TAI ER SICHUAN CUISINE 太二酸菜鱼 (RICHMOND)

The fish dish is very authentic. The flavour and texture are consistent with this dish in China. Most of the hot dishes in the combo are also very tasty. The fresh veggies are perfect cooked with the correct amount seasoning, and it is great for refreshing the palate between meat dishes. The fried rice and the rest of the dishes are also decently >8.5/10, but the pork ribs are a bit dry and served lukewarm. Service is good, but you have to flag down the servers. Order is by QR code. They also perform a small ritual when they serve the fish.

We came back to dine here again, and it feels like the food quality has definitely improved! The fish, in particular, tasted just like what we have back home. In the past, I felt that the fish here wasn’t as flavorful as in China, but today, I was pleasantly surprised—the taste has reached the same high standard. Also, the open glass kitchen is very reassuring, as it allows customers to see the food being prepared in a clean and transparent environment. It makes the whole dining experience even better. Looking forward to coming back again!

Have been wanting to come here for a while. The restaurant is clean, modern and spacious and the interior design is gorgeous and practical, kinda reminds me of an upscale hotel restaurant. Food was a little overpriced if you don’t order the combo ($50 for a 2 person bowl of sauerkraut fish alone) but the portions were huge and my boyfriend and I were able to finish it and feel stuffed afterwards. The sauerkraut fish wasn’t spicy enough and I felt it was plain tasting compared to similar stores. Appetizer plate was fantastic and the wings are a highlight, juicy and fatty. Service was ok. They even have fortune sticks that serve as a small, fun table activity. Would come here again but maybe as a family where the big portions make sense. Also not sure what was up with the AC vents at our table but it cooled down our food too quickly and made the space feel chilly. It’s obviously meant to cool you down while eating spicy fish but they could tone it down a little. Really appreciated the 12% discount for students, healthcare workers and military!

Very nice dining space. Service is good. Sauerkraut fish is legit too. We also ordered the boiled beef - the flavor profile is not what boiled beef supposed to taste (more like they made it with hot pot soup base…). Overall positive experience.

"吃魚拯救世界" I don't fully understand the practical meaning of this phrase, but it does sound quite impressive as a restaurant's welcoming slogan. The restaurant is located on No. 3 Road. Upon entering, the bright and clean decor creates a pleasant impression, and the open kitchen adds to the appetite. As for the food, the overall quality is quite good. Their set meals are reasonably priced, and the convenience of scanning to order is a plus. The pickled fish dish is highly recommended; its flavor ranks among the best in the Greater Vancouver area. Overall, this is a restaurant worth recommending and revisiting.

One of my favorite places for this kind of spicy sour fish soup. This dish is very consistent. I recommend the chicken wings and rice to go with this. They even let you pack the remaining soup which can be made into another meal the next day. We make reservations every time we go. The lot is not hard to park. One of our Richmond go-to's for sure.

What a fun atmosphere. The staff chant something every time a fish dish is served. Great place to hang out with friends. They even have a kids menu!! Might be a bit loud for timid kids though!

The fish here is always delicious and super fresh! I often come to dine in, and every time it’s a great experience. I ordered takeout today, the packaging was very well done and keeps the food in great condition. Recommend!

I rather enjoyed the dining experience here. I really think when the restaurant changed name to Tai Er Sauerkraut, it should have had its own Yelp profile. It is unfair that all the 1 star rating from 7 years ago under another name is kept in here. The food was great and service was quite attentive. Sure, it may not be quite the same as the ones served in China where I had the pleasure of enjoying, but it's close enough. Yes! It does cause you some numbness and that's part of the expected experience. Tip: They only have spicy and non-spicy. Order the spicy, and then remove the red peppers when served to your taste. We tried half and it was quite tolerable. Probably could have handled just a bit more heat but it was very tasty. The open kitchen concept is nice and they welcome viewers. Washroom is kept clean, and the entire restaurant, in fact, was certainly on the clean and neat side. We couldn't quite enjoy the floral tea. It was too sweet for us. Otherwise, we had a very positive experience including the wait. A tiny bit on the pricey side for the larger portions. My fortune teller stick at the table says I will not go poor, but I did after paying the bill. Despite that, we will likely return.

