Hot Pot Heaven: Dunk, Dip and Dine Yourself This Winter

The dreaded cold season is back Beijing, but not to fear, hot pot (huoguo 火锅 ) is here to warm you through the winter. Whether it’s a small pot of hearty mutton hot pot or a sweet and delicate soymilk miso hot pot, there are plenty of reasons to look forward to a long winter. Taken from the December 2 issue of Agenda, we grabbed the long listing of different hot pot styles and where to try them.

Beijing
The main ingredient in Beijing-style hot pot is lamb (yangrou 羊肉) and it is often called Shuan Yangrou (涮羊肉). Beijing hot pot is traditionally cooked over charcoal in a distinctive brass bowl with a chimney rising from the bowl’s center. The meats used are halal, and sliced paper thin.
Jubaoyuan. Daily 11am-10pm. 5-2 Commercial Building 1, Niujie Xili, Xuanwu District. (83545602) 聚宝源, 宣武区牛街西里商业楼1号5-2号

Sichuan/Chongqing
Not many people know the difference between Sichuan-style and Chongqing-style hot pot. Both use a similar mix of red peppers, chili, salted black beans and a variety herbs, but Chongqing hot pot tends to be a touch oilier. Most restaurants offer these fiery hot pots in varying degrees of heat, from slightly spicy (wei la 微辣) to super spicy (te la 特辣), and many places use a sectioned bowl to cater to the different tastes in a group, allowing those faint of tongue to enjoy the mild broth (qing tang 清汤).
Chongqing Kongliang Hot Pot Daily 10am-3.30am. 218 Dongzhimennei Dajie, Chaoyang District. (8404 4906) 重庆孔亮火锅, 朝阳区东直门内大街218号

Duck Hot Pot 老鸭汤
This mild hot pot is cooked with a duck carcass broth, and the resulting broth, both rich and flavorful, is the perfect thing to warm you from the inside without setting your insides on fire. On top of the meat you pick off the duck, the soup is faired with the usual huoguo fixings – vegetables, glass noodles, mushroom and even beef and mutton for an even heartier winter meal.
Qingfangge Laoyatang. Daily 9.30am-9.30pm. North Tower, Soho Shangdu, 8 Dongdaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District. (5900 0155) 清方阁老鸭汤, 朝阳区东大桥路8号SOHO尚都北塔

Lamb Spine Hot Pot
It may sound unappealing, but the idea behind this rich and hearty hot pot is similar to the European tradition of eating bone marrow. This low-fat, low-cholesterol soup is high in protein and Beijingers swear by its health effects. Yangxiezi (羊蝎子) hot pot, which literally means lamb scorpion hot pot, uses big chunks of lamb spine (bones included) in a savory broth.
Fuhuilong Dongzhimen Yangxiezi Daily 10am-6am. 1) Bldg 5, Dongzhimennei Dajie, Dongcheng District. (8406 4086); 2) 1-1 Chaoyanggongyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District. (6586 1301) 福惠龙东直门羊蝎子, 1) 东城区东直门内大街5号楼; 2) 朝阳公园南路1-1号

Japanese Paper Hot Pot
Yes, you read correctly – the container used in this hot pot is made of paper. Japanese paper hot pot limits the amount of fat diners can consume in one sitting, giving it an advantage over its bronze or earthenware counterparts. If you don’t pierce the pot with your chopstick, it can go on burning for around three hours. In keeping with the traditional Japanese diet, seafood and vegetables are the main ingredients as opposed to the red meat which dominates Chinese hot pots. This lighter version is usually only part of a meal and ordered in addition to other dishes.
Hatsune Daily 11.30am-2pm, 5.30-10pm. 2/F, Heqiao Bldg C, 8A Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District. (6581 3939) 隐泉日本料理, 朝阳区光华路甲8号和乔大厦C座2层

Miso-Soymilk Hot Pot
A winter specialty, this dish is made by simmering homemade soymilk and miso paste for several hours. The sweet and surprisingly filling dish is as smooth as cream, and pairs excellently with fresh seafood. Morio. Daily 10am-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm. 1/F, Hotel G, 7 Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang District. (6551 6999) 朝阳区工体西路7

Cantonese Hot Pot
In the past, traditional Cantonese hot pot was eaten in a large, clay pot over a wood coal fire by hungry diners who stood around and used extra long chopsticks. Nowadays it’s a little bit more convenient after having adopted two characteristic elements of Sichuan hot pot: an electric plate and metal bowl. In Hong Kong and Guangdong the broth tends to be light and herb or chicken based, and ingredients vegetables, seafood, chicken, beef and on special occasions, delicacies like cat, dog or snake meat.
Hong Kong and Macau Center Swissotel, 2 Chaoyangmen Beidajie, Dongcheng District. (6553 2288) 港澳中心瑞士酒店, 东城区朝阳门北大街2号

