Fish in soup with red chilli peppers.

Fish in sour tomato soup

　　There are seemingly countless ways to prepare fish, and there are equally as many restaurants that specialize in fish dishes. The following are some of the better known fish restaurants to add spice to your palate in Beijing:

　　Shui zhu yu (fish in soup with red chilli peppers)

　　This may be the most popular way to prepare fish in Beijing. This Sichuan-style dish is prepared in an oily soup boiled for a long period of time. It may contain several ingredients - such as soy bean, mushrooms, vermicelli, eels and meatballs.

　　Although it contains a lot of red chilli peppers, it is tender and fragrant, not as spicy as you might expect.

　　Hong Jing Yu

　　Famous for shui zhu yu.

　　Main outlet: GF Building B, Yuanfang Hotel, Xibahe, North Third Ring Road, Chaoyang District

　　Tel: 6422-2329

　　Chongqing Hotel outlet: South of the Chongqing Hotel, No 14 Xibahe Beili, Chaoyang District

　　Tel: 6420-4776

　　Fei Teng Yu Xiang

　　Gongti outlet: No 1 G

　　Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District

　　Tel: 6417-4988

　　Xiansha outlet: Opposite China Construction Bank, which is west of the Kunlun Hotel昆

　　Tel: 8455-2333

　　Fish in sour tomato soup

　　Suan tang yu (fish in sour soup)

　　The fish is cooked in sour-tasting pickled cabbage soup, which makes the fish more tender. It is sometimes served in a hot pot with some chilli peppers.

　　The dish is common in Sichuan-style restaurants, and other types of restaurants that specialize in cuisine from Southwest China.

　　Xi Mi Hun Zhen Cun

　　Guizhou sour soup hot pot.

　　Location: Women's Street, Laitai Huahui, No 26 Tianzelu, Chaoyang District

　　Tel: 8454-5539

　　Lao Chongqing Huoguo Cheng

　　Sichuan-style dishes and hot pot.

　　Location: No 45 Wangfujing Dajie, across from the Capital Theatre

　　Tel: 6522-2168

　　Ma la nian yu (spicy and tongue-numbing catfish)

　　Catfish is tender and delicious. It is even better when prepared Sichuan style. The following are two acclaimed restaurants that specialize in catfish dishes:

　　Sichuan Sun Nian Yu

　　This is a traditional Chinese restaurant renowned for its spicy catfish. They are very big, weighing about 5 kilograms each, with side dishes of bean curd, vegetables and noodles to add to the soup.

　　The fish is very spicy and tongue-numbing!

　　Location: Eastern area of the Mudanyuan traffic circle, No 8 Beitucheng Lu, Haidian District

　　Tel: 6238-6604

　　Zhou Nian Yu

　　This is the Beijing outlet of the Sichuan-based restaurant chain. According to lore, the catfish are wild, from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

　　Location: No 9 Fushi Lu, West Fourth Ring Road, Haidian District

　　Tel: 6818-4219