This is Chinese hot pot, a style of eating designed as a communal experience between friends and family. The concept is deceivingly simple, not unlike fondue: bowls of different flavored broth are placed on burners embedded into the tabletop, used to cook and flavor a wide variety of ingredients, which each diner can customize further with their own dipping sauce creations.

Some hot pot establishments feature large bowls of broth divided into different sections for different flavors. Old Town Hot Pot, however, opts for smaller bowls that can be used individually or shared among the table. Both have the same result: everyone has the opportunity to create and eat to their preferences while still bonding through a shared culinary experience.

If you’re familiar with hot pot and how it works, then you already know the drill: 1. pick broth; 2. pick protein, veggies and starch; 3. pick dipping sauces. For others, there’s a learning curve, and if you’re not familiar with the broth, ingredients or sauces, there’s really not much of a roadmap to follow.

Lacking a more experienced companion to guide you, it’s going to be a matter of trial and error. So the strategy here is to take it slow, keep it simple and think it through.”