Jiang Jun Fu Hotpot: Hotpot eatery packs on heat & meat with ‘hunky men’ muscular waiters
This is for all you hotpot fanatics— there’s a new spicy contender in town, and boy, they’ve truly turned up the heat. And I don’t mean in their mala broth. Picture extremely muscular men in sleeveless tops greeting you with million-dollar smiles and serving you drinks. Have I got your attention? Well then, I think you’ll be keen to join me on my journey to Jiang Jun Fu Hotpot, Malaysia’s first ever ‘hunky’ hotpot restaurant. Buckle up, things are going to get real hot.
Located in the bustling Damansara Utama, I make my way to Jiang Jun Fu at 6pm (that’s when the muscular servers come in for their shift). The doors of the restaurant fly open and my eyes come into contact with two smiling muscular servers. I am not proud to admit this but I suddenly felt like I regressed to my awkward, shy 16-year-old self at this moment. Okay, back to the food!
What I tried Jiang Jun Fu Hotpot
As with every hotpot experience, a good soup makes a whole lot of difference to the meal. We opted for the Jiang Jun Fu Triple Pot (RM48) so that we could try three different soups.
At the staff’s recommendation, we went with three specialty soups that they were known for: Mulan Collagen Soup (RM45) which is their best-seller, Spicy Mala Soup (RM40) and Tomato Soup (RM30). As a person who enjoys spice, I was rather surprised that I enjoyed the Mulan Collagen Soup more than the Spicy Mala Soup as it was rich, silky and luscious in flavour.
Need a little help to craft up the perfect sauce to go with your hotpot dishes? Worry not! Jiang Jun Fu displays a helpful chart right above the condiments table. But you can always ask the all-too helpful servers to recommend and create the sauces for you, to your liking.
There’s a plethora of ingredients to choose from at Jiang Jun Fu Hotpot, from various noodles to meats, seafood, vegetables and other assorted delights. Aside from an amazing array of food, they also serve a wide variety of alcoholic beverages. From refreshing beers to in-house drinks like Honeydew-Inspired Soju and Cool Eight Treasure Tea, you’ll surely find something that tickles your fancy.
We started off with the meat (of course) where we selected: Snow Quality Beef Slice (RM58), Pork Belly Slices (RM26), Beef Melaleuca (RM38), Handmade Tiger Prawn Paste (RM35) and the highly-recommended Signature Meat Pie (RM18).
Sliced paper-thin, all you need to do is brush your meat through the boiling soup for 10 to 15 seconds and you are ready to feast. Although they weren’t seasoned, once dipped into the soups and the sauce, they oozed with flavour. If you enjoy the taste of tripe, then I would recommend you to order the Melaleuca— I’m personally not a fan of its chewy texture.
We were lost and clueless when the Signature Meat Pie arrived on the table as it was a bowl filled with ingredients such as meat, egg and coriander. What was this dish about? It all became clear when we got to see the hunky servers mix it thoroughly before dropping chunky looking meatballs into each soup. And gosh, this was truly the best dish on the table!
Dunked in the Mulan Collagen Soup, the meatballs were full of flavour and so tender. The Signature Meat Pie got two thumbs up from my grinning colleague as well.
The Handmade Tiger Prawn Paste was also a fun dish to order for the table as we got to enjoy the sight of the buff waiters slice the prawn paste into little cubes and drop them into the soup. Truly a treat for the eyes!
The show-stopper of the day was definitely the Seafood Trio (RM55). It came with 2 skewers of tiger prawns, 2 Japan XL Scallops, and a handful of clams.
Our favourite was definitely the scallop. They cooked in minutes and had a very tender texture and a good bite to them. So succulent too. The addition of prawns, clams, and scallops also lent the broth an additional brininess which gave it a more wholesome flavour.
The food train didn’t end here. To wrap up the dinner on a sweet note, we tucked into the Fried Golden Mini Bun (RM12). The golden mantou buns paired with condensed milk was the perfect dessert to sooth our burning tongues and lips from the mala spice. Much needed!
Final thoughts
“Would you two like a photo with me?” asked Han, one of the muscular waiters as we were clicking a couple of photographs of him. Why not, right?
By the end of the night, Jiang Jun Fu Hotpot had left me in a better mood and whether you’re someone who prefers strong spicy flavours like mala or something light, there’s bound to be something to suit everyone’s taste buds.
Hotpot has become such a regular way of dining in a group, but if you’re looking for something more unique as a hotpot experience, you now know where to head to. Afterall, it’s the perfect place to bring your girlfriends to!
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