The happy hour meal set is def worth it. Roughly $55 per meal set and comes with more than enough food for two. Service was attentive and the food was delicious. Clean dining environment with plenty of parking outside. I especially enjoyed the spicy stir fry beef, it was really flavorful. The mouthwatering chicken felt like it lacked salt and flavor in general. The veggies were delicious. Of course the star of the show- the sauerkraut fish... i think it could be more flavorful, if you do not take a bite of sauerkraut with the fish the fish itself felt light on any flavor. I do have to say their rice is EXTRA FLUFFY. I love their white rice.

The fish was really good! Spicy but tolerable, the fish is very tender. Seems like we got 2 good luck sticks!

Fish and sour kraut soup is excellent, customer service is attentive and ambiance is hygienic and relaxing

A lot of food for the price, I like the taste of the preserve veggies which is not too sour or salty, fish is very fresh.

BEST SAUERKRAUT FISH OF MY LIFE! LIFE CHANGING!! service: upon walking in and being seated, all the workers greeted us with their signature catch phrase in mandarin. all the workers here speak mandarin, but english is okay too (hence my broken mandarin and english). waiters come by often to refill your water / tea, and there are plenty of people working to take care of your needs. everyone here is efficient at their job. upon leaving and finishing our meal, we were yet again sent off with another mandarin tai er catch phase leaving us with a lasting impression. we will come back! food: we ordered the medium sized sauerkraut fish, which feeds 3-4 people ($64CAD before tax) for a party of 6 along with 4 servings of glass noodles (extra cost). this was the perfect portion for us as we were heading to the night market after! satisfying but not clutching our stomachs full. we also got the cold chicken feet and cold veggie dish through the online menu which paired nicely with the spice of the fish. the fish is seasoned perfectly with the right amount of spice and numbness. the fish is fresh here and made my eyes actually roll back. ambiance: i really like the interior! open kitchen and seating area, clean and simple. the open kitchen allows us to see and hear the entire cooking and serving process which i thought was cool. overall: 4.75/5!! minus a little bit because i watched them put a lot of msg and oil in but it's okay because it tastes so good.

Now called Tai Er Suancai + Fish 太二酸菜魚. We have been wanting to try this place but there's always a long line outside. We finally did last night! Ambiance is Chinese modern. Loved how the table has a drawer for extra serving chopsticks, toothpick and napkins. Tables are wide and all uniform in size - it sits 2-6 people comfortably, maybe up to 8. We had to order through our phone, something I personally would rather not - scrolling up and down in small fonts on a phone. But server was very patient with us when I told him it's our first time here. He recommended a few appetizer dishes for us too. Am surprised to see there's only one main dish on the menu - the suancai fish! Options are size (S M L) and some additions. We chose the starch noodles and lotus root slices. We all agreed that this dish is very flavourful. The blend of pickled vegetables and spice is fantastic....only if you love heat! They do not adjust the level of heat. We ended up having to eat a lot of rice to tame the heat. Among the appetizers we ordered, we loved fried wings the best! Will we be back? Maybe...probably not...just because it's too spicy for us and there's no other dishes to order. Don't get me wrong, the fish dish is very very good though. If only I can eat spicy food.... Menu: https://m.hualala.com/newm/menu/76560850?g=130442&s=32649996_0WeY7&groupID=130442&shopID=76560850&businessType=1&isSaoMa=true&tableName=A19&personNum=4&manMade=true&orderState=&orderKey=7189822305038502354&addFood=true&shopOrderKey=

Great place for sour fish pot. Huge pot with many thinly sliced fish. Looks like they mixed in different kinds of fish since some have black skin and some have red. Nonetheless, the fish is very fresh with no fishiness whatsoever. Add to the fact that Canadian dollar is low. Eating here is kind of like getting 30% off. Not really a place to take kids since most items have chili in them.

Great Sichuan food. Not a white person in sight in the entire restaurant. Every single person was Asian--that's how you know the food is good! The menu is pretty limited with only one special: suancai fish, but it was really good. And I love the Sichuan peppercorns in it. We also had other side dishes: choy sum topped with lily bulb seasoned by sweet soy sauce, beef noodles with suancai (SOOOOO GOOD and the beef was SO rich and flavorful!), braised baby cabbage topped with shrimp meat in broth, and extra plain noodles to add to the suancai fish. I really enjoyed all the dishes and thought them to be very flavorful and authentic, but my (Chinese immigrants) parents thought the food wasn't authentic enough. Yes, the fish wasn't as spicy as in China, but the flavors were still excellent and pretty authentic, and really, I don't need the fish to be any spicier. And come on, no food made outside of China can ever compare to food made in China anyway :)

