Review: Da Long Yi, Soho

 Da Long Yi is one of China’s most celebrated Chengdu hotpot brands, with over 300 restaurants worldwide. Known for its fiery broths, theatrical presentation and immersive dining, Da Long Yi is now bringing its signature Sichuan spice to Soho.

Don't worry if you haven't eaten hotpot before, there are instructions on hand and staff can advise you; basically you choose your soup base (you can have up to three), a selection of ingredients to cook in them, then make up some dipping sauces from the buffet-style sauce section.

When choosing your soup base, remember that this is authentic, full-flavour Chengdu hotpot; spicy really does mean spicy. If this is your first hotpot, and/or you have a typical Western palate, we recomend the dual soup option with one non-spicy base - tomato or mushroom-based, as you prefer - and then the least spicy Sichuan option. You can always add heat, but if you check out the number of chillies in the picture above, we doubt you'll need to; by any other measure, this would qualify as very hot. Also be aware that as the broths simmer over time, they will reduce and become more concentrated in flavour; staff will come and top them up with broth base for you, but you can request this early if you need to.

Don't miss a visit to the dipping sauce section. There are recipes displayed for you to follow, or you can make your own; we love the sesame sauce, which is a good contrast to the heat of the chillies and numbing tingle of the Sichuan pepper.

Choosing your ingredients is done via a tablet, so you can scroll through the choices and add them as you go, then click the button to order when you're done. Each option has an illustration and description; ingredients range from the widely familiar such as sliced beef or lamb, potatoes, noodles, prawns, spinach and mushrooms to more traditional Chinese ingredients including tripe, intestine and duck gizzards. Chinese food values texture more than most Western cuisines and this is a great way to experiment and broaden your experience if some of these foods are unfamiliar, but you could equally have a wide variety of options if you just stuck to beef and mushrooms, or seafood! All the ingredients were fresh and delicious, and we enjoyed the experience of cooking them at our table.

Hotpot is a traditional festive feast in Asia but is a fabulous choice, particularly for groups, at any time of the year. It's fun, interactive and everyone can tailor their meal to suit themselves. Da Long Yi is a welcome addition to London's hotpot scene and to Soho, and we're already looking forward to our next visit!

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Deputy Editor, Chatting Food London: Amanda David

Amanda David is a freelance food and drinks writer specialising in London’s restaurants, bars and events. She is the author of EAT THIS NOW! on Substack, the Events Editor and a contributing writer for London Cheapo, a regular contributor to Palate Magazine and a Member of the Guild of Food Writers.

Follow Amanda on Substack and on Instagram: @LondonGAT