Sea urchin hotpot

On a cold winter night there are few things more enjoyable than eating a brimming hotpot, be it done in mild clear soup or sizzling spicy soup. There are many hotpot varieties, the ingredients depending on which region of China you are in. But have you heard of sea urchin hotpot? This Japanese-style hotpot has just hit Beijing, brought in by a Japanese restaurant called Qingjiu in the Liangmaqiao area.

Qingjiu offers a sea urchin hotpot set at 298 yuan ($45), suggested for two, and the set includes sea urchin, akagai (ark shell clam), flatfish, tofu and assorted vegetables. Fresh raw sea urchin, tasting light, sweet and briny, can be enjoyed in a sashimi style. When it comes to hotpot, dip the sea urchin into the boiling soup for just a few seconds, otherwise it will lose the sweet deliciousness. Like many other versions of hotpot, the essence usually comes down to the broth. Qingjiu's base soup for sea urchin is made of creamy sea urchins, giving it a superb umami flavor and a yellowish hue. After finishing the main meal the taste treats continue. Once you have cooked all the ingredients in the soup, put a bowl of rice into what is left of the soup heated by the gas burner and make a bowl of tasty sea urchin porridge.

The restaurant is open daily 11:30 am-2pm and 5:30m-10 pm; 010-8595-2527; second floor, Buluofangzhou Plaza, 39 Maizidian West Street, Chaoyang district, Beijing.