Restaurant:

Da Long Yi

Sichuan Hot Pot

Feast on an incredible hot pot while cooking your own dishes at Da Long Yi in Fitzrovia.

Located on Berners Street, Da Long Yi bring their famous Sichuan hot pot to London, offering an authentic and unique dining experience in their stylish lantern-lined restaurant.

With hot pots build into every table, it’s interactive and fun - making it ideal for a first date or big celebration with friends and family.

The experience starts by choosing a broth or the base and there’s a wide range to choose from with the option of a single, double or triple pot so you can try a variety. We went for the Very Spicy Beef Broth and milder but incredibly flavourful Mushroom Soup Base.

Ordering is also fun, done via a tablet at your table where you can see photos of the huge selection of meats, seafood, vegetables and many other dishes before adding them to your basket. The kitchen starts cooking them straight away so be careful that you don’t over-order.

You can be as adventurous as you like with options including pig trotters, duck blood and chicken feet or stick with safer options like dumplings, beef and prawns. There’s definitely something for every appetite.

We tried the incredible Fried Fishballs, succulent Spicy Beef, Long Sliced Potato, Vegetable and Pork Dumplings, Ramen and Premium Sliced Beef Wheel which was an absolute treat featuring thinly sliced pieces of every cut of beef. Once you’ve ordered, the broth is heated and the adventure begins. Luckily there’s a handy guide which tells you how long to cook each of the ingredients for to ensure the perfect dish.

An absolute highlight of the meal is a visit to the Sauce Station where you will find every imaginable sauce, seasoning and topping to add the finishing touches to your dishes. There are classic recipes you can follow on the wall to mix the tried and tested sauces but you can alter them to your tastes. The combinations are endless.

It’s a great way to experiment with different flavours and create your own unique sauce. We created a delicious noodle dish by combing sesame sauce, toasted sesame oil, spring onions, sesame seeds, peanuts and a few splashes of soy sauce with ramen. Try it for yourself and let us know what you think!