Chongqing Hotpot – Trip Expect Journey

Chongqing Hotpot: What to Order If You Can't Handle the Spice

The City Smells Like Beef Tallow

In Chongqing, you smell hotpot before you find it. That rich, slightly smoky scent drifting through the streets is beef tallow and Sichuan peppercorn, simmering low and slow — enough to stop you mid-walk. I’ll be honest: hotpot is my favorite food in the world. I genuinely don’t know how to live without it. My own go-to is the medium-spicy beef tallow broth — the classic red soup. And my order barely changes: tripe, tender beef, beef throat, and celtuce, plus a bottle of Weiwei soy milk to take the edge off the heat. That combination is what makes a meal feel complete to me. But for anyone trying it for the first time, my strong advice is always the same: start with a yuanyang pot.

How to Choose the Broth

A yuanyang pot is simply one pot split into two halves — red broth on one side, white on the other, each keeping its own flavor without mixing. The red side is the real deal — beef tallow base, chili and Sichuan peppercorn doing all the work. The white side comes in a few versions: the most common is tomato broth, sweet and tangy and the easiest to like right away; then there’s mushroom broth, richer and more savory but still gentle; and there’s plain clear broth (sometimes called “bone broth”), barely seasoned at all, best for someone who can’t handle any spice and just wants to taste the ingredients on their own. For a first-timer, I’ll almost always go with the tomato side — it’s the one that wins people over fastest.

Ordering: Just Follow My Lead

On the red side, I always order tripe and beef throat — that’s non-negotiable for me, crisp and tender. The first time these dishes hit the table, people usually pause, half-joking, “do you guys really eat everything?” I don’t usually argue the point — I just hand over a piece. The texture does more convincing than any explanation ever could, and most people come around after that first bite.

My Go-To Order

Tripe & Beef Throat Traditional timing is “qi shang ba xia” — seven dips up, eight down. First-timers should leave it a little longer — better slightly overdone than undercooked
Tender beef, shrimp paste, celtuce Familiar and safe, good for alternating between the red and white sides
On the white side Potato slices, lettuce, corn — the easy wins to start with
To finish Wide glass noodles or hand-pulled noodles, plus a bowl of bingfen

One thing worth mentioning up front: the red broth gets spicier the longer it simmers. The first taste might feel manageable, but the heat builds noticeably by the second half of the meal — knowing that ahead of time makes a real difference.

How to Actually Cool Down the Burn

Weiwei soy milk is something I order every single time — the casein in milk neutralizes capsaicin far more effectively than water or soda ever will.

Cooling Down the Burn

Drink the right thing Weiwei soy milk or chilled yogurt — casein does the work; water and soda don’t
Don’t start on an empty stomach A bowl of egg fried rice or noodles beforehand helps you handle the heat later on

And Then, You'll Understand Why I Can't Quit This

By the end, the red side of the yuanyang pot always empties first, while the clear side barely gets touched — courage builds with every bite. That’s usually when I’ll laugh and wave the waiter over myself, asking for more broth. Because I already know: the next time you’re back in Chongqing, you’ll be the one suggesting hotpot.

My Go-To Spots

Chongqing has hotpot restaurants everywhere, and everyone’s taste is different — a recommendation from someone who actually knows the city helps you avoid the misses. I have a few go-to spots — still putting the list together, more on that soon.