Xiao Long Kan Hotpot Restaurant Originates From Chengdu, China.
For spicy food lovers, the steamboat restaurant is famous for its Mala Hotpot.
Penangites love steamboats, as evident in the number of restaurants on the island and mainland.
The locals love to gather for a meal of hearty meat platters and vegetables.
A meal of steaming soups and freshly cooked ingredients is best for relaxation.
Xiao Long Kan is one of Chengdu’s most popular spicy steamboat chains.
When it comes to authenticity, you will taste the food from the capital of Sichuan province in China.
Originating from Chengdu, gourmets know this as a city that is the motherland of hotpots.
Xiao Long Kan, China’s hottest and largest hot pot chain, is based in Chengdu and brings its famous spicy soup worldwide.
You haven’t been to Chengdu if you haven’t had the famous Sichuan hotpot.
For many, the first sight of a boiling pot of fiery chilies oil-filled broth is a warning that you’ll set your tongue on fire!
Contents
History of Xiao Long Kan
Xiao Long Kan has over 800 locations in China and over 1000 outlets worldwide.
The restaurant is China’s most famous hot pot chain, and it started in 2014.
The famous Chengdu Hotpot always commands a long queue in China.
Xiao Long Kan Hotpot is a local restaurant for those looking for authentic Chengdu Food and Cuisine without going to China.
The food is so popular that wait times often reach several hours.
In China, a running joke goes like this: “Patrons will even go as far as dating one of the staff there just to get a coveted table.”
No wonder Xiao Long Kan Hot Pot has expanded to be one of the largest hotpot chains in China and worldwide within a few years.
Learn How to Eat Sichuan Hot Pot. at Xiao Long Kan Hotpot
Xiao Long Kan Interiors
Xiao Long Kan Hotpot doesn’t skimp on the ambiance—its interiors will make you feel as if you’ve stepped back into ancient China.
The restaurant chain’s interior is classy, with wood panels reminiscing traditional Chinese homes.
The themes of Xiao Long Kan revolve around Romance of the Three Kingdoms – a classic novel that dramatizes the Three Kingdoms Period of Imperial China.
The dining area has several paintings that depict essential scenes from the novel.
The décor was designed and fitted by Chinese craftsmen to ensure that customers worldwide experience an identical ambiance as the original restaurant,
In addition, the interiors use imported dining sets and ornaments from China.
Each table has an induction stove built into it.
Xiao Long Kan’s old-school decor and overall environment are conducive to the communal way of eating steamboat.
Highly popular for gatherings of family and friends and great for first timers to learn how to eat Sichuan Hot Pot.
Beautiful interiors and lovely ambiance.
Unique Experience at Xiao Long Kan
Xiao Long Kan is one of the best hotpot experiences.
The chain’s uniqueness lies in its menu’s wide selection of meats and parts.
The diverse ingredients include a selection of Australia A5 Beef and Spicy Chili Beef – unusual innards such as crystal glass duck intestines and even pork aorta!
Most Popular Xiao Long Kan Items
Xiao Long Kan’s Mala broth is a must-try for those who can take the heat.
The century-old recipe comprises 90 ingredients for its signature spicy, fragrant taste.
The spicy Mala broth is steeped in a base of beef fat with Sichuan chilis and Sichuan peppers.
The beef lard arrives in the pot like a large slab of butter and melts once heated.
The recipe gives the region’s numbingly spicy flavor, characteristic of the Mala 麻辣 unique taste.
At best, the Sichuan chilis and Sichuan peppers should pack plenty of heat.
That heat comes with a deep, roasted, smoky flavor.
It is a bit numbing on your tongue with a raisin-like intensity, balanced by sugar and vinegar.
Special XLK Dipping Sauce
While broths are crucial in hot pots, condiments are equally important.
You are disappointed if you expect the spread of sauces and condiments like other steamboat restaurants.
If things get too spicy, Xiao Long Kan, their dipping sauce, can dial down the kick of spiciness from the mala broth.
The dipping sauce with chopped and minced aromatics has sesame oil and a generous special fragrant oil to help neutralize the spiciness.
