Order the split pot and learn to say wei la

Sichuan heat is not a dare. The numbing pepper builds over an hour, and a first-timer at a full spicy pot spends the evening drinking yoghurt.

Ask for the yuanyang (split) pot so there is a clear broth beside the red one, say wei la — mildly spicy — when they ask about the level, and order a bowl of the sesame-and-garlic dip everyone else is using. Cold soy milk or plum juice puts the fire out; water does not.