Step into Jing Guan Cheng Hotpot for authentic experience
Some say sweet treats or junk food can be a mood lifter, just a mouthful melting away your stress. But what about trying a bowl of "huoguo," or Chinese hot pot, to sweat out the stress?
Jing Guan Cheng Hotpot, which specializes in hot pots that have been popular for centuries in China, is located in the bustling Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul.
A seven-minute walk from Sinsa Station on Subway Line No. 3 and the Sinbundang Line will lead you to a restaurant that feels authentic.
The restaurant offers three types of soup bases for the hotpot: mala, which gives a fiery burn and numbs the tongue; non-spicy tomato flavor; and mushroom flavor, another mild option.
When the soup base has been selected, a metal pot arrives at your table filled with the seasoned broth. The pot is heated on an induction cooktop at the center of the table, along with various raw ingredients — thinly sliced beef, napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, "yuba," or tofu skin, bok choy and wide glass noodles. A set for one person is priced at 21,900 won ($15.34).
In addition to the set, you can make additional orders -- a plate of fishcake, quail eggs, crab meat, sausage and ham, each priced at 5,800 won. Additional plates of vegetables, such as spinach, enoki mushroom, sliced potato and napa cabbage, are available for 3,800 won.
Jing Guan Cheng Hotpot also offers a variety of sauces for dipping your cooked ingredients. You are welcome to use the sauce bar for 3,000 won per person. At the sauce bar, you can mix the sauces to create your own dipping sauce.
For those gravitating toward something spicy, the first recommendation is to take a scoop of sesame oil, chives, garlic, oyster sauce, chili, chili oil and cilantro. Another recommendation is to mix sesame sauce, chives, garlic, oyster sauce and base soup for a milder taste. Try mixing soy sauce, vinegar, chives and garlic if you prefer a sweet and sour taste.
Once everything has been set, wait for the broth to come to a boil for a few minutes before you dig in. Proceed to add the ingredients to the boiling broth. Add ingredients that take longer to cook first, such as vegetables. Also, do not throw everything in all at once as the pot can overflow and it will take longer to cook the ingredients, likely resulting in overcooked, tough meat. Use different pairs of chopsticks or scoopers to place the raw meat into the pot and to eat it.
Jing Guan Cheng Hotpot is open every day from noon to 11 p.m. The last order is taken at 10 p.m.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
