Hot pot

This was the night before the day the wedding happened...

Hot pot is very exciting! Well, it's very fish-y and seafood-y, but sooo different from anything I've ever had... Basically, you go to a "buffet" of uncooked foods -- everything from octopus to several kinds of tasty mushrooms -- you place on your plate what you would like to eat, then return to the table to cook it. There's a pot in the middle of the table with -- in our case -- spicy broth on one side and regular on the other. You drop in your goods, let them cook, scoop them out and enjoy. You mix your own (dipping) sauce beforehand, so I got to make my own tasty soy sauce-sesame oil delight. :) Mark "made" me try one very spicy piece of fish, that he'd dropped into his side of the pot -- which had been overly-spiced after he told our host that it wasn't at all spicy, haha.

Anyway, it was pretty pleasant all around, even though if I told you what I ate, you would die to hear of it... Let's just say there was a very adventurous pig blood tidbit, I had some very large shrimps, my first mussel and crab ever and on and on. There was a little beef sliced on the side, which was quite tasty, and even some chicken pieces, I think, but, really, the entire thing -- as with many options, here -- was all about seafood. Becoming one, eh? :O

I don't know if one could afford to become a non-seafood eater, here. I guess there's always the vegetarian option, heh. Some people who really just can't handle it do say they're allergic and that usually gets them out of it. :) They do have some rather tasty types and preparations of tofu here, though, so it isn't all hopeless. :D

Here's a special face, to start off the evening -- it's touching, I know:


The pot, still a little empty:


--And pretty full, now:


Our happy hosts:




(Please note my extreme modesty in wearing that undershirt, since baring the top isn't really the thing to do, here.)