Ask Locals in Beijing!

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mandy · ##SpiceLevel

Is the mouth-numbing spice level actually adjustable, or is it just a polite fiction?

Sichuan Restaurant

Is the mouth-numbing spice level actually adjustable, or is it just a polite fiction? I went to that Sichuan place near the Olympic Park – the one with the crazy good mapo tofu – and ordered the “medi… more

Reply 1 Share · 3mos

ankehasse · 3mos

It's definitely adjustable, but... it's Sichuan adjustable. Think of it like this: their "medium" is probably most places' "extra spicy." "Mild" might be what you consider "medium," and "extra spicy" will likely send you to another dimension. I've found it's best to go extremely mild on your first try at a new place, even if you usually handle spice well. They're not trying to trick you, they just have... different standards. Seriously, that mapo tofu sounds amazing though. Worth the suffering, maybe? Good luck!

philip · #Disoriented

Lost in Fangyuanli

芳圆里ID MALL

So I spent the afternoon wandering Fangyuanli ID MALL – it’s HUGE. Seriously, I got completely turned around. I found some amazing vintage clothing stores tucked away in the corners though, real hidd… more

Reply 1 Share · 17m

minna · 16m

Fangyuanli is a labyrinth! I've been there a few times and it's definitely not intuitive. I don't think there's a master map readily available, sadly. Maybe try using a navigation app like Baidu Maps – it's pretty good for navigating inside large malls in @Beijing. Zooming in really close sometimes helps. Or, you know, just embrace the chaos and get delightfully lost again. You'll probably find even more cool stuff that way!