1 00:00:00,900 --> 00:00:01,590 Lucy Dearlove: This is Lecker. I'm Lucy Dearlove. This 2 00:00:16,830 --> 00:00:17,610 month...Hot Pot is for Everyone, with Melanie Xu. 3 00:00:18,060 --> 00:00:21,990 Melanie Xu: Let's buy some coriander for dipping sauce. 4 00:00:22,080 --> 00:00:22,680 Lucy Dearlove: Great. 5 00:00:23,250 --> 00:00:26,040 Melanie Xu: And let's get some mushrooms as well. 6 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:33,510 We've got some Chinese leaf at home already 7 00:00:34,740 --> 00:00:37,590 for some veggies to go in...could get some...let's get 8 00:00:37,590 --> 00:00:41,010 some Morning Glory, that'll be nice. 9 00:00:43,830 --> 00:00:46,710 I really like it and the little hollow tubes are very good for 10 00:00:47,250 --> 00:00:47,880 hot pot. 11 00:00:48,150 --> 00:00:49,440 Where is Andrew with his trolley? 12 00:00:55,450 --> 00:00:58,390 Lucy Dearlove: I guess I should probably take a step back and 13 00:00:58,390 --> 00:01:02,110 ask you to explain what it is to somebody... if somebody had 14 00:01:02,110 --> 00:01:04,150 never heard of it before, how would you describe it? 15 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,680 Melanie Xu: Yeah, so I would say hot pot, I guess in its like, 16 00:01:09,550 --> 00:01:14,170 basest, most simplest form, I would consider hot pot, as we're 17 00:01:14,170 --> 00:01:20,620 discussing it to be like, you take a big bowl of broth of some 18 00:01:20,620 --> 00:01:23,680 sort, flavoured broth of some sort. And then it comes on the 19 00:01:23,830 --> 00:01:27,340 dinner table. And there needs to be a heat source. And then what 20 00:01:27,340 --> 00:01:30,880 you do is you put in all your raw ingredients, and you cook it 21 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,490 in that broth, and you eat that at the table. I think those are 22 00:01:33,490 --> 00:01:35,800 what...that's what I would consider to be like, the 23 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,470 fundamental sort of pillars. 24 00:01:41,890 --> 00:01:43,630 Lucy Dearlove: Oh is that the one where you cut it and it's 25 00:01:43,630 --> 00:01:44,950 got the holes in it? 26 00:01:44,980 --> 00:01:45,580 Melanie Xu: Yeah. 27 00:01:45,610 --> 00:01:46,480 Lucy Dearlove: I've never seen it whole 28 00:01:46,570 --> 00:01:50,920 Melanie Xu: It's soooo tasty in hot pot...and just so tasty in 29 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:52,300 general. Big fan. 30 00:01:53,920 --> 00:02:01,000 Let's get some....soy bean sprouts. 31 00:02:01,030 --> 00:02:02,410 Lucy Dearlove: Soy bean sprouts! Great. 32 00:02:04,790 --> 00:02:06,830 Melanie Xu: Which are nice and soupy. 33 00:02:07,220 --> 00:02:09,200 Because I know there's like other things that are like 34 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,330 called hot pot and like that sort of thing. 35 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:15,950 Melanie Xu: Yeah, a Lancashire hot pot and like I think, you 36 00:02:11,310 --> 00:02:12,360 Lucy Dearlove: Like a Lancashire hot pot! 37 00:02:15,950 --> 00:02:19,700 know, like certain sort of, like, Korean stews as well, but 38 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,750 when I think about like hot pot I think of cooking it at the 39 00:02:23,750 --> 00:02:27,590 table in a broth, and like, you know, that broth gets kind of 40 00:02:27,590 --> 00:02:30,500 like, cooked down, like more complicated over time. And like 41 00:02:30,500 --> 00:02:32,960 you eat it over time and that sort of thing. I think like, for 42 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,730 me, it's like you're actively cooking all the time, you know, 43 00:02:37,730 --> 00:02:40,970 because there are like instances of it that you get kind of, sort 44 00:02:40,970 --> 00:02:45,710 of the ingredients are all in the pot and like the broth's in 45 00:02:45,710 --> 00:02:48,170 there. And you cook it and then you bring it over and like 46 00:02:48,170 --> 00:02:51,080 that's also a hot pot, but I wouldn't consider it the same 47 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:52,700 type of hot pot, if that makes sense. 48 00:02:52,730 --> 00:02:53,420 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, yeah. 49 00:02:53,420 --> 00:02:56,090 Melanie Xu: So like maybe splitting hairs but like... 50 00:02:56,660 --> 00:02:58,370 Lucy Dearlove: No, it's you answering the question, you 51 00:02:58,370 --> 00:03:01,250 know, you can be as as dictatorial as you like! 52 00:03:01,310 --> 00:03:03,500 Melanie Xu: But for me, it's definitely like there's a heat 53 00:03:03,500 --> 00:03:07,400 source on the table. There's a big bowl of broth in the middle 54 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,490 of the table and the idea is that you're like cooking things 55 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,670 in that to like eat and you can do that kind of like as a 56 00:03:13,670 --> 00:03:14,630 constant stream. 57 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:18,140 Lucy Dearlove: Wow this place is amazing. 58 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,300 Melanie Xu: I love it so much 59 00:03:22,190 --> 00:03:23,360 Lucy Dearlove: Like, genuinely incredible. 60 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,750 Melanie Xu: There are closer like Chinese supermarkets to us, 61 00:03:26,750 --> 00:03:28,520 but it's just not as good and I love it. 62 00:03:29,420 --> 00:03:30,320 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah that's fair. 63 00:03:31,820 --> 00:03:40,610 Melanie Xu: So...let's get some tofu. Got some of that already, 64 00:03:40,910 --> 00:03:43,850 deep fried tofu. Think we've got some rice cakes at home 65 00:03:43,850 --> 00:03:50,810 actually. So we can put those in. And let's put in...let's get 66 00:03:50,810 --> 00:03:51,410 some of this. 67 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:56,520 When it comes to hot pot, I'm very much like obsessed with the 68 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,170 vegetables and like the vegetarian side of it. So I like 69 00:04:01,170 --> 00:04:04,380 the meaty bits and they're good. And I certainly wouldn't like 70 00:04:04,410 --> 00:04:09,120 skip out on it. But like personally I'm just very 71 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:13,140 obsessed with having a really big variety of like vegetables 72 00:04:13,140 --> 00:04:15,570 and stuff because they soak up all the broth and like that's 73 00:04:15,570 --> 00:04:18,360 where you get all the different textures and stuff. Absolutely, 74 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:22,890 we'd have like lotus root, love some like bamboo sheets there, 75 00:04:22,890 --> 00:04:27,360 like you know, a ridiculous variety of different tofus is 76 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,260 like ideal, loads of different types of mushrooms are also 77 00:04:31,260 --> 00:04:36,300 great in it...like lots of kind of like leafy greens because 78 00:04:36,300 --> 00:04:39,300 they kind of like soak up all of the oil and the sauce and it's 79 00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:42,630 sort of...I just love anything that like takes up all the 80 00:04:42,630 --> 00:04:46,290 flavour of the spicy broth basically. So yeah, like for me 81 00:04:46,290 --> 00:04:48,510 it's actually like loads of vegetables. 82 00:04:48,900 --> 00:04:54,960 Right? I'm gonna get us some of the frozen meats, thinly cut 83 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:55,440 ones. 84 00:04:58,830 --> 00:04:59,670 Lucy Dearlove: Oh yeah. 85 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:05,820 Melanie Xu: Get some of that. And then. I think over there 86 00:05:05,820 --> 00:05:08,820 they'll have some like lamb, lamb as well. So it's kind of 87 00:05:09,660 --> 00:05:12,600 like...normally it's like thinly cooked beef or thinly cut lamb. 88 00:05:13,110 --> 00:05:16,530 You can have chicken and pork and stuff as well. It's just, 89 00:05:17,370 --> 00:05:18,480 it's just a preference. 