![]() ![]() To ensure we had the perfect hot pot experience, our waitress - nay, our shepherd - regularly monitored our table, from afar and up close. Guided through the proper hot pot experience in Urumqi, Xinjiang. She strongly “suggested” what sorts of meats and vegetables we ought to select to cook in our bubbling broth. Then, she took us by the hands - quite literally - to the fresh display case of sliced meat, chopped vegetables, and dumplings. She brought out a split broth pot, a pan for searing, a gas stove, and two small plates. Fortunately, she took control, aided by her few words of English (against our even fewer words of Mandarin Chinese). We had no idea what we were doing in regards to Chinese hot pot - the protocol, the choices, the process. We’d found the local Chinese hot pot joint.įrom the moment we walked in the door, our waitress could sense that we were out of our element. We eventually spotted a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant whose windows were filled with steam and whose seats were filled with locals actively digging in, enjoying their eating experience. Looking for a local place to eat, we wandered around a few back streets where English was nowhere to be heard. We were in Urumqi in China’s westernmost province of Xinjiang, having just crossed over the border from Kyrgyzstan. In this blog, I will introduce Sanma and Shabu Shabu, my two go-to hot pot places.Before I take you on a journey of hot pot history, and teach you how to enjoy this hands-on way to eat, I’ll first tell you the story of our very first Chinese hot pot experience. ![]() If I am really hungry and want a big meal, I will go the Shabu Shabu. I will usually go to Sanma Hotpot (三媽小火鍋) or But it was also 10 years ago and I'm sure the prices have gone up.įor a normal hot pot meal, I usually go to my local small hot pot restaurant that offers drinks, rice, ice cream, and popcorn all you can eat. That was the cheapest food buffet I have ever seen. When I lived in Taichung, we would visit a small hot pot that was only 60 NT for the cheapest bowl, with free ice cream, soda, and braised pork rice. Finally we did find one in another town that was way expensive, not like the cheap hot pot buffets one could find in Taiwan that were perfect for satisfying a poor and hungry college student. After my first trip to Taiwan, I constantly craved hot pot, but couldn't find it anywhere in the US. Hot pot is one of my favorite things about Taiwan. There are basically countless hot pot restaurants and restaurant chains, more than I could ever list in this blog. High-end hot pot buffet (more expensive higher quality buffet items): Low-end full hot pot buffet (cheaper buffet items): Semi-buffet hot pot (free drinks, rice, and maybe ice cream): ![]() High-end hotpot buffet (more expensive higher quality buffet items): 500-2000 NT per person Low-end full hotpot buffet (cheaper buffet items): 300-500 NT per person Semi-buffet hotpot (free drinks, rice, and maybe ice cream): 100-200 NT per person Small hotpot (no buffet): 80-150 NT per pot Hot pot is most popular during winter months when it is colder, but you will find a lot of people still eating hot pot in summer because it is so delicious. In addition, most hot pot places will offer unlimited drinks, rice, and ice cream, while full buffets will offer all you can eat meats and vegetables, along with other hot foods and desserts. In Taiwan it is popular to add Shacha sauce and other hot sauces to mix with the cooked foods. Hot pot exists in many forms, such as Mala (spicy) hot pot, Lamb Hot Pot, Beef Hot Pot, Seafood Hot Pot, Seafood Hot Pot, Stinky Tofu Hot Pot, etc. Hot pot first originated in China in the Zhou Dynasty, and the traditional food making process has continued to this day. In particular, all you can eat hot pot buffets in Taiwan are a great way to get full, which can be divided into small hot pots, low end hot pot buffets, and high end hot pot buffets. Basically it involves boiling meat and vegetables in a broth to eat. One of the best parts of Taiwan is it's cuisine, and one of the greatest forms of cuisine in Taiwan is hot pot. ![]()
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