Address: Shanxi Jie, near intersection with Dongchenggen Jie

You are 10000 miles from home. After weeks and months of dumplings, meat on a stick, noodles, and steamed buns, you are elated to see french toast, scrambled eggs, and pancakes on the menu. Order them from the bilingual menu and begin licking your lips in anticipation. The food arrives, your eyes bulge, and then you ask, “Where is the maple syrup and butter?” Wallowing in the dissapointment that follows while you eat your incredibly bland breakfast, you remember how unwise it is to place faith in Western cuisine prepared by native Chinese. Stick to the Chinese dishes at Sam’s Café, especially those including crispy rice. In fact, the bilingual menu provides travellers who cannot speak Chinese a convenient opportunity to sample traditional Sichuan cuisine without the usual charade of pointing and awkward motions.

 

Directions: Sam’s Café is just down the street from Sam’s Guesthouse on Shanxi Jie. Cross Dongchengen Jie (东城根街）and immediately look for the red sign on the right side of the street.