All-you-can-add bowls look generous until lunch shrinks to twenty minutes.
This is a longer take on Mala Tang for people living in Chengdu — not collecting weekend trophies.
What actually matters
Limit to one protein, two veg, mild base first; upgrade heat only after you know the stall.
Not "what's best in the city," but what survives your real week — budget, commute, kids, temperament.
A workable approach
One primary option, one backup, and a phone note with the Chinese name so you stop reinventing this.
- Repeatable on a tired Tuesday
- Close enough that travel friction doesn't kill it
- Cheap enough in attention, not only money
Common stumble
Treating this like a scavenger hunt. Residents need defaults; tourists can afford chaos.
If a plan only works when you're energetic and the sky is perfect, it isn't a plan.
Do one concrete step this week. Consistency beats intensity here.
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