What is Hotpot?
It’s a 1,000-year-old Chinese dish similar to fondue. Diners are given a pot full of delicious soup stock, or broth. While the stock comes to a boil, they choose a selection of fresh ingredients that they can cook at the table to their own liking. It’s healthy, delicious, and a great communal experience to share with family and friends.
Here’s a guide to getting started with hotpot:
1) Choose your stock
At YK Hotpot, there are two choices of broth diners can try: spicy and non-spicy. YK Hotpot also offers its diners individual hotpots, so each diner can choose the flavour best suited to them.
2) Choose your ingredients
At YK Hotpot there are over 30 different fresh ingredients you can choose, including a wide variety of meats, seafood and vegetables. You can be as adventurous as you like, with YK Hotpot offering many authentic Chinese items, or you can stick with what you know.
3) Choose your dipping sauce
Once you’ve cooked your ingredients, you can add extra flavour with a dipping sauce. YK Hotpot offers multiple condiments that you can use as they are or combine into your own tailored sauce. Choices include sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper, garlic, hot sauce, fermented tofu, cilantro, scallion, oyster sauce, barbecue sauce, peanut butter paste, leek flower paste, garlic, sesame oil and sesame seeds.
4) Make sure your broth has come to a boil
You’ll want to be sure that your soup base has reached a rolling boil before you start cooking most ingredients — especially meats and seafood.
5) Add slow-cooking ingredients first
Root vegetables and other slower cooking items should be added first — they’ll need the extra time, and the longer they cook, the more richness they add to the overall flavour of the stock.
6) Keep an eye on your food
Meat used in hotpots is usually very thinly sliced, and cooks fast, so be sure not to forget about it! As well, leafy greens take no time at all.
7) Don’t crowd the pot
Make sure not to overload your hotpot. If you put in too many items at once, cooking time will increase.
8) Remember that everything you add adds flavour to the stock
Think strategically when adding items. Your soup stock will take on the characteristics of what you cook in it — especially with strongly flavoured items such as lamb. Other items such as fish balls are more neutral.
9) Add starches like rice or noodles last
Many hotpot enthusiasts like to finish off their meal by adding rice, noodles or dumplings to the stock at the end of the meal. The starch soaks up all the flavours in the stock and adds its own textures for a delicious combination. YK Hotpot offers homemade wontons which are a customer favourite.
10) Take your time!
Remember, hotpot is a social event as much as a culinary one. In Chinese tradition, hotpot meals can last a long time, so relax, enjoy yourself and have fun!
YK Hotpot Specials
Customized hotpot combo during happy hours (11:30 to 4:00 pm weekdays) with lower price and wide variety.
YK Hotpot also offers a Chinese weekday lunch special. We offer 4 or 5 daily choices such as sweet & sour pork, honey garlic chicken, spicy wonton, pork rib, Chinese beef stew, Kungpao chicken, hot & sour soup, wonton soup, mixed veggie, sweet & sour eggplant, green bean with pork, white rice and fried rice. Lunch hours are from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
YK Hotpot
5019 49 St,, Yellowknife, NT
867-920-2889
Hotpot Hours:
Monday – Friday 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Saturday 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sunday 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm
