How a Chinese Hot Pot Menu Is Organized
Hot pot menus follow a national template, and knowing the skeleton makes any menu twice as readable: 锅底 (broths) first, then 肉类 (meats), 涮品 (hot pot items — seafood, tofu, vegetables), 主食 (staples — noodles, rice), and drinks. Items are priced per 份 (portion); many restaurants offer 半份 (half portion) at just over half price — the smart orderer's move for trying more with less waste.
Three decoding shortcuts while you wait for your pot: 滑 at the end of a name (like 虾滑) means a paste that sets into bouncy balls; 脆 (crispy) promises something crunchy and quick-cooking; and 精品/招牌/金牌 prefixes mean premium cuts — better, pricier, rarely necessary for a first visit. Words you cannot parse at all? Decode single items any time with the Ingredient Decoder, or check what suits your table with the Diet Checker before you order.
Not sure how much to order once everything is decoded? A good rule is 120–180g of meat plus 2–3 vegetables per person — the Hot Pot Builder does the exact math.