Honey 哈尼石锅鱼火锅@ Shanghai

In our hotpot series, we have covered Szechuan, Beijing, Teochew, Cantonese, Hainan, and Japanese (shabu-shabu and sukiyaki) style hotpot. Here’s another style called the Yunnan Hotpot.

Bighead carp 鳙鱼 (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) is a freshwater fish that is a filter feeder. Because they are filter feeders and grow very quickly to an enormous size, they are often bred in reservoirs to keep planktons and algae, as well as water organisms in check. It is also know as 松鱼（潮汕叫法）Song fish in Singapore or 大头鱼 Bullhead. Typical size of these carps can be 40kg, and a 3kg head is not unusual.

石锅水库大鱼头+老坛酸菜鲜锅 Stone pot reservoir bullhead with preserved cabbage casserole is one of the classic way to eat this fish.

The cooking process was really innovative. In essence, it was a pressure cooker. Firstly, steam was used to clean and sterilised the stone pot. Then, the raw fish head and preserved cabbage were placed in the pot and properly covered. Steam was introduced again, and after around 15 minutes of pressurised cooking, the fish head was cooked and miraculously a pot of milky, frothy fish soup was produced.

鲜鱼汤 Milky white fish broth that magically appeared from the cooking process was creamy and surprising not fishy, despite that it was a freshwater fish.

酱料 Condiments like parsley and scallions will add to the taste of the fish soup. I would recommend you have a bowl without and then adjust accordingly to taste.

鲜竹笙 Fresh bamboo pith was one of my favourite hotpot ingredients, as it soaked up the soup like a sponge. It was especially useful here.

田园一筐 A basket of vegetables was exactly what it was. Because of the pressurised cooking, the vegetables were more hardy variety that can cook longer.

A spectacular and healthy end to the hotpot, while many would continue to add other ingredients like prawns, beef, etc, I strongly recommend that you just add vegetables to fully enjoy the fish soup.

Service in this restaurant was prompt, the price was reasonable, but there’s something missing about the whole experience. It was nice for the very first time, but I guess the taste was not that memorable or wanting for multiple visits.

Honey Hotpot (Raffles City Changning)
哈尼石锅鱼火锅
Raffles City Changning, 4/F, 1139 Changning Lu, near Kaixuan Lu
长宁路1139号长宁来福士广场4楼
Tel : +86 21 6233 3098

Date visited : Nov 2018