Hot Pot Havens: Exploring The Ultimate Comfort Food Experience

Hot pot is a social meal with a long history, traditionally shared among friends and family. It is an interactive and customisable meal, where diners gather around a pot of broth and cook their own ingredients in it. Hot pot is less of a dish than it is an experience.

Hot pot restaurants range from casual to upscale, with some offering individual small pots with rotating conveyor belts of ingredients, and others focusing on the traditional communal dining experience.

The first step to eating hot pot is choosing a broth. Popular options include chicken broth, tom yum, ma-la, and a savoury mushroom broth. The next step is to select your meats, proteins, and seafood. Thinly sliced beef is a popular choice, as are head-on shrimp. You can also choose from chicken pieces, dumplings, or balls made of meat, fish, or pork.

After that, it's time to pick your vegetables. Delicate vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes will cook within seconds or a minute, while heartier vegetables like potatoes or mushrooms will take several minutes.

Finally, select your noodles—udon, vermicelli, chow mein, and shandong noodles are common choices.

Once your broth is boiling, start cooking your ingredients! Add meat or fish balls first, followed by larger pieces of protein and hardy greens. Then, add delicate meats and greens, and stir in noodles at the last minute. Don't forget to create your own personal dipping sauce to enjoy with your hot pot!

Where to eat hot pot in China

Hot pot is a popular meal in China, with a long history of over 1,000 years. It is a social meal, where people gather around a pot of broth, adding and cooking various raw ingredients. It is also considered a healthy meal, as boiling is a healthier alternative to frying, and nutrients from the bones are released into the broth.

There are many varieties of hot pot in China, with differently flavoured broths. Here are some of the most famous hot pot restaurants in China:

Haidilao Hot Pot Restaurant

Haidilao is one of the most famous hot pot brands in China, with branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Zhengzhou. It is known for its superior service and dancing noodle pullers. The name translates to "scooping the bottom of the ocean", which is a metaphor for fishing in the hot pot for tasty morsels. The restaurant offers a unique dining experience with various free services, such as free fruit salad, shoe shining, and nail care, making queuing for food a pleasure.

Huangcheng Laoma

Huangcheng Laoma is one of the most famous traditional hot pot brands in China, regarded as a worthy representative of Sichuan culture and cuisine. It is known for its delicious Sichuan hot pot and secret sauce.

Tan's Fish Head

Tan's Fish Head is a well-known hot pot restaurant founded in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, in 1996. It specialises in delicious fish head hot pot.

Little Sheep

Little Sheep is a famous chain of hot pot restaurants, with over 300 locations across China. It was founded in 1999 in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, and specialises in mutton/lamb hot pot.

Dong Lai Shun Restaurant

Dong Lai Shun Restaurant is an old-brand hot pot restaurant in Beijing, with a history of hundreds of years. It is particularly known for its mutton hot pot, with strict rules regarding the quality of the meat. The restaurant also features beautiful Cloisonne brass pots decorated with delicate carved patterns.

Koufuju Hot Pot Restaurant

Koufuju Hot Pot Restaurant is a typical Beijing hot pot restaurant, known for its sugar garlic, mutton, and unique seasoning. It has attracted many celebrities, including Tony Leung, Chen Kaige, and Sammi Cheng.

Longshunyuan Spicy Hot Pot

Longshunyuan Spicy Hot Pot is an old hot pot restaurant in Beijing, known for its spicy broth and combination of bamboo shoots, broad vermicelli, dried bean curd sticks, and luncheon meats. It also offers the option to adjust the spiciness level to your preference.

Where to eat hot pot in the US

Hot pot is a popular dish in the US, especially in areas with a large Chinese immigrant population. While you can make hot pot at home, there are also many restaurants across the country that serve this tasty treat.

In New York City, Tang Hot Pot offers a "Sichuan Adventurer" set that includes delicacies like chicken gizzards, Asian swamp eel, beef tripe, crown daisy leaves, vermicelli noodles, and enoki mushrooms.

If you're looking for a chain restaurant, HaiDiLao has locations across the US and is known for its great service and dancing noodle pullers. Be prepared to pay a premium, though, as prices can range from $40-$50 per person.

For those on the West Coast, there are several hot pot restaurants to choose from in Los Angeles, including Haidilao Hot Pot, Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot, and Hot Pot Hot Pot.

