Relive the joy of eating paper fish in high school

A friend of mine who lives in NJ once sent me photos of Yuan when they ate there, and I’ve been craving it ever since! This time, I finally got the chance to visit NJ, so I decided to give it a try. 🍴 Yuan 📍 537 Washington Blvd 🐟 Paper-wrapped Fish (Pickled Pepper Flavor): I was so excited to see paper-wrapped fish on the menu—it’s a dish I loved in high school, total nostalgia for us Sichuan kids! The pickled pepper flavor was perfect: the fish was tender, the seasoning was bold but not overly spicy, and it just gets more addictive the more you eat. Taking a bite really took me back to the days when I’d gather with friends to devour this dish. 🥒 Stir-Fried Luffa: You rarely find luffa in the US, so I immediately ordered it when I saw it! The stir-fry was light and fresh, and the natural sweetness of the luffa was perfectly preserved. The broth was amazing with rice—so refreshing, like a taste of spring. Exactly my kind of comfort dish. 🦐 Crab Roe and Shrimp with Tofu: This dish is so rice-friendly! The combination of salted egg yolk and crab roe is genius—every spoonful begs to be mixed with white rice. The shrimp were plump and fresh, and the tofu was just the right texture—soft but not mushy. The savory flavor was irresistible; I polished off a big bowl of rice without even noticing. 😋 It’s definitely a dish I’d order again. 🌶 Double Pepper Beef Tendon: It looked appetizing as soon as it arrived! The tendon was braised until super tender—almost melts in your mouth—and the spicy flavor was spot on. Perfect with rice; I couldn’t help but keep grabbing more. 🍬 Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cakes: A sweet ending to the meal! These were so chewy—you could tell they were made with real glutinous rice, not just flour. The brown sugar sweetness was mild and natural, not cloying at all. The perfect little dessert after a spicy meal. Overall, this Sichuan restaurant is really solid—especially the paper-wrapped fish and crab roe shrimp tofu, which are total rice lovers’ dreams! It made me feel that satisfying “eating at home” vibe I’ve missed. If you’re craving Sichuan food, it’s worth a try! #DailyEats #NYCFood #NJ #NJFood #NYCSichuanFood #NJSichuanFood #NYCEats #NJEats #NYCChineseFood #NJChineseFood #NYC #SichuanFood