicy, sour, and sweet flavor.
The croaker, also known as catfish, is a wild fish native to the Minjiang River. It's said to have a balsamic cavity on its back that exudes fragrance, earning it the nickname "sweetfish." Croakers are small, weighing only about 500g at most. Steaming them is simple. The meat is tender, smooth, and fragrant, yielding an incredibly delicious flavor.
The loach stir-fried with minced ginger, minced garlic, red pepper, minced Sichuan pepper, sesame seeds, five-spice powder, green onions and Pixian fermented bean paste is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and is very delicious. Although it has a strong spicy taste, it is still hard to stop eating.
This established restaurant is open 24 hours a day and is perfect for breakfast or a late-night snack. Their signature dish, Zha Zha Noodles, is delicious and available in a variety of flavors, though it's best to use less spicy food if you don't like it. If that's not enough, you can also order wontons and yeh er ba (yellow cake).
Address: No. 87 Xinma Road, Dujiangyan City
Contact: 18980550363
Transportation: Take Dujiangyan Bus No. 33 and get off at Sanguanqiao Xiajie Station
Reference price: 20 yuan per person
This is a well-known snack in Guanxian Ancient Town. The sign is eye-catching, but the shop is small, with few tables and chairs, and the atmosphere can be quite crowded. If you don't mind, come here to taste the authentic flavors of the ancient town! Black sesame dumplings, beef tofu pudding, and fermented black bean paste wontons are their signature dishes. The portions are small, so if you're not in a group, try a few different ones.
Address: No. 67 Yangliuhe Street, Dujiangyan City
Transportation: Take Dujiangyan Bus No. 33 and get off at Yangliuhe Street Station
Reference price: 12 yuan per person
The sweet and sour scallion rolls embody the traditional flavors of Dujiangyan. Make your own, wrapping finely shredded radish and potato in thin dough sheets and dipping them in their signature red oil sauce. Take a bite and you'll find a crispy, delicious bite. In this unassuming stall, you can savor the old-fashioned flavors of a "fly restaurant."
Address: Wuguiqiao Street, Dujiangyan City (next to Tianhe Shengshi)
Transportation: Take Dujiangyan Bus No. 33 and get off at Chenjiaxiang Station. Walk north to the intersection, turn right and it is on the south side.
Reference price: 3 yuan per person
Although the restaurant is a bit hard to find, it's already packed with diners before mealtime, with queues being the norm, a testament to the saying, "Good wine needs no bush." Red oil dumplings and sweet noodles are their specialties, attracting many visitors.
Address: Next to the vegetable market on Yangliuhe Street, Dujiangyan City (near Taipei Dessert)
Transportation: Take Dujiangyan Bus No. 33 and get off at Yangliuhe Street Station
Reference price: 12 yuan per person
This restaurant is quite famous in Dujiangyan. It serves home-style dishes that appeal to a wide range of tastes and caters to all ages. Their signature dish is the cold-mixed palm chicken, which resembles a mouth-watering chicken. The chicken is tender, smooth, and chewy, making it a must-try for every table. Other home-style dishes like the bullfrog stew and dry-pot pig intestines are also excellent, and the prices are generally reasonable.
Address: 20 meters east of the intersection of Guanjing Road and Jingzhong Road, First Ring Road, Dujiangyan City
Contact: 028-67611125
Transportation: Take Dujiangyan Bus No. 33 or other buses and get off at the Jingzhong Road Intersection Station on the First Ring Road, or take Dujiangyan Bus No. 12 or 1 or other buses and get off at the Tuanjie Primary School Station, then walk about 150 meters to the destination.
Reference price: 40 yuan per person
We recommend the five-spice rabbit head and the spicy rabbit head. The rabbit head is cooked to a tender, melt-in-your-mouth consistency, with fresh and fragrant meat and tender bones that can be chewed and swallowed. After finishing one, I couldn't resist a second and then a third. It's worth buying one portion to satisfy your craving and taking one home for the family. It's best to avoid peak lunchtime hours, as the restaurant can be crowded. The service is generally slower during busy times, and the food is generally average.
Address: No. 143 Jiang'an Road, Dujiangyan City
Contact: 028-61727880
Transportation: Take Dujiangyan Bus No. 9 and get off at Messi Life Plaza Station
Reference price: 35 yuan per person
This restaurant has been open for over 10 years and is often frequented by locals. They specialize in Dujiangyan local dishes like tofu blood and baked jelly. Their popular dish, twice-cooked pork, is fragrant but a bit fatty. On hot days, you can order kelp soup to cool down. The overall flavor is strong, but the prices are reasonable and satisfying! The only downside is the average service.
Address: Upper Jingzhong Road, Dujiangyan City (opposite the alley of Sanyang Company)
Contact: 13550226313/13981785859
Transportation: Take Dujiangyan Bus No. 33 or other buses and get off at the Jingzhong Road Intersection Station on the First Ring Road, or take Dujiangyan Bus No. 12 or 1 or other buses and get off at the Tuanjie Primary School Station, then walk about 150 meters to the destination.