'Yama Hotpot' keeps Chinese food authentic, but makes it comforting too

Hotpots make you work for your food, but they also make delightful experiences to share with friends and family

Growing up before Dhaka’s restaurant revolution started, the only restaurant food I was familiar with was pizza, fried chicken, and Chinese. I had the option to switch up my pizza toppings, and my parents, in their attempt to make me as ‘worldly’ as they could, would take me to different fried chicken joints around town. The one thing that did remain constant, was the Chinese.

No, I will not call it Chinese food and downplay it’s charm. Chinese should be given the honor of a moniker, as much as Cher and Madonna. Chinese has always consisted of the thickest of Thai soups, which was more of a fun children’s activity than food. I’d spend a good half an hour fishing three different types of leaves and slices of ginger out of my bowl before actually getting to eat the cold, thick, ketchupy soup.

I stopped eating Thai soup by the time I turned 10 because I was tired of doing the same dance everytime my parents decided to eat Chinese. Which is why it’s ironic that my favourite food right now is Chinese hotpot. It’s an activity in itself, and that too of fishing things out of a pot of soup, only this time I eat what I fish out, and the soup doesn’t go cold by the end. 

As I got older, I discovered that the Chinese we know and love is actually an Americanised version of Cantonese cuisine, one of the numerous regional variants of culinary styles found in China. That’s when I also learned about Sichuan food, which originated in China’s Sichuan province, and has a heavy use of - surprise surprise - Sichuan peppercorns. Unlike regular Bangladeshi peppers, Sichuan peppercorns are not only spicy, but also provide a numbing sensation when chewed on or infused in food. This is called Ma La in Chinese, Ma meaning numbing, and La being hot or spicy. I’m a big fan of anything spicy, and right from my first taste of Sichuan hotpot, I knew this was my type of food. 

Yama Hotpot & Grill in Uttara was the first restaurant in Bangladesh that started the affordable Sichuan hotpot trend. Bamboo Shoot in Gulshan had their own version of hotpot back in the day, but it wasn’t as accessible for most people, and quite frankly, wasn’t as good either.

For about Tk 1,800 per person, Yama gives you a chance to eat as much hotpot as you can, starting with chicken, beef, prawns and crabs, all the way up to the exotic tofu skin, and even our humble local chichinga and cauliflower. Their DIY sauce bar is a personal favourite, allowing me to double up on the chili oil, but their staff will whip you up a great batch of sauce if you’re not feeling as confident in your own sauce-making skills. 

Yama is definitely not for those who expect to unwind in a restaurant without any responsibilities. The entire process, from preparing your own sauce to cooking your own meal, screams working for your meal. But it’s definitely an experience worth sharing with your friends, a tiny camping trip without leaving the comforts of Dhaka city too far behind.

This article was written for Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication with a focus on culture and society from a youth perspective.