Orange Flavor Catfish @ Royal China
Small but with a big menu, the Royal China is among the five or so oldest Chinese restaurants in New Orleans, and best known for its dim sum (you order from a book, not a cart). But its regular menu is shot through with great standard Chinese dishes, and variants. The orange-flavor sauce is spicy and most often used with beef. But it's very good on catfish. It's the oils in the peel that make the distinctive taste. You'll find little pieces of the peel mixed up in the sweet heat. [caption id="attachment_36850" align="alignnone" width="400"]
The chicken version of Royal China's catfish with orange sauce. It also can be made with beef. All are spicy and sweet. And good.[/caption]
