Yesterday a friend in Chongqing posted on facebook that he'd just seen 6 rats at Big Pizza in Three gorges square.  That was right after I'd returned home from eating, no more than 100 meters away, at Tianlu Sushi, and witnessing 1/6 of what went down at Big Pizza.

Now, if you want to eat delicious, traditional, inexpensive Chinese food, you're going to eat in in restaurants with rats. The aforementioned restaurants however are expensive(ish) and nice(ish) by local standards. 

There is a time and a place for Rats.  My favorite noodle shop for instance.  Sushi.  Sure as shit isn't one of them.