by Joseph Mallozzi
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HKYK Hot Pot Restaurant
4260 No. 3 Rd, Richmond (MAP) | 604.273.3202
Like Korean barbecue and shabu-shabu, Hong Kong-style hotpot combines the excitement of a night on the town with the hassle of cooking your own meal. Granted, it’s not for everyone, but for those willing to put in the extra effort, it can be a sociable and fun experience – provided no one adds anything unexpected to the communal pot (on my in-laws’ last visit, it was the pig uteri).
When it comes to hotpot, my wife prefers HKYK on No. 3 road in Richmond. It’s offers a spacious dining environment, an attentive and friendly staff, a nice choice of soup bases to cook with, and a multitude of menu items ranging from the comfortably familiar (fresh seafood) to the disquietingly exotic (the pig bung comes to mind). Since I’m partial to the bold taste of satay while my wife prefers the more subtle flavor of chicken broth, we selected the half and half option in which both versions are offered on either side of a partitioned bowl.
The soups were served and, as they eventually began to simmer, the individual dishes began to arrive. We had a double portion of the handcut fatty beef, an order of lamb, and an order of the pork cheek – all well-marbled, thinly sliced, and very tasty after a minute or so in the bubbling liquids. We also sampled the pork dumplings, which proved disappointingly bland, and the chive dumplings, that were as good as I’ve had at my favorite dim sums. Although they didn’t really need the extra flavoring, I occasionally dabbed the meats and dumplings in some of the sauces that came with the meal: a thick satay, an equally thick spicy sauce that tasted vaguely peanuty, and your run-of-the-mill soy. An order of minced garlic added a kick to the proceedings.
For dessert, my wife had the almond and egg white soup, and I was quite happy with my complimentary glass of sweet and surprisingly smoky plum juice.
Service, as always, was prompt, friendly, and downright chatty at times. One waiter and my wife ended up discussing their recent trips to Hong Kong for a good fifteen minutes after the meal had ended.
HKYK might be off the beaten path, but it remains a great spot for a laid-back and affordable night out with friends or family (or when you’re just feeling a little adventurous). If you decide on checking out some of the atypical menu items, go for the pork cheek. You’ll thank me later.
