Hot pot—a traditional Chinese cuisine—is surging through Melbourne, with new restaurants opening up left, right and centre. Australians are fully embracing the weird and wonderful ingredients, from chicken feet to frog legs, showing just how curious and open-minded we are.
Forget the classics like sweet and sour pork and Singapore noodles—yawwwwn, thank you, next. It’s time to challenge your tastebuds and fossick around a huge pot of soup for offal (organ meats), cartilage, shaved tongues and fish balls. But don’t freak out! Dragon Hot Pot’s rich and spicy Sichuan flavours make ANYTHING taste delicious!
Historically, hot pot was a poor man’s broth, born on the banks of the Yangtze River by labourers , because meat was too expensive. Since then, the rich and flavoursome broths have become incredibly popular in Imperial cooking and the trend has now grown globally.
Launching their first store in late 2017, Dragon Hot Pot has set Australia ablaze with seven stores across Melbourne and one in Perth. Dragon Hot Pot are renowned for their supermarket style set-up, where diners can pick from over 100 ingredients, fit for any appetite. While you’ll spot a lot of exotic ingredients, there are plenty of other unusual selections, that even the most fussy eaters can enjoy. Play it safe with chewy enoki mushrooms, chrysanthemum leaves, lotus root, hairy melon, bean curd with roe, luffa, cheesy tofu balls or, if you’re game, vegetarian tripe!
FUN FACT: Dragon Hot Pot uses Hanyuan Sichuan Mala peppers as a baseline ingredient in their broths, a favoured spice of Chinese emperors for centuries (very fancy). Dragon’s soups include a range of base stocks: The Signature Ma La Tang broth, cooked with more than 24 herbs creating a golden, thick broth; the Sichuan Hot and Sour, Pickled Mustard, Collagen Bone Broth (divine!); the Ma La Spicy Stir-Fry; and the new vegan vegetable broth.
Check out your nearest Dragon Hot Pot for a new dining adventure!
