Why Don't You Like Hot Pot? Part II by Nan Qu

Continuing from Part I from last week …

Here is a suggestion your fellow diners will also thank me for. Don’t make it an opportunity to be curious about Chinese culture. There is really little to learn about boiling stuff. So I would save your Chinese friends the trouble of making up things they have never before thought about. Talk like you would usually talk. Talk about a messy breakup! Talk about someone who cheats for promotion. Even gossip tastes better when served hot with sauces. 

Following are a few honorary mentions that are worth a try. As a dipping sauce, sesame paste goes well with lamb, and sesame oil alleviates spiciness. Pay respect to your table’s Hot Pot General, the one person who voluntarily takes up the job to monitor table consumption and ensure cooked food never runs out, usually at the expense of starving herself. Another rule that applies to all dining experiences is to align your expectations. The wait for a table at a hot pot place is usually long without a reservation at peak times, and the bill could be high these days other than at All-You-Can-Eats. Plan accordingly.

There are many ways to unlock the Chinese hot pot. Above is how I fell in love. I love it so much that even if Gordan Ramsey cooks me a private omakase, I will still proudly tell him I had a better time fishing with chopsticks for a potato slice so overcooked it crumbled at contact. He may punch me. But hot pot always wins. For it’s warm; it’s hearty; it’s versatile; it’s welcoming; it’s practical; it’s unassuming; it’s sharing; it’s loving.