Spicy (Ma La, 麻辣) hot pot, or steamboat is originated from Chongqing and Sichuan area in China. The chillies inside give it the spiciness and the bright colour while the Sichuanese peppercorns add the signature numbness to it, coupled with other spices and herbs, they create the rich and multi-layered flavour of a quality bowl of hot pot soup.
Being born in the hometown of Ma La hot pot — Chongqing, and having been fed hot pot since toddlerhood, I think I bleed hot pot (partly). I am happy to see more and more Ma La hot pot restaurants opening in Singapore and gaining popularity here, and here are my reviews on some of the most popular ones.
Hai Di Lao Hotpot(海底捞)
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| Hai Di Lao double soup bases - Ma La and tomato |
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| Hai Di Lao quadruple soup bases - Ma La, chicken soup, mushroom and tomato |
Probably the biggest hot pot brand name. Most renowned for its services. The ingredients are fresh. And the soup base taste is good. The spiciness is mild, even you require extra spicy and numbness, but the waiter/waitress are always nice enough to add a bowl of red chili oil with dried chillies and Sichuanese peppercorn. Nonetheless, the taste is satisfactorily rich. I especially like the tinge of sweetness towards the end of a hot pot session.
Da Miao Hotpot (大妙)
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| Da Miao - single Ma La soup base |
A popular hot pot brand from Chengdu, Sichuan. Service is good but non-comparable to HDL's. The ingredients are also fresh. As for the taste... It tastes better than HDL at the start because of the stronger spiciness. But after some time, the flavour turns too salty and a bit bitter.
Jin Li Steamboat (锦里)
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| Jin Li's double soup bases - Ma La and chicken soup |
A buffet hot pot I go more frequently than HDL, because it is 1) more affordable, 2) you don't need to queue usually, and 3) taste is quite good. The food is fairly fresh. The spiciness is similar to Da Miao's, but it won't turn salty or bitter. Consistent and above average taste.
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