90 00:05:21,630 --> 00:05:23,520 Europe's number one sliced meat brand! 91 00:05:25,860 --> 00:05:27,540 What else shall we go for? Ummmm... 92 00:05:28,620 --> 00:05:33,750 My one caveat is...you have to have spam. Like, will not accept 93 00:05:33,810 --> 00:05:36,780 hotpot without spam. I mean, obviously, I will. But I would 94 00:05:36,780 --> 00:05:38,070 really encourage everybody.... 95 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:39,080 Lucy Dearlove: It will not go unnoticed! 96 00:05:39,630 --> 00:05:41,790 Melanie Xu: I would really encourage everyone to have spam 97 00:05:41,790 --> 00:05:43,560 in the hot pot, because it's just perfect and delicious. 98 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:44,720 Lucy Dearlove: Do you just slice it and put it in? 99 00:05:44,750 --> 00:05:47,300 Melanie Xu: Yeah, just slice it and put it in. It's delicious. 100 00:05:47,750 --> 00:05:48,290 Game Changer. 101 00:05:48,290 --> 00:05:49,820 Lucy Dearlove: I've never had it...non fried. 102 00:05:49,870 --> 00:05:50,500 Melanie Xu: Really? 103 00:05:50,500 --> 00:05:50,830 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah. 104 00:05:50,830 --> 00:05:52,750 Melanie Xu: Right, it's great. It's amazing. It's one of my 105 00:05:52,750 --> 00:05:55,900 favourite things. We've always had it like...or like luncheon 106 00:05:55,900 --> 00:06:00,640 meat in like some form like, like, it's always been part of 107 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:01,990 like, hot pot for me. 108 00:06:02,260 --> 00:06:04,780 Lucy Dearlove: So how do you generally approach like buying 109 00:06:04,810 --> 00:06:07,180 hot pot ingredients? Like, do you have like a number per 110 00:06:07,180 --> 00:06:10,570 person? Or like, do you not really think about that? 111 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,420 Melanie Xu: No, because I'm like a chronic over feeder. So 112 00:06:13,420 --> 00:06:16,360 basically, it's always fine. I always put too much. 113 00:06:17,860 --> 00:06:18,940 Lucy Dearlove: It's much better that way though! 114 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,810 Melanie Xu: I'm probably more just a...going into the shop, 115 00:06:22,810 --> 00:06:25,660 seeing what there is and being like, this is what I'd like to 116 00:06:25,660 --> 00:06:29,980 have today kind of feeling. But every time we have hot pot at 117 00:06:29,980 --> 00:06:33,910 home, I always make far too much of it....I chop too much up. And 118 00:06:33,910 --> 00:06:36,610 then we're like eating chopped up stuff for days... 119 00:06:37,150 --> 00:06:39,250 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah what's the leftover situation like? 120 00:06:39,870 --> 00:06:41,400 Melanie Xu: It's fine. Because it's like, uncooked stuff right? 121 00:06:41,410 --> 00:06:42,760 Lucy Dearlove: Oh, yeah, yeah...so you've just got 122 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,675 Melanie Xu: Yeah, you can, like use it for other things or you 123 00:06:43,000 --> 00:07:02,830 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, I understand that. 124 00:06:43,090 --> 00:06:43,180 raw....? 125 00:06:45,728 --> 00:06:49,046 can do a sort of like Gan Guo thing, which is basically like a 126 00:06:49,100 --> 00:06:52,417 dry hot pot. Like you can stir fry it with the stuff. It's not 127 00:06:52,471 --> 00:06:55,842 really too much of a problem and like, not enough food makes me 128 00:06:55,895 --> 00:06:59,266 very nervous. I don't know why, like, really, I can't deal with 129 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:01,300 it. It makes me really like stressed. 130 00:07:07,450 --> 00:07:09,970 Melanie Xu: The other thing that I like, but I don't ever really 131 00:07:10,090 --> 00:07:14,290 do at home, partly because if I'm honest I don't know entirely 132 00:07:14,290 --> 00:07:16,690 where to get it. And like I'm not very good at like prepping 133 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,290 offal, but like so...I'm not a big offal person. That's what I 134 00:07:20,290 --> 00:07:23,380 will confess. And I always feel like a little bit ashamed 135 00:07:23,380 --> 00:07:25,780 because I feel like I should be more of an offall person. And 136 00:07:25,780 --> 00:07:27,880 you know, it's very good to eat all parts of the animal. I agree 137 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,790 with all of that. But I never really find myself thinking, 138 00:07:30,850 --> 00:07:34,720 mmm I just really want to eat some kidneys right now. But 139 00:07:34,810 --> 00:07:38,650 offal in hot pot is like, great. Like, it's a great vehicle for 140 00:07:38,650 --> 00:07:40,870 it. Like, you know, like the flavours are really like good 141 00:07:40,870 --> 00:07:44,170 and strong. So I think for someone like me, who sometimes 142 00:07:44,170 --> 00:07:48,040 finds like offal, like a bit too, sort of like, yeah, like a 143 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,350 bit bold. It's really good because it really kind of like 144 00:07:50,350 --> 00:07:53,260 covers all of that up and then all the stuff. Yeah, and then 145 00:07:53,260 --> 00:07:55,600 you're just like in there with all the good textures because 146 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:57,820 like I get it from like a texture point of view. So kinda 147 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,030 like...there's a lot of like stomach and like, I think 148 00:08:01,690 --> 00:08:04,840 when...we often have like, kind of like duck intestines and 149 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,860 stuff and like, so when we go back to like China or like go to 150 00:08:08,860 --> 00:08:11,170 a restaurant that's kind of prepping all this stuff. It's 151 00:08:11,170 --> 00:08:11,950 quite nice to 152 00:08:12,010 --> 00:08:14,320 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, that would be intense to prep that. 153 00:08:14,310 --> 00:08:16,658 Melanie Xu: Yeah, I don't even know where to start, to be 154 00:08:16,710 --> 00:08:19,737 honest, there would be a lot of Googling and then a lot of 155 00:08:19,789 --> 00:08:22,764 like...I still don't know if this is right! A really good 156 00:08:22,816 --> 00:08:26,000 friend of mine. His mom is like an absolutely phenomenal cook 157 00:08:26,052 --> 00:08:29,444 slash chef. And I remember going to her home for hot pot and they 158 00:08:29,496 --> 00:08:32,628 do it like quite differently to us actually. So they kind of 159 00:08:32,680 --> 00:08:35,759 like eat it almost in sort of like courses, so it's kind of 160 00:08:35,811 --> 00:08:38,629 like all of like this ingredient's gonna go in now and 161 00:08:38,682 --> 00:08:42,074 they're gonna cook it and stuff. So they did that with with like, 162 00:08:42,126 --> 00:08:45,101 kind of a sort of like offaly starter kind of thing. So I 163 00:08:45,153 --> 00:08:48,284 think like all the like little chicken hearts went in it and 164 00:08:48,337 --> 00:08:51,207 like we all just had like chicken hearts for a bit. And 165 00:08:51,259 --> 00:08:54,651 then like some of the intestines went in and we did that and that 166 00:08:51,770 --> 00:08:56,960 Lucy Dearlove: Very organized hot pot. 167 00:08:54,704 --> 00:08:55,800 was really delicious. 