I love this place because I would say it's relatively comparable to the experience you'd have in Asia. I've had the OG version in GuangZhou and this place did not disappoint. This is a great place if you're bad at making decisions because they have one main dish where you choose the most suitable serving size for your group. COVID protocols: all staff wore masks, minimal interaction with staff as you order directly from your phone My order: - Toppings: wide starch noodles, frozen tofu - Chinese doughnut (soak this in the soup) - House made sticky rice cake 5/5: so chewy and such a fun way of eating sticky rice cake Tip: after maybe 5-10 mins on the stove and you've served everyone, I typically like to scoop out the chilies because they can get bitter if left in for too long

Authentic Chinese sauerkraut fish (酸菜鱼). We ordered a size small with two sides for two and it's the perfect amount of food. The broth was super flavorful (not too sour and just the right level of spicy). They have a great rotation of beers as well! I would recommend to call in for a reservation in advance, especially for the weekend.

Sauerkraut Fish? It sounds like a bad match but it's great! You had better like heat! The sauerkraut fish is very distinctive and they do it authentically. When you see 20 floating chili peppers floating on top, you know it's going to be hot. We got here at 11:30am and there was a line out the door and around the corner. The locals in the area know this place is good. They open at 11am and stay open till 9pm. I had never hear of sauerkraut fish but I'm glad I have. It's full of taste. When you think of sauerkraut you think of hot dogs, now I'll think of fish. Would I eat here again? Most certainly without a doubt.

The last meal of our Vancouver trip really left a sour taste in our mouths. Literally!! If you don't know, Chinese Sauerkraut Fish Restaurant serves.....well, Chinese Sauerkraut Fish (Suan Cai Yu). This place is located in Richmond along the No. 3 Rd. They make their own sour cabbage and you can see many large clay pots when you walk into the restaurant. The interior is becoming the norm for most new Chinese restaurants with the black walls and darker tones all around. Get ready though because it really smell sour in there. First thing you apparently need before you come here is a smartphone. Why? Because you have to scan a QR code on the table to open the restaurants website and order your meal through there. How....modern? I guess my flip phone won't work huh? And I guess no need for any interactions with servers. The menu isn't very extensive. It's pretty much the Chinese Sauerkraut Fish, add ons to it, and appetizers. The fish is served in a giant plate served family style. You can order a small, medium, or large. The large is epically big and perfect for a large party, but it was just the two of us, so we opted for the small. We started with the Spicy Boneless Cold Chicken Feet and Tong Ho (Chrysanthemum Leaves) Salad. The chicken feet was pretty good with nice flavors and no bones! The Salad was exceedingly salty and overdressed. After each bite, I needed a sip of water. Both were really small portions. The small Suan Cai Yu was still a big plate. It had one fish, head included with thinly sliced pieces. It tasted liked Tilapia, a pretty dry and lean fish, but it was probably some carp. The smell was pungent and the taste and flavors were strong. You get a good hot of spice from the dried chili peppers, a strong numbing sensation from the Sichuan peppercorns, and the mouth Pickering sourness from the cabbage. It was on tHe oily side, but my biggest issue was the extreme saltiness. It can get difficult to eat and I see why you need add ons. We got a bowl of rice and it was the tiniest scoop I've ever seen. It was like a kids size portion! Overall, it was hard to get away from the saltiness of the fish and salad. It's like this meal was suppose to balance out all the bland tasting Chinese restaurants I've been to the last week, but I prefer bland over incredibly salty. I'm not sure if the staff are friendly or not as there wasn't any words said. When paying, they just bring you the card reader machine and you do it yourself and just leave the machine on the table. Not only did I leave Chinese Sauerkraut Fish with a sour taste in my mouth, I left with a salty one too!