If you're in the Midwest, Chicago has a variety of hot pot options, including the popular chain HaiDiLao, as well as independent restaurants like Happy Lamb Hot Pot and Da Long Yi Hot Pot.

No matter where you are in the US, chances are you can find a hot pot restaurant nearby. So, the next time you're craving a warm, comforting, and social meal, why not try hot pot?

Where to eat hot pot in Taiwan

Hot pot is a popular dish in Taiwan, especially during the winter months. It's a communal dish where a pot of flavoured broth is placed on the table, and diners add a variety of raw meat, seafood, and vegetables to cook in the broth. Here are some of the best places to enjoy hot pot in Taiwan, particularly in Taipei:

Mala Hot Pot

Mala Hot Pot is a popular chain that offers an all-you-can-eat hot pot experience. They have a wide variety of ingredients, including meat, seafood, vegetables, noodles, tofu, and dumplings. They also offer different types of broth, such as spicy Sichuan peppercorn and chilli broth, and clear pork broth. Mala Hot Pot is a great option for large groups and get-togethers.

Orange Shabu Shabu House

Located in the Da'an District of Taipei, Orange Shabu Shabu House is often regarded as one of the best hot pot restaurants in the city. They are known for their fresh seafood, including Hokkaido crab, Japanese abalone, and jumbo shrimp. They also offer a variety of meat options, such as USDA Prime Sirloin, Australian Wagyu Beef, and Kuroge Wagyu Ribeye Beef. The restaurant has stylish interiors and offers private dining rooms for a more intimate experience. Reservations are highly recommended.

Elixir Health Pot (Wu Lao Guo)

Elixir Health Pot, also known as "Wu Lao Guo" or "never old pot", is a popular steamboat restaurant in Taipei. Their philosophy centres around providing diners with hot pots that are brimming with health and beauty properties. They offer twin "ying-yang" hot pots, allowing diners to try two different broths. Their signature broths are the Layered Tofu, cooked with chicken bone and pork bone, and the Spicy Wulao, a Chinese spice-infused broth. Reservations are recommended, as it tends to be expensive.

Mala Yuanyang HotPot

Located in the Ximending area of Taipei, Mala Yuanyang HotPot is a buffet-style hot pot restaurant. They offer a wide variety of ingredients, including beef, pork, dumplings, oysters, noodles, and even ice cream. It's a great option for those who want to try different flavours and ingredients. The restaurant tends to be busy, so booking in advance is recommended.

Top One Pot

Top One Pot is an elegant hot pot restaurant in Taipei that offers top-quality meats and nourishing soup broths. They have a variety of meat cuts, fresh vegetables, and seafood platters. Their dining ambiance is geared towards the Chinese dynasties, and they use traditional recipes for their soup broths. Their Royal Spicy Hot Pot is a popular choice, and they also offer free-flow coagulated duck's blood and tofu.

These are just a few of the many great options for enjoying hot pot in Taiwan. Each restaurant offers its unique atmosphere, ingredients, and broth options, so you can choose the one that best suits your preferences.

Where to eat hot pot in Japan

Japan has a variety of hot pot dishes, known as "nabe", which are popular during the winter months. Nabe is typically cooked and eaten at the table, with diners adding their own choice of raw ingredients to a pot of broth. Common ingredients include vegetables, mushrooms, meat, and seafood. The broth can be a simple, light stock or a more seasoned and flavourful variety.

Nabe-zo

Nabe-zo is a restaurant chain with locations in Shinjuku, Shibuya, and other areas in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Saitama. It offers all-you-can-eat beef, pork, and fresh vegetables for 100 minutes, with prices starting from around 2,500 yen per person. The restaurant caters to English, Korean, and Chinese speakers, making it a good choice for international visitors.

Onyasai

Onyasai is a shabu-shabu restaurant with locations across Japan, known for its large menu. It offers all-you-can-eat pork and beef courses for 120 minutes, starting from around 2,780 yen per person.

Hanasak Ji-san

Hanasaka Ji-san is a halal-certified restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo, specialising in high-quality beef from Miyazaki Prefecture. It also offers other Japanese dishes, with prices starting from 4,000 yen per person. The restaurant caters to English speakers.

Moritaya Tokyo Marunouchi Branch

This renowned sukiyaki and shabu-shabu restaurant is located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It offers a captivating dining experience, with skilled waitstaff who prepare dishes and engage with customers.

