Fire Ox Beer Fish (Huo Xiao Niu)

Fire Ox Beer Fish, known in Chinese as Huo Xiao Niu Pijiu Yu, is a beer fish restaurant at No. 16 West Street in Yangshuo County, within Guilin prefecture, Guangxi, China. West Street is the main tourist street of Yangshuo, a karst-landscape town about an hour south of Guilin city, and beer fish is the dish most associated with it. Yangshuo beer fish is a river fish stewed with local beer, tomato, chili and peppers, cooked at the table or served from the kitchen in a large pot for sharing. The restaurant sells it by weight, at about ¥80 to ¥120 (roughly $12 to $18) per jin, a unit of 500 grams, so the final bill depends on the size of the fish chosen. A fish of one to two jin typically feeds two to four people, and diners add vegetables and rice. The restaurant is in the mid-price tier, and the pricing by weight means visitors should confirm the weight and total before the fish is cooked. The room follows the usual Yangshuo format of casual, communal dining, with tourists and tour groups, and the atmosphere can be loud at peak dinner hours. Walk-ins are accepted, and groups should book through Meituan or phone ahead at peak dinner time. Its position on West Street puts it near the town's bars and shops, so many visitors come for an evening meal after cycling or rafting. Opening hours are not confirmed, so check Amap (Gaode), Dianping or Meituan by searching the Chinese name. Beer fish is spicy, so visitors who prefer mild food can ask the kitchen to reduce the chili.