On vacation a while ago, I wandered into a tiny Chinese restaurant. I
asked the waitress to recommend something that was authentic Chinese,
and that was good for bad weather (it was windy & raining). She
proposed what sounded like, "Boiled Fish in Red Sauce." I was
surprised when what she brought me was -- to my mind, anyway -- an
enormous bowl of stew. But this turned out to be one of the most
remarkable things I had ever eaten. The broth was PACKED with some
sort of chili (none were visible), so that, even though I have a very
high tolerance for spicy foods, my nose was running in seconds. I
could also taste and smell Sichuan Peppercorns. There was a lot of
cabbage in the stew, as well as vegetables I couldn't identify. I
thought I may have also tasted tomato in the reddish broth. I felt
like I was eating a Chinese take -- maybe the original take -- on
cioppino. Also, while this may give the impression that I'm
romanticizing things, I have to mention that before I ate this dish, I
seriously felt like I was coming down with something; afterwards, I
felt completely reinvigorated.

Anyway, is this "Boiled Fish with Red Sauce" a standard Chinese dish
that I should be able to find in various places?

Thanks for any info.

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