If you enjoy spicy and you enjoy fish then this is the place for you. Known for their sauerkraut fish in a spicy peppery soup, this dish is delicious but make a reservation in advance as they sometimes sell out! [Items Tried] *Must Try* Main Course Sauerkraut Fish - $39.99 (5/5) Taste: They cook an entire fresh fish in a hearty spicy broth with soured, pickled cabbage. One of my favourite dishes in all of Richmond, but definitely for a heartier, oilier, heavier meal, so leave some stomach room for this dish! It comes with two sides that are also cooked in the soup and I highly HIGHLY recommend the wide starch noodle, chewy thick noodles that soaks all the delicious flavours of the soup. Portion Size: For the 1-2 person portion size, if you ate just this, you would leave feeling extremely full and satisfied. Can be shared with 3 people paired with an appetizer or two as well. *Must Try* Fern Root Noodle - $6.99 (5/5) Taste: These cold noodles are delicious - spicy mixed in a sour vinegar sauce. The texture of the noodles are also a refreshing contrast when paired with the sauerkraut fish. Portion: Small appetizer size, good for two people to share and taste. Beef Shank - $8.99 (3/5) Taste: This was an average dish for me, just like your normal beef shank dish. A little bit on the drier side. Portion: Good appetizer size for two people to share. [Value for Money] For $40 between two people you leave feeling full and satisfied. In my opinion, the sauerkraut fish is worth every penny and definitely not a dish you can get anywhere.

This is one of my absolute favourite places for sauerkraut fish but I feel like due to the transition towards automation and self-serve, this has decreased the overall dining experience. 22 (nickname for this restaurant amongst the Asian community in van) used to have a wider offering of sauerkraut fish and you were able to better customize your order. Now, everything is uniform. Eg, there is only one option for sauerkraut fish whereas previously, you were able to choose between 3 options. Currently, the add-on choices are quite limited and there isn't an option to adjust spice levels. However, I think that this uniform approach has really allowed the restaurant to master their product as I have been very satisfied every single time I dine in. Although more on the expensive side (depending on size, could range from ~$40-$90), 22 is still my go-to place in all of Greater Vancouver for delicious authentic sauerkraut fish!

It's SO DELICIOUS! Sauerkraut is made in the restaurant, and is bursting with flavours. The sourness of the veggies is just chef's kiss, and really seeps into the soup. The chilis also release their heat slowly as you eat through the meal. So the last bite is the spiciest. We very much enjoy this progression ;) The only caveat is that it is pricey. But we crave it enough that we're willing to splurge every so often.

Not only was this an interesting place to eat, it was also interesting on how you order food. It was cool to see how they ferment the Chinese pickled veggies (not sure of the proper name). You need to have WeChat app in order to be able to order your food. The menu will come up on your phone and you can pick what you like. I just had the cold chicken with some plain noodles, while the others had the fish dish. They thought the fish dish was decent and glad that they ordered a small vs a large dish. The chicken was tasty and had the numbing peppers flavor to it. I also ordered a mango pomelo sago drink, which was very refreshing.

I've never heard of Chinese Sauerkraut Fish before until I stumbled upon it's existence. I'm always game for Szechuan so we decided to give them a try when we were in Richmond. They specialize in one dish; you guessed it, fish sauerkraut. We dropped in on a Sunday evening (around 6:30pm) and were shocked to find it completely packed. We put our names down and waited for about 45 minutes for a table to open up. The inside is spacious and is split into two seating areas. The table booths that they have are comfortable and luxurious. Service is typical but lacking; they forgot to bring out one of our sides and didn't refill our tea cups. The menu is small; literally, the only thing you're ordering here is their speciality (small, large and the feaster option) but there's also starters, sides, vegetables, rice & noodles and drinks. - Fish belly ($7.99) - it's smoked fish jerky. We'd actually ate something similar the weekend before at a Shanghainese spot. This one was bonier so it wasn't as enjoyable to eat. Skip it. - Chinese sauerkraut fish ($39.99 small) - this easily fed the three of us. We also added wide starch noodles ($3.99) which were flat glassy noodles. Good bite but you don't get much. Broth was tantalizing as you get sour and spicy with a touch of numbness. The heat comes from the Sichuan green peppercorns and dried red chili peppers while sour tones are from the pickled mustard greens. Fish was flaky, soft and tender. - Rice ($2.25) - the rice goes well with the soup but it's the dinkiest portion I've seen for the price. - Plain noodle ($1.99) - if we were to come back, we'd stick with adding 2-3 bowls of noodles. Does the trick. - Chinese donuts ($4.99) - these are a must! I normally don't love the donuts but it went perfectly with the soup. They soak up the flavour brilliantly but still retain their crunchy bite. CSF is worth a try if you want try something completely different. 3.5 stars.

