The thing about moving about in an interesting foreign land, assuming the role as a makan anthropologist in a place like Chengdu in Sichuan, China, is that my minders and friends, though knowing I’ll try tree bark if its simmered well, will somehow still, always point me to a prettified “lao wai”(foreigners) local eatery. The fact that they took pains to understand the perceptions and demographics of their clientele and believe they have a good idea what folks like me want, is a bit of a turn off – the carefully crafted menu, English speaking staff, slick uniforms, posh trimmings, merchandising and the irritatingly smooth service, not in a way that the whole thing-o-magic experience they sell has no appeal. So encapsulated, like a Singapore Sling in a Merlion mug. Then, a Singaporean advertising maverick, Jessie Lim, who had been running her own agency there for the last five years, shone her light on me and hooked me up with Nicole Xieyang, a polished Euro-style café owner who cruises about in a red beemer. It sells a super chill out sofa seat experience with matching white collar local set meals as you net-surf wirelessly. I was piqued by her Mala (chillis with Sichuan peppercorns) pasta. After politely holding my breath trying to understand her refined pear, snow fungus and rose tea and her romantic predisposition to poetry and arts, which inspired her Salome Cafe ( a tragic opera by Richard Strauss about Princess Salome in Herod’s kingdom), she read into my desires.

Nicole chomping down on these rabbit heads

“Let’s do rabbits head tomorrow”, finally, Nicole recited the kind of poetry that resonated in me, “it’s a very popular and traditional street Chengdu dish and it’s sold only in street side eateries”, (the chorus I waited for). Fast forward and zippity-doo through a few alleys and lanes near the airport, six dishes were placed on our kindergarten table and stools in the middle of the cool and surprisingly neat alleyway. Boss Mr Zeng Jia De of Er Niang Rabbit Head restaurant landed two versions of his signature dish, about ten little heads each, no bigger than goose heads, one done in classic Sichuan Mala style and another stewed in five spice sauce. It was riveting, my D80’s motor-drive went on overdrive on autofocus (to save time before the heads get cold). I would not know that there was etiquette to chomping down on these heads till I witnessed how the elegant Nicole, in clear plastic gloves, first tore the head apart from the jaws ( it was stewed so soft), gently ripped the jaw into two and nibbled on the fleshy cheeks and the tongue. “Don’t throw the halved jaw bones away, they serve a later purpose”, and she began to gnaw down on the head and savoured the brains peppered with Mala sauce. She made it look so natural. Next, “take the halved jaw bone with the bucked teeth, and scoop the eyes and the soft flesh around it out.”, and she demonstrated how. I did a Simon Says and was completely connected with every instruction and pleasure. It was not gamey and has a soft stewed chicken texture and taste. I was sucking on the bones which took the flavour of the sauces. I had six of it (had to leave some for the other four guests!

Tomatoes and eggs: For those who can't stomach rabbit heads

Mr Zeng next brought on quick succession, old Chinese comfort food- an outstanding stir fried tomatoes and eggs done to perfection, a Mala frogs and slices of pork fat fried with dried chillis and Sichuan peppercorns with spring onions. The true taste of Sichuan was coming to me. The platter of glass kway teow “fen pi” was an addictive filler. It was perfect with the eight bottles of local beer we washed it down with. Yum yum, the $20 total bill, yum yum too.