Hot Pot Vic Park: A Simple Sharing-Style Recipe

Hot pot is a Chinese-style communal meal in which diners cook thinly sliced meat, seafood, tofu and vegetables in a simmering pot of seasoned broth at the table. This Vic Park-inspired version is a practical home recipe rather than a claim to reproduce one restaurant’s menu: it uses an aromatic broth, easy-to-find ingredients and dipping sauces so everyone can cook each bite to order.

Ingredients

8 cups (1.9 L) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups (480 ml) water
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced, about 1 cup (150 g)
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed, about 1 tablespoon (15 g)
1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, sliced, about 1 tablespoon (15 g)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) light soy sauce, plus more to season
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Chinese Shaoxing wine, optional; use dry sherry or omit
1 teaspoon (5 g) toasted sesame oil
1 small dried red chili or 1 teaspoon (2 g) chili flakes, optional
12 ounces (340 g) beef sirloin, very thinly sliced; ask a butcher to slice it, or partially freeze it for 30–40 minutes before slicing
8 ounces (225 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thinly
8 ounces (225 g) firm tofu, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
4 ounces (115 g) shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and caps sliced
4 ounces (115 g) enoki mushrooms, roots trimmed and strands separated; substitute sliced button mushrooms if unavailable
6 ounces (170 g) napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
4 ounces (115 g) baby spinach, washed
6 ounces (170 g) fresh wheat or udon noodles, or 4 ounces (115 g) dried noodles
4 scallions, thinly sliced, about ½ cup (50 g)
½ cup (120 ml) soy dipping sauce, divided among diners
2 tablespoons (30 g) Chinese sesame paste or tahini, optional
1 tablespoon (15 ml) chili oil, optional
2 tablespoons (30 ml) water, to thin the sesame sauce as needed

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients, 20 minutes. Arrange the beef, chicken, tofu, mushrooms, cabbage, spinach, noodles and scallions on separate plates. Keep raw chicken and beef on separate plates and away from ready-to-eat ingredients. Set out individual dipping bowls. If slicing meat at home, use a clean board and knife, and wash hands and surfaces after handling raw meat.
Make the broth, 10 minutes. Heat the neutral oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger; cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant but not browned. Pour in the stock and water, then add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine if using, sesame oil and chili. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 7 minutes. Taste and adjust with a little more soy sauce if needed.
Prepare dipping sauces, 5 minutes. Put soy dipping sauce in the bowls. For a creamy option, whisk the sesame paste with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water until smooth and spoon it into bowls; add chili oil to taste. Offer scallions alongside both sauces.
Set up the hot pot, 5 minutes. Pour the broth into a tabletop electric hot pot or a heavy pot placed on a stable, heat-safe burner. Keep the broth at a steady simmer, not a vigorous boil. Arrange the ingredient plates within reach, but keep raw meat utensils separate from cooked food and sauces.
Cook in small batches, about 10 minutes of active cooking. Add a few pieces of beef or chicken at a time and keep the broth simmering. Thin beef cooks quickly, but do not judge safety by color alone: check beef and chicken with a food thermometer. The USDA FSIS safe minimum for whole cuts of beef is 145°F (63°C) followed by a 3-minute rest, and chicken must reach 165°F (74°C). A thin slice can be difficult to measure, so use a thermometer on the thickest pieces and cook chicken separately in the broth until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Do not return cooked food to a plate that held raw meat.
Cook vegetables, tofu and noodles. Add mushrooms and cabbage to the simmering broth and cook until tender, usually 3–5 minutes; add spinach near the end, as it wilts in about 1 minute. Warm tofu until heated through. Cook noodles according to their package directions, either in the broth or in a separate saucepan, then serve promptly. Keep the broth hot throughout the meal and replenish with hot stock or water if it becomes too concentrated.

Tips

Slice meat as thinly as possible so it cooks quickly and is easy to pick up. Partially freezing it firms the surface and makes slicing safer and neater.
Use stock with modest salt levels: it reduces as ingredients cook, and soy dipping sauce adds more seasoning. Taste the broth before adding extra soy.
For a less spicy pot, leave out the chili and serve chili oil at the table. For a vegetarian broth, choose vegetable stock and omit the meat; use extra mushrooms, tofu and leafy greens.
Never let raw-meat chopsticks or tongs touch cooked food. Give diners separate utensils for raw ingredients and ready-to-eat bites, and keep raw meat chilled until needed.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the pot at the center of the table with small bowls of broth, rice, dipping sauces and plenty of napkins. Diners can cook one or two pieces at a time, then dip them in soy sauce or sesame sauce. Offer steamed rice or extra noodles for a more filling meal, and add sliced scallions or cilantro as a fresh garnish. Keep side dishes simple—cucumber salad or lightly dressed greens work well without competing with the broth.

Variations

Make a mild, meat-free hot pot with vegetable stock, tofu, mushrooms, napa cabbage and lotus root or sliced daikon. For a richer broth, add a few dried shiitake mushrooms while simmering and remove them before serving, or use a small amount of miso while avoiding an overly salty stock. To create a spicy version, add chili oil or chili flakes gradually to the broth, or offer a separate spicy dipping sauce so diners can choose their heat level. Lamb slices, fish balls or peeled shrimp can replace some of the beef, but cook seafood until opaque and firm; fish should reach 145°F (63°C) according to USDA FSIS guidance.

Storage and Reheating

For safer leftovers, strain the broth and refrigerate it separately from cooked ingredients in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours of cooking (within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F/32°C). Refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or colder and use within 3–4 days. Discard food left at room temperature longer than those limits. Reheat broth and leftovers to 165°F (74°C), checking with a food thermometer; bring broth to a simmer after it reaches that temperature. Freeze broth or cooked ingredients in suitable containers for up to 2–3 months for best quality. Raw ingredients that have been sitting out should not be saved for another meal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make hot pot without a tabletop cooker?
Yes. Use a heavy pot on a stable portable burner at the table, following the burner’s instructions and keeping it away from children, cloth and walkways. Alternatively, cook ingredients in batches on the stove and serve them with hot broth in bowls.

Can I prepare the ingredients ahead?
Yes. Slice vegetables and make the broth up to 1 day ahead, then cover and refrigerate them separately. Keep raw meat covered and refrigerated, and arrange it on the table only shortly before cooking.

What can I use instead of Shaoxing wine?
Dry sherry is a close practical substitute. You can also leave it out; the broth will have slightly less of the wine’s rounded aroma but will still taste good.

How do I know when thin beef is cooked?
Thin slices cook fast, but color alone does not confirm a safe temperature. Check the thickest pieces with a food thermometer; whole cuts of beef should reach 145°F (63°C) and rest for 3 minutes. If the slices are too thin to measure reliably, cook them thoroughly and avoid serving undercooked beef to anyone at higher risk from foodborne illness.

Can I reuse the broth after the meal?
Only if it was kept simmering and handled safely. Strain it, refrigerate within 2 hours, and reheat it to 165°F (74°C) before serving again. Broth contaminated by raw-meat utensils or left out too long should be discarded.

Is this the only way to make hot pot?
No. Hot pot varies widely by region, household and personal preference. Broths may be mild or spicy, and diners choose different combinations of meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu and sauces; this version is one adaptable home-style approach.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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