It seems to be a common tradition to have Reunion Hot Pot during Lunar New Year. Hence, opened throughout this festive period, 食间火锅-Shi Jian Hot Pot is a great option for us westies and anyone hoping to satisfy their ma la pot cravings or just to save the hassle of preparing an elaborate feast! Located in the heartlands of Chinese Garden, the humble Si Chuan hot pot restaurant aims to bring the authentic Chinese flavour to the masses and with the boss coming from Chong Qing, rest assured that the food packs a flavourful punch.

First off, our soup base was a half-and-half 鸳鸯锅 ($15) with the staff-recommended Pig Bone Soup 上汤大骨锅 as well as Red Oil Spicy 红油麻辣锅 at the spiciness level of 1 (playing it safe). As for the ingredients, go straight for their unique marinated meats such as the Coriander Beef ($8) and Mala Spicy Beef ($8) but my favourite was definitely their Handmade Mashed Shrimp ($10) - fresh, bouncy, smooth and went superbly well with the pork bone soup. Next up with drinks, I would highly recommend their Freshly made Cranberry Juice ($6) which was tangy, sweet and pleasantly refreshing. And not forgetting their sauce station, which offered options like Cumin sauce, Leek sauce and Mushroom Sauce. Thus with the more gamey tasting meats such as the thin Mutton Slices ($10), pair them with the stronger sauces for maximum enjoyment. So good!

Thank you Emily and @kelvinnnn for the invite as well as Shi Jian for the hospitality~ Oh and lookout for their new outlet in JCube at the end of the month and in the next few months, Bedok Point!