Hot Pots – the Non-Chinese style part 1

Last updated on February 13, 2016

On a cold winter day like today, nothing is more comforting than sitting in front of a hot pot with friends and family. You are warm, there is soup; there is meat and vegetables; you can put anything in there you want; you can pick your own sauce. The only thing I would complain about hot pot is the amount of dishes I have to do afterwards. I’m not a fan of dishwasher, and against paper/ plastic-wares. So my solution to that is to eat out. There are a lot of Chinese hot pot places we can go to in the city, some of the best ones are in Queens, but I am recommending 2 hotpot places that are not Chinese.
The first one is right in the city. It has been around for quite some years now. Over the years, we have been back again and again, and the quality is very consistent.
Hakata Tonton, a little hole-in-the-wall place in the village, serving hotpot Japanese style year around. This is not a regular shabu-shabu place, in fact, it has nothing to do with beef, but everything to do with pork- The logo of the the place is a pig’s nose, and the front cover of the menu stated “I heart pork”!!! Hakata is a town in Fukuoka, known for their rich pork broth ramen. Hakata Tonton utilizes that broth and turn it into hot pot soup base. Yes, that rich, white creamy soup that is so good, you can drink it by itself.
All the hot pots are half cook before it is brought to the table. It will keep boiling down with the help of a little stove, and keep it hot while you enjoy it.

HAKATA TONTON Hot Pot (min. 2 orders)$13
A specialty of Hakata, Japan. Collagen broth, tofu, dumplings, vegetables, berkshire pork belly and tonsoku

The namesake hot pot comes with tofu, homemade pork dumplings, veggies, pork belly and tonsoku. You can order additional sides if you don’t have enough. But the portions are petty generous. And if that is still not enough, with an extra $4, you can choose to add ramen or rice to the pot, to make full use of that tasty, cooked down broth. There are 4 kinds of hot pots, and occasionally, there is a fourth broth which is in red. Honestly, there are no bad choice here, just pick one, sit back, and watch it bubbling down into a delightful, comforting bowl that warms your heart.

Shabu Shabu Hot Pot ( min. 2 orders) $17
Collagen broth, vegetables, thin sliced Berkshire pork sirloin and pork belly

Grill Pork Tonsoku with scallion and ponzu sauce

Grill Pork Tonsoku with spicy garlic sauce

Sauteed Pork Tongue w/scallions

Foie Gras Inari Sushi 

However, the hot pot is not the only star at Hakata Tonton. The Tonsoku is the true lead. Before diving into the hotpot, we tried the speciality tonsoku, with scallion and ponzu sauce and spicy garlic sauce. Both are absolutely delicious. I recommend to ditch your manner and eat it with your fingers, and suck every tiny bit of meat out. If you want less messy and more meat, go with the sauteed pork tongue. We also couldn’t help ourselves but ordered the foie gras sushi. Yes, the sauce was a little excessive, and it is a little sweet, but it is only $5 a piece. And since I am indulging myself, the soba crème brulee with black sesame ice cream is great note to end the night.

*Note: Hakata Tonton is a very cozy place, reservation is strongly recommended.