Lianghuanzhai Sour Soup Fish (Kaili)

Lianghuanzhai Sour Soup Fish is the best-known sour soup fish restaurant in Kaili, the birthplace of the dish, and the original of a restaurant chain that now has branches across China. The Kaili restaurant is at No. 98 Huancheng West Road in Kaili, the capital of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in southeast Guizhou. Sour soup fish, known as suantangyu, is among the best-known foods of the Miao people, and eating it in Kaili is considered the benchmark experience for visitors to the region. The restaurant serves river fish in both red and white sour broths. The red version is based on fermented tomato and chili and is the more widely known style, with a bright colour and a lively heat. The white version is made from fermented rice water and has a milder, more delicate sourness that lets the flavour of the fish come through. Both are cooked at the table in a pot with vegetables and tofu, and the menu includes Miao pickled vegetables as a side that adds crunch and acid. The restaurant is large and family-oriented, with big tables suited to groups, a noisy and cheerful atmosphere at peak times and no dress code. Beverages include tea, soft drinks, beer, baijiu and sometimes local rice wine, and there is no formal wine programme. Walk-ins are accepted and reservations are not strictly required, but arriving before 7PM at peak times is sensible, because the restaurant is a well-known stop for tour groups and visitors to Miao villages. Prices are in the mid-range, with the cost of a pot depending on the fish chosen. Because the dish is an emblem of the region, first-time diners often compare the red and white broths, and ordering one of each is a popular way to understand the difference. The restaurant works well as a meal before or after trips to the Miao villages of Qiandongnan, such as Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, which are within reach of Kaili.