Son Nijo

Sichuan cuisine often brings to mind vivid, numbing heat, but Qiaojiao beef (跷脚牛肉), a dish enjoyed in Leshan, Sichuan, gently challenges that image: it is a stew in a clear beef-bone broth. The medicinal soup served at 孫二娘 in Nippori is simmered with traditional medicinal ingredients and spices, yet is not spicy. Its gentle broth draws out the savoury depth of beef and the mellow sweetness of cabbage and other vegetables. Tenderly simmered beef, offal and beef tongue take centre stage. The dish can be served as a set meal with white rice, or enjoyed with noodles or glass noodles instead.

For a more invigorating meal, the spice-forward mala tang is another option. The soup blends around 23 traditional medicinal spices, and diners can choose a heat level ranging from 0, which is not spicy, to very hot. Glass noodles form the base, with ingredients to choose from including leafy greens such as komatsuna and spinach, quail eggs, meatballs, mushrooms and springy duck blood. Together, the chosen ingredients make for a rich bowl layered with heat and savoury flavour.

A selection of smaller dishes rounds out the noodle and soup offerings. Roujiamo (肉挟饃), a Chinese-style meat sandwich, and crisp fried skewers (炸串) add substance alongside a main soup. For a lighter counterpoint, there is special liangpi and a tangy, spicy salad of finely shredded potato; sesame balls make a possible finish. The menu allows for plenty of flexible combinations.

Orders can be placed on a touchscreen, and the restaurant stays open through the day from lunchtime into the evening. That makes it a convenient option for anything from a casual solo lunch to a more substantial evening meal.