Authentic Sichuan hotpot in an elegant venue

Courtesy of Wu Chu

Courtesy of Wu Chu

Wu Chu is no ordinary hot pot joint in town. Tucked inside the trendy K11 Mall on Huaihai Road M, the elegant restaurant with its authentic Sichuan hotpot offerings soon gained a loyal following after it opened.

Roy Yang, the owner behind Wu Chu, is a Sichuan original. He found most of the Sichuan hotpot joints in town using additives in the soup mix that would lead to an uncomfortable feeling afterwards, and not just for having a hotpot smell on your clothes.

Wu Chu was born with a mission to bringing the authentic Sichuan hotpot experience, without sacrificing the chance to dine in a specially designed, elegantly furnished space.

The interior is nicely created with simplistic Chinese furnishings in wood, sheer bamboo curtains dividing the dining tables and beautiful shelves placed around. The Pine green color scheme is sure to give you a soothing feeling when entering the room. Chinese elements dominate the space yet inject it with a creative and relaxed approach. Wu Chu is probably one of the most meticulously designed hot pot venues in China.

Courtesy of Wu Chu

I was not only impressed by its elegant interior design but, when the waiter presented a hand-written menu to me, I was bowled over by their ingenuity. Wu Chu ticks all the boxes: well-made broth, fresh, no-addictive ingredients and an elegant dining experience.

I ordered the twin pot (89 yuan), comprising of both white and red broths for a full experience. The white broth is made with so many ingredients over eight hours without using chicken essence powder and MSG.

The waiter will serve you a bowl of well-cooked white soup to start off the hot pot experience.The red broth is the authentic Chengdu hotpot broth, made from a variety of chili and spices. When the steaming vat of chili oil is slowly de-coagualting into a bubbling, fragrant soup of bobbing chill and peppercorns, the soup is ready and you can throw your orders into the boiling pot.

Wu Chu only offers the best ingredients they can find in the market. It’s probably more expensive than most of the hotpot joints, but justifiably so given the ambient surroundings and quality of produce. There are premium meats from Australia, freshly cut green vegetables cut right outside the restaurant and other delicacies.

The mild broth allows the natural tastes of the beef, pork, lamb and seafood to shine, but for more flavors, I liked most of my orders in the spicy red broth, the essence of a Sichuan hotpot.

Info

Opening hours: 11am-11pm

Tel: 6330-6887

Address: 3/F, No. 300 Huaihai Rd M.

Average per person: 200 yuan

Food: ★★★★★

Service：★★★★☆

Ambience：★★★★★