168 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,660 Melanie Xu: Yes. A very different way of doing it. But I 169 00:08:59,660 --> 00:09:03,860 like that, like I feel like hot pot's very kind of like, you 170 00:09:03,860 --> 00:09:07,640 know, flexible, you can do whatever you want with it. And 171 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:13,040 like, I don't know, it's one of those things where I...it's just 172 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,310 not too precious, you know? Like, like, it's sort of like, 173 00:09:16,310 --> 00:09:16,940 well... 174 00:09:17,930 --> 00:09:18,740 Lucy Dearlove: it's what you make of it. 175 00:09:18,770 --> 00:09:22,310 Melanie Xu: Yeah, exactly. And yeah, that's why I kind of like 176 00:09:22,310 --> 00:09:23,750 really like, about it, it's good. 177 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:31,220 I think the only order I have are there are are certain things 178 00:09:31,220 --> 00:09:32,600 that like take longer to cook. 179 00:09:32,630 --> 00:09:33,050 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah. 180 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,460 Melanie Xu: So like the lotus root, for example. And like 181 00:09:35,460 --> 00:09:37,710 sometimes people put like potato in and things like that. They 182 00:09:37,710 --> 00:09:40,590 just like go in first. Yeah. And then they're just like, you just 183 00:09:40,590 --> 00:09:44,610 leave them until they're done. But otherwise and I'm very much 184 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,010 a like, you throw in a bit of everything and then you just 185 00:09:47,010 --> 00:09:51,120 fish out what you want kind of thing. And like I'm very kinda 186 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:56,730 like, I'm very pro sort of like, you just kind of dump in en 187 00:09:56,730 --> 00:10:00,990 masse, and then people pick out what they want. I, I have 188 00:10:00,990 --> 00:10:04,110 definitely like seen hot pot etiquette stuff where it's like, 189 00:10:04,110 --> 00:10:06,510 you can't take other people's things. And I'm like, What is 190 00:10:06,510 --> 00:10:08,700 that on about? Like, how do you even know what's your thing? 191 00:10:09,060 --> 00:10:11,700 Once it's in the pot, it's in the communal pot, guys. Like, 192 00:10:11,700 --> 00:10:12,300 Lucy Dearlove: It's fair game! 193 00:10:12,330 --> 00:10:14,040 Melanie Xu: Yeah, it's fair game... you just take out like, 194 00:10:14,130 --> 00:10:17,700 you know, don't be a dick! Because if someone's, I don't 195 00:10:17,700 --> 00:10:20,730 know, really desperately eyeing up something, don't take it from 196 00:10:20,730 --> 00:10:27,090 them! But otherwise, like, I've never, yeah, I've never felt 197 00:10:27,090 --> 00:10:30,660 like there's any particular rules. Maybe I'm just blindly 198 00:10:30,660 --> 00:10:33,600 wading through hot pot, like, offending everyone that I know, 199 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,430 but no one's said anything to me about it. 200 00:10:35,430 --> 00:10:36,990 Lucy Dearlove: Or maybe you're the true expert. 201 00:10:37,020 --> 00:10:39,990 Melanie Xu: Maybe, I don't know. I don't know if that's true 202 00:10:39,990 --> 00:10:42,420 either. But certainly, I've never felt like there's this 203 00:10:42,420 --> 00:10:44,910 sort of like, oh, I put this in. So it's mine. 204 00:10:44,940 --> 00:10:46,080 Lucy Dearlove: Right, right. 205 00:10:46,260 --> 00:10:48,240 Melanie Xu: I think the only time when that is obvious is 206 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,240 kinda like if you put in sort of like, the really thinly sliced 207 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,840 meats that you often get, or like, offal, so they don't go in 208 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:55,440 for very long. 209 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:56,260 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah. 210 00:10:56,260 --> 00:10:59,020 Melanie Xu: Often you like, hold on to that in your chopsticks? 211 00:10:59,230 --> 00:11:03,370 In which case, no one's gonna take it. But that's like, you 212 00:11:03,370 --> 00:11:07,480 know, the reason for that is about timing. It's not to...hold 213 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:12,880 on to it. Like YOUR food. I feel like...Yeah, like that...I 214 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:14,170 protest against that. 215 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:16,930 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, I think that's fair. It's kind of goes 216 00:11:16,930 --> 00:11:19,180 against the ethos of this, like communal... 217 00:11:19,210 --> 00:11:20,860 Melanie Xu: Once it's in the pot? I think it's like, it's 218 00:11:20,860 --> 00:11:23,770 everyone's pot. That's what I think. You can just take what 219 00:11:23,770 --> 00:11:26,080 you want. It's absolutely fine. 220 00:11:32,560 --> 00:11:34,750 Lucy Dearlove: So have you got the base? 221 00:11:34,930 --> 00:11:39,190 Melanie Xu: Yeah. So they do sell bases...where are they? Oh, 222 00:11:39,190 --> 00:11:50,020 here. Yeah. So the one I get is very similar to this. But I 223 00:11:50,020 --> 00:11:56,350 basically just tend to when we go back to China, I will 224 00:11:56,380 --> 00:11:59,170 normally tell someone stuff that I want, and then my cousin will 225 00:11:59,170 --> 00:12:04,060 buy them for me or send them across. Premade bases is really 226 00:12:04,060 --> 00:12:08,200 what I would recommend, because they're really good. And they 227 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:12,130 make things very easy, basically. Yeah. And like, can 228 00:12:12,130 --> 00:12:15,190 make your own but you know, like, why? When you can just buy 229 00:12:15,190 --> 00:12:19,210 a block of it for like £4. And they probably do it a lot better 230 00:12:19,210 --> 00:12:22,060 than I could, to be honest. I mean, I guess that's 231 00:12:22,060 --> 00:12:26,080 specifically to like, Ma La hot pot. I think there are other hot 232 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:30,880 pots which are quite easy to do at home. Yeah. Alright, let's 233 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:31,120 go. 234 00:12:32,770 --> 00:12:35,410 I've literally never done a shop this speedy before. 235 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,140 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, that was impressive. 236 00:13:03,170 --> 00:13:05,300 Melanie Xu: So I'm from Chongqing and like, there's 237 00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:08,900 like, special sort of like Chongqing Ma La like hot 238 00:13:08,990 --> 00:13:11,780 pots...so like the spicy, sort like Sichuan peppercorn hot pot. 239 00:13:11,780 --> 00:13:14,900 And to be honest, that's pretty much all I ever have and like, 240 00:13:14,900 --> 00:13:18,290 what I'm obsessed with. And what I'm gonna eat. And like I'm 241 00:13:18,290 --> 00:13:21,470 fully aware that there's like a million different varieties of 242 00:13:21,470 --> 00:13:25,250 hot pot and I think like you can get lots of them in like London 243 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,610 and elsewhere now, but I literally just want this single 244 00:13:28,610 --> 00:13:33,200 type all the time. That's pretty much what we did, like when I 245 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,800 was like young in Newcastle with my family as well we'd go out 246 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,310 and like there would always have to be a spicy broth on the 247 00:13:40,310 --> 00:13:40,700 table. 248 00:13:41,690 --> 00:13:44,090 Lucy Dearlove: So is your first, is your like, earliest memories 249 00:13:44,090 --> 00:13:45,560 of it eating it at home? 250 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:48,710 Melanie Xu: Er, no my earliest memories of it are having it 251 00:13:48,710 --> 00:13:49,970 when we'd go back to China. 