Sukiyaki Kappo Yoshizawa

Located in Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, this restaurant serves shabu-shabu and sukiyaki made with high-quality wagyu beef. All seats are located in private rooms, and the staff will cook your food for you. The shabu-shabu is served with ponzu and a special sesame seed sauce. Prices start from 6,000 JPY (plus tax).

Ginza Shabutsu

Ginza Shabutsu is a local favourite in Tokyo, known for its fresh ingredients and excellent value for money. For lunch, you can get a plate of finely sliced pork, beef, duck, or beef tongue for just 880 yen. Dinner courses start from 3,100 yen.

Where to eat hot pot in the UK

London is a great place to be if you're craving hot pot. With hundreds of thousands of people of Asian descent living in the city, there are numerous stores and restaurants serving up this comforting dish. Here are some of the best spots to try:

Shu Xiang Ge, Chinatown

Shu Xiang Ge is one of London's top hot pot eateries, with an inviting casual dining area and top-notch service. The restaurant serves an authentic spicy Sichuan hot pot, perfect for spicy food lovers. If you can't handle the heat, don't worry – they also offer a non-spicy variation. Other must-tries on the menu include spicy king prawns, Chinese-style braised chicken feet, and sautéed beef fillet with hot green pepper.

Hot Pot, Chinatown

This restaurant elevates the humble hot pot to something a little more refined. Swap tripe and tongue for premium ingredients like steamed Japanese Wagyu beef, jumbo tiger prawns, and lobster. This smart Wardour Street restaurant injects luxury into the hot pot experience, with gorgeous presentation and mouth-watering cocktails to accompany your bubbling pot.

Little Lamb, Chinatown

Little Lamb is a traditional spot offering hot pot on a budget. Their set menu includes your chosen broth and five ingredients per person, cooked on a hot plate at your table. There are plenty of broth types to choose from, including Nourishing Herbal Tonic, Special Spicy, and Mushroom and Tomato.

Shuang Shuang, Chinatown

Shuang Shuang offers a modern twist on the hot pot process. Guests choose their broth and dipping sauce, then sit along a conveyor belt-style table where they select ingredients as they pass by. All broths are made in-house, and ingredients are delivered fresh daily.

Sichuan Folk, Brick Lane

This little Sichuan eatery is known for its herbal and healing tonic broths loaded with jujube red dates, ginseng, ginkgo nuts, and lotus root. Enjoy the lunchtime deals or opt for the all-you-can-eat hot pot option for £22.80 per person, which includes luncheon meat, thinly sliced beef, prawns, mussels, and fish balls.

Weizi Prawn Hot Pot, Hammersmith

Weizi Prawn Hot Pot sticks to its family traditions and roots in its recipes and is known for its unique prawn hot pot. All spices and ingredients are sourced from China, offering authentic Szechuan and Cantonese-style dishes.

Chillicool, King's Cross

Chillicool specialises in traditional Sichuan-style hot pot dishes in a casual cafe-style setting. They offer some lesser-eaten cuts of meat, like pig's feet and ox tripe, and serve up hot and spicy dishes made in-house from chillies and chilli oil.

Haidilao Hot Pot, Greenwich

At Haidilao, diners choose from one to four hot pot bases, then order their ingredients using a tablet. Meats, seafood, and veggies are all nicely presented and delicious. Cook your meal at the table and mix up your own dip. The tomato and laksa soup bases come highly recommended.

Muyang Hot Pot & BBQ, Shepherd's Bush

This restaurant offers big and bold hot pots with a wide variety of ingredients, including handmade fish balls, black fungus mushrooms, quail eggs, rice cakes, and mussels. While you wait for your hot pot to boil, be sure to tuck into their barbecue meat, seafood, and veggie skewers.

Bin Bin Q Barbecue Market, Euston

Bin Bin Q Barbecue Market is known for its Xi'an barbecue skewers – grilled pieces of skewered chicken gizzards, chicken wings, pork sausage, or beef tendon dredged in cumin and chilli seasoning. They also offer some unique hot pot options, like fresh biang biang noodles and pig's brain.

Crystal China, Bermondsey

Crystal China specialises in dry hot pots cooked in ma la. Vegetarians and vegans have plenty of options to choose from, including aubergine, taro cake, bamboo shoots, and tofu puffs. Carnivores can enjoy Chinese lap cheong sausage, chicken gizzards, beef balls, and fried fish bean curd.

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