People’s Park, Kuanzhai Alley, and Tianfu Square all sit close together — which means plenty of tourists, but also plenty of old-school restaurants. I skipped the influencer-tourist circuit and actually ate my way through 6 spots of very different styles. Each has its own signature flavor, and I’ll tell you honestly what’s good and what isn’t — a practical Chengdu restaurants near People’s Park guide.
Sichuan Cold-Pot Fish and More
Chuanjiang Lengguoyu (Sichuan cold-pot fish)
I went here at lunch with coworkers. The shop doesn’t look like much — a bit old and worn, and you get the feeling it’s been open for many years in this unassuming alley.
The fish is killed to order, and the whole big pot is seriously generous. The fish slices are so tender, with a mildly spicy, mildly numbing flavor — not salty. The fish is cleaned very well: fresh, delicate, and not fishy at all, which is a real plus. It doesn’t feel heavy even toward the end of the meal. They keep the fish in a small pool, so the live fish is fresher and the meat is tender. The broth base is pretty good too — I ordered mild, and personally I still found it a bit spicy. The frog was a bit large, a little old and mushy; the fish was fine. There were also lots of vegetables and snacks.
Xiaojiaohua Maocai (small-bowl maocai)
Near People’s Park, in the Wangjiagui area on Junping Street. The storefront is tiny — you could easily walk right past it. It’s plain and simple but clean and tidy, and at mealtimes they set up outdoor seating. Business is good.
There’s a big selection of meat and vegetable options, the ingredients are fresh, and the seasoning really soaks in — you won’t be thirsty after eating. The flavor is that real old-school fragrance; it doesn’t rely on Sichuan peppercorn powder or white pepper to cover things up, and the oil is clear, so it’s comfortable to eat. It feels genuinely authentic. It’s not too spicy and not too oily, with a touch of sweetness. If you want it extra mild, just tell them.
Tongrenli Hot Pot
A very old hot pot restaurant right next to People’s Park, with antique-style decor.
The secret-recipe beef tallow red broth is fairly heavy and moderately spicy. The tripe and duck intestine are crunchy and very fresh; the secret beef tallow red broth is richly fragrant and gets more flavorful the longer it cooks. The handmade shrimp paste is bouncy and substantial, and the lotus root slices are crisp and cut through the richness. Their various beef cuts are all pretty good quality — tender, fresh, and enough. The Angus original-cut small fatty beef is delicious: tender, fresh, with a milky fragrance. The knife work on the diaolong (a cut of beef) is excellent — big wide slices, tender meat, great after a quick dip. There’s no smoke exhaust system, so every table is sneezing while they eat, and the whole hall smells sharply of hot pot.
Jiangjunfu · Jimao Dian
Traditional Chinese decor, and all the dishes are what-you-see-is-what-you-get — you pick on the spot and take a tag.
The signature big bowl of chicken-shred cold noodles is so big you could stick your whole head in. The noodles are chewy, sour, and slippery-tender. The cucumber shreds are especially refreshing and crisp, and the noodle texture is great. The garlic white pork is a creative design — the chili sauce is slightly sour, the meat is thin and tender, and it comes with noodles. The guobian mo (griddle-edge bun) is thick on one side and thin on the other. The thick part is fluffy and soft with corn fragrance; the thin part is very crispy. The stir-fried pork intestine is a classic double-pepper stir-fry — the intestine is tender, spicy, and appetizing, great with rice. The bagu rou (meat from around the bone) really tastes good, with the meat well-seasoned. But the portion is just too big — two people can’t finish it. At first it’s fine, but toward the end it feels especially greasy and a bit too much.
Yuexiangcun
The main hall has a bit of Republican-era style, and the seats are comfortable.
The steamed beef with rice flour is really soft and tender, and the flavor is okay. The clear stewed beef soup has sliced beef, fresh soup, and tender meat. I recommend the Huangcheng lung slices — savory and great with rice, the lung slices cut thin and crystal clear. I recommend the cold chicken shreds — salty and savory, appetizing and good with rice. The mapo tofu’s numbing sensation is stronger than its spiciness — very good with rice. The dry-fried beef — a classmate from Guangdong said it was pretty good. The fish-fragrant eggplant pancake batter is too thick; the fish-fragrant sauce seasoning is okay. The cold lung slices’ red oil isn’t fragrant and doesn’t really soak in.
Yang Roast Duck Home-Style Restaurant
It’s your normal fly-by-night restaurant environment — very plain and traditional.
The mao roast duck (roast duck simmered in broth) is the signature: roasted first, then simmered, with a braised fragrance carrying a slight spiciness. The duck meat is firm, not dry, and the skin still has a bit of charred aroma. The bean sprouts at the bottom soak up the broth — you can eat an extra bowl of rice just pouring the broth over it. The mao duck intestine has that authentic mao roast duck flavor; the duck intestine is crunchy, not dry.
The rice crust is very crispy and tasty, and the meat is fairly tender. But the white-oil loofah slightly drags things down. The tofu pudding beef tenderloin is delicious and great with rice — you could eat three bowls. A few beef slices are a bit old and mushy, hard to chew.
Pro tip: At Chuanjiang Lengguoyu, the mild broth still has a kick — if you’re sensitive to heat, ask for extra-mild. And at Xiaojiaohua Maocai, just tell them if you want it barely spicy.
