Chong Qing Lau Huo Guo Steamboat at Kelawai Road, Penang 重庆老火锅

There will always be a time every now and again where one might crave for something soupy and spicy, and that’s when one is due to enjoy a steamboat meal. Several have mushroomed across the state of Penang over the last couple of years. One that particularly stands out is Chong Qing Lau Huo Guo Steamboat 重庆老火锅, located on the bustling Kelawai Road.

The restaurant with Oriental interior design and ambience is not only a popular hot-pot spot but, it is also a dim sum place in the morning. Do take note that there is another branch over at Icon City at Bukit Mertajam, with its operating hours differing slightly from this outlet.

Diners will be spoilt for choice with its varieties of soup, from the authentic Chongqing spicy mala to herbal mushroom chicken soup, healthy golden soup, tomato soup, Thai Tomyam soup, pork soup and the pickled radish old duck soup.

On our hot pot night outing, we had a bubbling hot pot soup with two choices of soup – Chongqing spicy mala soup and the non-spicy pickled radish old duck soup. The latter is overflowing with poultry goodness from the long hours of brewing with bones and trimmings.

As we stirred the ladle on the spicy soup, we noticed a lot of ingredients was used in the preparation. Each spoonful of the soup offers numbing sensation from the plentiful Sichuan peppercorn (huajiao).

The restaurant serves up a lengthy menu of ingredients. For the meat lovers there are paper-thin slices of pork, beef and lamb besides homemade pork balls, beef balls and mutton balls. It takes merely a few seconds to cook the thin slices of meat, which is uniquely served on a rack resembling laundry towels across a field.

Minced pork paste and pig blood cubes are also popular items and are thoroughly enjoyable. The gelatinous texture of the pig blood cubes turns out mouthwatering and made us yearn for more.

Thinly sliced pork belly

Blood cubes

Minced pork and pork balls

Broth is topped up from time to time. We rounded off the hot pot with leafy green vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, black fungus and some noodles.

Many steamboat restaurants have taken on the concept of providing varieties of dipping sauce and condiments to go with the meal. Here, there are many choices and diners just need to top up RM2 per person which is inclusive of fresh fruits.

To keep it simple, it is great to have some freshly cut spring onions which brightened up the meal and also garlic which enhances with its sharp, pungent taste.

We leave with a huge belly to boot. Food portions are generous with its higher price, albeit with a beautiful setting and comfortable seating.

Coupled with late business hours from 5pm until 5am, Chong Qing Lau Huo Guo Steamboat at Kelawai Road, Penang 重庆老火锅 makes for an ideal hot pot place for many to enjoy a warm bubbling meal.

Chong Qing Lau Huo Guo Steamboat 重庆老火锅
41 Jalan Kelawai
10250 George Town
Penang

Tel: 04 – 2295155

Dim Sum Operating Hours: 6.30am – 2pm daily
Hotpot Operating Hours: 5pm – 5am daily