Still stand by the food at this spot! Check out my original review for my thoughts on the food. Just wanted to give an update on some changes to how they run the show now. They have an extremely organized walk-in system now. It's all self-served through using your phone to scan a QR code at the door. Efficient and fair. There is also a water dispenser for when you get thirsty during the wait. The menu is also accessible through scanning a QR code. They seem to have gotten rid of their physical menus. Also, can vouch that they make their sauerkraut in house. I went in pretty late on my most recent visit and I saw them preparing fresh cabbage for fermentation.

This restaurant specializes in one dish and it's sauerkraut fish. I liked their live out of the tank fresh tasting fish, though the soup and everything in the dish, including the pickled vegetables tasted super sour which wasn't a surprised because it was sauerkraut and was also very spicy. My face was sweating when I was eating this fish dish. The fish tasted exactly like fresh out of the tank tilapia which was okay because who doesn't like fresh fish? I'm not a tilapia person, but fresh live fish makes a big difference in taste even for low end fish like tilapia. I had the wide starch noodles which I don't recommend because it was very difficult to take out from the bowl with a soup or skimmer spoons. The noodles would just slide out of the spoons and there were barely any noodles! Just look at the photos! This was my first time having fish cooked with their method with pickled vegetables. They pickled their vegetables right inside the restaurant in large brown clay containers which were displayed near the entrance. The pickled veggies were super sour and spicy. The restaurant was clean, but the service was lacking. I had to walk to the supplies counter to get some more water and tea. Also, I had to walk to the cashier and line up to pay for the bill and there was quite the lineup.

Sooo expensive, but worth the bucks if you decide to splurge. This restaurant specializes in one thing and it does it very well: Sauerkraut Fish. While I wish they'd give more pieces of fish in the bowl, the flavors are top notch. I think there were a few tiny pieces of scales (or bones I'm not sure) in the fish? It kinda dampened the whole experience. They should do something about that. The fern root noodles and crispy bread are out of this world. The bread is always piping fresh. Weird parking lot. They're all marked for other businesses but i don't think anyone actually cares to check.

Short wait on a busy Friday night- we sat in the very back in the very corner but waiter didn't forget about us :D We ordered the signature fish dish (small was enough for 2) a green veggies & mango drink. Another appetizer never came but we were full and was able to cancel that order. It was closer to their last call of the day, their fish do sell out so come early!

Pickled mustard greens with fish. To the uninitiated, this may sound more like a punishment rather than a great meal, but trust me, it's one of the great gems of Richmond. The fish was soft and succulent, while the pickled greens provided some nice acidity to combat the richness and slight spiciness of the broth. The restaurant makes all of their pickled greens in house! All the flavours balanced each other wonderfully. One of my favourite add-ins was the wide starch noodle. It's tricky to pick up with chopsticks, but so worth the effort. The noodles have soaked up all the flavours from the pickled greens, fish and broth, which makes for an amazing bite!

decent service / no English menu/ have the waiter explain you the menu in English (one page Chinese words) they pretty much don't do reservations. Tip to get a table: go 1-2 hrs before your desired dinner time and put your name down and then go elsewhere (malls nearby) and come back after that 2 hrs; you will still have to wait a bit though foods were good/ the main dish is very spicy by default so it's not suitable for people who don't eat spicy/ they specialize in only 1 item, sauerkraut fish but their menu has small appetizers family friendly limited parking space if i had to choose 1 dish: of course their fish hotpot (spicy one- very spicy) would I go back? Yes but only when it dies down and no waiting

Very Two...what can it possibly be? It's 太二! The sauerkraut fish craze from China has now came to Canada! The presentation is what makes this place a draw for diners. You can choose from small, medium, large, and ridiculous sizes. To get the ridiculous size it will be best to bring along 5 other friends to share in this feast. Don't let the peppers scare you, but in honesty if are a spice novice, this place may not be for you!

