(SPOT.ph) Sure, it’s nice to sit down to a meal where your meals are already cooked and all you have to do is dig in—but where’s the fun in that? Enter hot pot. Also known as steamboat and coming in different forms that include the notoriously spicy Chongqing hot pot and the lighter-tasting (yet nonetheless umami-filled) Japanese shabu-shabu, hot pot entails cooking ingredients that can range from different meats, seafood, vegetables, and more in a communal pot filled with a flavored broth, which imparts flavor as it cooks the ingredients (which, in turn, infuse the broth with their own flavor as well). The cooked ingredients may then be given further flavor with a dip, which may be premixed or concocted manually by the diner with components like chopped garlic, soy sauce, and/or sesame paste; and it’s a back-and-forth tango of cooking and eating as you savor the flavors of your meal.
As a melting pot—no pun intended—of different cultures in itself, Makati plays home to a good number of must-try hot pot spots. We’ve rounded up 10 places to for you to check out.
Also read:
10 Great Places for Hot Pot in Manila
10 New Restaurants in Makati to Add to Your Must-Try List
Here are 10 restaurants for hot pot to try when in Makati:
Ganso-Shabuway
This California franchise gives you a taste of hotpot the Japanese way with their shabu-shabu sets. Choose between the Traditional Seaweed or the Spicy Miso broth, then go for your ingredients of choice. They’ve got a reliable Seafood Set (P428/single, P888/good for two) with assorted vegetables, shrimps, squid, fish fillet, lobster dumplings, kani crab sticks, scallop dumplings, and squid cake with your choice of broth, unlimited rice, and homemade dipping sauces. But they’re especially known for their beef sets, which gives you quality meat—take your pick from USDA Choice Angus Beef and All Natural Angus Beef. You can’t go wrong with the Beef, Vegetables, & Mushroom Set (P895/good for two and P1,775/good for four with USDA Choice Angus Beef; P1,095/good for two and P2,165/good for four with All-Natural Angus Beef), which comes with beef, a vegetable and mushroom plate, unlimited rice, and homemade dipping sauces for a well-rounded meal.
Ganso-Shabuway is at Level 2 Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Makati City.
Desgo Hot Pot
It doesn’t get any more authentic than at Desgo Hot Pot, where you’ll find Chinese diners happily swishing away over the pots on their table 24 hours a day. You get to choose two flavors of soup for free, standouts among which are the Tomato Style and Hot and Spicy Style broths. Their ingredients list includes different meats, seafood, soy products, vegetables, noodles, and various balls on the menu that there’s bound to be something for everyone—especially for the adventurous. Sure you’ll find Angus Beef (P480) and Fresh Tofu (P100), but why not also try Pig Brain (P230) or Black Ox Tripe (P390). Pro tip: Their spicy broth can get really spicy, but it’s especially great with the Taro (P220), which helps thicken the broth and adds its own nutty goodness that balances out the heat as it cooks.
Desgo Hot Pot is at G/F Victoria de Makati, Washington Street corner Dela Rosa Street, Pio del Pilar, Makati City.
Xiaolongkan
Xiaolongkan is a haven for lovers of spice. They offer three broths: Chicken, Chicken-Mushroom, and Pork Ribs. From there, you have the option to make it spicy—an option we must warn you truly lives up to its name, what with a mountain of dried chilis and Szechuan peppercorns that give it not only heat, but a complex, somewhat floral note that’s the perfect vehicle for cooking their various ingredients. The meat, seafood, and offal selection is extensive, with options that range from Lady Finger Beef Roll (P488) to Duck Intestine (P388) and even to Sea Cucumber (P388). They’ve got tons in store for veggie lovers, too: try the Water Spinach (P180), Broccoli (P228), Bamboo Shoot (P288), or the Crab Mushroom (P198) to add color and nutrition to your meal. Their hotpot will leave you bursting (all that heat makes it far too easy to go ham on the rice), but save space for their desserts, a customer favorite among which is the deep-fried, tikoy-esque Pumpkin Pie (P158).
Xiaolongkan is at 5/F Centrepoint Building, Chino Roces Avenue corner Urban Street, Makati City.
Healthy Shabu-Shabu
With branches all around the Metro, Healthy Shabu-Shabu has been a mainstay for more than a decade now. Employing a light yet flavorful broth that’s free of MSG, they boast a short but sweet selection of meat, seafood, and more. You can choose ala carte options from the menu like Angus Beef Rib Eye (P780), Assorted Fish Fillet (P770), and the Lamb (P610), but you’re better off rounding up the gang, as they’ve got great deals on sets like the Tenderloin with Prime Seafood B (P6,050), i.e. with Salmon, Cod, Tuna Fillet, Scallops, and Abalone—which is good for four people.
Healthy Shabu-Shabu is at LG/F Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City.
Jiang Nan Hotpot
Jiang Nan is another great option if you’re looking to eat as the Chinese eat. For broths, take your pick from Clear Soup (P98/small, P298/large), Tomato Soup (P128/small, P398/large), Mushroom Soup (P128/small, P458/large), Red Oil (P158/small, P498/large), or the Yuan Yang Pot (P158/small, P498/large), which comes with clear broth on one side and spicy broth on the other. Their ingredients range from Pork Belly (P228) and Australian Lamb (P458) to Pork Brain (P188) and even Duck Intestine (P288). Should you be in need of carbs, don’t miss out on their Hand Made Noodles (P198), which—when cooked right (don’t leave it in the pot for too long!)—have a delightfully chewy texture.
Jiang Nan Hotpot is at 223 Nicanor Garcia Street, Bel-Air, Makati City.
