A fun and spicy time was had during a recent dinner at Hot Pot on Wardour Street.
Hot Pot is a Chinatown hot spot for communal eating. Here the set up is electrically heated cauldrons built into the centre of tables for guest to dip raw ingredients into housemade broths for quick cooking hands-on experience.
Kemey and I visited for dinner a couple of weekends back and had a lot of fun trying out the concept. We went with two broths: the rather flavoursome with a bit of a kick tom yum goong hot and sour broth, and the aptly described mala fiery and numbing broth. The latter was intense – like on the verge of insanity. I loved it (and the endorphin rush that followed each slurp).
Broths are price at £8 and up. The menu features more than 60 items to cook. Our faves from the few we ordered included the rib eye, sea bass, tiger prawns and seafood wontons. In addition to the broths (not to mention a full menu of dishes cooked in the kitchen for you), Hot Pot as a sauce and toppings bar for extra tasty augments to your meal. I enjoyed the house hot sauce, the sesame sauce and adding peanuts, coriander, spring onions and chillies to my food.
We slipped in a little on the early side of a Saturday night. The restaurant was about half full. By the time we left it was teeming with a queue to get in well past the entrance. Best bet is to make a rez if you hope to get in.
Service was fairly nonchalant but efficient. The dining space was large (4,500sqft spread over two floors) with moody lighting, interesting artwork and comfortable furnishings.
Hot Pot is located at 17 Wardour Street, W1D 6PJ. Find out more at hotpotrestaurants.co.uk.