- cilantro
- spring onion
- garlic
- red chilies
L to R: Australian A5 Beef, Rose Pork Balls, and Special XLK Dipping Sauce
Sichuan Mala Hot Pot
The spicy, tingly mala broth characteristics of a Sichuan Mala Hot Pot get their numbing sensation from the mix of chiles and Sichuan peppercorns.
Each step in making the spicy broth involves toasting the spices, frying the hot-numbing chili bean paste and aromatics, and gently boiling the broth.
All this preparation requires time and is a labor of love with a huge payoff.
Adding the raw ingredients to cook builds on the umami-rich additions like mushrooms and meat, and its flavor will only get richer.
The real connoisseur will eat last!
Xiao Long Kan Flavored Broths
The assorted XLK delicious broth uses hundred-year-old traditional recipes.
The top choice you must try is the Traditional Spicy Soup.
You can’t have the unique taste of Chengdu food without the numbing taste of the Mala.
Diners can request and customize the spiciness level of traditional spicy soup from four spice levels – mildly spicy, moderate, super, and extremely spicy!
You can take this rich broth up or down a notch in spiciness levels.
Xiao Long Kan Malaysia offers four different types of soup bases.
Spicy Broths
- Traditional Spicy Soup
Non-Spicy Broths
- Pork Bone Soup
- Mushroom Soup
- Tomato Soup
At XLK, you can choose a Single-flavored Pot, a Double-flavoured Pot, or even a three-flavored pot.
Available in the tripartite pot of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,”– you get three soups!
If you like spice but lack the iron stomach of a Sichuanese person, you can choose between a spicy, non-spicy, or split pot.
Also available in the tripartite pot of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,”– you get
three soups!
Their signature Mala Traditional Spicy Soup base is unquestionably a must-have try.
Mala is derived from the Chinese characters for “numbing” and “spicy.”
The reference is to the intensely addictive mouth-numbing sensation that comes with every spoonful.
It is made from Sichuan peppercorns and aromatics like garlic, dried chili, and cumin seeds.
The soup is further enhanced with Beef Tallow or Beef Fat.
Don’t worry. This bubbling cauldron of spicy numbing soup is localized to cater to the local appetite.
But if you are up for the spice challenge, you can have it in the original Sichuan style!
I tried to drink a spoonful of the Mala Soup – it was too spicy.
The soup is not for drinking but for dipping food in to cook!
The Sichuan Mala Broth is made from Sichuan peppercorns and aromatics and further enhanced with Beef Tallow (the yellow butter-looking ingredient)
How to Eat Sichuan Hot Pot?
First, you choose the soup base that you like.
Then, you select the ingredients from the menu.
Promotion at Xiao Long Kan Gurney
For Xiao Long Kan Gurney, the promotion is RM100 for small dishes you can share, making it very affordable.
You can add more ingredients as you wish.
- To eat, you need to wait for the soup to boil and add the raw vegetables.
- For the meats, you dip raw slices of bacon or beef into the hot broth with a thick layer of chile oil flavored with dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns on top.
- Cook the meats to your liking.
- If this is your first visit to Xiao Long Kan, you can ask a staff member for a standard blend of condiments.
- To enjoy a hot pot with sliced meat, briefly dip cooked food in the specially mixed dipping sauce to remove the mala broth’s immediate kick of spiciness.
- Slurp it down while it is warm.
Pro Tips: For beginners, we chose two types of soups—pork Bone Soup and Traditional Spicy Soup—with a medium spice level.
We selected Soya Bean Milk with extra iced water for drinks—just in case we needed to gulp down mouthfuls of water.
Xiao Long Kan Locations
There are over 1,000 Xiao Long Kan outlets worldwide.
Xiao Long Kan has ten overseas locations in Japan, the US, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and China.
Malaysia has three outlets.
Malaysia’s first Xiao Long Kan outlet is Fahrenheit 88, Bukit Bintang, KL.
Xiao Long Kan Gurney at Penang Sunrise Tower is the second outlet in the country.
The third is in Austin Heights, Johor Bahru.
No matter the location, you’ll feel like you’ve entered the same traditional Chinese inn-themed restaurant.
Enjoy the old-school feel with Chinese-style murals and lanterns hanging from the walls and ceilings.
Xiao Long Kan Menu
There are over 50 types of ingredients to select from.