This review assumes you enjoy Chinese (Northern Chinese--not Cantonese) cuisine, have a tolerance for sour foods, and eat fish! If you meet all three of those credentials, then you will enjoy this review AND this restaurant. As others have said, the menu is limited. The restaurant name is eponymous: the focus is on Chinese Sauerkraut Fish. You can place a small order (1 fish), a medium order (2 fish), or a feast (3 fish). My wife and I placed a small order. Not only was 1 fish more than enough for us, but we enjoyed the multiple dimensions of flavor. The spice mainly comes from dried red arbol chili peppers and smaller Thai chili peppers, with a nice, mouth-buzzing feeling from Sichuan green peppercorns. The sour mainly comes from the pickled mustard cabbage and daikon radish. If you don't like extremes of either spice or sour, then this place will NOT be for you. We added several components: bean curd (hujook skin), spongy tofu, and enoki mushrooms. These were clearly labeled on the menu as being $3.99 each, and for two hungry people, we got more than enough of them. The cauliflower side dish was also very good, and provided a nice (non-spicy) complement to the soup. I've had suan cai yu in several Chengdu and Sichuan cuisine restaurants, and overall, this restaurant does a great job. It's not gimmicky that they only sell one dish. Think of the American chain Raising Cane's--they only serve chicken fingers. This is a similar approach. We were done in about an hour, from seating to finish. We were stuffed and could've been rolled out in wheelbarrows. The bill, with tax and tip, came to about $60 CAD--very reasonable. The naysayers who complain about the price have the wrong expectations for what this place is. Lastly, a word about the service. It is totally fine. This isn't ultra fine dining, folks. It is very typical for Mainland Chinese, and if you look around, the majority of customers will also be Mainland Chinese. They have a different culture around service than Westerners do, and if you're understanding of that, you won't grumble about the service being "sub par."

This restaurant is very different from other Chinese restaurants I've been to. To access their menu, you need to download wechat on your phone. Once you scan the barcode, you will then be able to order food. The fish I ordered was really delicious with spices, noodles, and soup. If you have the fish with Chinese donuts and rice, it will taste even better! The only downside I would mention is that the food is quite expensive here. So if your budget is under $25, I would reconsider eating here. Happy eating!

Delicious sauerkraut fish! I've never had a dish like this before. Definitely a must try as the fish is so tender and flavorful. Great restaurant to have dinner with family and friends. Some quick things to point out: The fish sells out quickly, to ensure that you get to order this dish, come right at opening time or within the first few hours. I saw people being turned away at the door because they didn't have anymore. When the waiter asks if you want to add things into the sauerkraut dish, please be wary that you have to ADD $$$$ to do so. The waiter made it seem like it was free add ons. It was not. Hence the minus one star. The cucumber appetizer we ordered was WAY TOO salty. Made me reach for the water... inedible. Minus 1 star :(. Otherwise, I would definitely come again knowing these things and just stick to the main feature!

Super authentic place, they make their own Sauerkraut in store with their own clay pots in a thermoregulated room. Come here hungry and take the soup home for second!

I worked in China for a few years and I always saw massive queues at this restaurant! I'm so glad that there's a location in Richmond since it easily became one of my favourite places to eat when I was in China! Previously, I thought the "Sauerkraut" sounded a bit different, but wow, the flavour of this dish is amazing. The fish is cut into these soft pieces (just a few bones here and there) in this spicy/salty/tangy/soupy dish. It's a bit spicy if you're familiar with that numbing spice of the Sichuan peppercorn, but still bearable! The flavour of the dish with the spice goes really well on bed of rice. We ordered the small serving with additional flat noodles and enoki mushrooms, 2 bowls of rice and 2 beers which came to around $70. It is a tad pricy, but for the unique flavour and the filling serving, I think it's a great treat. I love this restaurant and will definitely be back!

It is one of those overated place in Vancouver. The design at the entrance and the walls tells customer that they only do one fish. And the boss immersed himself in the making of the fish that he forgets how to take care of himself. I gave two stars for the presentation of the dish and everything ends there. The vegetables are very sour, and soup and the fish is way too spicy. I can take spicy food and have eaten at many Sichuan places, but this is way too hot. My friends and I didn't bother to go any further after a few bites. Upon asking the level of hotness, the waitress proudly told us that there is only one level. Come on! We just paid 90 dollars for a fish dish and four of us can't touch. At the end, we paid and left with a hungry stomach.

Came here twice. This time tasted even better. It's 90% similar to the 太二酸菜鱼 I had in Guangzhou&Shenzhen but definitely less people lining. The fish is really good and I love the quail egg appetizer.

Not even worth time or money. Was going to test drive cars and stopped by here for a quick lunch and it was the biggest mistake we made. Expensive overpriced food and absolute garbage service. Whole time they gave us attitude. Could get better service at McDonalds. So disappointing. We got there and waited 10 minutes before they even acknowledged and seated us. There was four people and we were seated at a table of 3 with only three chairs. When we requested a bigger table they were CLEARLY not happy. Given ONE menu to share between four people. When it was time to order we waved down four different servers each time they said one minute and disappeared. While ordering the waitress told us thats not enough food and pushed us to order more (are you serious?) Total was 96.47$ for complete garbage service. Would not recommend. Save your money and go elsewhere.

