Hot pot city9/1/2023 ![]() Noodle choices include thin vermicelli rice noodles and thick udon or mein type wheat noodles. Pickled cabbage often makes an appearance, too. There are raw onion slices, cilantro, broccoli florets, button mushrooms, and sometimes things like taro root, shiitake mushrooms, mung bean sprouts, bitter melon rounds, and hearty half-moon slices of vibrant orange squash. Greens such as large cleaned spinach leaves, flavorful chrysanthemum stalks, and tiny crunchy pea shoots are always bright and fresh. ![]() Vegetable options are also based on the seasons and availability at the market. It has an almost bread-like texture, and it makes a wonderful dense sponge for soaking up the hot pot flavors. You can always expect at least two kinds of tofu, both cut into large 2″ cubes: a fresh soft kind, and one labeled “frozen,” which upon further research is actually what the Chinese call “thousand layer tofu” – tofu that has been freeze-dried and reconstituted. Vegetarians and even vegans will be happy here. Regardless, the fried bundles mix nicely with the broth and form toothsome yet silky and delicate soup dumplings. When I asked the name, the server looked at me like I was an idiot and said, “fried wonton.” Not exactly the Chinese name I was looking for, but correct. There are usually seafood offerings as well, such as cod fillets, small whole blue crabs (which are difficult to pick the meat from), prepared squid strips, or other shellfish – even “Krab” sticks.Ī real treat are the little golden bundles of fried wonton stuffed with ground turkey, vegetables, and seasonings. Seasoned meatballs are another perennial favorite, while other “alternative” meats such as tripe and liver make occasional appearances (fear not, those are always clearly labeled). During lunch there are bowls of paper-thin sliced beef, chicken and pork, alongside thick chunks of fragrant boneless chicken thighs marinated in ginger, onion, and soy sauce, or sometimes in bright yellow curry paste. It is always clean and well stocked, and though the choices vary from day to day, many are standards. You mix your own dipping sauces from condiments at the buffet. Sit down at one of the counter seats and choose your broth from a variety that includes Mild Vegetables and Chinese Herbs, Spicy Szechuan Ma-la, Thai Style Hot and Sour, Xiang Cai with Chinese Cilantro and Preserved Eggs, Meat Soup – long boiled clear soup of bones and broth, and even one with kimchi. It works like this: a long counter for dining holds individual heating elements for each diner’s hot pot (table seating is also available for groups). Asians and Non-Asians alike line up at lunch hour which can get quite crowded – get there early or expect a bit of a wait. ![]() Since 2004 it’s been a classic hole-in-the-wall for ravenous college students, little old Chinese ladies who lunch, downtown office workers and other food lovers. ![]() It’s warm, it’s soothing, it’s steamy – perfect medicine for the colds and stuffed sinuses that our climate seems to encourage.īilling itself as Portland’s only Taiwanese Hot Pot Restaurant, it is a casual “all-you-can-eat” type of affair, with a distinctively traditional and healthy Chinese twist. Hot Pot City is a constant for many of us, especially in the chilly, gray winter months in Portland. Hot Pot City photo courtesy of TripAdvisor Reader Survey: Best Coffeehouses in Portland 2017.A Map of our favorite Portland coffeehouses.Interviews: Honest dialog with people in the Portland food industry.Reader Survey: Best of Portland Food 2017. ![]()
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