Step aside lala hotpot, we have found a viral sensation — charcoal prawn hotpot.
That’s right, it might seem only recently that we have been seeing a spike in lala hotpot places popping up in Singapore, we have already moved on from lala to prawn. Chu Niang in Tai Seng is about to shake things up in the hotpot scene.
Chu Niang is located in Tai Seng Exchange and serves soothing seafood broth, bubbling over a charcoal fire.
But unlike any other traditional charcoal hotpot places, that often leave you drenched in sweat and smelling like a barbecue pit, Chu Niang boasts a cosy, air-conditioned environment that lets you enjoy all your hotpot goodness in comfort.
Plus, they also use smokeless charcoal so you don’t have to worry about the smoke or smell — we love that. Fun fact: Chu Niang’s lady boss is a self-proclaimed hotpot lover, and that definitely shines through at her hawker stall.
The stall is best known for their Charcoal Prawn Hotpot (S$29.80). Each pot comprises a generous serving of fresh tiger prawns — which can easily feed two to three pax — that have been marinated in hua tiao jiu, before being stir-fried and doused with a house-made seafood broth.
If you want more prawns to go with your meal, you can add-on additional servings of Fresh Tiger Prawns from just S$10.80.
Pro tip: let the prawns sit in the broth for 30 seconds at most and then dish them out. This way, you get to enjoy the prawns at its best and finest quality.
Make this affair even more prawny by getting a serving of Prawn Paste (S$8.80) — yes, this classic hotpot ingredient is also available here too, who would’ve thought!
To enjoy the dish hot-pot style, Chu Niang has over 40 ingredients for you to add-on to complete your meal, including items like Snow Crab Leg (S$7.80), Fuzhou Fishball (S$6.80), Lobster Ball (S$5.80) and more.
Is it really hotpot if you don’t have some meats? Chu Niang also has an impressive selection of meats too like Beef Ribeye Slice Shabu (S$10.80), Pork balls (S$5.80), Beef Balls (S$5.80) and Smoked Duck Slices (S$8.80) amongst others.
I was really impressed with the quality of the ingredients offered here like the plump scallops (S$8.80), toman fish slices (S$7.80) and Beef Short Plate Slice Shabu (S$10.80) which were fresh and really added depth to the soup broth.
Of course, no hotpot place is complete without some dipping sauces and here, you too can build your own sauces or have a go at their house sauces like the Thai Green Chilli, house-made chilli and more.
Chu Niang also has a selection of fried snacks like Taiwan Sweet Potato (S$5.80) and Glutinous Rice Cake with Brown Sugar (S$5.80).
But my favourite was definitely the Crispy Milk Roll (S$5.80). I loved the contrast between the crispy exterior and the soft, creamy interior that was just not overly sweet — definitely ordering this again.
I have to say that this was my first time trying prawn hotpot. And while I was expecting a more prawn mee–esque soup base, I was still pretty impressed with Chu Niang’s broth. It was very aromatic and had a pretty strong seafood flavour.
I’m definitely bringing my seafood-loving friends over to give this a go!
Are you in the mood for something prawny?
Chu Niang
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📍 1 Tai Seng Ave, Tai Seng Exchange #01-26 Block F, Singapore 536464
🕑 5pm–10pm (Mon to Fri), 12pm–10pm (Sat & Sun)
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Photos by Marcus Leong.
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