Gordon Y.
Yelp
Cuisine: 9
Service: 8
Decor: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 9
I really like this popular franchise from China specializing in fish. It makes some of my favorite Szechuan style dishes accessible for an individual rather than needing a large group in order to enjoy it.
First of all, I love the bright and clean looking interior design with a modern appearance for this small casual eatery. Tables are mostly built for four people, with cool drawers that pull out for additional utensils and napkins. Servers are friendly too.
Picture menus are easy to follow with pre-set combos on the left. Your a la carte fish (5) and beef (1) options are in the middle, and side dishes (2 free) are on the top right.
After two visits, I have tried three of their five fish offerings. There are two choices, Basa and Snakehead Fish. Both options are pretty tender, but I do prefer Snakehead Fish. Here are my thoughts on the flavors.
Poached Fish with Pickled Mustard (8/10) - If you like a soup that's a bit spicy, slightly numbing, and quite sour, then this is your choice. Very classic Szechuan dish that's usually served as a soup for a group. This version is not the best I ever had, but it was a very solid one.
Pickled Mustard Fish in Golden Soup (10/10) - I don't know what to say except they found the perfect balance of flavors for me. Similar to the one above but the soup simply had more umami. Some Szechuan enthusiasts might say it needs more chili peppers or Szechuan peppercorns, but I don't care. It's perfect!
Classic Spicy Poach Fish (8/10) - This is more like a sauce than a soup, slightly thicker, and definitely heavier. You can taste the heat from the spices and you will feel a tingly sensation whenever you bite into one of the Szechuan peppercorns. The bean sprout that comes with this dish is excellent to eat on top of your rice.
Btw, did I mention the white rice is AYCE? Well, they have a dedicated rice cooker section constantly churning out more rice to help you digest all that spicy goodness. Nice touch!
For the sides, which are cooked with the main entree you order, I love Baby Cabbage and Needle Mushroom because they absorb so much flavor. However, Bean Curd, Tofu, and Black Fungus really adds great texture too, so mix it up.
On the middle and bottom right side of the menu are the snacks and drinks. Honestly, everything I tried so far were fantastic, especially the three types of skewers. These fried meats on a stick were all so tender and flavorful. I also had the Tasty Crispy Chicken (mislabeled, it's pork), which isn't really all that crispy, but is traditionally fried this way with a soft batter. If you don't mind that, it's tender and the sweet & sour dipping was tasty. Wheat Flavored Milk Tea was good, while the Iced Lemon Tea was average.
This specialty shop does not have a lot of options, but enough variety to keep me coming back. Honestly, I know I'll be craving their fish very often. Without a doubt, I will be visiting regularly. Love this place!