Hot Pot, Hong Kong

Tis the season to warm up our tooties with some steamy hot pots of seafood, marbled beef, squid balls scooped outta the bamboo shell and all other manners of goodies. Here's my quick take on two of my recent two fav places in Hong Kong.

Ying Kee Seafood Hotpot, Hong Kong

My galpal Q and I share a few things in life: tennis, crabs, seafood, crabs, travelling, massages, crabs ... did I mention crabs? One week Q mentioned that she and OB had been to a fantastic hotpot place in Sheung Wan recently which served the freshest baby abalone (at $10 each) and crabs to go in the hot pot. When Q suggested that we try the place out on a Friday night, I was looking forward to the meal the whole week ... and I wasn't disappointed!

Turns out I'd been to Ying Kee before with another bunch of friends a few years ago. This place is on the 1st floor of Lucky Commercial Building in Sheung Wan. Unassuming decor with tanks of seafood at the entrance, this place is low key but fabulous. This place has got the three essential ingredients to a great hot pot right: (1) freshest seafood, (2) great soup base and most importantly (3) a consistent powerful flame. So go for the baby abalone, the crabs, US sliced beef and the squid paste which you scoop out of a bamboo container bit by bit. Don't forget to cool down with the sugarcane juice.

I'm going back again this Saturday night.

1/F Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan. Tel No: 2548-8897

Spring Autumn Hot Pot (春秋火锅)

Kind of a mid to high end hot pot place with table cloth and ingredients beautifully arranged and served on a little plates. The soup base is great, so is the beef balls and squid balls, but my fav has to be the delicious marbled beef. Requires booking in advance as it's not a big place so it's always full.

26 Leighton Road, Causeway bay. Tel No: 2878-1128