Hotpot is a winter classic for good reason – nothing holds off the chill like steaming broth packed with your favourite ingredients. Add some chilli heat into the mix and you’ve got yourself a meal that can brighten the darkest, dampest of evenings. Grab some friends and try these Hong Kong favourites, new and old.
Budaoweng Hotpot Cuisine
The Chinese and Japanese-style hotpot restaurant is on a high floor offering great views of Hong Kong’s skyline, both day and night. The restaurant’s traditional soup base is delicious, and there are several other soup bases that are also worth trying. Seafood fans will love the tomato and corn with lobster soup, while the spicy edible frog soup will appeal to those who love spices. And if you find yourself in the mood for some warm, spicy hotpot late at night, Budaoweng stays open until 1am.
Find it here: Shop 2301, 23/F, iSQUARE, 63 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Tel: 2152 1166
The Drunken Pot
The “sake soup bomb” at The Drunken Pot combines Japanese sake with a hotpot soup base, generating the heat and warmth that is perfect for a winter gathering. A five-in-one soup base is also available, with choices such as fish maw and chicken with Chinese medicine, drunken chicken in Chinese wine, and shrimps, crab and clam soup. You can enjoy selections such as hand-sliced pork, imported Angus beef and fresh seafood with different soup flavours. Another highlight is the multi-coloured xiao long bao, with its unique stuffing of black truffle, crab meat and even lobster soup.
Find it here: Shop 1, 2/F, 8 Observatory Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Tel: 2321 9038
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San Xi Lou
If you are a fan of spicy food, you’ll love this restaurant. The name San Xi Lou means “house with three treasures”. Here, the three treasures are Sichuan dishes, Cantonese food and dim sum.
The Sichuan spicy hotpot is delicious – and you can tell just from the colour that it’s hot. The Sichuan peppers and a variety of herbs and spices are what gives this soup its authentic taste. Other signature Sichuan dishes, such as the boiled spicy fish, are a perfect match with the hotpot.
Find it here: 7/F, Coda Plaza, 51 Garden Road, Mid-Levels. Tel: 2838 8811
Megan’s Kitchen
The extensive menu and creative combinations at Megan’s Kitchen with creative combinations ensures that everyone can find a favourite at this restaurant. Even for simple choices such as meatballs and dumplings, there are over 30 choices available. There is also a rich variety of soup bases to choose from. The tom yum soup cappuccino and cream soup with crab and tomato, for example, are both creative and tasteful.
Find it here: 5/F Lucky Centre, 165-171 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai. Tel: 2866 8305
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Da Hong Pao
Da Hong Pao is famous for its tasty soup base, fresh vegetables and meats. The spicy soup base is delicious, while the traditional chicken soup base brings out the freshness of the food and is a favourite choice. The restaurant’s popularity means it can get a little cramped at times; reservations are therefore recommended if you want to avoid crowds.
Find it here: G/F, Shun Fai Building, 64-66A Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 2468 4333
