YUAN’S CHUAN CHUAN XIANG | SICHUAN HOTPOT IN THE HEART OF RICHMOND

Opened in July 2016, this is the first North American location for this long-established chain — a restaurant empire which originally opened in 1996 and now boasts 400 locations in China.

Here, you’ll find hotpot of the Sichuan variety. What distinguishes the hotpot here from other varieties are the presentation (meats are carefully threaded onto skewers for cooking), as well as the selection of condiments and specific Sichuan flavours (a mix of mashed garlic, pepper, sesame oil, crushed peanuts, fresh coriander and green onion).

With a myriad of options, choose your broth (spicy, non-spicy), meats, seafood, fresh vegetables, tofu, and specialty ingredients (such as black fungus, fine sweet potato vermicelli or Sichuan-style pickled vegetables), let the broth come to a rolling boil and get cooking.

Do make sure to ask for a plum juice either before or with the meal, which rounds out the hotpot experience by quenching the heat and/or spiciness of the broth.

Mini feature: What is hotpot?

Hotpot is more than just a meal, it’s communal dining at its best — the chance to catch up and linger over a steaming pot of broth. In a hotpot restaurant, or at home, a heating element is placed at the centre of the table. A pot is then filled with hot soup broth. As conversation unfolds and the broth comes to a boil, raw ingredients (seafood, meats, vegetables and other items) are gradually added to the pot. (Adding too many ingredients at once will slow the broth and may result in some ingredients not being cooked.) As time passes more hot broth is added to the pot, so more ingredients can be added and cooking can continue.

Each region of China has its own hotpot variation with different ingredients and flavourings. Thought it’s especially comforting in the cold or rainy season, hotpot is enjoyed year-round. Though hotpot’s not really about eating/drinking the broth, no one’s likely to take offence should that happen. For those who like congee but haven’t tried hotpot, it’s a natural next step.

Mini feature: What is congee?

Congee (pronounced KAWN-JEE) is Chinese comfort food at its heartiest, a soup made by gradually boiling short-grain rice down to its starchiest goodness. To this rice ‘porridge’ different ingredients are added, such as cooked chicken, BBQ duck, shredded pork or seafood, giving each bowl its own flavour profile. Bowls of congee are then topped with ingredients such as fresh ginger, green onions and crushed salted peanuts. Congee is typically enjoyed on cold or rainy days. It’s also a welcome remedy for those feeling under the weather. The perfect accompaniment to a steaming bowl of congee is a salted Chinese donut.

Mini feature: What is a Chinese donut?

Chinese donuts, known as youtiao (YEW-TI-OW), or oil-fried ghosts, come in salted and sweet varieties (cinnamon and sugar), and are also known as fried bread or dough sticks or Chinese crullers. Though they’re largely considered breakfast food, Chinese donuts can be enjoyed any time. Ingredients used to make youtiao include milk, baking sugar, salt, flour, water and oil for frying. Some add an ingredient called alum to the batter, which helps the doughy bites expand to several times their size.