Exploring hot stuff at Meizhou Dongpo

Different from other types of spiciness (or la in Chinese), Sichuan's style is often accompanied by a sense of ma, the numbing effect on your mouth produced by Sichuan peppercorn.

To explore the use of Sichuan's mala (numbing spicy) in different dishes, we dig into the menu of one of Beijing's best Sichuan restaurants, Meizhou Dongpo - which has more than 100 outlets in China.

"Mala is the tone of Sichuan-style spiciness; while sour-and-spicy is mostly found in Yunnan-style spiciness," says Zhu Zhiwei, top chef at the restaurant group.