Iconic dishes · Guangxi
Yangshuo Beer Fish
阳朔啤酒鱼 — The Li River’s dish: whole fresh river fish pan-fried, then braised in local beer with tomatoes, chili and ginger in a bubbling wok served still boiling at the…
Beer fish is Yangshuo’s invention — river catch (usually grass carp or the local wuzhou fish) scored, fried till the skin crisps, then simmered in Guilin liqueur-turned-beer with tomatoes and green chili until the sauce turns thick and malty. The fish arrives in the wok, still bubbling, and the sauce is the point.
Every restaurant along the Li River and West Street serves it, often with the fish chosen live from a tank. It pairs with the region’s sticky-rice cakes and a bottle of whatever went into the sauce. Ask whether the fish is "river fish" — the wild version tastes noticeably cleaner.
Where to eat it
- Yangshuo riverbank restaurants
- Guilin fish houses serving the same canon
Routes that eat their way here
More dishes to know
- Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
- Char Siu (叉烧)
- Cantonese Roast Goose (烧鹅)
- Big Plate Chicken (Dapanji) (大盘鸡)
- Wenchang Chicken & Hainan Chicken Rice (文昌鸡/海南鸡饭)
- Guo Bao Rou (Sweet-Sour Crispy Pork) (锅包肉)