Jing Hong One Fish Three Dish Raw Fish in Shunde 顺德景鸿饭店

Okay.. raw fish or yee sang 鱼生 is one of the must eat dishes when in Shunde district, Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China.

One of the best ways to have it is at those one-fish-three-dish type restaurants. The fish is served three ways - actually 3 plus 1, I shall explain.

The popular fish used is live sea bass fish 鱸魚, river grass carp 鲩鱼, etc.

This is river grass carp 鲩鱼.

First, the snowy white fish meat is sliced and served sashimi style. The tissue thin raw fish slices are eaten seasoned with salt and peanut oil. Then tossed with finely julienned ginger, carrot, radish, onion, lemon leaf, chili pepper, fried taro, sesame seed, peanut, pepper, etc.

Hey, if you feel a sense of deja vu, and have flashbacks of your annual Chinese New Year lou hei / yee sang ritual in Singapore and Malaysia - it is what it is.

Over here in Shunde, Guangzhou, they have been eating raw fish this way all year round long before our forefathers migrated to British Malaya (but that's another story I shall explore another day).

But, they don't do the raucous Chinese New Year lou hei well wishes and toss the raw fish salad together in unison - that's a British Malaya invention. Singapore or Malaysia first? The two countries are still quarrelling over it 😂

Meanwhile, let's enjoy the raw fish yee sang Shunde style.

The raw grass carp fish has a special soft chewy crunch and sweetness which is well complemented by myriad flavours and textures of all the ingredients that it is tossed with.

Second dish is steamed fish bones with fermented bean sauce with optional chili. The bits of fish meat attached to bones have a special sweet taste, the kind of special sweet feeling you get whenever you have to put in extra effort to get something 😂

Alternatively, you could request your fish bone dish to be deep fried. The bones, tail and head are deep fried till golden brown outside. Nice too, especially if you prefer crispy crunchy dishes. The meat retains its moisture and sweetness.

Third dish is fish congee with fish slices and a bit of greens. The fish slices for congee are selected red meat (not the white meat). Ending with congee is a clever idea as the carbs made sure you leave the restaurant with a full tummy and satiated appetite with a tasty dish.

The plus one or fourth dish is fried fish skin. They literally skinned the fish, deep fry it in oil, and created a dish out of it - a nice, addictive, crispy, crunchy one at that too. I love it.

The fish skin can also be simply blanched and served with soy sauce and aromatic oil.

So, yeah, a one-fish-three-dish eatery is one of the hyperlocal experiences you must take home from Shunde.