Huo Guo 火锅
So you’ve decided your stomach is finally strong enough to handle the infamous hot pot. Or perhaps the Dean of the Foreign Languages Department just called and they’re taking you whether you like it or not. Here are some tips for the uninitiated that should hopefully make your first hot pot experience not the last one.
Choose your pot. Every hot pot restaurant offers at least two kinds of pots. One is all spicy, and the other has two sections, one spicy and one not (usually a chicken/fish broth). The second option, recommended for beginners, is called Yuan Yang 鸳鸯. When you graduate to the all spicy pot, some restaurants offer you a choice on the level of spiciness ranging from Wei La 微辣 (least spicy) to Zhong La 中辣 (medium spice) to Ji La 极辣 (very spicy)
Choose your food. If you are going with locals, then be prepared for some of the favorites here that may take some getting used to. Mao Du 毛肚 (tripe) and Ya Chang 鸭肠 (duck intestines) are fairly standard on the line-up, but even native Chongqing people enjoy potatoes and green vegetables, so there is bound to be something you are used to. Nonetheless, here are some choices that are usually more popular with the expats. You might try to slip a checkmark next to some of these during the ordering process—the actual names may vary slightly from place to place:
• Lao Niu Rou/Fei Niu Rou (老牛肉/肥牛肉) – thinly sliced beef of the recognizable variety
• Xiang Cai Wan Zi (香菜丸子) – pork meatballs rolled with cilantro
• Cui Pi Chang (脆皮肠) – Tiny sausages that burst open when ready to eat.
• Su Rou (酥肉) – Deep fried strips of pork (ready to eat)
• Dou Pi (豆皮) – Thin strips of dried tofu
• Ou Pian (藕片) – Sliced lotus root
• Nan Gua (南瓜) – Pumpkin
• Fei Bing (飞饼) – Paper thin, pancakes usually with a little bit of pineapple or banana and condensed milk
Your dipping bowl. A common mistake foreigners often make in the beginning is trying to bypass the personal dipping bowl of oil. The reasoning behind this is usually “I don’t want to dip my food directly into oil before eating it! That’s so unhealthy!” Problem with this logic, unfortunately, is that the cooking process is also dipping into oil—albeit boiling hot oil, swimming with peppers. If there is no in-between step between that and your stomach, then in the best of scenarios you will end up with some serious heartburn. The dipping bowl can even be worked to your advantage if you are not used to eating such spicy food, just add some vinegar to the bowl along with the garlic and salt (skipping the MSG is still okay—MSG crystals are not as fine as the salt crystals if you’re having trouble identifying it).
Atmosphere. Places located in nicer areas tend to have better atmosphere. However, Hot pot restaurants (like most Chinese restaurants) are almost always rowdy. Perhaps it’s all the spice hanging in the air—more likely it’s the empty bottles of beer around every table—but these are not great places to have intimate conversation. If you want a quieter atmosphere try and reserve a private room (Bao Fang-包房) ahead of time.
The Big Names in Chongqing Hot Pot: Here are the most popular chains in town, they all have branches throughout the city, but here are the favorite branches among the locals. Average price range 30-60 RMB/person with Little Swan (Xiao Tian E) being the most expensive.
• Wai Po Qiao (Jiefangbei) 外婆桥(解放碑) – Phone: (023)6383-5988; 6383-5188
• De Zhuang Huo Guo (Qi Xing Gang) 德庄火锅 (七星岗) – Phone: (023)6352-1934
• Qi Qi Shan Yu Huo Guo (Lin Jiang Men) 齐齐鳝鱼火锅 (临江门) – Phone: (023)6372-2578
• Qin Ma Huo Guo (Nanping) 秦妈火锅 (南坪) – Phone: (023)8902-3129
• Xiao Tian E (Jiefangbei-Near Arhat Temple) 小天鹅 (解放碑) – Phone: (023)6378-8811; 6378-9088
• Liu Yi Shou Mao Du Huo Guo Cheng (Guan Yin Yan) 刘一手毛肚火锅城 (观音岩) – Phone: (023)6350-7521
0 rumblings in the Chonx ↓
All is Quiet in the Chonx
Make Some Noise