Aini-Chinese BBQ & Shabu Shabu
Tucked away in Poblacion and open until the wee hours of the morning, Aini-Chinese BBQ & Shabu Shabu lets you enjoy two sides of the Asian cooking sphere: Chinese barbecue, also known as shao kao, as well as shabu-shabu. The hotpot side of their menu goes back to basics but does them well, starting with the broths, for which you have a choice between the White (P150) and Spicy (P150) variants. For ingredients, they offer various balls, such as Fish Ball (P200/eight pieces) and Taro Meat Ball (P250/six pieces), protein like U.S. Beef Angus Rib Eye (P350/100 grams) and Sliced Pork Belly (P140/100 grams), and seafood, like Scallop (P200/10 pieces) and Octopus (P200/two pieces). You can also throw in some vegetables and noodles to your mix!
Aini-Chinese BBQ & Shabu Shabu is at G/F Matheus Building, General Luna Street, Poblacion, Makati City.
Shan Jin Ji Beef Hotpot
Love beef? Be sure to add Shan Jin Ji Beef Hotpot to your list, as they’ve got beef in all forms to satisfying your meaty hankerings. They highlight the umami goodness of the said meat in the Beef Bone Soup Pot (P258) and Beef Tendon Pot (P398)—but if you’re after something different, go for their Bitter Melon with Beef Soup Pot (P298), where the slight bitterness of the said vegetables helps offset the beef’s richness. They’ve got just about every slice of the meat imaginable—Shin (P398), Chuck (P298), even Neck (P888)—but it’s worth paying attention to their tender Handmade Beef Balls (P390/12 pieces). They’ve got combos, too, if you’re dining with friends; try the Combo Meal C (P3,600/good for six to eight) with Beef Tendon Pot, Cooked Beef Balls, Sliced Beef Brisket Deckle, Beef Shin, Rib Eye, Beef Chuck, Sliced Beef Brisket, Sliced Beef Tripe, Braised Beef Stew, Baby Chinese Cabbage, Chiba Tofu, Sliced White Gourd, and chewy Sweet Potato Vermicelli. What’s even better is that they serve a fair selection of liquors to go with your meal!
Shan Jin Ji Beef Hotpot is at G/F The Beacon Tower 2, Arnaiz Avenue corner Chino Roces Avenue, Legaspi Village, Makati City.
Tien Tien Hotpot
Tien Tien Hotpot gives you affordable Chinese fare in the form of soups, dim sum, roasts, and more—but their hotpot is the star. For soups, their Sate (P100) and Wantsuy (P100) broths are must-tries, infusing whatever ingredients you cook into it with their spicy and herbal flavors, respectively. They’ve got a fair selection of seafood, from the Fish Fillet (P175), or the Squid Roll (P160), beef, chicken, pork, vegetables, dumplings, bean curd, and noodles, so there’s definitely something for everyone. Still hungry? Get one of their ala carte dishes on the side, like the Beef with Oyster Sauce (P330) or the Lemon Chicken (P330).
Tien Tien Hotpot is at G/F Atrium Building, Paseo de Roxas Street cCorner Makati Avenue, Urdaneta, Makati City.
Shaburi Kintan
Located in Japan Town at Glorietta, Shaburi Kintan is the hybrid of two Japanese franchises: Kintan Buffet, which specializes in yakiniku, and Shaburi Shabu Shabu, which has the eponymous Japanese hotpot on offer. For 90 minutes at a time, you get to enjoy unlimited shabu-shabu for weekday lunch. Japanese flavors reign supreme here; for soups, you get to choose from their five signature broths: Original Konbu, Sukiyaki, Beef Pepper, Chicken Collagen Paitan, and Hot Miso. The ingredients vary based on your set of choice: the most basic Regular Shabu set (P599/adult and P350/child for weekday lunch, P699/adult and P375/child for dinner or all day on the weekends) gets you Tasty Beef, Low-Fat Pork, and Tender Chicken; the Special Shabu set (P799/adult and P350/child for weekday lunch, P899/adult and P375/child for dinner or all day on the weekends) gets you the Regular Shabu set inclusions plus Special Beef; the Shaburi Wagyu set (P1,249/adult and P750/child for weekday lunch, P1,349/adult and P790/child for dinner or all day on the weekends) gets you the Special Shabu set inclusions plus Shaburi Wagyu; and the Special Wagyu set (P1,599/adult and P750/child for weekday lunch, P1,699/adult and P790/child for dinner and or all day on the weekends) gets you the Shaburi Wagyu set inclusions plus Special Wagyu.
Shaburi Kintan is at Japan Town, 4/F Glorietta 2, Ayala Center, Makati City.
Lao Hot Pot Restaurant
Lao Hot Pot Restaurant ticks all the right hot-pot boxes, and then some, with four kinds of broth on offer: the Spicy Pot, the Mushroom Two-Flavor Soup Pot, the Ribs Soup Pot, and the Pork Belly Chicken Pot, which can be mixed and matched to create One-Flavor (P588), Two-Flavor (P628), or Three-Flavor (P699) soup pots. Their ingredients list flaunt much variety, too, with meats like the Goose Intestine (P368) and Fresh Beef Belly (P458); meatballs like the Fresh Shrimp Balls (P368) that consist of fresh minced shrimp formed into balls on the spot; mushrooms like the Dried Balloon Flower (P228); vegetables like the Sweet Corn (P98) and Lotus Root (P218); and noodles like the Wide Vermicelli (P168). Also on their menu is a special section dedicated to Bashu cuisine, with dishes that include Preserved Ribs (P328) and Preserved Pig’s Ear (P338).
Lao Hot Pot Restaurant is at Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue corner Osmeña Highway, Palanan, Makati City.
