"Taste" is the core element of Sichuan cuisine, and typical Sichuan dishes have obvious taste characteristics, especially spicy. Cold pot skewers are derivatives of hot pot, and compared to hot pot skewers, chefs will serve bubbling skewers directly to customers, and the flavor is usually mild, and local diners tend to choose dry dishes (dried chili powder, etc.).
The exception is the Tian Xi Dry Mix Skewers, which, as the name suggests, have innovatively added the soup ingredients to the soup after the skewers are out of the pot, resulting in a richer aroma and a more pronounced spicy taste. This method is rare in Chengdu and is said to be the first of its kind, and it is better to pair it with an oil dish than traditional cold pot skewers.
The store was founded around 2014, and although it is a new store, it still adheres to the typical style of a small restaurant in Chengdu. The Xinhua community where the shop is located is a demolition and resettlement house born in the 90s of the last century, dilapidated and full of life, and the community has also developed a dense catering project. However, due to its flavor profile, Tian Xi quickly stood out from the public, and local diners recognized the innovative preparation method of Tian Xi.
Before the meal, the bowl is poured with fresh soup and red oil soup base, with a volume ratio of about 1:1, in which the red oil is the key factor affecting the flavor, which is the secret of the store. After the skewers are put into the dinner bowl, they should also be sprinkled with peanut flour and dried chili powder, and garnished with coriander and celery. Compared to other cold pot skewers, the spicy taste of the mata is more pronounced, but the restaurant offers three kinds of spiciness. It is recommended to taste "slightly spicy" and serve it with an oil dish, which will effectively reduce the spicy taste and make the aroma more obvious. The shop adopts a self-service selection plan, with a total of eight kinds of vinegar, chili pepper, oyster sauce, and soybean flour.
The skewers are the main dish, and the brains in the store are also worth trying. All the brain flowers in the store have been removed from the film, there is no fishy, and there are special soup pots for special spices. The membrane removal process has high requirements for the freshness of the brain flower, otherwise it is difficult to operate, so the shopkeeper buys vegetables every morning. Its red oil brain flower is packed in a skull wine glass, and the flavor is enough to represent the level of Chengdu, which is not to be missed by tourists. Deep-fried Brain Flower and Green Brain Flower are rarer and suitable for local diners, the former is first raised to 7 maturity, then cut into sections, and then wrapped in noodles and fried until fully cooked. The latter is rattan pepper flavor, with green peppers, fennel leaves, Chaotian peppers, peas, etc.
It's best not to try the chicken feet, according to the restaurant, this is a Southeast Asian flavor. But in addition to the obvious sweetness, the pungency is unbearable for many locals. In addition, the desserts of the small shop are also a selling point, but we still recommend paying attention to the skewer section. In the eating habits of the locals, tasting skewers is not a grand event, diners usually consume nearby, and the field mat takes into account the flavor and market atmosphere, and is scarce enough that both tourists and locals deserve to taste it.
Please note that the opening hours of the mat are usually later than the standard time published by the store. For example, although it is announced that it will open at 11:30, the actual business hours will be extended to 12:00.
