Vietnamese food: I'm guilty of aggravated stereotype. I can't say that I've found any I dislike but the dishes I know are limited. Sigh, yes, I admit to liking banh mi, goi cuon, and having a particular weakness for cha gio. Back when I was in the Army, I went in after the Vietnam war but close enough on its heels that senior officers and NCOs had usually been in it. In one office they would make a trip every month or two to a small place they felt stayed authentic. As the junior guy, I'd get hauled along and went with whatever they were ordering. The major had been a Ranger and would dust off his Vietnamese to chat with the staff and order.
Cantonese food: One of my old assistants was Cantonese. She knew that I had a fondness for some things like Cantonese roast meats, but that there were things I hadn't tried. She missed Cantonese food, so we'd make an outing 2-3 times a month to a place near campus. I loved the roasted goose and we'd always get clay pot rice, whatever else came down to who was eating with us (often a couple of her friends would join us) and what they missed most. I can never remember what to call it, but there was a dish (not particularly spicy) with lots of dried peppers, garlic, and one form of fried meat or another.
Sichuan food: Another assistant was from Sichuan and very picky about Sichuan restaurants here in Beijing. We would make the occasional trip to the restaurant run by the provincial government for a good meal, but once a month or so we'd try other places. The duck blood (by itself or with eel and other ingredients) is a longstanding favorite of mine, as are the smoked duck, the very soft tofu served in a bowl, bullfrog, and pickled vegetables. Hmm, when my stomach recovers from the hospital and I can eat spicy food again, duck blood and pao cai will be worth searching out.
Image is Sichuan maoxuewang
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DevilTrigger1989 Not meaning to derail or hijack your thread, but have you tried stuff from some of the other provinces such as Shanxi, Shaanxi (not the same as the other), Gansu, or Xinjiang? Those are all regular favorites of mine, and of course real Hunan food too.