Five Things I Ate’s Guide to Ordering at Hot Pot like a Pro 🍲
Welcome to Year of the Snake.
Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, we bring you a flash guide on what to order at hot pot so you can come off like a pro. Read past posts here, and follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate.
Frozen tofu
Available on most hot pot menus – my favorite chain is Er Hot Pot.
Hello friends! We have (screaming/crying/kicking our feet/clinging onto the Dragon) entered the Year of the Snake! One could say we’ve had a very snake-like start to the New Year by what’s happened already, but instead of talking about that, let me tell you about my favorite things to order at hot pot, so you can act like a hot pot pro should your Chinese friends invite you out. #1 on my hit list is frozen tofu. I can feel the non-Asian readers already crumbling with my icy suggestion, but trust me, freezing tofu significantly changes its texture so that it becomes chewy and meaty, a perfect way to soak up the broth. Throw this in first, as soon as the broth comes to a boil.
Crown daisy
Available on most hot pot menus.
Crown daisy sounds like what a little cottage core mouse might make a stew of for dinner, which is exactly the kind of cozy ambience we want to evoke. Crown daisy doesn’t refer to the white and yellow flowers, but rather chrysanthemum greens. I love the bitter and vegetal edge it gives to cut into the richness of hot pot meats. Throw this in briefly just to blanch it, after you’ve already started cooking meats.
Fish balls filled with roe
Available on most hot pot menus.
You’re noticing that I’m not talking about beef or lamb or any meats on this newsletter, which is not because I’m vegetarian, but because I want you to order like a pro, which means I assume you’ve got those bases covered. Once you get in the red meat, it’s time to break out into the seafood section, and bust out those fish balls. Fish balls are a Chinese favorite, but the ones filled with roe are just elite. Throw these in early, they take a while to totally defrost.
Fried bean curd rolls
Available on most hot pot menus.
My friend from Hong Kong (a GOAT-ed place) introduced me to this order last time we went out to eat, and it’s really great. I’m not sure what they call them on the menu, so here’s a picture for reference on what they look like. But basically, it’s very thin sheets of fried tofu, rolled into a cigar shape. This is for the very end of hot pot – when the broth is all rich and flavorful. You dip the rolls in the broth for the quickest little sauna – 3-5 seconds max, and it soaks up all the rich flavor.
Fried mochi (sticky rice) with brown sugar
This is more specific to Er Hot Pot’s menu I think,
If you see fried mochi or sticky rice with brown sugar on the menu, by all means you should order it. I’m actually not sure if this is available on all hot pot menus, but they have it at my favorite chain, Er Hot Pot. This is essentially a more rustic mochi donut, straight up rectangles of fried mochi drizzled in a brown sugar sauce, and it is divine. A pro tip is that if you go to an all-you-can-eat hotpot place they often give you a free ice cream cone if you ask nicely and if you mix the ice cream and the mochi it is mindblowing. That being said, if you don’t see it, you should order fried mantou with sweetened condensed milk, which is also a classic favorite treat.
新年快乐!
Soph
P.S. It’s been quite a stressful week/month/year so far and I expect it might be for a while, so I’ll post when I can. But in the meantime, you can support me by following me on Instagram @fivethingsiate (as long as that lasts), and sharing this newsletter with a friend. <3