CHANCE landed me back in Chengdu last week. I have good pals there who will always, like they did again this time, whisk me off to polished places for a sumptuous feast and some supremely fine local wine.

HEADY STUFF: One of the signature dishes at Ming Ting Fan Tian is the delicious pig brain mala tofu. PICTURE: KF SEETOH

But this time, I specifically asked where locals go for their no-frills celebration of chuan cai, the fiery cuisine of Szechuan that is so well known all over the world.

I popped the question to the locals, and three of them bounced backed with the same answer.

The taxi driver did, as did the foot reflexologist and a new friend I bumped into at a pub - borderline incoherent and nursing a bottle of whisky.

Then he muttered something about how hard it is to find the place.

Ming Ting Fan Tian (if you can read the Chinese sign) is tucked in a side road hidden behind a noisy street market. I was greeted by a colourful tarpaulin sheet acting like a boutique entrance canopy.

It looked like a coffee shop with covered al-fresco seating, and it was crowded.

I leaned into the stall, and we were immediately ushered in and shown our seats.

The wait staff took us deep inside and I realised that they owned the whole building and every room behind was a private, albeit simple air-conditioned dining hall.

You can see some well-heeled local diners smoking over their meals and sometimes the floor was treated as a spittoon. It is a ritual not entirely unknown in our Geylang and Chinatown. The place could easily seat a few hundred and everybody was there for the food, food and food, including me.

I struggled first with the Chinese menu, then with the staff's accent and finally gave up and said: 'Bring me your house specialities, the ones you get sick of serving each day.'

Like thunder after lightning, signature dish No 1 came very quickly - pig brain mala tofu (even my drunken pal suggested it), all red and temptingly soft.

It tasted soulful. The textures of the tofu and grey matter were confusingly similar, yet they tasted different, all complemented by a perfectly spiced mala sauce. It was sensational over that bed of soft fluffy rice.

Then I had a plate of sliced-up carp stewed and flooded with Szechuan chillies and peppers, followed by two-toned chilli chicken and pork pieces fried with red and green chillies with ginger cubes.

They cut the meats into little pub-grub pieces, and we had to dive into the sea of red and green to extract the little morsels.

Of course, they were all burning in the mouth, yet irritatingly addictive. We had to calm it down with some clear radish and pork ribs soup, and some of the best stir-fried glass noodles with cabbage I've ever had - all good simply because of the sweetness of the vegetables.

The view out the window of our room was of someone's pyjamas drying in the alleyway, but it added to the homely atmosphere.

Then, as if to test if we had enough, the server plonked a plate of deep fried pork ribs, the kind just dusted in flour, then fried till crisp and tossed again in some Szechuan red pepper, and lots of chopped long beans with ginger.

It was daring us to crunch it.

But the waitress teased, just as we were mesmerised and howling in anticipation: 'Sorry, this is meant for another customer, but do you want this anyway?'

I said 'no', she left, and I realised that sometimes, the strength of will in the face of temptation, comes with a price. Now, I have to go back for it (along with the other 80 dishes on the menu).

Makansutra, founded by KF Seetoh, is a company that celebrates Asian food culture and lifestyle. It publishes food guides in and around the region, produces a food television series, develops interactive mobile content and services, operates food courts and eateries, organises food tours and events, and consults on culinary concepts.

---

FYI

WHAT: Ming Ting Fan Tian

WHERE: Cheng Du Shi Wai Cao Jia Xiang Yi Jie Fang, No30 (in the market), Chengdu. Call 028-83315978 or owner/manager Zhang Fu Ming's handphone number 136-88051521 for detailed directions to get there

WHEN: Lunch and dinner daily

 Back to Columnists