Alfred Zhang

One man’s meat may be another man’s poison and, while many people love Sichuan-style hotpot, I dislike it openly. However, I make concessions to a special type of hotpot that uses millet gruel as its stock.

The reason? Millet gruel retains the natural flavor of various ingredients, such as seafood and chicken cooked in it. Compared with the hot and greasy Sichuan-style stock that rips off the natural taste, the millet gruel is fundamentally friendlier to the ingredients and retains more nutrition.

Another plus with the gruel-based hotpot is that it doesn’t leave a heavy oily smell on your clothes and hair.

Situated in Honey Lake Resort, Xiang Mi Xuan is one of the few places in Shenzhen serving this type of hotpot along with a large variety of signature Shunde dishes, which are supposed to be a benchmark of Cantonese cuisine. With small ponds, heaps of farm produce at the entrance, and flowers and greenery inside, the restaurant re-creates a carefree countryside ambience.

For 28 yuan, you can get a standard-sized pot of thick millet gruel to be heated over a gas flame. Clams, chicken, fish balls and turnips are ingredients to complement the stock. An array of sauces and seasonings, such as peanut, ginger, chili and onion sauces, soybean oil and vinegar are available for diners to prepare their favorite dips for the cooked ingredients.

Unlike eating Sichuan-style hotpot which you have to DIY. Here at Xiang Mi Xuan, you will have a well-trained waitress taking care of the cooking and serving, so you don’t need to worry whether the food is overcooked or undercooked.

Besides hotpot, Xiang Mi Xuan serves many unique and authentic Shunde dishes, with many using unusual materials, such as banana flower buds and fish mouths. Some items recommended are pan-fried egg omelet with banana flower buds, and stewed alligator.

If you are a fish lover, you will definitely be satisfied with a four-course fish set (238 yuan per set), featuring crab stewed with fish, deep-fried fish maw, pan-fried fish intestine egg omelet and fish, fungi and pumpkin congee.

The saying that one man’s meat may be another’s poison however means the opposite when applied to my Indian colleague whom I invited to join the millet gruel hotpot tasting. While I was satisfied, he commented: “No salt, completely bland, I can’t imagine how anyone would pay money to eat that.”

Add: Xiang Mi Xuan, Honey Lake Resort, Shennan Thoroughfare (深南大道香蜜湖度假村内香蜜轩)

Tel: 8374-7576

Average cost per person: 158 RMB

(Edited by Stephanie Yang)