February saw beautiful warm days over Chinese New Year and then we got hit by a real cold spell for a couple of weeks that our unheated apartments certainly weren’t prepared for. Those weeks were perfect for enjoying a hotpot – otherwise known as a ‘steamboat’ in Singapore – very much a self service, cook it yourself ritual.
Hotpots are particularly popular during the winter season in China, and these days are an easy, fuss-free cop out for Chinese New Year reunion dinners, so that mothers and grandmothers don’t have to slave over the stove for the annual feast.
The history of this style of eating dates back more than a thousand years to when the “barbarian” Mongols invaded China on horse back and cooked their communal meals in big pots during their travels. This evolved into our present day hotpot, also eaten in Chinese restaurants across South East Asia.
The old-school establishments serve the boiling pot of broth on a stand with charcoal burning beneath, while others use electric or gas cylinder stoves. The typical orders range from different grades of beef and pork, to fresh seafood and baskets filled with a variety of fresh vegetables, tofu, many variations of mushrooms and leafy greens.
Tian Tian Hotpot (天天火锅) in Taipa offers buffet menus of unlimited orders of small portions of meats, seafood and vegetables. They stay open till late past midnight, so if you’re craving for some comforting warm soup on a cold winter’s night, you know where to head.
Further out in Hac Sa district, locals go to Stone Lion (“Sek Si” in Cantonese) for their famous rice wine pork broth that comes topped with a delicious fish head. I recommend ordering the beef and lamb to accompany the tasty rich broth, and if you fancy, cockles, crab and squid to add to the mix.
The luxury hotels around town also offer hotpots at a steeper price point and with a different experience including high quality cuts of Waygu. Ying at Altira and Xin at Sheraton offer a spread of wonderful options with the full works of condiments. Xin takes it a step further offering Laksa broth on top of the typical spicy and clear soup broths. Diners get individual pots to do the cooking, unlike at the local joints where everyone shares a communal pot. The buffet table also offers cooked Chinese and Macanese dishes and a western dessert spread.