Regional cuisines, hot pot etiquette, and the tea refill

Sichuan food is numbing-spicy, Cantonese is subtle, Shanghai leans sweet, Xi'an is wheat and lamb; order the local style wherever you are. Hot pot is social: pick the broth (a split pot gives you mild and spicy), order plates to dip, and mix your own sauce at the condiment bar. Tea is refilled when you leave the lid ajar. Tipping isn't done. Dishes arrive as they're ready and are shared; rice comes last unless you ask.