Chengdu native Yang Dengquan is chef de cuisine at Five Foot Road, where he shares his hometown’s stories through gastronomic creations featuring traditional spices, herbs and seasonal ingredients. The specific focus on Chengdu cuisine is welcome in a region like the Greater Bay Area that often fails to make the distinction between the various styles of cooking native to Sichuan. Yang evokes the past by recreating historical mansion banquets of old Chengdu, where diners expected creativity, technique and rich flavours – not just the characteristic tingling or heat often associated with broader Sichuan cuisine. To achieve this, Yang dedicates time to cultivating several secret-recipe marinades and sauces, which are essential to the dining experience.