252 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:50,540 Lucy Dearlove: Okay, okay. 253 00:13:51,410 --> 00:13:54,230 Melanie Xu: So...and like I loved and like when I was a kid 254 00:13:54,230 --> 00:13:57,200 going back - and even now - like the thing that I will request 255 00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:59,930 most regularly is that we can...please can we go out for a 256 00:13:59,930 --> 00:14:02,840 hot pot meal because like I absolutely love it. Everyone 257 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,510 knows that I love hot pot so like the various people we see 258 00:14:05,510 --> 00:14:07,430 You're always like, do you want to come out for hot pot? And I'm 259 00:14:07,430 --> 00:14:14,480 like, absolutely. I will come out for hot pot...and yeah, but 260 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,510 yeah, so like my earliest memories are like going back to 261 00:14:17,510 --> 00:14:20,690 China and like being taken out for a meal and like having 262 00:14:20,690 --> 00:14:21,770 hotpot out. 263 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:22,220 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah. 264 00:14:22,370 --> 00:14:25,070 Melanie Xu: And I would love it because like, whenever we go 265 00:14:25,100 --> 00:14:28,130 back as well, like, often, it's quite a lot of people...so you 266 00:14:28,130 --> 00:14:30,770 know, like family are there or like family friends are there 267 00:14:30,770 --> 00:14:32,900 and they've brought lots of people and like my memories of 268 00:14:32,900 --> 00:14:36,200 it always, like loads of us around the table. It's like 269 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:40,160 quite noisy. It's quite chaotic. And like there's just loads of 270 00:14:40,790 --> 00:14:44,690 food and it's really fun. Like it's my favourite thing about it 271 00:14:45,770 --> 00:14:48,260 is that...it's social eating and I think that's what I love about 272 00:14:48,260 --> 00:14:50,960 you know, eating and making big meals and dinners in general, is 273 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:54,530 like the social aspect but hotpot is like that, sort of 274 00:14:54,530 --> 00:14:55,790 like very much intensified. 275 00:15:11,390 --> 00:15:15,290 Lucy Dearlove: Can you remember the first time you as an adult 276 00:15:15,350 --> 00:15:17,900 like had it? Was that like a big moment, like doing your own 277 00:15:17,900 --> 00:15:18,860 hotpot at home? 278 00:15:25,530 --> 00:15:28,110 Melanie Xu: It wasn't actually too much of a big moment. The 279 00:15:28,110 --> 00:15:31,980 first time I can remember doing hot pot as a sort of adult was 280 00:15:31,980 --> 00:15:38,250 actually at university. So...with one of my friends who 281 00:15:38,550 --> 00:15:43,770 was also there. We were such greedy, greedy people all the 282 00:15:43,770 --> 00:15:46,710 time, I can remember we were always like cooking together and 283 00:15:46,710 --> 00:15:51,510 it was so nice. It was like, such a nice like friendship and 284 00:15:51,510 --> 00:15:56,610 like relationship to like have, I think, at university where we 285 00:15:56,610 --> 00:16:02,910 were just obsessed with food. And I remember he cycled to my 286 00:16:02,910 --> 00:16:08,610 room with his rice cooker in his rucksack and we had hot pot in 287 00:16:08,610 --> 00:16:12,150 the rice cooker, like you just like plug it in and stick it on 288 00:16:12,150 --> 00:16:13,590 the warm function, so... 289 00:16:13,710 --> 00:16:14,580 Lucy Dearlove: That's genius. 290 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,030 Melanie Xu: Yeah. So that was like the first time I had like 291 00:16:17,030 --> 00:16:20,930 hotpot, kind of like at home as a sort of like adult, if that 292 00:16:20,930 --> 00:16:25,220 makes sense...we just like did it on the floor in my, in my 293 00:16:25,220 --> 00:16:29,960 like room at uni. We were going to use my rice cooker but we 294 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,630 decided it was too small which I think was right because we were 295 00:16:32,630 --> 00:16:37,580 so greedy and so he cycled with his...with his in his backpack 296 00:16:37,580 --> 00:16:39,950 and we just like got all the things out and it was great. And 297 00:16:39,950 --> 00:16:42,230 like so...it was a really great memory and I loved it and I 298 00:16:42,230 --> 00:16:45,170 remember actually like being so full, like you know when you 299 00:16:45,170 --> 00:16:48,500 actually like can feel how full you are and it kind of feels 300 00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:50,870 like you've eaten like up to like your throat? 301 00:16:51,110 --> 00:16:53,000 Lucy Dearlove: And you're like, I will never be hungry again. 302 00:16:53,030 --> 00:16:56,090 Melanie Xu: Yeah, I remember that like distinctly because we 303 00:16:56,090 --> 00:16:59,000 absolutely stuffed ourselves, but I feel like it didn't really 304 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:03,530 like clock it as like this necessarily like momentous 305 00:17:03,530 --> 00:17:06,980 occasion which was nice. So it was that transition of like 306 00:17:06,980 --> 00:17:10,250 being away from home. Like look, we can still do hot pot. 307 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:11,630 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, and doing it in your own way. 308 00:17:11,660 --> 00:17:14,480 Melanie Xu: Yeah, but it felt quite natural. I think it felt 309 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:17,120 quite like oh, we could do hot pot. Yeah, that's really easy. 310 00:17:17,120 --> 00:17:18,530 Lucy Dearlove: The rice cooker is so clever! 311 00:17:18,570 --> 00:17:21,900 Melanie Xu: Yeah, so like if you don't have a....in general, I'd 312 00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:25,560 say the one like slightly tricky thing about doing hot pot at 313 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:28,050 home is that like portable stove, right? So like if you 314 00:17:28,050 --> 00:17:31,440 don't have a camping stove already or we haven't like you 315 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:32,520 don't have one for like hot pot, 316 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:33,780 Lucy Dearlove: Got one of those little induction plug ins 317 00:17:33,810 --> 00:17:36,150 Melanie Xu: Yeah, like it can be a bit of a pain but if you've 318 00:17:36,150 --> 00:17:39,150 got a rice cooker, yeah, you can use it. And like to be honest, I 319 00:17:39,150 --> 00:17:41,370 imagine you can probably use like a slow cooker or whatever 320 00:17:41,370 --> 00:17:46,800 and yeah, just need something that's like hot with a pot! I 321 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:48,330 didn't do that on purpose I swear! 322 00:17:51,660 --> 00:17:52,950 Lucy Dearlove: Fundamentally, that's all you need! 323 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:58,060 Melanie Xu: That's actually all you need. But rice cooker on its 324 00:17:58,060 --> 00:18:01,090 warm function or like even on its cook function if you can do 325 00:18:01,090 --> 00:18:04,030 it with the lid open, you can just like turn it on and off as 326 00:18:04,030 --> 00:18:04,690 you need it. 327 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:06,160 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, I've got...I don't have a rice cooker 328 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,070 but I've got an Instant Pot and you could definitely do it in 329 00:18:09,070 --> 00:18:12,070 that because it's got like a saute function 330 00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:13,230 Melanie Xu: oh yeah just just put that on 331 00:18:13,230 --> 00:18:14,190 Lucy Dearlove: It is massive though! 