STINKYMandarinFish,YangJiXing’sentree,isassmellyasitsnameimplies,butalsoyummy.MadeofafamousChinesefreshwaterfish,itspringsfromChina’sAnhuiProvince,boastsalonghistoryandunlocksauniquetaste.
ThisprestigiousChinesedelicacywasespeciallyintroducedinthedocumentaryseriesABiteofChina,whichpresentedtodinersbothathomeandabroadthepeculiarcharmsofStinkyMandarinFish.YangJinxiang,therestaurant’sowner,isfromAnhui’sChuzhouCity,whosemountainsandrivershaveinspirednumerousworksofliteratureandartinChinesehistory.
StinkyMandarinFishismarinatedandfermentedperalocalrecipewhichrequiresaccuratemeasurementofsalt,apropertemperature,andsuitablepressure.Evenaminormistakewillcausethewholeprocesstofail.Thefleshofmandarinfishtransformsintoagarlicclove-liketextureafterexquisitefermentation,anddevelopsaclassicalflavorthatperfectlypanderstoepicureantastes.Usingtheirchopstickstopriseapartthelayersofjade-likefishflesh,dinersgingerlymunchthefirmyettendermeatthatfillsthemouthwithitsaroma.StinkyMandarinFishisnowthesignaturedishofYangJiXing’schainrestaurants,withdailysalesof500-600fish.AllfermentedfishservedcomesbydirecttransportfromAnhuitoBeijing.
YangJiXingstartedasasmallshopfrontthatgraduallydevelopedintotoday’schainbrand.In2013,thetinyrestaurantfacedabottle-neckdevelopmentdilemmaandnearlycloseddown.However,thisordealinspiredYangtotrimthemenufrom200-plusAnhuilocalcuisinestocertainspecialties,therebyleadingtothecurrentpopularityofitsStinkyMandarinFish.“YangJiXing,thetrueflavorofStinkyMandarinFish”–thesewordsappearontheeaterie’swell-designedhandtowel.
HairyTofuisanothertypicalAnhuicuisine,anunforgettabletofudelicacywithinchlongfilamentousfungideep-friedinrapeseedoil.Thenaturallyfermentedtofutastessoftandwaxybutwithoutasmellyflavor,andiscelebratedas“ChineseCheese.”Therapeseedoiltherestaurantusesisproducedbyatraditionaltechnique,whichfullyrepresentsChinesepeople’spursuitofdelicacieswithaperfectcombinationofnature,healthandauthenticlocalfoods.Yanghimselfhand-makesallthewoodenutensilsusedforsetting,deep-fryingandservingthehairytofu.Hesaid,“Mostofthetablewareismycreation.Somearefirstgenerationproducts,whichIkeeponimprovingbasedoncustomerfeedback.Thesecondgenerationproductsaresettocomeintousesoon.”
EnablingmorepeopletoenjoythemostauthenticandindigenousAnhuicuisine,whichisrepletewithtraditionalcultureandchargedfullofhumanfeeling,isYang’sgoalforthefutureofhisbusiness.