Chongqing's centre is alive with canteens and food stalls, and at meal times, already busy side streets and markets become obstacle courses of plastic chairs, low tables and wok-wielding cooks. Local tastes lean towards Sichuanese small-dish assemblies - perfect for solo diners - in which dumplings, pickled vegetables, fish, fowl and offal figure strongly. Look for snake beans with ginger, tiger-skin peppers, braised frog or spareribs, and "pearl" rice balls. Chongqing is where Sichuan's hotpot originated, and residents are certainly dedicated, tucking into them even during the sweltering summers. A variation here is that the raw ingredients arrive on plates, not skewers, so the pots are divided up into compartments to prevent mixing. Night tables along Bayi Lu are popular - fix prices per plate first. Chongqing Beer is the local brew, served in squat, brown-glass bottles. A KFC overlooking Jiangfangbei, and the hotels, are your best bets for non-Sichuanese fare.