Qimin Organic does the freshest hotpot in town
Owned by the same folks behind speciality grocer Green & Safe, this is the third Qimin branch bringing the farm-to-table concept to its customers. Qimin prides itself as a healthy hotpot restaurant, focusing on organic ingredients sourced directly from its own farm in Kunshan and a menu that changes every three months to ensure the freshest seasonal ingredients.
You can finally say ‘table for one, please’ at a hotpot restaurant. Unlike your usual hotpot experience, at Qimin, each guest gets their own individual pot and broth of choice. The deep flavours in the broths come from hours of slow-cooking and are solely from bones, herbs and other natural ingredients – completely additive-free.
On the menu, find eight types of broths, from the popular Mongolian-style (28RMB) with a strong, distinctive herbal flavour or sweet roasted tomato beef bone (38RMB), to the light ‘four seasons organic vegetable’ (32RMB). There’s variety of high-quality meats, including organic ‘300 days’ black pig pork belly and shoulder (48RMB) and Australian M5 wagyu sirloin (198RMB). But it’s the seafood, vegetables and specialty items that steal the show.
Get eight types of seafood with the premium seafood platter (168RMB), which features standouts like live hairy crab, fresh baby abalone and live razor clams. The unique handmade abalone and codfish lollipops (six for 88RMB) are worth a try, as are the edamame-studded seafood nougats (three for 20RMB, six for 38RMB) that nicely soak up the pots’ rich broths.
With self-harvested sprouts and mushrooms, baby tomatoes, corn, carrots and a mix of fresh greens, the assorted organic vegetable basket (48RMB) is a colourful sight. You’ll taste a natural sweetness and will hardly need dipping sauces with such fresh ingredients, but even still, go crazy with the DIY sauce table (10RMB per person).
We wouldn’t mind making a trip here just for the dessert. A four-in-one masterpiece combines famous Taiwanese SunnyHills pineapple cake, honeycomb, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and organic strawberries on shaved ice, all topped off with drizzles of condensed milk and mint leaves. The different elements compliment each other perfectly – a pleasant surprise.
A far cry from the usual steamy hotpot restaurant with messy table tops, murky broths and dubious meat, Qimin is the best place to enjoy a sin-free hotpot experience. With the combination of its fresh ingredients, individual pots, pleasant interior, exquisite presentation and attentive service, it’s more than worth the slightly higher prices.
Hot tip: Join in on the evening ‘auction’ to get hotpot ingredients for a steal. Items up for bidding on range from seafood to wine and change daily. Plus, just participating nabs you a free beer.
Qimin Organic Hotpot Marketplace Third Floor, 191 Hengshan Lu, near Wulumuqi Bei Lu, Xuhui district (5465 9195). Open 11am-2pm, 5pm-2am Mon-Fri; 11am-2am Sat-Sun.
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