前陣子，寒流來襲，冷的我吱吱叫，這樣的天氣，不吃個熱呼呼的火鍋，能吃甚麼呢？之前在找便宜火鍋店時，發現我家附近，有一家老先覺功夫窯燒鍋，我還沒吃過，對於它，我倒是很久以前就聽過了，是個已經經營快十年的品牌，之前去逛加盟展時，就有和它的推廣人員，聊了一下，試吃過它的食物，味道還可以。
既然想吃火鍋，我之前又沒機會吃過這家店，那正好可以去它的門店，試吃看看，話不多說，約了一個住在附近的朋友，一起去吃看看，順便敘舊，一進門，就看到一個開放式廚房，其實，火鍋料在開店前，就需要備料備好了，根本不太需要開放式廚房，但是，廚房看起來蠻乾淨的，算是加分嗎？湯底的選擇算多的，不過，我主要是看上它的自助吧，因為我就是喜歡吃蔬菜、菇類、豆腐等各式火鍋料，可以依照自己的口味來搭配，自己喜歡的口味，才是個人小火鍋的賣點啊！
前陣子，吃過幾家火鍋店，有幾家號稱網紅火鍋店，在設計上通常會有「打卡牆」或「主題造景」，讓顧客能輕鬆拍出好看的照片，這家店，有點點這樣的感覺，但是，並不突出，我點的是剝皮辣椒瓜仔鍋，使用剝皮辣椒與脆瓜入鍋，帶些微辣口感，在這樣寒冷的天氣，食物辣得剛剛好，再吃點冰淇淋，喝些咖啡，吃的還蠻舒服的。
事實上，這次探店的結果，食物的味道，沒有我印象中，當初在加盟展上試吃的好吃，只能說是中規中矩，不過，它的自助吧算是便宜的，雖然店內寫用餐時間限時九十分鐘，不過，我和朋友吃了快三個小時，店家居然沒趕人，這點，就值得我把它放入我的火鍋店口袋名單，我認為，火鍋是一種「互動型」的料理，能和朋友們邊吃邊聊天，讓人從生理到心理都獲得滿足，食物吃起來特別美味。
A while ago, a cold wave hit, and I was freezing to the bone. On a chilly day like that, what could be better than a steaming hot pot? While searching for an affordable hot pot place, I discovered that there’s an Old Szechuan Kung Fu Kiln Hot Pot near my house. I had heard about it before — it’s been around for nearly ten years. I even chatted with their staff at a franchise expo a while back and sampled some of their food. It tasted decent.
Since I was craving hot pot and had never tried this place, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. So, I called up a friend who lives nearby and invited them to join me. Perfect excuse to catch up too! As soon as we walked in, we saw an open kitchen. Honestly, most hot pot ingredients are prepped before the store opens, so an open kitchen isn’t really necessary — but it did look clean, so I guess that’s a plus. The soup base options were pretty varied, but what really caught my attention was the self-serve bar. I love loading up on vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, and all sorts of hot pot ingredients, so being able to mix and match to suit my taste is a huge win for me. That’s the charm of having your own personal hot pot!
Recently, I’ve tried a few so-called "internet-famous" hot pot places. You know the type — places with "Instagram-worthy" photo walls and carefully designed themed decor. This place had a bit of that vibe, but nothing too over-the-top. I ordered the pickled pepper and cucumber pot — the slight spiciness from the pickled peppers mixed with the crunchiness of the cucumbers was just perfect for cold weather. Afterward, I had some ice cream and coffee, which made the whole meal feel even more satisfying.
To be honest, the taste wasn’t as good as I remembered from the franchise expo sampling — it was just okay. But the self-serve bar was affordable, and despite the 90-minute dining limit posted on the wall, my friend and I ended up chatting and eating for almost three hours — and no one asked us to leave. That’s definitely a plus in my book! I think hot pot is one of those interactive meals where the social element is just as important as the food itself. Eating while chatting with friends fills you up not just physically but emotionally too — and somehow, that makes the food taste even better.
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