332 00:18:16,260 --> 00:18:18,480 Melanie Xu: No such thing as too much hot either though. So like 333 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:19,710 that is absolutely fine. 334 00:18:19,770 --> 00:18:20,640 Lucy Dearlove: The limit does not exist 335 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,130 Melanie Xu: exactly exactly. And like, the larger the pot, the 336 00:18:23,130 --> 00:18:24,330 better quite frankly. 337 00:18:28,710 --> 00:18:31,860 Yeah, so it's basically just chopping and washing, washing 338 00:18:31,860 --> 00:18:42,030 and chopping. Nothing very complicated going on. Okay, 339 00:18:42,090 --> 00:18:46,710 there's the meaty stuff that needs to go in...do the lotus 340 00:18:49,650 --> 00:18:52,320 root...need to do the tofu and the spam. Do you want to get the 341 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:52,770 spam out? 342 00:18:52,770 --> 00:18:53,910 Andrew: Yeah, do you want me to pop the spam? 343 00:18:53,940 --> 00:18:55,740 Melanie Xu: Yeah, your job to be getting the spam out. 344 00:18:56,850 --> 00:18:57,900 Lucy Dearlove: Spam duty. 345 00:18:58,200 --> 00:18:59,730 Melanie Xu: We have very different methods... 346 00:19:00,450 --> 00:19:00,960 Lucy Dearlove: Oh yeah? 347 00:19:00,990 --> 00:19:03,660 Melanie Xu: With spam. As in like just, oh- getting out of 348 00:19:03,660 --> 00:19:03,960 the can. 349 00:19:03,990 --> 00:19:05,130 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah. Yeah. 350 00:19:05,460 --> 00:19:06,090 Andrew: Apologies! 351 00:19:06,570 --> 00:19:07,710 Melanie Xu: Andrew's a brute force [Bang Bang Bang] 352 00:19:13,300 --> 00:19:14,920 Lucy Dearlove: So that's not your preferred method? 353 00:19:15,430 --> 00:19:19,570 Melanie Xu: No, but like it is much faster and more effective. 354 00:19:19,630 --> 00:19:21,130 Lucy Dearlove: Oh, there we go. Yeah, it's out. 355 00:19:22,030 --> 00:19:27,100 Melanie Xu: I like to do the like squeeze and coax. But I 356 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,550 will fully, readily admit that Andrew's method is much faster. 357 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:41,260 Oh, yeah, you can be a garlic crusher duty because that does 358 00:19:41,260 --> 00:19:52,180 need to be quite a lot. [Chopping sounds] 359 00:19:52,180 --> 00:19:53,140 Lucy Dearlove: It's so beautiful. 360 00:19:54,400 --> 00:20:10,960 Melanie Xu: I love it, it's so nice. And then what is there? 361 00:20:11,500 --> 00:20:16,180 Prawns? Which I think we could just put straight in. And the 362 00:20:16,180 --> 00:20:20,650 fish? Fish cake I'll do on a chopping board. This is very 363 00:20:20,650 --> 00:20:21,820 beautiful spam, Andrew. 364 00:20:23,650 --> 00:20:28,150 Lucy Dearlove: Oh look at it! It's like when you found slices 365 00:20:28,150 --> 00:20:28,780 of avocado 366 00:20:28,810 --> 00:20:31,900 Melanie Xu: Yeah, very lovely. That's for guests only, I don't 367 00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:34,480 think we're usually like that. 368 00:20:34,470 --> 00:20:35,400 Lucy Dearlove: That's the special spam. 369 00:20:35,430 --> 00:20:35,970 Melanie Xu: Yeah. 370 00:20:37,250 --> 00:20:39,260 Lucy Dearlove: Oh what's that? That's fish cake? 371 00:20:39,290 --> 00:20:47,360 Melanie Xu: Yeah, fish cake, and some fish ballls which I would 372 00:20:47,360 --> 00:20:50,090 say are only very subtly different in flavour...as in the 373 00:20:50,090 --> 00:20:52,160 types that I bought, which I thought they were going to be 374 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:53,060 more different and they weren't. 375 00:20:56,390 --> 00:20:57,860 Lucy Dearlove: They look different on the plate. 376 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:00,770 Melanie Xu: I mean they're all different shapes and that does 377 00:21:00,770 --> 00:21:06,620 make a difference! because thei flavour profiles are quite 378 00:21:06,620 --> 00:21:16,550 similar. Need to chop some coriander. And then make the 379 00:21:16,550 --> 00:21:19,100 soup borther....then I think maybe we're ready to eat. 380 00:21:27,290 --> 00:21:29,690 I think that like restaurants must feel like I feel it when I 381 00:21:29,690 --> 00:21:32,030 do it for dinner. Just like this is great. This is such a good 382 00:21:32,030 --> 00:21:35,600 con! Like everyone's like, Oh my God, this looks amazing. It's so 383 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,150 exciting to see everything on the table. I'm like, I've 384 00:21:38,150 --> 00:21:41,900 literally not cooked anything. I made a stock. That's it! Get 385 00:21:41,900 --> 00:21:42,350 going. 386 00:21:42,650 --> 00:21:44,330 Lucy Dearlove: I guess you could...you're the hot pot 387 00:21:44,330 --> 00:21:50,900 curator. Yeah, you've selected the best possible ingredients. 388 00:21:50,870 --> 00:21:52,130 Melanie Xu: Yeah, that's it. 389 00:21:54,620 --> 00:21:56,000 Lucy Dearlove: That is great, though. Because like, I've been 390 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:57,830 sort of been thinking about this a lot recently. And especially 391 00:21:57,830 --> 00:22:01,850 because since being obsessed with kitchens, like the idea of 392 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:04,850 how the most impressive...like in the...I feel like you know, 393 00:22:04,850 --> 00:22:08,060 like British food culture, the most impressive dinner party 394 00:22:08,060 --> 00:22:10,190 like in the sort of heyday of dinner parties, which I guess 395 00:22:10,190 --> 00:22:13,670 like the 70s, 80s, 90s would be you know, three courses which 396 00:22:13,670 --> 00:22:16,400 would basically require the...whoever was cooking to be 397 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:18,770 essentially chained to the stove for the entire...you know, if 398 00:22:18,770 --> 00:22:20,870 you're like doing, I dunno, a Crepe Suzette or something, 399 00:22:20,900 --> 00:22:24,590 yeah, you gotta be, gotta be there. Which kind of undermines 400 00:22:24,590 --> 00:22:29,060 the whole point of having people around for dinner, which is to 401 00:22:29,060 --> 00:22:33,950 see them. You know, they're not....they would go to a 402 00:22:33,950 --> 00:22:36,770 restaurant if they really wanted a good meal. Like, they're there 403 00:22:36,770 --> 00:22:39,560 to see you. And it just seems really ridiculous. 404 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:40,970 Melanie Xu: That's true. I agree. 405 00:22:40,970 --> 00:22:42,290 Lucy Dearlove: So hot pot is the ideal. 406 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:42,800 Melanie Xu: Yeah. 407 00:22:43,010 --> 00:22:43,910 Lucy Dearlove: Everybody wins! 408 00:22:43,910 --> 00:22:46,520 Melanie Xu: Everybody should do hot pot.... dinner parties 409 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:49,400 should just be hot pot for, for everybody, forever. 410 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:52,360 Lucy Dearlove: Because I didn't realize the bases were so kind 411 00:22:52,360 --> 00:22:54,790 of widely avail...I guess that I just never really thought about 412 00:22:54,790 --> 00:22:56,830 it. I just assumed everyone eating hot pot at home was like 413 00:22:56,830 --> 00:22:58,960 making their own bases. And I was like, I just don't know if I 414 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,080 can do that. That just seems really intense. You know, I've 415 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,960 made stock and yeah, soup brother.. But like, that's a 416 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:08,500 lot. But now I was like, I was like, I can do hot pot at home. 417 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,380 Melanie Xu: You can do hot pot at home, it's so easy. I think. 