As the days draw shorter and the temperature drops in Chengdu, we went on a quest for places that transport us to tropical climates – and make the summer feel like it might last just a little longer – sunny cocktails and spicy food from warmer destinations.
There will definitely be a time and a place for warming autumnal dishes but for now, here are 2 places we checked out, to fight off that back-to-school feeling:
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Palm Tale Southeast Asian Cuisine
棕榈之语餐厅
Best for: Feeling like you’re on vacation
Palm Tale Restaurant (棕榈之语餐厅), is on Wangping Street (望平街) near TaiKoo Li, and opened earlier this year in April 2024. Chengdu has long been the birthplace of some interesting Thai fusion restaurants (there are some Thai inspired hotpots here that are definitely worth checking out) but it doesn’t have a great track record for authentic South Asian eateries, despite it’s proximity to– but we were pleasantly surprised by Palm Tale.
It offers up very accessible, easy to enjoy Southeast Asian fusion food – bringing together Thai flavors, and some western dishes, with a big whack of influence from Vietnam. What’s more the open, and airy restaurant is right next to the river, and has outside seating in a yard, and a river-side terrace, adding to the feeling of being in Saigon, or Bangkok. The terrace is a little rustic, but it’s a great location for a cheeky afternoon session, right in the heart of the city.
The menu has a wide sweeping range of South East Asian staples, from Thai curries, and salads – to Vietnamese BBQ, and beef pho. We really enjoyed the roasted pork ribs, curried prawns, and classic tom yum soup.
They have a pretty extensive drink menu; from Thai iced tea, to tropical cocktails, a decent wine list, and other soft drinks. The service borrowed from Southeast Asian hospitality, and was genuinely warm, and attentive. We weren’t expecting to like this place as much as we did, but we will definitely recommend this to friends – it’s a perfect spot for a casual date, with an after dinner stroll along the river.
Address:
Palm Tale 棕榈之语餐厅
No. 10 Wangping Binhe Road, Chenghua District
成华区望平街10号
Opening hours:
12:00 – 15:00 | 17:00 – 20:30
Weekends till 21:30
Contact telephone:
18080057503
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Ven Aqui Fusion Kitchen Bistro 果莱
Best for: LA meets Mexico (meets Wenjiang)
Ven Aqui (果莱) is a new Mexican-fusion bistro located in the older part of Chengdu’s Wenjiang district. It’s a bit of journey out here, but if you’re out in the west of the city, or want to venture out of Tongzilin, this is a great option.
Stepping into Ven Aqui, we felt where the vibrancy of Mexico and China come together in both the pretty interior, and the menu – the place is packed with plants, colors, and Latin bric-a-brac.
You may be slightly bemused if you were judging this place by the sign on the outside: “Steak, curry, pasta, taco, coffee, wine, tom yum goong”.
And yes, the menu is very diverse, hailing from owner Dave’s (a super hospitable dude) Mexican-American-Chinese roots as a chef. He offers up tacos, hearty tortillas, quesadillas, salads, pastas, curry, pizzas, a cheese burger… and as the sign on the outside says - Angus steak and aromatic Thailand-style soup… eclectic!
We really enjoyed the tacos (the beef was great, and they make their hot sauces themselves), cheesy quesadillas and Mexican-Thai sweet & spicy pulled pork ribs (which also comes as a rice dish). They also have cheesy fries with ground beef and their tom yum goong soup was tasty. The torta kinda bombed for us – but hey we’re not American, and apparently it’s a big thing in LA, a sort of cheesy hotdog bun.
The drinks list is fairly standard, but after several mojitos we didn’t have any complaints. Ven Aqui’s prices are very reasonable - read 2/3rd of what you’d pay in a Tongzilin bistro.
The place open daily at 11:30 and they serve up coffee, so it might be a good location to come study or get some work done. They are also holding jazz nights, a monthly English comedy show, and themed single nights – where you might even end up on their photo wall!
If you’re in Wenjiang – stop by!
Address:
Ven Aqui 果莱
No. 8, West Section of Nanpu Road, Wenjiang District
温江区南浦路西段8号
Opening hours:
11:30am - 9:00pm
Contact telephone:
1918177652
🎫 Give-away 🎫
2x Set Menu for Two (value 168RMB each)
To be enjoyed at Ven Aqui
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Which restaurants in Chengdu give you that holiday vibe?
Let us know in the comments!
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