Huadu Hot Pot Restaurant is not just another Chinese hot pot restaurant. This recently opened eatery is set to impress with its fashionable interior, beautiful pots and tableware.

The first things that catch your eye are the red roses dotting the decorative dividers between the tables. The red chairs and snow-white tablecloths look equally pleasant. Curtains of glass beads are used with good effect here.

The pots on the ground floor are a fine version of the traditional Beijing copper pots, with gas stoves beneath. You can also ask to use an individual pot, a refined quality-looking stainless steel pot, heated with solidified alcohol. The sleek individual pots are also available in the private rooms on the second floor.

The menu at this hot pot restaurant is similar to many others in the city, a long sheet of paper with all the choices. You just tick the dishes you want.

The cold appetizers are definitely worth trying. Crisp pork ear slices are a winner. The black fungus is a healthy option. If you are curious, you can also try their preserved eggs with green chilli slices .

There are different cuts of beef and lamb, which vary in quality and price, as well as a beef-mutton combination. The fresh hand-cut beef is excellent. The marinated chicken is also a tasty choice. A quite different item is the Japanese Kobe beef, which comes at a stunning 638 yuan per helping.

Also recommended is their mashed shrimp, fish and squid combo . Their baked wheaten cake with sesame paste is baked in the restaurant and has to be one of the best in the city.

There is a good selection of base soups, a choice that includes clear, spicy soup and satay sauce. The sauces accompanying the meat include sesame paste, oil with mashed garlic and seafood sauce. The sesame sauce comes with a genuine sesame fragrance.

The menu is in Chinese only but there are waitresses who can speak English. Average spending is 120 yuan per person.

Opening hours: 11am-2:30pm, 5-10pm.
Address: 1/F Shunmai Jinzuan Dasha, B52 Southern East Third Ring Road, Chaoyang Disitrict.
Tel: 010-5971-1533.