Authentic Chongqing Hot Pot and Addictive Tiny Dumplings From Chilli Plus

After introducing many mild and safe-for-your-arse kind of hot pot joints like Coucou and Yijiaren, as well as Sichuan offerings from Sifang Sanchuan, and even the school-themed 8 Hot Pot, some of our more adventurous readers have complained that they want to experience the authentic spicy type, and in the name of fairness, we have tracked down a new one.

Chilli Plus is located in a huge 260-seat space on the fourth floor of the Topwin Center, with an additional six private rooms for those who want to shamelessly gorge. Niu Yuntao, owner of Chilli Plus, previously lived in Sichuan for two years, honing his taste for all things spicy before his experience impelled him to open an authentic Chongqing hot pot in Beijing, “simply because I couldn’t find a spicy enough hot pot in Beijing,” Niu explained.

Apparently Niu's endeavour is doing well, with some customer on Dianping claiming that, “this is the only authentic Chongqing hot pot in Beijing." Excited by the prospect of having our tastebuds truly set alight, we opted for a half spicy broth and a half mushroom broth. The spicy broth did not disappoint, Niu explaining that, “the flavor of the broth comes from a combination of Sichuan peppercorns and spicy peppers, which are shipped directly from Sichuan. We then add additional chilies to the hot pot, which is why we named the restaurant Chilli Plus."

The original sesame oil sauce, shipped from nowhere other than Chongqing, with chopped raw garlic, proved a light accompaniment to the meat and a refreshing change to the sometimes heavy and cloying majiang. According to the Sichuanese, the oil protects your stomach from the hot chilies. We're not sure about that but it'll certainly protect you from any unexpected romantic liaisons.

To throw into our pot we ordered spicy hot beef, goose intestines, and beef omasum (stomach). All had made the journey up from Sichuan too and proved remarkably fresh. The stomach was both chewy, full of flavor, and had that unmistakable crunch. We also loved the tiny dumplings to finish off the meal and recommend putting them in the spicy side, so as to soak up all the flavor from the hot broth.

The fried dumplings were surprisingly good too, with a crispy egg crust, we finished them without hesitation.

Dinner will set you back between RMB 150 and 200 per person, which is rather reasonable considering that the service standard is similar to Haidilao. As another interesting touch, there is a member of staff waiting by the door to spray you with scented water upon your departure so as to cover up that spicy giveaway scent of just having eaten hot pot – perfect for recently relapsed mala addicts.

Chilli Plus
4/F, Topwin Center, 1 Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (5642 1001)
添椒重庆火锅: 朝阳区南三里屯路1号通盈中心4F

More stories by this author here.

Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure

Photos: Tracy Wang