418 00:23:11,770 --> 00:23:15,520 I think certainly, like, buying bases has become easier in like, 419 00:23:15,550 --> 00:23:19,630 recent years, I think for sort of, like the last three, four 420 00:23:19,630 --> 00:23:22,510 years or something. Like it's been a lot easier. And there's 421 00:23:22,510 --> 00:23:24,850 been like, way more variety. And there's always been 422 00:23:24,850 --> 00:23:27,130 something...there's always been, like, certain types of like, 423 00:23:27,130 --> 00:23:30,010 bases that you can add, but I think kind of like, you know, 424 00:23:30,010 --> 00:23:34,690 like a Ma La sort of, like, quite authentic, I say in 425 00:23:34,690 --> 00:23:37,390 inverted commas, but you know, like, sort of has all the spices 426 00:23:37,390 --> 00:23:40,330 and the peppercorns and stuff in like, looks quite fancy. 427 00:23:40,390 --> 00:23:40,630 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah. 428 00:23:40,630 --> 00:23:42,340 Melanie Xu: That's quite a sort of, like, recent thing that's 429 00:23:42,340 --> 00:23:43,450 like, made it over here. 430 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:44,350 Lucy Dearlove: Okay, yeah. 431 00:23:44,350 --> 00:23:45,700 Melanie Xu: Like normally, that's something that I would 432 00:23:45,700 --> 00:23:47,020 have, like brought back from China. 433 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:47,650 Lucy Dearlove: Okay. 434 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:50,600 Melanie Xu: You know, but kind of, I think the last sort of, 435 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:54,530 like, few years, they've been quite, like, widely available. 436 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:56,360 And I think like, you know, Haidilao and stuff like that. 437 00:23:56,360 --> 00:24:01,280 That's kind of like...their kind of soup bases are kind of like 438 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,580 everywhere as well. Like, they contributed a lot to that being 439 00:24:04,580 --> 00:24:07,070 available. And like just chains, I guess, like more hot pot 440 00:24:07,070 --> 00:24:13,220 chains making it over into sort of like more Western cultures. I 441 00:24:13,220 --> 00:24:15,890 feel like...cuz you see a lot of like Little Lamb kind of stuff 442 00:24:15,890 --> 00:24:16,220 as well. 443 00:24:16,220 --> 00:24:17,060 Lucy Dearlove: Okay. Okay. 444 00:24:18,230 --> 00:24:20,660 Melanie Xu: I think that's kind of, like, been part of it. But 445 00:24:20,750 --> 00:24:24,320 there's lots of like, other like hot pot bases that you can do 446 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:26,960 which are really easy to make home...like to be honest, you 447 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:30,200 could just do like a simple chicken stock. Like sometimes at 448 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:34,370 home, like I think when I was like, much younger in Newcastle, 449 00:24:34,370 --> 00:24:37,130 like that's what we would do sometimes as well. Like, you 450 00:24:37,130 --> 00:24:39,260 know, I've talked about the Ma La only but that was like very 451 00:24:39,260 --> 00:24:41,330 much like if we go out there's definitely a spicy base but 452 00:24:41,330 --> 00:24:44,960 sometimes like at home, just like an easy meal. And actually, 453 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,890 hilariously, my parents used to do it in the very early days in 454 00:24:48,890 --> 00:24:52,700 a fondue pot that they'd like bought at like TK Maxx or 455 00:24:52,700 --> 00:24:55,400 something. I remember this really like cute little thing 456 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:55,640 that we had. 457 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:56,030 Lucy Dearlove: But that's perfect! 458 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:57,770 Melanie Xu: Exactly, and that's what we used to use for it. But 459 00:24:57,770 --> 00:25:00,860 I think a lot of the time then as well, it would sort of be 460 00:25:00,860 --> 00:25:03,470 like if it was an easy sort of like quick hot pot dinner, it 461 00:25:03,470 --> 00:25:05,870 would just be like a good like chicken stock or a good like 462 00:25:05,870 --> 00:25:09,680 master broth kind of thing that they'd made. And you know, you'd 463 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:11,570 spice it up with stuff like chili oil or whatever in terms 464 00:25:11,570 --> 00:25:14,510 of different sauce. So it kind of like....doesn't always need 465 00:25:14,510 --> 00:25:16,880 to be like really complicated and like you know, bells and 466 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:21,410 whistles and stuff. Yeah, I think I very much back myself 467 00:25:21,410 --> 00:25:24,410 into a corner because what I want is spicy complicated. 468 00:25:24,950 --> 00:25:26,030 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, yeah. 469 00:25:26,030 --> 00:25:27,890 Melanie Xu: That's the one that I'm always like....I want it. 470 00:25:27,950 --> 00:25:31,040 And yeah, whenever I like make it myself, it's never quite as 471 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,010 good. And you can get it out of a packet so I just get it out of 472 00:25:34,010 --> 00:25:34,280 a packet! 473 00:25:34,310 --> 00:25:34,970 Lucy Dearlove: What's the point?! 474 00:25:36,590 --> 00:25:39,710 Melanie Xu: They normally say like one block of these to a pot 475 00:25:39,710 --> 00:25:42,560 but I probably do like half and I feel like that's on the spicy 476 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:42,920 side. 477 00:25:45,020 --> 00:25:47,000 Lucy Dearlove: So do you have to melt it first 478 00:25:47,060 --> 00:25:49,490 Melanie Xu: I quite like to fry it off a little bit and I think 479 00:25:49,490 --> 00:25:52,220 that that is like what's suggested but also if you just 480 00:25:52,220 --> 00:25:54,170 dumped it straight in I really don't think it would be a 481 00:25:54,170 --> 00:26:01,730 problem. But these are...these blocks are...so I think mostly 482 00:26:01,730 --> 00:26:05,810 like one animal fat of one way or the other. Yeah, it's quite 483 00:26:05,810 --> 00:26:09,110 good to kind of like melt it off a bit and fry it, and get the 484 00:26:09,110 --> 00:26:11,510 spices going, I suppose. But I think they probably do that 485 00:26:11,510 --> 00:26:13,790 already. Yeah, pre process. 486 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,400 So I'm gonna put out some separate meaty chopsticks. 487 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:23,950 Andrew: I got spares as well. 488 00:26:23,950 --> 00:26:29,110 Melanie Xu: Okay, good. Yeah, but, you know, it's all going in 489 00:26:29,110 --> 00:26:32,170 like boiling broth. I feel like if you just like shove 'em in 490 00:26:32,170 --> 00:26:37,090 for a sensible amount of time....it's fine. But you know, 491 00:26:37,150 --> 00:26:41,200 if you're that way inclined, you can also use a...use a separate 492 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:42,070 set of chopsticks. 