B2J Fish Soup Gaithersburg 不二家酸菜鱼 Gaithersburg — Restaurant in Gaithersburg

The Best Sour Cabbage Fish in Maryland | B2J Sour Cabbage Fish

Highly Recommended Local Food

Hello, everyone! I want to introduce you to the best sour cabbage fish restaurant in the universe—B2J Sour Cabbage Fish! This is their fifth location, with the other four in New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Canada. Ever since I discovered this place, I find myself going back every few days, whether I’m in a good mood or a bad one—I just crave this fish!

Their sour cabbage fish is made with snakehead fish fillets, which are super tender and boneless! I noticed on the menu that you can upgrade to bass for an extra charge, but honestly, the snakehead fillets are already amazing.

They offer set meals: • Two-person set: 1 lb of fish + 2 side dishes + 2 small appetizers + 2 bowls of rice • Three-person set: 1.5 lbs of fish + 3 side dishes + 3 small appetizers + 3 bowls of rice • Four-person set: 2 lbs of fish + 4 side dishes + 4 small appetizers + 4 bowls of rice

The sour cabbage fish is so delicious that we usually order an extra portion of fish for $14—otherwise, it feels like we have to fight over every bite!

You can choose from different flavors: • Classic Sour Cabbage Fish (Regular or Spicy) • Tomato Fish • Mala (Spicy & Numbing) Fish

My absolute favorite is still the classic sour cabbage fish! We also tried the tomato fish, which has a sweet and flavorful broth—really good!

Now, let’s talk about the appetizers: • Fern Root Noodles: My top pick! This was my childhood favorite. My brother and I used to call it “sewer water” because it’s black. I haven’t had it in ages, but they serve it here as a cold dish, seasoned to be fragrant, spicy, and slightly sweet and sour—so good! • Fried Milk: A must-try! It’s kind of like fried rice cakes, but inside, it’s sweet, milky, and chewy. • Cold Preserved Egg (Century Egg): A classic Sichuan-style dish—really tasty! • Chilled Chicken Gizzards: Another childhood favorite! The portion is generous, and the flavor is on point. • Crispy Pork Bites: Crunchy and perfect when dipped in chili powder!

Next time, I want to try the Golden Mini Buns, Osmanthus Lotus Root, and Brown Sugar Sticky Rice Cake—all nostalgic flavors from my childhood! But I always end up ordering my beloved fern root noodles, so I haven’t had the chance to try more appetizers yet.

Drinks:

Sometimes they have freshly squeezed corn juice—one sip, and it’s like being back in China! It’s super fresh and costs $15 per jug. Their sour plum soup and watermelon juice are also excellent.

Bonus:

If you post about your meal on social media, you get a free milk mochi! It’s similar to the fried milk but without the crispy coating—equally delicious.

This place is so worth it—even though it’s an hour’s drive from where I live, I happily make the trip just for this fish. After devouring a whole pot, who wouldn’t feel a little dizzy with happiness? Plus, I even saw a double rainbow after my meal that day—maybe it’s a sign...

Some pretty outstanding fish soup. Don't let yourself get fooled by the slightly random / nonsensical name (even the Chinese name makes no sense to me -- what on earth does "no second / two house / family" mean?); B2J Fish Soup is home to one some of the best authentic Chinese food in the DMV. As the name implies, they specialize in fish soup, particularly a hot and sour pickled fish soup (suan cai yu) that originates from Sichuan. This dish was one of my childhood favorites, and B2J did an incredible job crafting a deeply flavorful soup that transported me right back to my family's kitchen. The soup is served in the largest bowls I've ever seen and absolutely loaded with pickled veggies and tender, flaky fish that completely soaks up all the spicy and sour flavor. I appreciate that the soup isn't overly spicy or salty, so it's possible to drink the actual soup instead of just fishing out its fillings, and it goes great with the side of white rice.

Their meal combo options also come with several appetizers of choice so, in addition to the delightful suan cai yu, we also got the fried milk custard and wood ear mushroom salad. The salad was super refreshing, with a great crunch from the wood ear mushrooms and red onions. The dressing was mostly vinegar and chili-based, so it was sour, spicy, salty, and slightly sweet. It was a delightful precursor to the spicy and sour fish soup, and the leftovers also kept incredibly well over the next couple of days. The fried milk custard was a great appetizer but made an even better dessert; the milk was gooey and melty, and the fried outer shell was perfectly crispy. It was such a delightful combination of flavors and not overly sweet.

This hidden gem is quite quaint, but they managed to fit a decent amount of seating inside, with several long tables lining each side of the restaurant and a narrow aisle in between. The seats are comfy and, while the tables are quite close together, there's still enough space to feel like you have a bit of privacy / separation from the other diners. I love the little bamboo light fixtures, and one of their back walls has a little semi-circle design that looks like fish scales, adding to the fun,...

Don’t let the location of this restaurant fool you - this is a true hidden gem. Not only is it authentic Chinese cuisine in terms of the side dishes offered, but also it boasts the best pickled cabbage fish soup I’ve ever had. My wife and I get the traditional fish stew combo for two. It’s got a slight kick to it, which is spot on for the expectations of the dish. Today, we got the crispy pork belly, which is absolutely amazing paired with the dry seasoning they provide. The meat is tender but the outside is crispy - a perfect balance. We also got the wood ear fungus side dish, which was made with good quality wood ear and was flavorful and interesting with the red onions and cilantro. I appreciated that they didn’t go overboard with the cilantro, but it provided just the right complement to the rest of the dish.

Our server was friendly and attentive, refilling our tea and updating us on when our dishes would be coming out - definitely a step up in service from what we usually expect in more traditional Chinese restaurants.

There is pleasant Chinese music playing throughout the restaurant, and the quiet din of the hustle and bustle make the whole experience feel very authentic. The restaurant is filled with Chinese patrons, which serves as its own glowing endorsement of the restaurant.

I strongly recommend everyone who passes by or lives nearby to stop in and enjoy one of the best Chinese meals you’ve probably had in Maryland. Definitely end your meal with the milk mochi - deliciously refreshing and not too sweet. A truly...