The popular "Hot Pot Hero" shows the charm of Chongqing's "Dongzi Cuisine". The movie is based on reality, and Zeng Laoyuzhuang under the pier of Changbin Road is hidden in an air-raid shelter of more than 100 meters. It has been open 24 hours a day for more than 20 years, and its popularity has not diminished, and the entrance is often full of waiting customers.

"Dongzi cuisine" is a unique catering model in Chongqing. During the Anti-Japanese War, Chongqing, as the accompanying capital, was bombed by the Japanese army, so the authorities relied on the topography of the mountain city to build air-raid shelters throughout the city. After the war, these bomb shelters lost their military value and were instead developed into restaurants by some restaurant owners. Most of the restaurants in the "Dongzi Cuisine" are noodle restaurants, hot pot restaurants, and fish villages, which are noisy and lively, and have a strong atmosphere of fireworks. These restaurants are mediocre, even dirty, but they carry the history of Chongqing's mountain town, and attract not only locals but also tourists from all walks of life.

The environment of the old store is simple, and the white tiles on the walls on both sides are the only decoration. The long bomb shelter houses the kitchen, pantry and dining area, and the air is unusually cloudy with hundreds of steaming red pots, and the strange smell of the environment makes many first-time diners frown. However, as the air-raid shelter is deep into the mountain, the temperature remains around 20 degrees Celsius in midsummer, which makes people feel cooler. There are many waiters in the store, most of whom speak with local accents, and the service attitude and enthusiasm are worrying, and many things need to be done by customers.

Fish is an indispensable ingredient in Jianghu cuisine, rich in taste, various cooking methods, Tai'an fish, anchovies, pickled cabbage fish, rattle fish, post pavilion crucian carp and so on are all famous dishes. The meat of Tai'an fish is soft and glutinous, the soup is full, the anchovy is heavy and spicy, and the entrance is hot, and compared with these two, the history of the post pavilion crucian carp that only emerged around 2000 is relatively short, but the reputation is not far behind. The post pavilion crucian carp originated from the post pavilion town of Dazu County, the main feature is "spicy first, fresh soup later", with chili, pepper, Pixian bean paste, etc. to provide spicy, plus fresh soup and cooking wine, the original crucian carp into the soup to soak, both spicy and fresh.

Looking at the environment and service alone, Zeng Lao is far below the passing line, and excellent production is the reason for its longevity. Zeng Laoqi pickled the crucian carp after removing the scales, first fried and then burned, and put it into a large pot of red oil, absorbing the aroma of Sichuan pepper, chili, green onion and celery, and the flavor was strong but the spicy flavor did not overshadow the umami of the fish. When eating, the whole crucian carp is fished onto a dipping plate, on which are placed peas, green onions, mustard, and a spoonful of spicy soup base in the pot, which is fragrant and enjoyable, and has a rich taste. As a classic Jianghu dish, the crucian carp was once popular all over Bayu, but in recent years it has been in decline, because balancing the spiciness of the soup base and the umami of the crucian carp is quite difficult for inexperienced chefs, and Zeng Laoqi has undoubtedly done a very successful job. However, due to the large number of bone spurs in crucian carp, the elderly and children should be more careful when eating them. Zeng Laoqi's crucian carp is sold by the pound, and it takes a little longer to serve, so you might as well taste other dishes in the store first.

Finger pork ribs and spicy shrimp are two of the restaurant's other signature hard dishes. The burnt pork ribs are covered with chili noodles and cumin powder, and the original pork ribs are fried and then fried, and the crispy skin retains the gravy, the meat is firm and has crispy bones, and it is spicy and refreshing when you tear it with your hands with gloves. The spicy shrimp is also fried, and the boiling oil chokes the shrimp skin to golden crispiness, and is full of spicy aroma after stir-frying with dried chilies. All the shrimp are only threaded through the open back, and the amount is not ambiguous, but the shrimp meat is woody, mainly relying on seasoning and fragrance. If you feel that the dish is too heavy, you can have a moromi rice ball and freshly squeezed hawthorn water to relieve the spiciness. The store also serves snacks and staple foods, among which the fried crispy pork and the goose intestine with noodles are not much, and the taste is not distinctive, so please choose carefully.

Due to the full capacity every day, Zeng Laoqi opened a new store dozens of meters away from the old store. The spacious surroundings of the new store are significantly better than the humble bomb shelters, and all the dishes are transported from the old store, and the products are no different. However, many customers, especially foreign tourists, still choose to line up in front of the old store to experience a more authentic "dongzi" flavor.