LDS Discovery: Karaiya’s Hunan Spicy Broiled Fish

Karaiya’s Hunan style Spicy Broiled Fish  飘香鱼

On average, I eat at Karaiya Spice House once a week.  It’s a choice pick for my Beijing crew’s “family dinners” and most definitely a top destination for anyone who is coming or leaving Beijing and needs a “Karaiya fix”. I say “fix” as if Karaiya was an addiction and for our group of friends, it really is because as much as we all enjoy hole-in-the-wall, super local, cheap Chinese food once in awhile, it’s really not something I like to do regularly knowing how horrendous the hygiene is and the obscene amount of oil they drench their dishes with really does take a toll. On the other hand, knowing that Karaiya is a part of the Hatsune Restaurant Group, it is guaranteed to use only quality ingredients and high hygiene standards.

Considering I’m such a regular, for me to know the restaurant menu inside-out is expected.  And I thought I was pretty much a savvy Karaiya expert until I recently discovered Karaiya’s Hunan style Spicy Broiled Fish  飘香鱼 (RMB 108).

At first, I thought it was an “off-the-menu” dish since I had never even noticed it on the menu before!  They need to seriously reconsider the real estate this dish occupies on the menu because it’s definitely worth it!

Unfortunately for this fish dish, Karaiya’s Signature Fish Dish (RMB 158 for Perch Fish or RMB 258 for Mandarin Fish) is undoubtedly one of the most popular dishes on the menu and for good reason – it’s amazing!  With yellow Hunan peppers on one side and red on the other, this steamed fish is both spicy and the sauce is super addictive.  I like to dip scoop out spoonfuls of this sauce and pour it over rice and everything else for that matter.

“Traditionally in Hunan this dish is served using a steamed fish headcovered in spicy peppers and simmering in special Camellia oil collected from trees.We prepare this Hunan specialty using the whole fish, and our tree oil is shipped weekly from rural villages in Hunan.”  - Alan Wong, owner of Karaiya Spice House and the Hatsune Restaurant Group

Karaiya’s Signature Mandarin Fish with Two Types of Hunan Peppers

But the downside of this Signature fish’s popularity is that all other fish dishes are then overshadowed and very often entirely overlooked.  That is the case with Karaiya’s Hunan style Spicy Broiled Fish  飘香鱼.

Not only had I never ordered it before, I didn’t even notice it on the menu!  How that happened is beyond me, but I blame the Signature Fish Dish for being so ridiculously good, we never had the desire to try anything else.  But now that I have recently been introduced to their Spicy Broiled Fish, and I may have discovered a new favorite! It’s a giant bowl filled with tender fish pieces drenched in spicy yumminess.

If you are a general fan of 水煮鱼, then you will get hooked on Karaiya’s take on this popular Sichuan dish, but obviously it’s Hunan style.

Karaiya Spice House won Time Out’s 2011 Award for Best Regional Chinese.

Click here for LDS article.

Karaiya Spice House Details:

• Address: 3F, Building 8, The Village at Sanlitun, No. 19 Sanlitun Road, Sanlitun

  (3rd floor of the Nike Building across from Hatsune) 朝阳区三里屯路19号The Village南区8号楼

• Tel: 6415 3535

• Website: www.hatsunesushi.com (Karaiya Spice House is part of the Hatsune Restaurant Empire)

*LumDimSum Discovery Explanation: Whenever I try a dish worth sharing, I will post this find as a LumDimSum Discovery.  Just search tagged “LumDimSum Discovery” articles for more recommendations.