Hotpot

When autumn hits Beijing and the weather cools, hotpot is a firm favourite.

With essentially two kinds of hotpot restaurants in Beijing , Mongolian and Sichuan styles dominate, the staple of both being mutton.

Sichuan hotpot is spicy whereas the Mongolian hotpot tends to rely on a clear soup and dipping sauce, such as sesame. Many restaurants offer a split pot, half for those who like very spicy fare, half for those who prefer something tamer. Some Mongolian hotpots are not spicy at all. Standard ingredients include beef and chicken in addition to the staple mutton. Vegetables, mushrooms and various kinds of dofu are also popular. The pot itself is traditionally made of brass, with a central column that holds hot charcoal that boils the stock. Once boiling, the stock is used to quickly cook a range of ingredients. After a few seconds, the thinly sliced meats and vegetables are ready to eat, often after being dipped in a smooth sesame-butter sauce that is delicious and incredibly filling! Sichuan hotpot can be very spicy but also always delicious.

Donglaishun Restaurant
Fifth floor, Sun Dong An Plaza,138 Wangfujing Dajie

Huang Cheng Lao Ma
39 Qingfengzhai Houjie (south of the Motorola Building ), Chaoyang District

Tanyutou Hotpot
Building 105, Huizhong Beili, Anli Lu

Jin Shan Cheng Chongqing Hot Pot
Popular Sichuan style spicy hot pot 15 Xiaoyun Lu, Chaoyang District