Food has always been one of my favourite ways to experience a new place and over the years, I’ve had some unforgettable meals.
This Sichuan hotpot experience in Chongqing? Definitely one of the most fiery and fun!
Fancy a Sichuan hotpot? This is not a “hotpot” as you may know it. No, no, no — this is something entirely different, as I quickly discovered.
I like my food hot, and I can handle spice but this was in a league of its own.
At the centre of the table sits a bubbling pot of spicy broth and oil, set over a burner. Into it goes a generous mix of chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, and aromatic spices and now you’re talking hot, hot, hot.
You’re served a selection of raw meat and vegetables, which you cook yourself. The vegetables go into the inner section filled with broth, while the meat is swished through the outer layer of fiery oil.
There’s a real skill to it, timing is everything. Leave it too long and it’s overcooked; not long enough and it’s underdone. As you can imagine, we weren’t particularly good at this but it was great fun.
Thankfully, for us tourists, a slotted spoon was provided alongside our chopsticks — clearly, they knew from experience! Aprons were also handed out, which again suggested we weren’t the first slightly messy diners they’d encountered.
Some of my fellow travellers were not as adventurous as me, adding tripe and liver to the mix. Despite the heat and the chaos, the meal was surprisingly filling and thoroughly enjoyable.
We were lucky to have a brilliant guide who organised everything for us. She carefully split us into two tables — “hot” and “less hot” — after checking our spice tolerance. Naturally, I chose the hot table.
A few people ordered beer to cool things down… big mistake. Even the mildest beer offered no relief from the heat!
What struck me most was the atmosphere. Eating hotpot in Chongqing isn’t just a meal — it’s an event. The restaurant was buzzing with large groups gathered around tables, laughing, chatting, and taking their time. No one was in a hurry to leave. The hotpot was the star of the show, and it had everyone’s full attention.
This was a food experience like no other.
If you find yourself in Chongqing and want to try it, ask your guide or hotel for recommendations. I’d suggest avoiding the more touristy spots — such as Hon Da Dong — where the quality may not match a good local restaurant.
This post is part of my China travel series. You can read more from the journey here: China — My 20-Day Journey Through Wonder, Chaos and Culture.
