Yangshuo Beer Fish: Where and How to Eat It

Beer fish (啤酒鱼 píjiǔ yú) is Yangshuo's dish, and it is not a gimmick. A whole river fish is scaled but left skin-on, seared hard in oil until the skin blisters, then braised in local beer with tomato, garlic, ginger, fermented black bean, green chilli and a sweet-sour edge from the reduction. The beer cooks off entirely; what is left is a thick, tangy, slightly smoky sauce that you will keep spooning over rice long after the fish is gone.

The mechanics of ordering matter. Fish are sold live by weight in jin (斤, 500g), typically ¥68-128 ($9.50-18) per jin depending on species and restaurant. You pick the fish, they weigh it in a net in front of you, and the bill follows from that. Agree on the number before the fish leaves the tank — this is where honest places and tourist traps separate, and where most bad reviews come from.

For two people, a fish of about 1.5-2 jin plus a stir-fried vegetable and rice comes to roughly ¥120-200 ($17-28) total. Cooking takes 20-30 minutes, so order and settle in.

There are bones. Li River carp is a bony fish and this is not a fillet dish; eat slowly and use the small plate provided. If bones are a dealbreaker, ask for 鲶鱼 (niányú, catfish) instead, which most places also do beer-style.

The chains on West Street — Xie Da Jie and Master Fu — are consistent and used to foreign diners. The quieter family restaurants one lane back charge less for the same fish.