A New Sichuan Table Begins With Paper-Wrapped Fish

At Breitenbachpl. 8, the old Guoguoxiang address now carries a new name: ChengDu Restaurant. The street does not announce itself loudly, but once the door opens, the familiar Sichuan signals arrive first: peppercorn, chili, hot oil, and the sound of a table waiting for food.

The restaurant opens daily from 12:00 to 22:30. From 27 June, cash payments receive 20% off for two weeks. The coupon brings people in; the food has to make them stay. Current terms are set by the restaurant.

Paper-wrapped fish makes sense as the opening dish. When the paper opens, steam arrives before the first bite. Fish, broth, and spices spread across the table; it is food meant for several pairs of chopsticks.

Dry pot prawns bring a louder rhythm. The shells carry spice, rice becomes necessary, and conversation slows down only when everyone reaches for the same plate. Stir-fried squid is quieter but stricter: it needs heat, timing, and a clean bite.

Mapo tofu has no need for spectacle. The tofu must stay tender, the minced meat must carry aroma, and the bean paste and Sichuan pepper cannot taste separate from each other. Heat comes first, numbness follows, rice finishes the sentence.

The chefs are from Sichuan. Water-boiled beef, Chongqing lazi chicken, fuqi feipian, and Chengdu bang bang chicken all point in the same direction: mala, heat, freshness, and aroma. For a first visit, mapo tofu tells the story faster than any description.

If every dish is hot, the table tires quickly. Salted egg pumpkin gives the meal a sweet-salty pause between red oil and dry pot.

Clay pot pork stomach chicken feels more like a quiet soup. Pork stomach, chicken, and warm broth pull the meal back from the edge and make space for people who do not want every bite to be spicy. A table needs that rise and fall.