Regional classics · Suzhou
Squirrel Mandarin Fish
松鼠桂鱼 — The theatrical centrepiece of a Suzhou banquet: mandarin fish scored into a lattice, fried until it arches like a squirrel, doused in sweet-sour tomato glaze…
The dish is as much carpentry as cooking — the cross-hatch scoring makes the flesh bloom outward in the fryer, and the hot sweet-sour sauce hits the crispy shell with an audible crackle as it lands on the table. It looks loud; the flavour profile of Suzhou (jiangnan) is actually gentle and sweet.
De Yue Lou has served it since the era of silent film — the brand appears in a 1963 film about the restaurant — and Song He Lou claims a comparable pedigree. Order it as the main event of a Guanqian Street banquet lunch.
Where to eat it
- De Yue Lou (institution, Guanqian Street)
- Song He Lou (since 1757)
Named tables that do it well
- De Yue Lou — Local Institution
- Song He Lou — Local Institution
Routes that eat their way here
More dishes to know
- Stinky Mandarin Fish (Chou Gui Yu) (臭鳜鱼)
- Hairy Crab (大闸蟹)
- West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce (西湖醋鱼)
- Longjing Tea Shrimp (龙井虾仁)