Hot,hot,dip,dip...

It used to be a winter season special, but summer's just as good a time to indulge in a hotpot. Pauline D. Loh tells you why.

Hotpot is also known as steamboat in some southern Chinese cities, and in Hong Kong, they call gathering around a steaming cauldron of hot soup "da binlou", or "hitting the side of the pot".

That euphemism refers to the way plates of raw vegetables, seafood and meat are crowded around the pot and diners then drop their choices into the soup to cook.

In the past, before the days of air-conditioning and climate-controlled interiors, hotpots were only eaten in winter when the glow from the bubbling pot and the heat of the soup kept diners nice and warm.

These days, specialist hotpot restaurants flourish in major cities all over the country, and they do roaring business all year round, regardless of season. Cantonese hotpots are distinguished by their "tonic" base soups, while the Chong-qing and Sichuan hotpots are known for their mouth-numbing spiciness and a thick layer of rich red oil floating on top.

The Northeastern variety features lamb shanks and mutton soup in a pungent broth heavily scented with spices like star anise and cumin.

Shanghai has every variety from all the regions, and no matter your budget, there is a hotpot restaurant to suit your wallet.

For everyday dining, and a long leisurely evening meal that soothes away the day's stress and cares, we like the whimsically named Dolar Shop – a mid-budget range eatery with clean facilities and a good choice of orders.

There are quite a few outlets around town and a search on popular food review sites will locate the ones nearest you. For us, it was the shop near the cross-section of Jinling and Xizang Roads, off the Huaihai Road middle section.

Dolar Shop has nothing to do with the American currency, and is more a purposely misspelt homophonic term referring to its Hongkong/Macanese origins of dipping into a rich broth served in hotpots.

Our favorite soup base is a milky white chicken, tripe and gingko nut concoction that is a delight to drink on its own. Service at the Dolar Shop outlets is generally fast and efficient, with all the well-plated ingredients arriving quickly at the table.