Modified hotpot wins big following back home
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Since ancient times, hotpot, like other key elements of Chinese culture such as tea and silk, has been introduced to many other East Asian countries including Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.
In each new location, it merged with local cuisine into a new variety and these new branches also have come back to China.
Other than China, Japan is probably best known for hotpot, or shabu-shabu, a lighter version of Chinese hotpot.
Creative, health-conscious and seafood-craving Japanese have invented all kinds of fish pots, using many kinds of fish, and soy milk pot, popular among women since it is supposed to be low in calories and good for the skin.
In South Korea, sinseollo, or the god’s pot, is a stew-like dish that used to be essential in royal court cuisine and consists of meatballs, mushrooms, vegetables and Korean pancakes in a rich broth.
Another Korean influence is the so-called military pot, which has gained popularity in China after it appeared in South Korean variety shows that were widely watched by young Chinese.
It is said that the name came from the wartime in the 1950s, when many Koreans lacked meat and residents near military bases often took advantage of leftover sausages and canned hams by putting them into a spicy soup. It has become the best-known Korean hotpot in China.
Vietnamese hotpot is another lighter version of Sichuan-style hotpot, with much less salt and oil. The soup is usually spicy and sour. Thai hotpot combines the country’s famous tom yum soup and is a treat to those who enjoy spicy food.
In Singapore, the hotpot mostly has followed the original Chinese style, and popular varieties include fish pots, Sichuan-style and Beijing mutton pots.
Eat & Go Korean Hotpot
This venue in Changning District provides a modern and modified version of the military pot with instant noodles and rice cakes.
The chewy rice cakes contain cheese, which adds another layer to both the texture and the flavor. It is neither too salty nor too sweet and works well with the spicy soup.
Address: 65 Beiyu Rd
Tel: 1801-7061-861
Cost: 50 yuan
Man Fu Man Zu
The small venue has a rich menu full of surprises other than the hotpot, but it is utterly impressive as one of the very few Japanese venues in the city that offer angelfish hotpot.
The soup base is made of milk and miso to remove the fishy smell and further highlight its chewy texture. The white soup is very mild and tender, with a slight hint of cream coming from the milk and sweetness from the miso that soften anything in the pot.
It is recommended to put udon noodles — thick wheat noodles from Japan — into the white soup to complete the hotpot.
Address: 395 Dagu Rd
Tel: 6327-0605
Cost: 250 yuan
Tai Fu
The Thai restaurant is known for its spicy tom yum soup, a modified version with more creamy taste to balance the spice, but not so different as to cover up the sour and spicy flavor.
It’s good for those who can’t abide too much spice.
A hotpot version of the soup is also provided for those who want to try the soup in a non-conventional way.
Address: 28B, 1/F, Carrefour, 268 Shuicheng Rd S.
Tel: 3230-1877
Cost: 100 yuan
Other new varieties
Wu Mi Zhou
Many new types of hotpot have been created since the traditional dish has become popular again, and congee soup base is one of those new inventions. The congee base is believed to be healthier and will not cause pathogenic heat-related problems that are often associated by TCM practitioners with eating hotpot.
It starts with a thin congee base in which you can put all the ordinary hotpot ingredients and the soup, which is boiled to thicken. When you finish the hotpot, you can ask for more rice and make the soup into a thick and nutritious congee.
Address: 2/F, Plaza 96, 796 Dongfang Rd, Pudong
Tel: 6168-3597
Cost: 150 yuan
Chongqing Chicken Pot
This is another new variety of hotpot that has increased in popularity, especially for its great taste considering the low price. It is common in the city, just like Fujian wonton eateries and Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles (or ramen) shops — small, simple but good.
The chicken is cooked in a soy sauce-based soup with celery, often in a clay pot. The soy sauce soaks the chicken meat and turns it reddish, which is visually appealing accompanied by the green celery; and it tastes good, too. The combination keeps the tongue entertained though not overwhelmed.
When the chicken is finished, you can order the normal hotpot ingredients — greens, mushrooms, other kinds of meat, all kinds of meatballs, among others — to put in the soup that’s left.
Address: 363 Changning Rd
Tel: 6251-4852
Cost: 50 yuan
Jun Dao Jun Gu Hotpot
Jun (¾ú) and gu (¹½) refer to all kinds of fungus; jun means fungus and gu is mushroom. As the name suggests, this place is special for the various kinds of mushrooms, including matsutake and Dictyophora indusiata, whose dried forms are more commonly seen in cuisines. Here, you get the fresh ones to be cooked in hotpot, with a mushroom soup base.
Address: 1/F, 1539 Caobao Rd
Tel: 3455-3966
Cost: 100 yuan
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