Brian Salter:

My first impression of Sichuan cuisine was that it was too hot and spicy for my taste and the spices came to totally dominate the food, preventing its natural flavors to break through.

But I always like to try out new cuisine tastes; and after trying it a few more times I have come to enjoy it as an alternative to some of the much more bland dishes you get in Beijing.

Sometimes chicken with chili is too intense for me; but I enjoy most the beef hot pots, "twice cooked pork" and mapu tofu best of all.