For a city near the sea, Guangzhou lacks a proper fish fry. Don’t get us wrong, local twists on Western classics certainly spice things up, but we’d trade the next fish congee for a cup of chunky New England clam chowder any day.
Cajun House, a new restaurant and bar on Jianshe Wu Malu, is stepping up to the plate as the first American fish fry where guests can smack their lips to the tune of buttered Boston lobster (RMB95), Alaskan king crab legs (RMB238) or New Orleans fried prawns (RMB38). There’s no view of the ocean, of course, but there are some pretty hip bibs, free napkins and an endless supply of plastic gloves.
.jpg)
This isn’t the first Cajun House to gain a loyal following on sites like Yelp, Foursquare and TripAdvisor – the Cantonese owner runs a successful branch in San Francisco as well. While the eatery can’t compete with the allure of grungy fry shacks back home, it does its best to deformalize things with exposed ceiling pipes, a collection of state license plates and other remnants of American pop culture. Service also strikes a nostalgic chord – they’ll swap out your dirty plate before cries of “fuwuyuan” taint the air.
Adventurous eaters should start with the New Orleans sauteed okra drizzled in cheddar and oily garlic sauce (RMB25). It’s not exactly delicious, especially if you’re picky about texture, but this veggie is one stealthy superfood that even Dr. Oz hasn’t discovered yet. The fried rice (RMB28) is soggy, with shriveled peas and carrots mixed in – nothing but a half-hearted tribute to local clientele. Go for the American deep-fried fish strips (RMB28) or fried sweet potato (RMB25) instead, which rack up the most orders. Creamy homemade tartar sauce is an added perk.
The majority of seafood is imported from the US, Brazil, Russia and New Zealand, though heavy sauces – Cajun house, lemon pepper and garlic butter – mask the “fresh taste” so confidently declared by waitresses. Presentation is a riot and apparently consistent with what happens at the San Fran branch. We sat down to 1-pound bags of lobster, clams and crawfish doused in 3 inches of explosive sauce. The whole ‘seafood in a plastic bag’ situation took a moment to get used to, but one bite and our senses begged us to let it be. This isn’t fine dining, after all. It’s Cajun seafood and Asian-American fusion concluding in a towering pile of used napkins and split shells. Dig in – just don’t wear white.
Price: Approx. RMB200 with drinks
Who’s going: ‘Sea turtles,’ curious young locals
Good for: A two-hour labor-intensive meal, spicy lobster
// Listing.
0 User Comments