There are three ways to name this dish: the native, which sounds huoguo and is spelled 火锅; the international, hot pot; and the Spanish translation, which would be hot pot. The hot pot is, roughly speaking, a boiling soup to which the raw ingredients are added collectively. To compare it to something better known here, it shares with the paella -or the rice with things of most of Spain- the social side because it is never made for one, but for many.
In the case of Chinese soup, part of the attraction is that it is made in the middle of the table and in specialized restaurants the table is already prepared with a hole and a small gas so that as it boils you can start adding the ingredients of your choice.
1. Sichuan Hot Pot
Hot Pot de Sichuan synthesizes its essence in its name, but before going there you must be clear about one thing: the gastronomy of this region of China is known for being very spicy. The chili pepper is the main element of this restaurant specializing in hot pot, but fortunately for Western palates there are three ranges of spiciness, so if you’re used to Spanish food it makes sense to start with the lowest.
In the hot pots, the soup is usually for a minimum of three people and you can choose from the more than 60 ingredients offered in the menu to make the Chinese fondue to your liking.
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📍 Calle de Trujillos, 7 (Downtown)
2. Xiaolongkan Hot Pot
Xiaolongkan may not ring a bell, but in its country of origin it is as common as VIPS in Madrid. It is present in more than 10 countries and has more than 800 locations in China, and here it already offers the traditional Chinese hot soup in its most authentic version in its two restaurants in the capital.
Among the ingredients that you can add to your dish there are some very surprising ones, even for palates accustomed to the casquería madrileña. Duck blood, goose intestines, pork aorta, lotus root or bamboo mushroom are common foods in the Asian country and are now also served here.
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📍 Maestro Arbós Street, 3 (Legazpi) Ventura Rodríguez Street, 5 (Moncloa)
3. Don Hot Pot
At Don Hot Pot you also cook the raw ingredients in the boiling cauldron in the middle of the table, but here both the sauces and the food have vegan and gluten-free options. They work with ingredients imported directly from China, thus ensuring the authenticity of the dish. Although the local public is not always accustomed to certain flavors, part of the fun of this type of restaurants is precisely to mix new things in the soup and be surprised with the result.
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📍 Calle de Campomanes, 10 (Downtown)
4. Yue Lai
For more than a decade, Yun Lei has been one of the world’s leading chinese restaurants specialized in Sichuan cuisine. It has been a pioneer in serving hot pot, having it on its menu long before it became so popular, even before ramen proliferated in the city.
Among all the options with which you can build your broth, we recommend you not to skip the peanut sauce, it is so good that it could be served separately as a tapa.
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📍 Calle Hermosilla, 101 (Salamanca district)
5. Mr Doulao
Mr. Doulao has a difference from other hot pot restaurants on the list and that is that the cauldron is individual. Here there are no specialized tables with purpose-made pot holes and separators for one broth and another broth, but an individual ceramic hob and an individual pot. In other words, there is some of the collaborative component of this dish that is lost, but the option of being able to order a hot pot for one, or two, is gained.
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📍 Calle del Olvido, 46 (Usera)