Hot Pot - Beijing Style

Yummy yum. It's been so cold here, average temperature 35 degrees, so Hot Pot seems to be the perfect meal. We went to a very local restaurant with some of Tony's office mates. It was a good time and the was food great! We would never be able to go to this restaurant without a Chinese person as the menu does not have pictures or English translation. You have to be able to read Chinese characters to order. For 7 us to eat and drink came to $100 and we ate like kings! This hot pot restaurant was different from some others that we have been to in that the pot was a different shape. Usually we have seen just a nice big pot in the middle of the table with a heat source under it. This pot had a cone in the center and inside the cone was charcoal heating the soup around it.

For those of you who may have forgotten, soup is ordered and set in the middle of the table. It's a clear soup, usually chicken base and if you want you can also ask for spicy soup. Tony really likes that one. I use to like it but I find I can only eat a little as my mouth gets too burned up from the spicy peppers. Now I go for the plain soup. Then you order all the things you are going to put in the soup. This is like fondue only much healthier. Popular items are, sliced beef, mushrooms, all kinds of green vegetables, tofu (which has no taste, and I have tried all kinds), noodles, fish balls, small dumplings and well anything that can be cooked or heated up in boiling soup can be added. You stick in your stuff and then scoop it out and yum! There are all kinds of dipping sauces to dunk your 'boiled' food in. I mean let's face it boiled food can be a bit bland. The sauce really makes the meal. After you finish cooking up all your items you then end the meal by having some very flavorful soup.