A Warming Trend: The Rise Of Won Hot Pot

Won Hot Pot is a Korean BBQ and Hot Pot restaurant located at 7407 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, Oklahoma. They offer an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ and hot pot experience, with carefully selected fresh and natural ingredients prepared in a healthier way to provide nutritious food. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, with varying timings throughout the week. Won Hot Pot provides a communal dining experience, allowing diners to cook and customise their meal to their preferences.

Hot pot ingredients

Hot pot is a fun and social way of eating, where a variety of raw ingredients are cooked in a simmering pot of flavoured broth at the table. The ingredients are then dipped in a sauce and enjoyed. The ingredients are usually sliced thinly so they cook quickly and consistently in the broth.

Meat and Seafood

Hot pot usually includes thinly sliced meat, such as beef, lamb, goat, chicken, pork, or other poultry. It can also include seafood such as whole or sliced fish, clams, shrimp, squid, and other bivalves or cephalopods. Meatballs, fish balls, and shrimp balls are also common.

Vegetables

Leaf vegetables, such as Napa cabbage, chrysanthemum greens, and yu choy, are often included in hot pot. Other vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, daikon, taro, lotus root, kabocha squash, and carrots. Vegetables are usually cooked briefly in the broth to retain their texture.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a key ingredient in hot pot, adding a chewy, meaty texture. Varieties such as straw mushrooms, enoki, shiitake, king oyster, and oyster mushrooms are commonly used. They can be cooked whole or sliced and are often left in the broth to season it.

Tofu and Bean Products

Tofu, tofu skin, Japanese-style fish tofu, frozen tofu, and fried tofu are commonly added to hot pot. Tofu soaks up the flavours of the broth and can be left to simmer for a long time. Bean products such as egg dumplings and bean curd rolls are also popular.

Starches

Starches such as vermicelli, glass noodles, and rice cakes are often included in hot pot. Instant ramen, rice, and congee can also be added to soak up the flavours of the broth.

Broths

Spicy Broth:

• Rehydrate dried chillies in hot water until soft, then chop them into a coarse paste.
• Add Shaoxing rice wine to Sichuan pepper and set aside.
• Melt beef tallow or cooking oil in a pot with aromatics like star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, and scallions. Fry until fragrant.
• Remove the aromatics and add the dried chilli paste, Sichuan chilli bean paste, fermented black beans, minced garlic, and ginger. Simmer to release their flavour.
• Finally, add sugar, Sichuan pepper, and rice wine. Transfer to a heat-proof container and refrigerate.

Mild Broth:

• Boil chicken or pork bones in water with sliced ginger. Skim off any froth and simmer for 1-2 hours.
• Pour the stock into your serving pot and add shiitake mushrooms, scallions, Chinese dates, and Goji berries. Season with salt and white pepper.

You can also get creative and experiment with different ingredients and spices to make your own unique broth. For example, you can add tomatoes, celery, or corn to your mild broth, or use a combination of different types of dried chillies for your spicy broth.

Other Broth Options:

In addition to the spicy and mild broths, there are a few other options you can try:

• Red Curry Broth: Beef stock flavoured with sweet onion, red curry paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and ground ginger.
• Thai Coconut Curry Broth: Chicken or vegetable stock with brown sugar and fish sauce.
• Chicken Stock-Based Mild Broth: A simple broth made with chicken stock, scallions, and ginger.

The spread

Protein

• Beef short ribs
• Fatty beef (brisket or chuck)
• Leg of lamb
• Pork belly

Seafood

• Manila clams
• Shrimp

Leafy Veg

• Napa cabbage
• Chrysanthemum greens
• Yu choy

Hardy Veg

• Mountain yam
• Taro
• Lotus root
• Celtuce
• Kabocha squash
• Potato

Mushrooms

• Enoki and beech mushrooms
• Shiitake
• King oyster

Accessories

• Fried bean curd rolls
• Fish tofu
• Fish balls
• Beef balls
• Frozen tofu
• Egg dumplings

Starch

• Vermicelli
• Rice
• Glass noodles

Condiments

Hot pot is a highly customisable meal, and the same goes for the condiments. There are no hard and fast rules for what condiments to use, but here are some ideas:

• Raw egg
• Sriracha/Sambal Olek
• Oyster sauce
• Sesame oil
• Chinese BBQ Sauce (aka Shacha Sauce/Satay Sauce)
• Soy sauce
• Green onions
• Sesame seeds
• Chinese sesame paste
• Chinese black vinegar
• Chili flakes
• Rice wine vinegar
• Chinese chili oil
• Hoisin sauce
• Garlic sesame sauce
• Spicy garlic chilli sauce
• Japanese sesame miso
• Spicy peanut sauce
• Minced garlic
• Chopped scallions
• Cilantro
• Chopped red or green chillies
• Roasted chopped peanuts
• Whole fried soybeans
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Leek flower sauce
• XO sauce
• Fermented bean curd
• White pepper
• Sichuan peppercorn powder
• Sugar
• MSG

Hot pot history

Hot pot, also known as steamboat, is a dish that involves cooking raw ingredients in a pot of simmering broth placed on a heat source on the dining table. The ingredients can include thinly sliced meat, vegetables, tofu, seafood, and noodles. The cooked pieces are then dipped into sauces for added flavour.

The history of hot pot can be traced back to over 1,000 years ago, with some experts claiming that it first appeared during the Shang and Zhou dynasties (approximately 1600-256 BC). The earliest prototypes of the hot pot are believed to be the tripods of the Zhou dynasty, where nobility dined using personal bronze pots called ran lu, consisting of a small stove with a pot above burning charcoal.

The emergence of copper pots during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD) is widely recognised as the origin of the hot pot. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589), hot pot became commonly used for cooking, especially for chicken and duck. The Mongols, who established the Yuan Dynasty, also influenced the development of hot pot by incorporating beef and lamb into the dish.

Over time, hot pot spread throughout China, with each region adapting it to their local ingredients and tastes. The most famous variation is the Chongqing or Sichuan hot pot, known for its spicy and numbing flavour from the Sichuan pepper. Other popular variations include the Beijing mutton hot pot, seafood hot pot in Guangdong, chrysanthemum hot pot in Suzhou and Hangzhou, and beef hot pot in Hong Kong.

Hot pot has also gained worldwide recognition, with hot pot restaurants now found in major cities across the globe. It has become a popular social dining experience, bringing people together to cook, eat, and connect.

Frequently asked questions