Chuān Bàn

Every Chinese province has its own official building in Běijīng, complete with a restaurant for cadres and locals working in the capital who are pining for a taste of home. Often they’re the most authentic places for regional cuisines. This restaurant in the Sìchuān Government Offices is always crowded and serves up just about every variety of Sìchuān food you could want. It’s very much a place for fire fiends: almost every dish comes loaded with chilli, whether it’s bamboo shoots, Sìchuān specials such as làzi jī (spicy chicken), or the steamed fish with pepper and taro (Y58). But there’s an English menu, and the staff, surprisingly helpful given that this is a government-run restaurant, can help you avoid choosing anything too extreme. Beers are Y10; you’ll need them to restore feeling to your tongue.