If hotpot always seemed a little daunting to you, J POT, a new eatery in Hong Kong, brings an elevated hotpot experience laced with some of the best beef from the Land of the Rising Sun.
A New Take on Hotpot
Hotpot: you either love it or hate it. But for those curious consumers who have been waiting for an excuse to dive on it, J POT has opened as part of the trilogy of inspiring restaurants that is Causeway Bay’s Gosango. Here, amidst refined yet inviting interiors inspired by the international music scene, timeless hotpot gets a kick into the realms of fine-dining thanks to the freshest ingredients and an injection of European culinary elegance.
J POT by Gosango features both tasting and a la carte menus that will appeal to all diners. Located at the city’s iconic Tower 535, the new hotpot hotspot combines Chinese hotpot culinary tradition with the freshest housemade sauces and top-quality ingredients, including, for the first time in Hong Kong, coveted Hiyama Kuroge Wagyu, which has been sourced from one of Japan’s oldest and most esteemed butchers.
Music in the Veins
Arriving guests are greeted by a main dining room that caters to 120 diners and which is inspired by music and showmanship, complete with black and white leather banquettes reminiscent of a piano keyboard and risen backlit tiled walls, a nod to the walls of a recording studio. A unique documentary detailing the restaurant’s exquisite ingredients and behind the scenes clips from the kitchen adds to the sense of theatre, as does concert-style lighting and a glass-encased pasta kitchen where fresh pastas are made daily. If you’re gathering the lads for a hotpot orgy, opt for one of two private dining rooms, which cater for 8 and 16 guests respectively.
An Elevated Experience
In a departure from many hotpot restaurants, J POT by Gosango is a tribute to the freshest ingredients, sourced from a curated selection of producers from around the globe, including hydroponic vegetables, sustainable seafood, and beef from Hiyama, which works with local farmers across Japan to raise the best possible Wagyu beef, renowned for its fine grain and superb marbling. The beef’s rich flavour and intense aroma lend themselves perfectly to a refined hotspot dining experience helmed by head chef Ken Kwok, who has 15 years experience working under Japanese culinary masters.
At J POT, guests will enjoy Kwok’s captivating presentation of exclusive Hiyama beef, showcasing the aromatic Wagyu with an array of housemade soup bases, sauces and freshly-made pastas, including porcini mushroom ravioli and nori sakura shrimp cannelloni. Both tasting and a la carte menus allow diners to choose from western-style or traditional hotpot laced with housemade ingredients, including special sauces like sea urchin and soy, seaweed and sesame, and tamarind vinaigrette, all of which are made with no MSG and are designed to enhance the flavour profiles of different ingredients.
Not Just Beef
Seafood lovers can choose from a selection of fresh seafood carpaccios ranging from slow-cooked New Zealand wild black gold abalone; and Japanese tuna with Tosazu vinaigrette; to French blue lobster with wasabi and honey; as well as American oysters, Hokkaido scallops and Open Blue Cobia. A series of snacks – think deep-fried quail legs and wagyu beef croquettes – also pair well with a cold pint.
If you’re struck with indecision, opt for the Tasting Menu (HK$498 per person). A hotpot industry first, this chef’s menu combines the western-style course service with an eastern sharing style that marries the best of both worlds, including the likes of Wagyu beef with gooey Gruyère cheese spring roll and crispy housemade codfish skin, a choice of Wagyu consommé́ or seafood bouillabaisse soup base and both market seafood and Wagyu beef platters.
You’ll wonder what you’ve been missing all these years.
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