Hong Kong Porridge Hot Pot
This porridge-based hot pot is perfect for seafood and veggies, and with alternativesoups such as papaya peanut soup, pork bone soup and spicy broths from Southeast Asia mean there is something for everyone. Be prepared for the common ingredients this area is known for, including sea urchin, mushrooms and different types of fish.
Zhen Ziwei Hong Kong Hot Pot Daily 10.30am-2pm, 4.30-10pm. North of Yuyang Hotel, 8 Zhongjie Xinyuanli, Chaoyang District. (6465 0514) 珍滋味港式火锅, 朝阳区新源里中街8号

Fish ‘Cold’ Pot
The name of this dish, “cold pot fish” (Lengguo Yu 冷锅鱼) might be a little confusing, but it actually makes perfect sense that the bowl is only kept cold to keep the fish tender. Once the last morsel of the perfectly cooked fish has been eaten, the heat is turned up, and traditional hot pot fittings such as veggies, tofu, and meat are thrown in for the grande finale. In Beijing, more people are familiar with Suobian Fish (梭边鱼), which is a kind of fish eaten the same way as fish cold pot.
Feiteng Yehua. 8 Di’anmennei Dajie, Xicheng District. (8403 7747) 沸腾夜话, 西城区地安门内大街8号

Yunnan Mushroom Hot Pot
Yunnan is famous for its diverse mushrooms and their numerous health benefits, and so it comes as no surprise that the Southwestern region has its very own mushroom hot pot. Mushrooms are cooked for hours to extract all of their nutritional benefits, which makes the soup strong, but not oily, and ut¬terly delicious to the last drop.
Vanilla Yunnan Hot Pot. Daily 10am-11pm. 2/F, Mingshang Dasha, 55 Suzhou Jie, Haidian District. (8262 1976) 香草香草云南原生态火锅, 海淀区苏州街55号名商大厦2楼

Yunnan Preserved Rib Hot Pot
Preserved rib is a Yunnan specialty, and is very popular in Lijiang where the average temperature all year is between 13-20℃. This hot pot is created by stewing preserved ribs that are cut into small cubes, and features mostly vegetables native to Yunnan and some other rare items you don’t see in hot pot such as mint and tomatoes.
Wamao. Daily 11am-10pm. 217 Gulou Dongdajie, Xicheng District. (6406 3738) 瓦猫, 西城区鼓楼东大街217号

“Dry” Hot Pot
Although Malaxiang Guo (麻辣香锅) is not considered a direct member of the family, this “dry” hot pot is definitely a delicious cousin. It originated in the countryside of Chongqing, where people mix up a variety of ingredients and cook them together in a large pot with spices and oils. Anything goes here and some restaurants have gone so far as to serve banana in them, although the people of Chongqing prefer to add seafood or sausages for important occasions.
Chuanchengyuan 1) Daily 10.30am-10pm. Bldg A, Jianwai Soho, 39 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District. (5869 9986); 2) Daily 11am-9.30pm. Food Court, The Malls at Oriental Plaza, 1 Dongchang’an Jie, Dongcheng District. 川成元麻辣香锅, 1) 朝阳区东三环中路39号建外SohoA座; 2) 东城区东长安街1号东方新天地B1楼大食代

Fondue
This European dish bears some strong resemblances to hot pot. The sauce is made of melted cheese seasoned with garlic flakes and white wine and diners dip chunks of bread and vegetables into the simmering sauce. Another Swiss twist is to replace the cheese sauce with chocolate for dipping various fruits, breads and even ice cream. Let’s Seafood has also recently introduced a seafood fondue featuring fresh seafood, and even lobster.

1) Le Cabernet. Daily 9am-midnight. Novotel Peace Beijing, 3 Jinyu Hutong, Wangfujing, Dongcheng District. (6512 8833 ext 7621) 卡本妮, 东城区王府井金鱼胡同3号诺富特和平宾馆

2) Swissotel Beijing. Daily 11.30am-2pm, 5.30-10pm. 2 Chaoyangmen Beidajie, Dongcheng District. (6553 2288) 港澳中心瑞士酒店, 东城区朝阳门北大街2号

3) Let’s Seafood. Daily 11.30am-midnight. 1/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beijie, Chaoyang District. (5208 6038) 朝阳区三里屯北街81号那里花园1层

Ice Cream Hot Pot
And now for something completely different… Haagen-Dazs’s ice cream hot pot brings ice cream, fruits and cookies together in a bubbling chocolate soup. The perfect way to cool your palate after some fiery Chongqing hot pot… if you have room for it.
Haagen-Dazs Daily 10am-9.30pm. 1) L125, West Wing, China World Trade Center, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District. (6505 6527); 2) 1/F, Xindong’an Shopping Mall, 138 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District. (6559 6277) 1) 朝阳区建国门外大街1号国贸西楼L125; 2) 东城区王府井大街138号新东安市场1楼

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