Chen Mapo Tofu (Main Branch)

陈麻婆豆腐（总店）

Mapo tofu's birthplace (1862), served bubbling in a stone pot

⚠ Closed mid-afternoon

Hours

11:00–14:30, 17:00–21:00; one recent report lists lunch until 16:00, so check

Budget

¥50–80 pp

Address

51 Donghuamen Jie, Qingyang

This is where Granny Chen is said to have invented mapo tofu in 1862. The main branch is a big, spacious building that feels more like a tidy banquet restaurant than an old shop. The tofu comes in a stone pot with minced beef, chilli oil and plenty of Sichuan pepper; it's oily, so spoon a little at a time over rice. You tick dishes on a paper menu with a pencil and hand it over, which makes ordering easy. The Michelin Bib Gourmand went to the Qinghua Road branch near Du Fu's Thatched Cottage.