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Red faces, steamy pots, noisy laughter and a smell that hangs around for days afterwards. Yes, it’s that time of the year again—hotpot season! Not that the summer weather ever stopped us, but now we’ve got a legitimate excuse.

	Shing Kee Noodles
Sha Tin’s Siu Lek Yuen neighborhood is frequented by students of the nearby university for their great local restaurants and cheap prices: and Shing Kee is right in the middle. The entrance is hidden and unassuming but once you walk in, the space is surprisingly vast. Their décor is the most surprising, though—recycled glass bottle chandeliers, a bookshelf in the center stacked high with comics, a photomontage wall on the left, tribal masks hanging from the ceiling. Opened in 1956, the restaurant is now run by the third generation of the family. The current boss, Ar B, does noodles by day and hotpot by night. While the atmosphere is what most people come for, try their unusual soup bases too—pig soft bone soup, for instance.  
	Shop 5, Lek Yuen Estate Market, Sha Tin, 2692 6611.

	Old Man Hot Pot
Opened in 1991, Old Man Hot Pot is a family-run restaurant that’s famous within the Hung Hom neighborhood. Don’t expect fancy décor and molecular cuisine here; it’s all florescent lights and rough service. The boss Mr Lau and his helpers are your typical, very local restaurant staff: loud, a little impatient, passionate and extremely friendly once you get past their rough edges. Typical ambience, atypical ingredients: if you’re feeling really adventurous, try the marinated cockles, to be eaten raw, or the limited-in-stock pig hamstrings—do not eat these raw. Remember to book in advance, because they’re always busy.
	25-31 Cooke St., Hung Hom, 9089-7732.

	Spicy Stanley
A 10-minute walk from the nearest Olympic station and located in the middle of a pedestrian-only street, Spicy Stanley can be a little hard to find, but the journey is worth it. One side of the restaurant is bright red with cute graffiti from local artists, while the other part takes a relaxing seaside beach theme. Owner Mone Ng and his staff personally visit the market daily in search of the freshest ingredients, and if there’s anything in particular you’re craving that’s not on the menu, call before 3pm and they’ll prepare it for you—within reason! The stars of the show, however, are the restaurant’s soup bases. They’re made with real ingredients, not artificial flavorings, under a strictly no MSG policy, and served in Staub cast-iron pots. Try the broth made from tender beef brisket, vegetables and V8—yes, the juice! Or try congee with your choice of seafood: by the end, the congee will have soaked up all the goodness of your hot pot ingredients and you can start a whole new meal. Also worth mentioning is the summer menu, available from March. The winter melon soup base contains an entire melon. Refreshing—and filling.
	G/F, 4 Tit Shu St., Tai Kok Tsui, 3998-3128.

	Lin Kee
Taxi drivers in Hong Kong are some of the best- informed foodies of the city, so we knew this was the real deal when multiple dik see los directed us to Lin Kee. A dim sum restaurant by day, Lin Kee turns into a steaming, noisy hot pot destination where patrons can get drunk on beer, get into heated discussions about Hong Kong politics, and generally have a great time at night. Strike up a conversation with the waitresses; they might let you in on their secret stash of high quality, hand-cut beef—if they like you.
	Beverley Commercial Centre, 87-105 Chatham Rd. South, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2573-8833.

	Canton Pot
The newly opened Canton Pot at the Lodgewood Mongkok hotel specializes in dishes cooked and served in pots. You can order everything from Korean stone pot rice to Chinese clay pot rice here—and of course, there’s also the hotpot. For the hotpot sets, there are over 100 ingredients to choose from, including Miyazaki beef and American marbled beef, handmade meat pastes and cuttlefish balls, organic tofu and fresh mushrooms. Examples of soup bases include a whelk and fish maw broth, and a mixed mushroom broth. For people who want to hotpot it alone, there are also sets for one to choose from, based on three styles: Japanese, Korean, and vegetarian. The vegetarian hotpot set comes with greens like fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and meatless wonton dumplings.
	2/F, Lodgewood by L’Hotel Mongkok Hong Kong, 1131 Canton Rd., Mong Kok, 3968-7888.

	Supreme Restaurant
It wouldn’t be right to not include a choice for the mouthwatering Chongqing-chicken-pot-style hotpot, which seems all the rage these days. Characterized by the abundance of herbs, spices and of course, chicken, chicken pots are known for their robust taste and spiciness—perfect for the colder months. Supreme Restaurant is one of the more famous chains in the city, with another store in Tsuen Wan and a newly opened branch in Causeway Bay. It’s famous for good, fresh food and really bad service—you’ve been warned.
	18/F, Chong Hing Square, 593-601 Nathan Rd., Mong Kok.

	Po Po Gourmet and Wine Cellar
Located on a street with a few other hotpot restaurants, Po Po stands out thanks to its bustling storefront. The atmosphere is comfortable and laid-back, and has an extensive list of ingredients. And they don’t have “wine cellar” in their name for nothing. Po Po serves a variety of reds, whites, sakes and beers—rare for hotpot places. You can also bring your own bottle, for just $50 corkage.
	Shop G, G/F, Ho Wing Building, 71-73 Man Tai St., Hung Hom, 2330-1979.

	Hotpot Instinct
The word on the street is that Hotpot Instinct serves up some of the freshest ingredients in town. The soup bases are pretty unique too—try Cantonese apple, or Japanese sake and flower crab. Then there’s the Golden Seafood base, whose unique color comes from pumpkin. If you’re looking to cool down, order sashimi, which is also available on the menu.
	Shop 3-5, 18 Tanner Rd., North Point, 2573-2844.


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Wynna Wong goes in search of the winter’s best hotpot spots. Photos by Chris Luk.


Hong Kong's Top Hot Pot Spots This Winter

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Wynna Wong goes in search of the winter’s best hotpot spots. Photos by Chris Luk.

Shing Kee Noodles

Wynna Wong goes in search of the winter’s best hotpot spots. Photos by Chris Luk.