Good day foodies! Today’s all about hotpot, one of our all-time favourite meals. Like, who doesn’t love a hearty piping pot of soup where a bunch of people could just gather and feast? We believe many of you are no stranger to the authentic Chengdu hotpot chain, Xiao Long Kan which recently took over the Internet by storm. They’ve opened up one up north, in Penang. So is it really worth the hype? Hop on the foodventure train and explore Xiao Long Kan Penang with us!
About Xiao Long Kan Penang:
What used to be Starbucks at Sunrise Tower has now been replaced by the famous Chinese hotpot chain, Xiao Long Kan. For those of you who didn’t know, they originate from the land of Chengdu and has been serving thousands of hotpot lovers since 2014. Offering an array of fresh ingredients and a selection of delicious broths, Xiao Long Kan is also known to serve innards, which we’ll talk about later on.
The facade and interior boast an oriental vibe, from lighting to carvings and Chinese paintings hanging casually on the wall. Bookings are highly recommended as the seats quite limited in our opinion.
Here’s What We Ordered:
Can we just take a moment to appreciate how perfect is this flatlay? As usual, we have no self-control when it comes to ordering.
Xiao Long Kan Penang offers 4 soup bases and one can simply try up to 3 different broths at once. We got ourselves the signature mala soup, tomato soup and pork bone soup. Mala soup is customizable according to your desired level of spiciness. Unlike other hotpot places that offers a whole table of sauces and condiments, this place keeps it basic as they emphasize on the flavors and freshness of ingredients. You can definitely customize to suit your personal preference, or leave it to the staff, and let them make you their secret sauce.
Moving on to proteins, while Xiao Long Kan Penang offers an array of meat and seafood selection, there’s also a premium selection. The more notable ingredients would be Grouper Fish Fillet and Australian A5 Beef, which both were beautifully placed on ice to resemble a mountain while still keeping the meats fresh. Tip: Throw the beef slices in mala soup for ultimate potent, melt-in-your-mouth sensation. Or, dip it in the “secret sauce” for extra flavor.
One must not miss out their bestselling Rose Meatball, and yes, the rose petals are edible and meant to be paired together with their handmade meatballs. Flavor wise, interesting. We’d recommend dipping it into the pork bone soup to get a more distinct floral aftertaste. Shrimp Paste is yet another star item here at Xiao Long Kan Penang. Freshly made, the flavor was pretty subtle and tasted almost like fish balls.
Also Read: 10 Fabulous Spots to Countdown for New Year 2020 in Penang
The Innards We’ve Been Talking About:
To be honest, we were quite intimidated to try them out, but Chinese hotpot experts would know how good they are. Innards are basically a staple in authentic Chinese hotpot places. What looked like abalone slices were Pork Aorta. The texture was pretty chewy and had a hint of pork taste, which we quite enjoyed. Another one, Crystal Glass Duck Intestine is aesthetically placed in an ice ball. Throw them into the tomato or mala soup base for better flavor absorption, texture was a bit jelly-like and tasted like regular meat.
To tone things down a little, try out the Sliced Bamboo Shoots. The glistening bamboo shoots were freshly prepared and has a crunch to it. They have a hint of sweetness and pretty light in general, perfect as refreshments. Add vegetables to your soup base to enhance the sweetness of broth.
A hotpot experience ain’t complete without some booze. What’s better? Pair your drink or two with some snacks or side dishes, the true Asian way of drinking. We got ourselves some Deep Fried Mantis Prawn and their signature Rice Cake with Brown Sugar Syrup and both were awesome. Especially the rice cakes, fried on the outside but chewy on the inside.
Not a fan of hotpot? The only reason that we could think of would be the hotpot smell that lingers on your clothes, bag, hair, basically your WHOLE BODY. Thankfully Xiao Long Kan Penang offered a solution, an air freshener for human. Simply stand in front of the air freshener for 7 seconds and you’ll smell like you just got out of the shower.
Verdict on Xiao Long Kan Penang:
You know what we gotta say based on the pictures that could potentially make anyone drool. Definitely a great hotpot experience, especially if you’re coming in a big bunch, the more the merrier. Though price is on the higher side, the quality of soup and ingredients provided were top notch. If you have yet to try out Xiao Long Kan Penang, now’s the time to dial their number and book a table ASAP. Don’t forget to share this to all your hotpot friends and jio them to feast together, buh bye!
Xiao Long Kan Penang
Address: 190 – 192, Sunrise Tower, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang.
Operating Hour: 12 p.m.-2 a.m. (Daily)
Contact: 012-478 9982
More Info: https://www.facebook.com/xiaolongkanpenang/
