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Photo via Getty Images
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A selection of hot pot ingredients at the table (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
The first time I ever tried hot pot, the phrase “kid in a candy shop” danced through my head as I pored over the menu. Instead of jelly beans and lollipops, this candy shop was loaded with baby squid and sliced pork belly, and I was the kid, big-eyed and ready to feast.
But on subsequent visits with groups of friends, the comment I heard most often was something along the lines of “This menu is so big, it’s overwhelming! I don’t know what to order!” I get it. It’s a lot to take in, especially for hot pot noobs. With the opening of Hot Pot 757 on 7502 W. Broad St. last summer, Richmond has fully entered the hot pot chat with an all-you-can-eat hot pot (and Korean barbecue) restaurant. Here are our tried and true tips for hot pot success.
What is hot pot?
Hot Pot is a communal dining experience common in East and Southeast Asia wherein a heat source with a pot of broth is left on the table, and diners add a variety of raw ingredients, cooking them in the broth and then dipping them in different sauces.
Hot Pot Hot Takes
“I like to start off with the spicy broth,” says Buckhead’s General Manager and hot pot connoisseur Woo Brower. “I lean toward the spicy miso or pork broth with some kind of spice bomb with it. My parents, on the other hand, go for a more pure broth, just a clean dashi.”
“When it comes to the condiment bar, keep things simple,” advises Daniel Harthausen, chef of Richmond pop-up Young Mother. “I know it’s tempting to get a whole bunch of stuff, but I always try to build my dipping sauce with only three or four things that will complement the protein. I like to stick to one fat, one liquid, and one or two aromatics, possibly herbs if they’ve got it, and sugar.”
“You need to go to hot pot with the right people,” says Roosevelt Executive Chef Leah Branch, “ones you don’t mind seeing you sweaty in a stained T-shirt. You’re about to share a vulnerable moment together.”
Hot Tips
Start with the broth. Hot Pot 757 offers eight broths, ranging from the mild Original broth to the fiery Szechuan Spicy style. At the dedicated hot pot tables (meaning just hot pot, no Korean barbecue), you can choose two or three broths at one time. But since the entire experience is limitless, you can order one broth to start with and change it up as you go, no matter where you sit.
Pair the broth with your add-ins. Harthausen says to consider what you’re going to be putting in the broth before you make your choice. “A funky, sour curry broth will lend itself better to seafood, while a milky, luscious pork broth will do better for meat-based options.” At HP757, the spicy Thai Tom Yum broth is perfect for a seafood-centric hot pot, while the Beef Butter style is better suited for meaty hot pots.
Choose your fighters. The sliced meats, like prime brisket and beef belly, are thinly sliced to speed up the cooking process. You’ll also find offal and a wide variety of seafood, including baby clams, black mussels and jumbo shrimp.
Beyond animal protein, there’s a wide selection of leafy greens, mushrooms and bean curd. While wasting food is never a good look, this is a good opportunity to try something new. Ever heard of crown daisy? It’s a flowering member of the daisy family that brings a verdant brightness to the broth — give it a try! Brower, who says she loves the vegetables best of all, recommends adding trumpet mushrooms to the pot and letting them hang out a while to soak up all the brothy goodness.
There’s also a selection of noodles and dumplings. These cook quickly and can get mushy if left in the broth for too long, so be sure to keep an eye on them after you add them to the pot.
Flavor your broth. “If they have [the flavor enhancer] MSG out, make sure to not skip it,” Harthausen says. “Sometimes hot pot places don’t do the best at seasoning their broths, so ask for salt and sugar if it’s not available at the bar and season your broth to your liking. I like to go a little over salted to help season anything I put in.”
Make your dipping sauces. After you place your order, you’ll be released to the dip bar, which includes a ton of Chinese and Korean condiments such as sesame oil, shacha sauce (a delicious, shrimpy Chinese sauce sometimes called Chinese barbecue sauce), tahini, chile paste and chinkiang vinegar, plus fresh herbs and minced garlic. (These can also be used to flavor your broth to your liking.)
Some hot pot spots, including HP757, will offer dipping sauce suggestions, like the Hoisin Sauce Base (hoisin, soy sauce, peanut butter, lemon, green onion, cilantro), or my favorite, the Sacha Sauce Base (sacha sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, chopped garlic, cilantro).
Take your time, but don’t be a jerk. HP757 has a two-hour dining limit, which means you have plenty of time to linger and order several rounds of broth and goodies. This is a busy, fast-paced place, and the servers are hustling all night long, so be thoughtful about how many times you flag down your server. Get all your ducks in a row before you order, and only order items you plan to eat.
You can have it all. HP757 offers a combination of hot pot and Korean barbecue, and you should absolutely opt for both at the same time. Bonus: You can dip Korean barbecue ingredients in the pot and use your hot pot ingredients on the barbecue grill.
Other established hot pot spots: Yewon (10827 Hull Street Road), Korean Garden (6827 Midlothian Turnpike), Cheng Du (9503 W. Broad St.)
