Why I'm deciding to write about this now, I don't know.
Technically it isn't a very good time- I'm missing my hotpots this CNY- but perhaps I've just been looking at pictures, and so think might as well write about a hotpot which I began having more of last year, and this year truly hope more to have.
I never thought I would come to love hotpots as much as I do now.
But I do- and Shabu Sai is the place that started it all.
The soups that I like have evolved however.
If at one time I liked tonkotsu (pork bone broth) I've now come to prefer Yuzu Tonkatsu much more. The sour citrusy part of the Yuzu adds that bit of zest at onset of the hotpot especially when you just begin stirring your meats and soaking your vegetables inside.
There are surprisingly not many pictures of the hotpot here at Shabu Sai today.
I only took five.
And out of them five, there are two pictures of vegetables that I took, only one picture each of the meats, and one of the dessert.
I suppose one can tell where the priorities are.
Suffice it to say that the vegetable counter at this place here has always been fascinating to me.
I haven't ever had a picture of it- I don't take Chonkycam when I go to get my veggies- but let's just think of it as a long counter with varieties of vegetables, hotpot ingredients and other offerings all along its length.
Vegetables here range from the big lettuces to the Chinese cabbage to the cabbage to the spinach to other kinds of green leafy vegetables. Along with it there are the carrots, the radishes, and varieties of mushrooms from the three to four.
Frankly I don't know just how many types of mushrooms there are here at the vegetable counter. There're the shiitake, there're the enoki, and then I think there's another variety which I haven't yet taken much of.
Besides the mushrooms one gets tofu- quite a fair bit of it, honestly, two different kinds, if I'm not wrong, and that's not counting the cheese tofu kind which I tend to take.
Of course there are the other ingredients like cuttlefish balls, fish balls, meat balls, and all the other cute balls which make for a great hotpot when you throw them in.
This afternoon I helped myself to the lettuce.
Lots and lots of lettuce.
You see only two plates but I think in total I had three, or four.
And then because I thought it be nice to have a bit of bounce and chew vegetable wise, I helped myself to some shiitake mushrooms as well. I can't remember whether I took anything more but there're the cheese tofu which I took for the sake of taking (must have some of these fun foods lar) and after having it bubble and boil in the pot, turned out to be a rather delish addition to the meal after all.
There's a chance I helped myself to some noodles.
There are three kinds of noodles at the counter here- udon, ramen and soba- but I'm always for the udon.
I'm a fan of this noodle, and best part, because of the way it's served, I don't have to take a lot of the noodle.
Just a single tongful will do.
What I do take a lot of, however, are the meats and the coffee.
Don't laugh.
They complement each other.
Sugarless black coffee aka kopi-o kosong aids digestion, and protein from the meats fill up whatever gap the digestion leaves.
Today we ordered for ourselves probably at least six or seven trays of the beef, maybe the pork, or is the chicken or is it something else- I can't remember- but there were two kinds, all of which, I have to say, came thinly sliced, perfectly chilled, neatly arranged, and good on the marbling.
My preference however has to be the beef slices.
They cook quick, are easy to eat, yet not so thin per slice that the meat disappears when I dunk it in the soup.
Most of our meats today were the beef, and I'm not complaining one bit at all, especially since so clean and fresh were they.
I'm not a fan of marinated meats.
Not when we have our own dip of Greek-style yogurt mixed with garlic powder and miso, and not when Shabu Sai offers a huge variety of sauces that one can concoct to your palate.
I don't take it that often- the yogurt is good enough for me- but when I do, it is always a combination of sesame sauce, sesame oil, and a humongous heap of parsley (or coriander, maybe). Sometimes I add fried onions. Sometimes I add none at all.
I don't think I had the sauce today.
If I did, I forgot to take the picture.
Instead I know I had fun watching my meats boil away in the pot as I alternated between swirling them, dipping them, and eating them all.
Full as I am, however, there's always room for dessert- never once do I miss it out- and today, like I normally do- I went for the soft serve.
Only one flavor do they have- vanilla- but you can add cornflakes, chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, and colorful sprinkles. Most of the time I add cornflakes, and sometimes I go crazy and add a bit of salt (for contrast) but today I took the suggestion of my friend and tossed in sesame seeds.
No difference they made in taste, but the crunch- absolutely.
I loved that.