Hot pot restaurants are especially popular during the winter
season when the city cools down and diners are looking for a nice
hot meal. For newcomers to this style of eating, ordering at hot
pot restaurants can be a little tricky, as finding the best mixture
of meats and vegetables is developed through experience.
So here are nine reputable hot pot restaurants in downtown
Beijing for newcomers to start their hot pot journey.
Similar to fondue cooking, hot pot is a style of cuisine in
which diners select meats and vegetables and prepare their own
communal meal in a large pot filled with a usually spicy broth. Hop
pot restaurants are especially popular for large parties as they
create a collective cooking and eating experience.
Haidilao Hot Pot Restaurant: for free
treatments
Haidilao has five branches in Beijing, all which have good
reputations among diners. Haidilao provides authentic Sichuan hot
pot. All dishes are available in both full and half portions. But
what makes dining at Haidilao a pleasant experience is its various
free services which make queuing for the dishes a pleasure in
itself. At Haidilao all diners are entitled to free ice water,
fruit salad, melon seeds, nail care and shoe shining, and they may
also play chess or cards while they wait. Another shining point is
Haidilao's Lalamian (pulled noodles) performance which
features a young boy pulling noodles while dancing.
Location 1: No.2 Huayuan Donglu, north to Mudan (peony) Hotel,
Haidian
Tel: 010-62033112
Location 2: No.29 Nanmofanglu, Chaoyang
Tel: 010-87798911/87798677
Location 3: 3F, Beiao Mansion, Jia 2 Huixin Dongjie,
Chaoyang
Tel: 010-84639300/83273345
Location 4: No.2, Dahuisilu, Haidian
Tel: 010-62133511
Location 5: 1-2F Zhongjian Erju Building, No.42, Guanganmen
Nanjie, Xuanwu
Tel: 010-51816880
Ningmeng Yezi (lemon leaves): a celebrity-owned
restaurant
Owned by Taiwan pop singer and TV star Wu Qilong, Ningmeng Yezi
is a Thai style little eatery featuring hot pot as well as fried
dishes. Three kinds of hot pot broths come highly recommended, the
curry broth, spicy and sour broth and the legendary Benz hot pot
whose pot has three compartments holding three different-flavored
broths chosen from an available six. After dinner guests get a free
taste of the famous Taiwan dessert Hongdou Bingshan (red pea ice
mountain). Ningmeng Yezi also boasts tasteful design.
Location: No.15 Xiaoyunlu, Chaoyang
Tel: 010-64625505
Longshunyuan Spicy Pot: Spicy heaven
Hot pot at Longshunyuan is a bit different. It doesn't have as
much broth as an ordinary hot pot. Diners may put whatever they
like into the drier pot to fry. The combination of bamboo shoots,
luncheon meats, broad vermicelli and dried beancurd sticks comes
highly recommended. Diners may also choose how spicy they want
their meal. Medium-hot alone is enough to numb the mouths of those
with a penchant for spice. After dinner, customers are treated to
corn porridge.
Some diners recommend the airport branch over other Longshunyuan
branches for its amazing spiciness. Definitely try the spicy
crabs.
Asian Games' Village store location: east of Beichen Shopping
Center
Tel: 010-64810510
Airport store location: No.2, Capital Airport South Road, suburb
of Beijing
Tel: 010-64573581
Huge Shark hot pot supermarket: hot pot
buffet
This nice hot pot buffet restaurant features tasty hot pot
broth. Diners can choose from a wide selection of materials
complemented with fruits and drinks. The Huge Shark hot pot
supermarket charges RMB 41 per person and there is no time limit,
diners can eat as long as they like.
Location: 1F, Hongyu Building, No.7 Xueyuanlu, Haidian
Tel: 010-82306566
Koufuju hot pot restaurant: reminiscent of old
Beijing
A typical Beijing hot pot restaurant, with independent small
pots, Koufuju looks much cleaner than common hot pot restaurants.
Its mutton, sugar garlic and seasoning are known as the best three
of the hot pot world and have attracted the patronage of many
Chinese celebrities. Though the price might be a bit high, its
strong old Beijing flavor makes up for it. A good place to dine
with friends.
Location: No.29 Zhichunlu, Haidian
Tel: 010-82355888/82356888
Tan fish head hot pot: eaten throughout
Sichuan
As the name indicates, the most famous dish here is the fish
head hot pot. Slender fish head meat melts in the spicy hot broth.
Accompanying the main hot pot course are various Sichuan snacks
like Couple's Lungs (cold, spicy pig lungs) and Maoxuewang (blood
blocks stew).
Location 1: Building 105, Huizhong Beili, Anlilu, Chaoyang
Tel: 010-64848880
Location 2: No. 25 Zhushikou Xidajie
Tel: 010-63018885
Location 3: Building No.4, Yuanjian Mingyuan, Hongjujie,
Guanganmenwai
Tel: 010-63431688/63275419
Tomato hot pot restaurant: try the new
What makes this hot pot restaurant different from others is its
broth, made from tomatoes and other ingredients, stewed together
for 24 hours. The broth tastes quite sweet, sour and is full of
flavor. Beef compliments this broth, and vegetables cooked in it
don't need any extra flavoring to taste great.
The wait staff dress in costumes, with the boys wearing shirts
reading 'handsome boy' and girls wearing clothes emblazoned with
'hot girl'. It's a great get-together place for young people who
like tomatoes.
Location 1: No.8 Xinyuan Xili Zhongjie, Chaoyang
Tel: 010-64612345 64645678
Location 2: No.2 Dahuisilu, Haidian
Tel: 010-62189567
Chansixian Shige (tempting gods restaurant): porridge
hot pot broth
Fragrant porridge replaces the common broth for cooking various
kinds of food. As the porridge broth dries, diners may ask for a
free refill. Chansixian's signature dishes are a wide selection of
smashed items, including smashed fish meat, smashed shrimp meat and
smashed chicken. A nice place for a romantic meeting with that
special someone.
Location: Building 907, Guanghelu exit, Dongerhuan
Tel: 010-67702288
Taipo Tianfu Shanzhen Jiulou: mushroom hot
pot
Taipo Tianfu Shanzhen Jiulou is among the first few restaurants
to sell mushroom hot pot. Various fresh mushrooms cooked in
nutritious black-bone chicken broth taste quite different. Finished
off with a cup of red bitter deer blood tea, the meal is almost
perfect except for the dim lighting.
Location: Building Jia No.19, southern end of Erqi Juchanglu,
Fuxingmenwai
Tel: 010-68019641
(China Daily January 4, 2007)