493 00:26:42,970 --> 00:26:43,240 Lucy Dearlove: Look at it! 494 00:26:45,820 --> 00:26:50,080 Melanie Xu: Yeah, so I normally add stock if I've got it. But I 495 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:53,740 think to be honest, if you just had water that is actually also 496 00:26:53,740 --> 00:26:54,460 fine...like... 497 00:26:57,760 --> 00:26:59,260 Lucy Dearlove: There's enough flavour in the base. 498 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,900 Melanie Xu: Yeah, it's kind of like you know, I think it should 499 00:27:02,900 --> 00:27:06,830 be like a relaxed affair. Like what's nice about it is that 500 00:27:06,830 --> 00:27:09,560 it's like relatively gentle prep, so I don't think there's 501 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:13,010 any need to like stress yourself out being like, I've got to make 502 00:27:13,010 --> 00:27:16,700 stock for it or whatever. So if there's only water you can do 503 00:27:16,700 --> 00:27:19,130 it. It's fine. I won't judge you! 504 00:27:21,380 --> 00:27:22,850 Lucy Dearlove: No, hot pot etiquette here. 505 00:27:22,910 --> 00:27:28,850 Melanie Xu: Absolutely none! As ever. So just wait for that to 506 00:27:28,850 --> 00:27:32,720 come to the boil. And then I think that's it! 507 00:27:32,780 --> 00:27:34,040 Variety is key. 508 00:27:34,070 --> 00:27:34,490 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah. 509 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:36,830 Melanie Xu: I think having a big spread of things and I think 510 00:27:36,830 --> 00:27:40,970 kind of like that's why the sort of like hot pot buffet set up 511 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,310 works so well right because there's like so much stuff and 512 00:27:43,310 --> 00:27:45,710 you can kind of like go and get a little bit of everything that 513 00:27:45,710 --> 00:27:49,550 you want. And yeah, I think it's just you it's quite hard to get 514 00:27:49,850 --> 00:27:53,090 that full spread. I guess every now and then...everyone just 515 00:27:53,090 --> 00:27:55,460 wants some hot pot and maybe you can't round up enough people 516 00:27:55,460 --> 00:27:57,380 like while the urge is hitting. 517 00:27:57,410 --> 00:27:57,920 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah. 518 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:02,820 Melanie Xu: It does like make me think of....like this was like 519 00:28:02,820 --> 00:28:06,930 years ago but there was like a...can't remember what I was 520 00:28:06,930 --> 00:28:09,840 called but they opened up like a sort of like singular person hot 521 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,950 pot place in like Chinatown. And it was like, quite, I guess 522 00:28:13,950 --> 00:28:17,610 unusually for the time. Maybe? It was like reviewed in quite a 523 00:28:17,610 --> 00:28:22,350 lot of the like, big newspapers. Like the Guardian did it. Like 524 00:28:22,380 --> 00:28:25,350 yeah, I'm sure like Jay Rayner went and like the usual lot kind 525 00:28:25,350 --> 00:28:28,830 of went and reviewed it. And I really can't remember the 526 00:28:28,830 --> 00:28:33,180 specifics of, like the reviews anymore. Yeah. But like my 527 00:28:33,180 --> 00:28:36,810 overriding memory was like, no one like really rated it. But 528 00:28:36,810 --> 00:28:39,690 mostly because all their articles were like, I don't 529 00:28:39,690 --> 00:28:42,600 understand how to eat hot pot, therefore I didn't enjoy eating 530 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:43,200 hot pot. 531 00:28:43,890 --> 00:28:45,930 Lucy Dearlove: I mean, that sounds like a classic, a classic 532 00:28:45,930 --> 00:28:47,910 broadsheet food reviewer response. 533 00:28:47,910 --> 00:28:50,490 Melanie Xu: Yeah. I was just like, at the time I was...I 534 00:28:50,490 --> 00:28:52,800 remember reading them and being like, but surely like, 535 00:28:52,860 --> 00:28:55,260 Lucy Dearlove: Would you not have just asked one person to go 536 00:28:55,260 --> 00:28:57,030 with you? I don't know. Like... 537 00:28:57,090 --> 00:28:58,710 Melanie Xu: I was just like isn't it your job to like, 538 00:28:58,710 --> 00:29:01,350 figure out how to eat this like first, like, literally so that 539 00:29:01,350 --> 00:29:04,080 you can enjoy the food on the basis...of it? 540 00:29:04,110 --> 00:29:06,720 Lucy Dearlove: You would think so...it's like someone going to 541 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:09,180 review a play and being like, I actually don't really know 542 00:29:09,180 --> 00:29:09,930 anything about theatre. 543 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:13,320 Melanie Xu: Yeah, I didn't know that there were intermissions. I 544 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:15,750 felt like it really ruined the vibe and the flow for 545 00:29:15,750 --> 00:29:15,930 me...really bad. 546 00:29:15,930 --> 00:29:19,560 Lucy Dearlove: It really, like interrupts, like, the narrative 547 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:19,800 for me. 548 00:29:19,810 --> 00:29:23,140 Melanie Xu: Yeah. So that was...and I think like, partly 549 00:29:23,140 --> 00:29:28,120 that was just sort of like, you know, maybe like, not great 550 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,840 reviews, as in like, not great journalism if I'm allowed to say 551 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:35,110 that. Maybe I shouldn't say that....pretentious. But also I 552 00:29:35,110 --> 00:29:39,370 think part of that was because it's singular, one person hot 553 00:29:39,370 --> 00:29:41,860 pot, right? Like if you're there and it's like a group thing they 554 00:29:41,860 --> 00:29:43,870 would have had to have to have turned up with like a few 555 00:29:44,050 --> 00:29:44,380 people. 556 00:29:44,650 --> 00:29:45,010 Lucy Dearlove: That's true. 557 00:29:45,010 --> 00:29:46,870 Melanie Xu: You would have like, maybe had to have had someone 558 00:29:46,870 --> 00:29:49,900 who understood what was going on a little bit more....like I 559 00:29:49,900 --> 00:29:52,030 guess it's just like more convivial and it's like more 560 00:29:52,030 --> 00:29:55,330 social and it makes it a bit more fun. I did think it being 561 00:29:55,330 --> 00:29:59,050 like a single person thing and then they were all...mostly 562 00:29:59,290 --> 00:30:01,630 they're complaining that they didn't understand how to do this 563 00:30:01,630 --> 00:30:04,270 thing. And it felt like loads of fuss to do it for themselves and 564 00:30:04,270 --> 00:30:07,420 that sort of thing. Yeah, like, I think it suffered being...a 565 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:09,610 one person hot pot. 566 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:09,910 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah. 567 00:30:09,910 --> 00:30:11,380 Melanie Xu: Mostly it was just people be like, I don't 568 00:30:11,380 --> 00:30:14,650 understand what to do with like the utensils or how to like, do 569 00:30:14,650 --> 00:30:16,930 stuff. And I was just like...but you just cook the food. 570 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:19,960 It's interesting though, because I do feel like...I do feel like 571 00:30:19,990 --> 00:30:24,160 the vibe has maybe changed in some....maybe...I mean G*les 572 00:30:24,190 --> 00:30:27,430 C*ren and still exists and has a job. So like, maybe I'm being 573 00:30:27,430 --> 00:30:29,680 hasty here. But I feel like Jay Reyner probably wouldn't write 574 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:30,400 that review now. 575 00:30:30,430 --> 00:30:33,580 Yeah, I like to think it wouldn't happen now. And I think 576 00:30:33,580 --> 00:30:38,590 more people are aware of hot pot than they were....like, actually 577 00:30:38,590 --> 00:30:42,040 it's really funny that we're doing this now because, like, 578 00:30:42,190 --> 00:30:44,830 just in the last like, couple of weeks, or maybe it's because 579 00:30:44,830 --> 00:30:46,690 like hot pot's on the mind, and I'm noticing... 580 00:30:46,690 --> 00:30:49,090 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, what is it? Synchronicity. 