Fish With You 鱼你在一起下饭酸菜鱼 — Restaurant in San Mateo

I visited this spot on a Friday evening. While there was no line when I arrived, a small one started forming around 6:30 PM.

First impressions? Not the most sanitary environment. The floor was so slippery it felt like an accidental ice rink, probably spills from the oil used in the dishes.

Here's what I ordered: the signature suancai fish, beef tender spicy mix, and the coconut lava ball.

The Signature Suancai Fish It had bold flavors, but the oil was overwhelming. The fish was fresh, but finding scales in the dish was a real buzzkill. The spice level leaned mild, and the sourness didn't hit the mark of the traditional version. Plus, the portion size was misleading. It came in a massive bowl, but half of it was just bowl base.

Beef Tender Spicy Mix Decent but unremarkable. The beef was tender, paired with noodles and standard spices. Unfortunately, the rice missed the mark. Lacking flavor, aroma, and coming out in unappetizing chunks.

Coconut Lava Ball This was the standout, mostly because of its uniqueness. Imagine a mochi ball stuffed with coconut sago and jelly--it was fun to eat and offered something different.

A major red flag was the older staff member who accidentally stuck his thumb into one of the rice bowls while serving. Combined with the slippery floors, it really emphasized the cleanliness issues.

In summary, the ingredients were fresh, but the execution and environment left a lot to be desired. While they may have potential, the lack of authenticity and sanitation is a dealbreaker for me. Maybe they'll improve, but I won't be back...

[Updated on 8/10/25] Unfortunately Fish With You have recently gone downhill. Their staff confirmed they updated their recipe to "simplify the experience", which is essentially cheaping out on their pepper and spices, and all the other ingredients. Vermicelli is gone too. Not only the portion has shrunk, the taste is diluted down, and the fish all clumped up - really unprofessional for a restaurant specialized in suancai fish. At least they still offer unlimited rice, right? Guest what? There's a bug in the rice... Extra protein to make up the vermicelli I guess? After being here for so many times, shamefully, it's time to move on.

(Original review) The green Szechuan pepper suancai fish is amazing. (We avoided the signature one because it was specified on the menu that it'd be very oily and come with pre-selected sides) Bold flavor and great portions - a large one is enough for 2-3 people. Unlimited supply of rice would ensure everyone is well fed. Plenty of soup to mix with the rice, or you can take the leftover soup home and add noodles for another delicious meal. Just wish they had more locations on...

Recently in China a new type of restaurant became really popular. It's typically a chain restaurant serving very few similar dishes centered on one particular recipe. For this restaurant it's fish with pickled vegetable.

I believe this is indeed a chain from China and I went during the soft opening period.

You can tell they try because the place is really small so they try to accommodate your party but I do not recommend you to go if you have more than 4 in your party. Also it's not a romantic place so probably not a first date place either.

Fish has two options with small or large portions. They made it sound like that you should order small for one person and large for two. I however recommend large for even one person unless you are on a diet because there really isn't enough fish pieces.

The rice is not wuchang rice despite what they say because it's my favorite rice in China.

Overall I'm happy it's here in the Bay area but it's not so good that I'd...