The Authentic "DingWang Spicy Hotpot" in Taibei / 鼎王麻辣锅

Continuing on with my Asian trip, I arrived in the city of Taipei, which is the capital of Taiwan island. My first impression was how very modern and beautiful this place is, with it's delicious foods and pleasant locals.

On our first night, I had the opportunity to visit one of the famous hotpot venues here called DingWang Spicy Hotpot. The traditional oriental "hotpot", also known as “Chinese Fondue”, is one of the most popular meals in China. It is basically a simmering metal pot containing broth and placed at the centre of a table, with a selection of raw ingredients served up on a variety of plates. In fact, people can cook and add whatever they like into the broth. It's all very interchangeable.

It is considered one of the ultimate communal dining experiences of the far east. The more people, the more enjoyable the experience. Friends and family sitting around a dining table, dipping prepared meats, seafood and vegetables into that tasty soup and sampling those fresh flavours. It is so delicious and too much fun, lol!

After arriving at the restaurant, there is a waiting area outside where people were already queuing. Luckily, we had already booked in advance. The establishment was presented in authentic looking Chinese themed decor, which went perfectly with the hotpot motif.

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My colleague and I ordered various types of thinly-sliced meats and seafood, including shellfish and fish balls, mushrooms and leafy greens, and finally dumplings and tofu. The hotpot base we chose was twin flavoured, with one side being a "duck blood and spicy tofu" soup and the other a "pickled white meat" broth. Both soups can be added for free, which provides additional value for customer.

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My favourites of the raw ingredients on offer, were the "beef short ribs". They were cut into very thin slices so only took a minute or so to cook. The end result was both tender and delicious! In addition, the waitress brought over a portion of Cuttlefish which was served in a cake paste. The bouncy and springy texture was absolytely amazing! Also, the "pork intestine" was quite enjoyable. I like to leave them in the hot pot a little longer to really soak up the flavours of the broth.

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The spicy sauce used in the buffet sauce area, was really delicious! Lastly, they provide an unlimited supply of steamed rice so you are almost guaranteed to leave fully satisfied, lol.

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The food quality is super good and fresh. Even their "apple tea" was amazing. The service was the best as well, adding to an already fantastic time there. Upon every visit to the table, the waiter would bow to you at an almost 90 degree after they served you, to show respect. This, for me, is a must-visit restaurant in the awesome city of Taipei.

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继续我的亚洲之旅，我来到了台北，这是台湾的首都。我的第一印象是这个地方虽然小却很丰富。整个城市有一种现代文化艺术气息的味道，更有不少令人垂涎的美食，呵呵。

在我到达的第一个晚上，我和同事经酒店推荐来到了一家名叫鼎王麻辣锅的饭店。火锅是一种中国独创的美食，历史悠久并广受欢迎。 它其实就是使用陶锅，把生肉和菜以“烫煮”的方式食用，让人吃得酣畅淋漓，很过瘾，所以很多人爱吃！

火锅不但好吃，也讲究一种氛围。它就是一种你来我往的聚餐形式，亲朋好友聚集在一起，轻松愉快，和谐融洽。

我们到达鼎王麻辣锅的时候，外面已经有人排队了。幸好酒店已经帮我们预定了位置，呵呵。走进店里，发现这里有很浓的中国风，而且座位都是包厢形式的，坐起来十分舒适。

我和同事俩人叫了个鸳鸯锅，一边是小辣的麻辣锅底，一边是酸菜白肉锅，都是以多种蔬菜搭配特殊配方熬制而成的。麻辣锅里有大块大块的鸭血和豆腐，都很入味哦！这两款汤底都可以免费任加，简直是超值，呵呵！

我的同事和我点了各种各样的肉，也有贝类和鱼丸等海鲜，蘑菇和绿叶蔬菜，最后还有饺子。我最爱“牛肉排”。肉被切得很薄一片，只需要放进锅里一分钟左右的时间来烹饪。出来的肉鲜嫩美味，超好吃！此外，服务员带来了一份本店特色墨鱼酱糕。大家可以按照自己想吃的份量来放进锅里，肉质非常有鲜甜也很有弹性！猪肠也不错，我喜欢把它放在锅里稍微久一点，让猪肠把肉汤的味道吸收就更好吃了，呵呵!

在自助区供应的酸菜沾酱和麻辣沾酱，味道也不错。他们还有无限量的白米饭供应哦！

鼎王麻辣锅的食材新鲜，汤头也是用料十足，口感非常好。服务员们都穿着中式制服，每次来我们桌子都九十度鞠躬，非常有传统中国宫廷式礼仪，让我印象非常深刻！如果大家有机会来台北的话，不要错过这家餐厅哦，呵呵！

My video is at DLive