Hot Pot Tom Yum

I had hot pot, one of my favorite treats, for lunch today.

Hot pot is a style of cooking which originated in China, but is now super popular throughout Asia, especially in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand.

When you have hot pot, a big pot of broth is placed onto a burner built in to the table in front of you and left to simmer. You are then served a plate of raw meat, fresh veggies, tofu, mushrooms, and whatever else you want in your soup.

preparing my soup

You cook the ingredients in the broth in front of you, making a delicious personal bowl of soup just the way you want it. I had my hot pot Thai-style today with some sweet and spicy Tom Yum (a very popular type of soup in Thailand). I also ordered a big plate of vegetables and chicken to cook in my soup.

It's kind of a fun way to have a meal. It's like Korean barbecue in that part of the fun is actually cooking your own food right in front of you at the restaurant.

my tasty hot pot lunch