Very pricey fish, nothing like the original one In Guangzhou. Soup not sour, fish scale is not cleaned well. A lot of pieces still has the scale attached. They are very under staffed, the service is not good.

Once a while i would like to get the Saerkraut fish. Their homemade sauerkraut makes the dish taste special. This year i order to pick because the pandemic. The recently ordered one was poorly packed and soup was spilled out.

Ok, this goes out to all the people leaving terrible reviews. WTF? The food is great. It's an expensive spot, if you don't like the prices go somewhere else. This is not a bar you don't get a basket of wings. The service was stellar and my table had a never-ending wave of people asking if we needed anything. We came during rush hour and of course ordered the fish. If you like spicy you'll love this. The fish head is fried and is only meant to offer flavor. And a few tiny bits of tasty morsels. I've lived in NY for 10 years and traveled all over Europe and South Asia and never had a dish like this. This goes on my top 10 list for sure. Stop complaining and just eat the good food. Or not. Remember to grab the QR code at the door to reserve a spot before the line gets too big ;) If you don't show up with everyone they won't seat you so get over it. To the staff that were so great last night I thank you!!!

I almost didn't go to this restaurant due to the bad reviews here, and I'm so happy I didn't listen to all the negativity that was expressed by some people. This place, in my opinion deserves 5 stars. The quality of the food is amazing, from the freshest fish, in an incredible spicy/sour soup, to all the sides and drinks we ordered, it was spectacular! The restaurant has a refreshing design, and the staff doesn't deserve negative reviews as well. The place is packed, and if you're not staring at your device, you can see how hard they work. If receiving fake smiles and superficial small talk is your thing, then please stay at the Cactus Club.. This place is for people who can appreciate amazing quality Chinese food. And I truly want to congratulate the chefs, the owners, and staff for their good work! I will be going back for sure!

- Geared towards craze-driven youth population. Even their menu is made up of hilarious Chinese internet slangs. - Very expensive for what you pay for. The fish comes in an enormous pot, but isn't all that much. Limited 4 additional toppings (Not free), which is small and thinly cut. - Apparently all reserved until the end of April. People who lineup for dining in are already camping out well before 5PM (Their opening time)

Never gonna come back again! The Waitress just kept pushing us to pay the bill kept asking us if we want to wrap the leftovers. Actually we came later than several tables beside us. And we didn't finish yet. Is that really good to kick your customers out??! If you want to choose this restaurant, plz make sure the seat is beside the window. Do not ever accept the very last one on the right side. Believe me the temperature there is way much higher than the outside. Their prices are much expensive than others. The reason why we choose this restaurant is that we wanna enjoy the food/ the comfortable surroundings. However in this case, it's kind of suffering! Never gonna recommend it to our friends.

Yes, I saw the 1-star and 2-star reviews on Google, and I'm glad I got a chance to try this restaurant for myself as it pretty much ticked all my boxes for a perfect meal. On reservations: I was lucky to get a reservation at 5pm, so didn't have to wait at all. My party of 3 was 15 minutes late, and the host reminded us that they only hold reservations for 10 minutes, so I guess we were lucky to get seated. She was very nice about it. There were already a few walk-ins lined up at the entrance when we arrived, and I would estimate more than 20 people in line waiting for tables as we left, around 7pm. So be sure to make a reservation, earlier in the evening if available. The restaurant sells a limited number of fish each day (I believe only 100 per day), so even if you've secured a reservation, it's in your best interest to come early, lest they sell out of sauerkraut fish. I was told that at least one week in advance is necessary to get reservations - probably because this restaurant is relatively new. On food: The all-Chinese menu is an easy-to-read single sheet (yes!), consisting of sauerkraut fish, the signature dish, and about a dozen small plates. Nearly everything we ordered, including drinks and dessert, was delicious. Not just good, but actually delicious. We had: -sauerkraut fish (of the three sizes we ordered the biggest, which comes with two whole fish): the fish was very fresh; flavour was perfect for me - expect spicy, numbing, and sour all at the same time; one of the best, if not the best, sauerkraut fish I've tasted; I repeat - this is a pretty spicy dish -wood ears (black fungus): nicely marinated, a little spicy -sweet and sour fish pieces: has lots of bones and it's not the easiest to eat, but it's yummy -spicy shredded chicken: great starter, as the spiciness kind of ramps you up to the sauerkraut fish, which has a similar flavour but is a lot spicier -deep fried Chinese dough sticks (youtiao): meh, these were standard -glutinous rice sticks: I didn't actually try this one, but it looked good -baby Chinese cabbage in soup: standard, I liked that they sliced the cabbage really thinly, so I made less of a mess than I usually do eating this dish -watermelon juice: so good I ordered two - fresh with no added sugar, topped with whip cream -dark beer made in house apparently: quite tasty, strong, malty flavour -ice jello with fresh fruit and brown sugar: a must! just a couple spoonfuls of this will help cool down your flaming palate either after or during your meal On ambience: Sat in a super comfy booth (yes!), which even had a nifty drawer containing napkins and cutlery. There are playful signs around the restaurant, and the names of the dishes on the menu are creative and memorable. Environment is comfortable and casual, good place to meet up with a small group of friends. Servers were attentive, friendly, and prompt. On value: Can't comment on price, since I didn't pay, but honestly I would have happily paid a lot for the meal, based on the quality of the food. Everything was fresh and delicious, and even despite the heavy spices, the quality ingredients made a huge difference in the taste of the food. Will definitely be back.

