Hong Kong Palace owner Liu Chaosheng opened this Szechuan hot-pot place in March, bringing a Chinese dining tradition little seen in this area. Diners choose between a mild or peppercorn-spiked broth—we like the half-and-half pot, which features both—then choose à la carte add-ons that are dipped and cooked at the table. Heaping vegetable baskets and plates of fish, dumplings, and rolled slices of meat arrive in waves, all making the broth richer as they’re added throughout the meal. The dipping sauces are also do it yourself and can be concocted at a sauce bar—ask a server for advice on mixing the dozen ingredients.
Don’t miss: Half-and-half hot pot with such add-ons as flounder, watercress, beef, fried pork, and enoki mushrooms.
For a full review of Uncle Liu's Hot Pot, click here.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
