Xi Hotpot opens in Duluth, serving fried crispy pork and milk-marinated, thick-cut beef
A new Chinese hotpot restaurant opens in Duluth on February 24. Called Xi Hotpot, it pays homage to the Chongqing region in China’s Sichuan province. Offering an a la carte menu with 95 items, Xi Hotpot features classic Sichuan flavors like mala (numbing spice), fresh meats, and offal. Options include milk-marinated, thick-cut beef; spicy tender beef slices; fried crispy pork; chilled duck intestines; and pig brain. Diners choose the broth base and cook the food on the table, before visiting the sauce bar to add their flavors.
Run by co-owner Kevin Zhang and manager Theo Wang, Xi is located near Taste of China and Masterpiece. It features 20 choices of broths and sources its ingredients from Asian markets like Great Wall and Jusgo. A beverage menu is in the works, but diners are invited to BYOB for now.
Expect an ornate dining room decorated in red and teal with intricate lattice woodwork. Murals depict ancient Chinese landscapes, while paper lanterns provide inspiration for the pendant lights in the space.
We spoke to Zhang and Wang to learn more.
Inside Xi Hotpot
The main dining room
How is Xi Hotpot different from other hotpot restaurants in the metro area?
Zhang: In China, the proverb “民以食为天” emphasizes the paramount importance of food to the people. Dining culture is the priority in everyday Chinese life. Xi Hotpot embodies this ethos, offering an immersive and authentic experience. Patrons can expect a dining ambiance reminiscent of contemporary Sichuan restaurants.
How does it work to dine there? Does everyone at the table share one pot but chooses their own ingredients? Or are there different options for liquid in the pot?Wang: Everyone at the dining table will decide on two soup base options together (each pot comes with a divider, allowing two flavors of broths to be chosen). Diners will choose hot pot ingredients they’d like to cook. After their order is placed, they’ll head to the sauce bar to build their dipping sauce. When the broth is simmered and all the ingredients are brought to the table, diners can choose to share everything family-style, or cook their choice of ingredients in the communal pot. Finally, they dip their cooked items into their sauces and devour!
The sauce bar
Premium marble beef slices
What dishes are you most excited about?
Wang: The premium marble beef slices and handmade pancakes are great choices to start with. If the diner is feeling more adventurous, I highly recommend fresh tripe, chilled duck intestines, and pea shoot.
Tell me about the gastronomic traditions of Chongqing. How are they reflected in Xi Hotpot?
Zhang: Chongqing boasts incredibly rich gastronomic traditions, forming a subset of Sichuan cuisine, which is recognized as one of the eight culinary traditions in Chinese cuisine. The most famous Chongqing culinary tradition is hot pot. It is famous for its spicy and flavorful broth, which includes a variety of ingredients such as beef tallow, Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, and other spices that give it a distinctive and bold flavor and color. We feature ingredients that evoke the essence of the traditional Chongqing hotpot menu, although some items may be acquired tastes for Atlantans.
Diners gather around a simmering pot of broth and cook a variety of meats, seafood, vegetables, and noodles. It’s not just about the food but the social aspect of dining. This tradition reflects Chongqing’s people’s warmth, hospitality, and love for spicy flavors.
Chilled duck intestines
Xi means light; what does that signify about the restaurant?
Zhang: At a hot pot meal, loved ones get together, cook, and eat around a round pot. The hot pot culture symbolizes reunion, prosperity, and a beautiful longing for life. It also implies a loving crowd gathering, happiness, and fulfillment. We hope our hot pot brand can bring warmth to everyone like a beam of light.
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A new Chinese hotpot restaurant opens in Duluth on February 24. Called Xi Hotpot, it pays homage to the Chongqing region in China’s Sichuan province. Offering an a la carte menu with 95 items, Xi Hotpot features classic Sichuan flavors like mala (numbing spice), fresh meats, and offal.
The post Xi Hotpot opens in Duluth, serving fried crispy pork and milk-marinated, thick-cut beef appeared first on Atlanta Magazine. Read MoreAtlanta Magazine