Underground City Old Hot Pot

The Restaurant

Chongqing was bombed for years during the war, and thousands of air-raid shelters were dug into its hillsides. Many survive as restaurants, markets and car parks. Underground City Old Hot Pot is among the most theatrical of them: a stone-walled tunnel with a low ceiling leads into a much larger underground space where tables line both sides of a long passage. According to China Highlights, the walls carry slogans and popular phrases from the 1950s to the 2000s, and thousands of lights hang from the ceiling. WildChina adds that staff wear military-style uniforms and service robots bring food and drinks.

The shelter complex at No. 5 Ji’an Road covers about 60,000 square metres, with 18 crisscrossing shelters and a longest straight run of about 520 metres.

Eating Here

The setting is the draw, and neither source describes the broth or recommends dishes at this restaurant. For Chongqing hot pot in general, China Highlights notes a beef-fat base that is spicy and fragrant, with offal such as tripe, duck gizzards and intestines among the classic ingredients, and suggests a half-and-half yuanyang pot for diners who want to control the heat.

Expect around 100 yuan a head by that source’s estimate. The restaurant is open 24 hours and takes reservations by phone, and an old teahouse next door serves cover-bowl tea after the meal. See the gastronomic guide to Chongqing for how hot pot fits into the city’s food.

Sources: China Highlights: Hot pot restaurants in Chongqing; WildChina: Chongqing. Check the official websites for current information.