We drove all the way out to Richmond and discovered our new favourite hot pot broth.
This is Round Pot, a smaller hot pot shop with the typical set up of heating coils built into the tables, and the proper ventilation over top.
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Each table is sectioned off by wooden fencing with posts, which really gives the space a court yard feel. This is also furthered by the hanging lanterns. My only grip is the lack of leg room. With the heating apparatus at the centre of the table, there is much room for much of anything else. I found myself crashing my knees against it and crossing my legs into the stainless steel shield. And as a result, I found it hard to get cozy around the pot.
Each table is pre-set with the necessary share tools, plus individual cutlery and serve wear. You also have the ingredients needed to make yourself a dip. Garlic, chilli, green onion, cilantro, a salty fish paste, and soy. Not as many as other hot pot places with a help yourself sauce bar, but plenty considering how flavourful the featured soup base we were having today was.
Similarly, I liked how condensed the menu was, posted on an iPad that you select and check off of. Chalk it up to the smaller restaurant size, but I found the selection well curated and easy to order from. A mix of hot pot staples and items unique to Round Pot.
As their name suggests, the communal pot you fish out of is round. And today it was full of their thick and creamy, peanut-based Hong Kong-style satay soup base. And for the month of May it is available for your to try for only $17.50, which they guarantee to be their lowest price.
What’s more is they also have a new late night happy hour menu worth staying up for. From 9pm to 1am their special marble beef is only $1.99, and other hot pot items are 31% off. And be sure to save room for dessert, because their soft serve cones are buy one get one free.
As for our meal at hand, all of Round Pot’s broths use chicken for a leaner soup, and all the chicken is locally sourced from BC. This includes the new satay soup base we were trying today. My go to for sauce at hot pot is usually the peanut satay sauce one, so this was perfect for me. I get all the flavour I wanted cooked through, and with chopped peanuts at the bottom.
The set comes with a sesame salad as a nice start, or a refreshing break. Simple, heavily sauced, crisp cabbage. The dressing is fragrant and is really what had me going back for more.
To start, we had Crispy soy chicken wings. Already cooked, these were a snack to tide us over. Something to keep our mouths busy, while we waited for the broth to boil and the raw ingredients to be prepped and served. These were delicious wings and ones I would order again. With an even dusting of 5 spice they were salty, crispy, and juicy in all the right ways.
The Deep fried prawn appetizer was less satisfying. Not as crispy, more airy, topped with a flat honey mustard that did nothing for the already bland shrimp. This could have done with a punchier sauce, served on the side so that it doesn’t go soggy.
As for ingredients to boil up we ordered Shrimp balls with salted sea duck egg yolk, Round pot caviar shrimp paste, Razor clam, Hokkaido Scallop, Grass fed lamb slice, Premium sirloin beef, and Seafood mushroom. With Handcrafted noodles, Instant noodles, and Rice on the side.
The Shrimp balls with salted sea duck egg yolk was my favourite. I already like shrimp balls, but this was a whole new way to enjoy them. Each had a runny centre that spills out with a bite. I could have used more salted egg yolk flavour out of preference, although it would not have been all that complimentary to the already fragrant broth.
For the most bang for your buck go for the Round pot caviar shrimp paste. It comes in a bag that you pipe out into the boiling broth. You can make them into balls, strand-like noodles, or even little pellets. And to be honest there was so much that we actually got sick of it. Not to mention, it was the same shrimp as above; a fact I wish our server would have mentioned before confirming our order.
The novelty of the razor clam was in its shell, boiled as is, the meat was quick to shrivel up.
In contrast, the Hokkaido Scallop was a husky, large round you had to take in 2 bites; and not all that appetizing to look at.
The Grass fed lamb slice and Premium sirloin beef were as expected, sliced razor thin and quick to cook in under 6 seconds.
I appreciated our server’s suggestion of ordering the instant noodle, they were great at sopping up the gravy-like broth and the best way to enjoy it.
Although I would suggest having the hand crafted noodles instead. I found they ate cleaner, had a better taste, and were a finer gauge of noodle.
And I strongly recommend ordering their drinks, a collection of fresh coconut juices. The Fresh coconut with taro cold foam was a creamy, blended taro, mixed with roasted shredded coconut and fresh coconut flesh.
I preferred the Fresh coconut with Osmanthus. In contrast this was refreshing with a gentle kiss of the roasted floral. Shame that the strands of hard shredded coconut was a tad distracting here.
Overall, this was a great meal, we loved everything, walked away full, and even doggy bag the remaining broth to utilize in a future dinner. I highly recommend a visit, and they are giving you plenty of reasons to do so in the month of May. Their satay broth is a must try for $17.50 and if you do so during their late night happy hour you can save even more. Well worth it.
Round Pot 围炉花胶鸡火锅
8631 Alexandra Rd #120, Richmond, BC V6X 1C3
(604) 285-6083
roundpot.ca
