My Attempt at Chinese Hotpot: In Chengdu and Chongqing (and thinking about Japan) Hotpot is hotpot right? I’d always assumed that. But after visiting Chongqing and Chengdu, I realized there is a huge difference depending on which restaurant you go to.
So after getting my fill of the real deal in those two cities, I didn’t actualy get around to trying the Japanese version. It’s a dish done each city’s way, and truth be told, I ended up with a definite favourite. My initial interest became a full-blown deep dive.
I’m talking Chongqing’s numbingly spicy version. Chengdu has a slightly milder variant. Then there was Japan’s whole other approach.
How did it pan out? Here’s the skinny.
My Hotpot Trip to Chongqing and Chengdu
Zhoushixiong Hot Pot
In Chongqing we happened upon Zhoushixiong hidden away in a bustling nook where I could detect the aroma of mala soup from half a block away. The restaurant was full of life: crowded, rowdy, and filled with locals who obviously knew just what they were there for.
The spicy side sounded like it would rip paint off walls but, never one to go completely crazy, I opted for split pot. It was topped with a warning sign of floating dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns in an absolutely loaded broth.
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As per tradition, we ordered far too much. We received the standard choices: tofu skin, potato slices, cabbage, and some bamboo tubes stuffed with what I assume was an herbal paste. We also got thick slices of kidney cut in that signature way, beautifully marbled beef, and those slices of meat that look like they’re melting into the boiling pot.
All these ingredients goes in for only a few seconds before being eaten. What you notice about Chongqing hotpot is how numb it makes you feel…
Within minutes your lips will tingle and it’ll only get worse from there. The entire ordering process was done through a scan of the table’s QR code.
There are no menus, no need for pointing; just your phone and a lot of scrolling to choose from. There was also some outdoor seating on their terrace; actually it was perfect for this kind of food as you really do want air circulating while you sweat your way through the meal. I smelled like I’d been smoked over a fire made from Sichuan peppers at the end, but that’s fine; I was totally happy.
Testbed 2 Erchang Hotpot
Another Chongqing place, a little more old-school feeling, was Erchang. There were no frills inside, and emphasis was very much on the pot rather than what was around it.
They had a split pot again. And I’d learned my lesson: go easy on the full-spicy side first time.
Again, we went offal-heavy here, celtuce, mushrooms, pork belly, tripe, more cabbage, cubes of luncheon meat which were strangely nostalgic. It was properly crunchy, fresh tripe as you like it. If anything, this place leaned even more aggressively towards the spicy side then Zhoushixiong (if that’s possible).
It is another QR code ordering system. Seems to be order of the day in Chongqing now.
Bashu Dajiang Hot Pot
Bashu Dajiang in Chengdu already had a noticeably different feel to it right from the get-go. It was a bit more deliberate about the entire experience and a bit more polished.
They also have an open kitchen (you can watch them make the soup bases) which is a welcome sight compared to the more no-frills Chongqing places. I loved that here I could watch what went into the pot and then be served it at table.
Chengdu style was very similar but definitely had a difference in flavour, still full-on spice, still numbly so, but complex and deeper too. It didn’t hit you all at once. It wasn’t an all-out attack on your tastebuds, but a series of tastes building slowly to create something more layered.
In truth, I found myself liking this one best which surprised me.
This got a little more fancy in terms of ingredients. It included rolled tofu skin, enoki mushrooms, radish, bamboo shoots, scallops, multiple cuts of beef, and all the other veggies on ice. It looked much better in its presentation too.
Everything was carefully arranged and came out looking good instead of purely functional. The quality of the beef cuts were really exceptional, this is clearly not your average hotpot joint. I’d choose Chengdu over Chongqing for now, though it was a close call, because the flavor felt more complex without being just one-dimensional and spicy.
If you’re after raw spicy kick, though, Chongqing delivers. As for a Japanese hotpot spot, alas I never made it; turns out three mega-hotpot sessions within a single week is all my stomach could handle. More than my endless curiosity needed satisfying, apparently.
Have you ever experienced real deal Sichuan-style hotpot? If so, which city’s take would be your choice?