581 00:30:49,630 --> 00:30:53,680 Melanie Xu: it's so strange. But like lots of people on like 582 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:56,500 Instagram or whatever are like suddenly having hot pot and 583 00:30:56,500 --> 00:30:59,530 they're not like people who I would like necessarily have 584 00:30:59,530 --> 00:31:02,830 assumed would have hot pot regularly. I mean, it's not 585 00:31:02,890 --> 00:31:05,260 like...any anyone can have hot pot. I don't mean it like that. 586 00:31:05,260 --> 00:31:09,700 I mean, yeah, people who've not had hot pot before are like 587 00:31:09,940 --> 00:31:12,940 posting pictures of going to hot pot. And I'm like, Oh, great. I 588 00:31:12,940 --> 00:31:16,450 feel like yeah, Jay Rayner, or, whoever, whoever, like did the 589 00:31:16,450 --> 00:31:19,060 various reviews probably couldn't even, like, claim that 590 00:31:19,060 --> 00:31:22,510 level of sort of ignorance anymore. Like, I think you're 591 00:31:22,510 --> 00:31:24,550 probably like, you couldn't write an article about being 592 00:31:24,550 --> 00:31:27,400 like, I don't know how to eat this anymore. Because it's just 593 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:31,180 kind of like, more in the public consciousness. Right? Or at 594 00:31:31,180 --> 00:31:34,600 least in a London food scene consciousness. Maybe that's the 595 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:40,390 right way of describing it. But like, yeah, I'd be shocked if 596 00:31:40,570 --> 00:31:44,860 sort of someone in one of the like, big newspapers now it was, 597 00:31:44,890 --> 00:31:47,560 was just like, I literally don't understand how this works. And 598 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,750 I'm like, Really, you don't understand a boiling pot of 599 00:31:49,750 --> 00:31:52,810 like, yeah, soup, and then you put something in it. Like it's 600 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:54,130 basically fondue!. 601 00:31:55,150 --> 00:31:57,010 Lucy Dearlove: Let me explain it to you in terms you understand! 602 00:31:57,010 --> 00:31:58,150 Melanie Xu: You all know how to do fondue! 603 00:31:58,150 --> 00:32:00,400 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, you don't seem to have any trouble with 604 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:01,240 those little forks! 605 00:32:06,190 --> 00:32:08,050 Melanie Xu: What I love when you go to a hot pot restaurant is 606 00:32:08,050 --> 00:32:11,050 they'll often just have like giant bowls full of crushed 607 00:32:11,050 --> 00:32:16,180 garlic just like...huge mounds and it's just really glorious. 608 00:32:16,390 --> 00:32:22,000 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah. Makes you really appreciate the effort 609 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:22,990 that's gone into that as well. 610 00:32:24,100 --> 00:32:25,780 Melanie Xu: They've probably didn't even use a crusher, to be 611 00:32:25,780 --> 00:32:26,110 honest. 612 00:32:26,140 --> 00:32:27,970 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, just chopped it. 613 00:32:29,830 --> 00:32:32,500 Melanie Xu: Much finer knife skills than I've got. 614 00:32:36,580 --> 00:32:38,770 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, I felt quite overwhelmed by the sauces 615 00:32:38,770 --> 00:32:39,820 at Haidilao. 616 00:32:40,180 --> 00:32:40,840 Melanie Xu: Yeah... 617 00:32:40,870 --> 00:32:42,190 Lucy Dearlove: I was trying to like work it....You know, cos 618 00:32:42,190 --> 00:32:44,260 they give you recipes, but I was like, well... 619 00:32:44,830 --> 00:32:47,140 Melanie Xu: People do really complicated things. And I've 620 00:32:47,140 --> 00:32:49,630 never been a complicated sauce person. So... 621 00:32:49,630 --> 00:32:50,440 Lucy Dearlove: That's good to know. 622 00:32:50,470 --> 00:32:51,730 Melanie Xu: Always just like ... 623 00:32:51,730 --> 00:32:52,540 Lucy Dearlove: Keep it simple. 624 00:32:52,570 --> 00:32:57,490 Melanie Xu: Yeah, garlic, sesame oil, salt. And coriander if you 625 00:32:57,490 --> 00:32:59,320 want it. I'm pretty happy with that. 626 00:33:02,170 --> 00:33:04,810 Lucy Dearlove: Yeah, there was some sort of like viral Tik Tok 627 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:09,010 hot pot sauce. I kept seeing it. I can't remember what was in it 628 00:33:09,010 --> 00:33:11,590 now. Everyone was, everyone was making it... 629 00:33:11,570 --> 00:33:13,310 Melanie Xu: It was like, Oh my God, you have to have this... 630 00:33:13,390 --> 00:33:14,290 Lucy Dearlove: You have to try this hot pot sauce! 631 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:22,790 Melanie Xu: Oh, I guess that's the other thing is like post hot 632 00:33:22,790 --> 00:33:25,610 pot. I feel like if you've done it properly, you will smell of 633 00:33:25,610 --> 00:33:26,840 garlic for like several days. 634 00:33:26,870 --> 00:33:27,140 Great! 635 00:33:34,170 --> 00:33:39,690 where I think I felt I felt very at home. I felt very...to be 636 00:33:39,690 --> 00:33:43,410 honest, like Chinese. I felt very much like I was from like 637 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:47,640 Chongqing like finally. So my Chinese is like, horrible. You 638 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,460 know, my family or my friends back there always make fun of my 639 00:33:50,490 --> 00:33:52,980 accent...probably mispronouncing a whole bunch of things here 640 00:33:52,980 --> 00:33:56,640 now, but like when we're just there and we're like eating 641 00:33:56,820 --> 00:33:59,430 everyone's always like, oh my god, I can't believe you can eat 642 00:33:59,430 --> 00:34:01,860 the spicy broth and like my parents would be like, yeah, 643 00:34:01,860 --> 00:34:04,260 she's fine. You know, it's so funny. She's only like six but 644 00:34:04,260 --> 00:34:06,600 she loves it. She's totally fine with it. I'd be like yeah, I'm 645 00:34:06,630 --> 00:34:10,800 totally fine with it and great and you feel so like included 646 00:34:10,830 --> 00:34:15,600 and like you know, sort of like...I feel like yes we're 647 00:34:15,600 --> 00:35:07,320 finally peers, we're eating hot pot. You know what I mean? 648 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,178 Lucy Dearlove: Thank you to Mel and Andrew for their hot pot 649 00:34:20,227 --> 00:34:23,277 hospitality! I've never craved something so much when editing, 650 00:34:23,325 --> 00:34:26,182 and i haven't done my Instant Pot Hot Pot yet but I'm going 651 00:34:26,230 --> 00:34:29,038 to. I'll report back. Thanks so much for listening to this 652 00:34:29,087 --> 00:34:31,895 episode! I'd love to hear from you....tell me your stories 653 00:34:31,943 --> 00:34:34,800 about hot pot. What's your favourite sauce? How do you like 654 00:34:34,848 --> 00:34:37,802 to eat it? What goes in first? What's your hot pot etiquette. 655 00:34:37,850 --> 00:34:40,900 You can find Lecker on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok, which 656 00:34:40,949 --> 00:34:43,999 is fun. I'm having a great time there! If you’re in a position 657 00:34:44,048 --> 00:34:47,098 to do so, I'd really appreciate your support on Lecker, whether 658 00:34:47,146 --> 00:34:50,293 that's leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, telling a friend about 659 00:34:50,342 --> 00:34:53,198 it, or buying some merch, you can find links to that in the 660 00:34:53,247 --> 00:34:56,200 show notes, or if you're in a position to donate financially, 661 00:34:56,248 --> 00:34:59,250 either one off or as a monthly patreon, I'd be hugely grateful 662 00:34:59,299 --> 00:35:02,301 and it just means I can devote a bit extra time every month to 663 00:35:02,349 --> 00:35:05,302 making Lecker. Music on this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions. 664 00:35:05,351 --> 00:35:07,530 I'll be back next month with another episode.