The ingredients range from seafood, whole fish, and fish paste to sliced meats, pork bacon, beef and mutton, and pork innards.
Then there are vegetables, mushrooms, Black Fungus Sliced Green Bamboo Shoots, and various noodles.
There are also appetizers and desserts on the menu.
Crowd favorites include Pork Belly, Shrimp Paste, Fish Paste, Rose Pork Balls, and Prawns.
If you love spice and more, you will want to try the specialty plates of XLK Spicy Chilli Beef.
The lean cuts of beef are marinated with a secret blend and topped with green and red chilis.
The other item is a Rose Meat Meatball, made to order and displayed on a rose petal.
Other meat items are Fresh Mutton Rolls, Pork Neck, American Wagyu Beef Sliced, Australian Prime Beef Slice, Supreme Beef Tripe, and Live Abalone.
If you want something comforting and familiar, there’s always yummeh Luncheon Meat.
Australian A5 Beef
To cook the Australian A5 Beef, you need a few seconds of swishes in the hot broth.
The premium Australian A5 Beef has excellent marbling and guarantees great mouthfeel.
Don’t worry about cooking time; the staff is on hand to show you how to ensure you don’t overcook or undercook the ingredient for its best texture and flavor.
Rose Meat Ball
Each pork meatball is plated atop a rose petal with a lingering subtle floral scent.
XLK Spicy Chili Beef
Marinated with a special spicy sauce, these beef slices are cooked in a fiery soup pot to double the spicy effect.
Not for the faint-hearted
If you’re an offals and innards lover, you’ll be delighted that Xiao Long Kan Hot Pot offers some “exotic” “spare parts” on the menu.
Exotic Menu Items
- Pork Brain
- Crystal Glass Duck Intestine
- Supreme Thousand Layered Beef Omasum
- Pork Blood
Other unique ingredient options include Crystal Glass Duck Intestines, which are crunchy innards served in a bowl of ice, and Sliced Green Bamboo Shoots, which are good palate cleanser.
If you are up to the challenge, you can try Pork Brain!
The poetic-sounding Supreme Thousand Layered Beef Omasum is the local delicacy in Chengdu.
It is a delicate part of a cow’s stomach.
Side Dishes At Xiao Long Kan
Side dishes popular at hot pot restaurants in China are not to be missed.
We tried the Rice Cake with Brown Sugar – a savory-and-sweet treat of fried glutinous rice coated with gooey brown sugar.
Brown Sugar Rice Cake
We ended our meal with a traditional appetizer, and the Sugar Rice Cake is great for digesting oily foods.
After consuming the spicy hot pot, the restaurant also offers these classic Chengdu rice cakes for a sweet treat.
We ended our meal with a traditional appetizer, and the Sugar Rice Cake is great for digesting oily foods.
After consuming the spicy hot pot, the restaurant also offers these classic Chengdu rice cakes for a sweet treat.
These fried glutinous rice cakes have a crisp and light batter, topped with Brown sugar syrup drizzled on their crusts.
They are chewy on the inside and best eaten hot from the fryer.
Conclusion
Xiao Long Kan Hotpot is excellent for casual dining in a beautiful environment that doesn’t demand strict table manners.
You make yourselves at home to enjoy a feast with any combination of ingredients.
There is an excellent choice of meats, seafood, exotic parts, and unusual vegetables.
At the end of the meal, you can stand in front of the Scent Machine to mist yourself and eliminate any unpleasant odor.
Pro Tip: If you have a delicate stomach or suffer from gastritis, you may want to reduce the amount of Mala Soup.
You will need training for a Sichuan diet rather than indulging and suffering crippling heartburn.
After my first try, I am keen to try some Mala again.
As the saying goes, Self-inflicted pain is always the best kind.
Xiao Long Kan Hotpot 小龙坎老火锅 @ Gurney
Address: 190-192, Persiaran Gurney, Sunrise Tower, 10250, Penang
Hours: 12 PM-12 AM, Daily
Phone: 012-478 9982
Google: https://g.co/kgs/C45XFtv
IG: xiaolongkanmy
Blog Disclosure: This is a sponsored blog post, but all opinions are mine. Thank you, Xiao Long Kan Hotpot 小龙坎老火锅 @ Gurney, for the lunch invitation.