Located in the heart of Richmond, parking could be an issue if you are visiting this place. The outside is rather unassuming with some funky cartoons pasted on the windows. Inside, this placed was bustling with diners. We had to wait 30 minutes for our seat. Services was lacking due to the number of people eating here. You really have to wave down the servers to get anything. We ordered a wide variety of dishes but I did not find them to be too good. They were mostly too oily or fatty. The fruit juices also tasted like they added sugar to make it sweeter. Lastly, the prices of food here are higher than most places, which in conjunction with their very average quality, drops this place to two stars.

This place is absolutely mindblowingly awesome. The flavor profile of the fish stew is perfection incarnate. So complex and rich, and the flavor so completely seeps into the fish and tofu etc. I need not belabor how great the food is here, just drive by and watch how long the line goes outside the place. Hence a reservation is highly recommended. Some small things I really appreciated include a huge jug of tea provided to the table - less need to flag waiters down in this absolutely bustling restaurant. Also love the mugs provided instead of teeny tiny tea cups. Tea is definitely needed in abundance if your immunity against spice has not been built up yet.

I've been here a couple of times and I must say the taste is quite strong and spicy but authentic. The pricing is also on a higher end compared to other similar restaurants considering the portions of fish they serve, must be because they make their own Chinese Sauerkraut and feels that warrants a premium. I do wish they could customise their spice levels as not everyone can handle the strong taste. There aren't a huge selection of dishes to choose from so if you come here it'll be because of their main house special. I really like their creative menu and decor, if you understand Chinese and Sichuan culture you'd find it quite amusing.

I love this place! Best, adorable, fresh fish in spicy Chinese cuisine. Fishes are sliced thinly, so tender and flavorful. Suggested to add toppings (veggies, tofu etc) as they go so nicely with the salty broth. I haven't had one disappointment in any of the dishes I ordered in the past. And excellent service for a Chinese restaurant! Their fish comes in 3 sizes so depending on how hungry you are, can always order the larger ones with extra fish and pack To-go if not finished

We waited for more than 3 hours for the fish and seems we got the last fish of the day. The pot looks big but the portion is actually small, we spent $80(2 people) and were not full at all. The soup is very oily and the only good thing is the fish tastes fresh.

No Service at all. Can only use WeChat to scan code to put yourself in waitlist. Then Scan again to order.

If you want MSG, peppercorn covered in oil, salt, poorly made fish Then this is the place for you! I think the reason why some business are doing "well" during this crisis is because there aren't many choice But this restaurant shouldn't be your choice. Avoid at all cost people!

Fish is super flavorful and drinks are good. Had to wait a long time without reservation even though we only had a party of two and came on like a Tuesday night at 9pm. Too many unemployed rich people in Richmond I guess. Also - they run out of fish frequently...which is a bit ridiculous considering they are a restaurant that only serves...fish.

This is a really popular dish in China..however they do not offer the choice of spicy level..so I wasn't able to handle it..it was very spicy..it was quite pricy with the portion they provided..it tasted yummy tho.. I recommended people who loves spicy and would like to challenge the hotness should try this out!! Kindly reminder that you should call and do reservation in advance!!