In Beijing's bleak midwinter, hot pot is to the stomach what long johns, or qiuku qiuyi, are to the body.
A new branch of Xie Lao Song has just opened on the Third Ring Road, boasting three floors, 270 seats and a wild duck hot pot (ye ya guo) house special.
When it first opened its doors at the turn of the year, people were queuing out the door. Admittedly a special offer enticed some of them. But word on the street was the hot pot was, well, pretty hot stuff.
While a large portion of the house special goes for 68 yuan (US$8.19), expect to fork out up to 198 yuan (US$23.85) for the rather more exotic cow's penis.
Foreigners' favorites such as xiang la tu dou si and shui zhu yu can also be found on the menu, on which just about every dish is colorfully illustrated.
In addition to the traditional hot pot - where you order individually priced portions of lamb, bean curd, vegetables and so on, the restaurant showcases seven specials, including 500 grams of spicy fish at 12 yuan (US$1.44); xiang la xia spicy prawns and the crab xiang la xie, 48-58 yuan (US$5.78-6.98).
An impressive range of around 30 cold dishes are reasonably priced - up to 16 yuan (US$1.97) maximum, and include everything from rabbit head xiang la tu tou to cucumber, bean curd and turtle.
Another Beijing favourite, ma la xiao he xie, small spicy crabs, go for 5 yuan (60 cents) apiece. Helpfully, disposable gloves aid the messy task of chowing down on these greasy little fellas. Pigs trotters, huang dou men zhu shou are priced at 22 yuan (US$2.65).
The hot pot's worth a shot. The portions are ample for the most ambitious of appetites and while you'll be charged around 20 yuan (US$2.40) for the soup (which is often offered free elsewhere), it's very tasty and drinkable itself as a separate dish later on.
Decent food is reasonably priced. The decor's nothing to write home about and you really have to ask questions about the mirrored ceiling on the first floor. I mean, what's the point? Useful, I suppose, if you want to check your bald patch...
The private rooms are on the third floor. Service is pleasingly laid back. If you opt for hot pot, the food arrives on a three-tiered wheeled trolley. After that, you help yourself. A kettle to top up the soup, and a private bin for those used napkins, disposable gloves and crab carcasses, are thoughtfully provided at each table.
You'll find the restaurant on the 847 bus route.
Location: 36 BeiLi, Guangximen, Chaoyang.
Tel: 6423-8422
(Beijing Weekend January 28, 2003)
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