Hot pot is another novelty in Beijing. This dish is said to be a thousand years old and is mostly eaten in winters. There are two types of hot pots; the Mongolian hot pot and the Sichuan hotpot. The main ingredient in both types of hot pot is mutton. Frozen pieces of mutton are added to hot soup contained in a copper pot. The Sichuan hot pot is spicy while the Mongolian has vegetables and sea weed in it.
There are many hot pot restaurants in Beijing. Hai Di Lao is a wonderful restaurant which serves original Sichuan hot pot. The food is delicious made with fresh ingredients; it is spicy but does not make your mouth burn. The dishes are available in half and full potions. You can get a manicure or shoeshine while you wait for the food. Fruit salad, iced water and melon seeds are also on the house. There is also a "noodle show" with a man pulling and stringing the noodles like ribbons. Not only the hot pot, are all the dishes in the resturant tasty. The restaurant has many branches in Beijing.
The Tian Yi Shun is known for its finger licking tangy hot pot made with mutton. Another popular dish of this place is Sheep's Backbone. The restaurant is located in the Hai Dian District. Little Sheep is another hot pot restaurant in the Hai Dian restaurant. Dining at the Little Sheep is a unique experience; the restaurant serves Mongolian hot pot which has chicken, lamb, beef, vegetables, tofu etc cooked in a delicious soup. Herbs are added in the soup which gives it a distinct flavor and aroma. Little Sheep has other branches as well. The Koufuju Hot Pot Restaurant is also located in the Hai Dian District. The hot pot is extremely tasty with garlic and seasoning added along with mutton in the boiling soup. The place is frequented by Chinese celebrities.
The Golden Paddy restaurant serves Sichuan hot pot with a slight variation. The Golden Paddy is located in the Chaoyang District. The hot pot at Flaming Phoenix has braised chicken, bull frog and rabbit meat as the ingredients. The place is known for its unique tasting hot pot and has many branches. Another restaurant offering unique flavors of hot pot is the Longshuyuan Spicy Pot. The hot pot served here is different from the rest as it doe not contain much broth. You can control how spicy you want your dish to be.