Chuanyu Hot-Pot
Calle Álamo, 7, 28015 Madrid
We’ve
all heard rumors about the secret Chinese menu in Madrid’s Chinese restaurants:
better prices, better food, way more authentic, whatever that means…The Dudes
walked into Chuanyu ready to
order the perfect hot pot, outfitted with tofu skins, fish balls, and those
funky shriveled mushrooms. But as all of the Spaniards played with their hot
pots, we noticed that the Chinese family sitting behind us wasn’t eating hot
pot. Instead, they had a little wok without broth in the middle of their table.
So did the Chinese couple on the other side of the dining room.
At
Chuanyu, there’s a secret
menu with Chinese characters and cheaper prices. That’s right, the dishes were
cheaper! And you have to ask specifically for it, or you’ll get the Spanish
menu. A young waitress helped translate and we got a general idea of what was
going on:
1:
Pick your protein. There’s beef,
lamb, chicken, shrimp, calamari, and the unbeatable fried tofu.
2:
Add your veggies. Lotus is a must and
don’t miss the broccoli for crunch. Ask about the other options, like green
peppers and mushrooms.
3:
Care for carbs. Potatoes are a
classic. Be warned, the flat noodles, although delicious, don’t yield much.
4:
Get individual rice bowls. The dish
can be salty and spicy. The trick is to go adding bits from the wok onto your
rice. It mellows the spice and allows everyone to eat from the same central
wok, nomad style!
Dude Tip: Don’t order too many proteins, stick to one or two to keep
costs low. We suggest lamb and fried tofu. Go ham on the veggies (pun
intended), a cheaper and higher yielding option.
At
Chuanyu the wok food arrives cooked unlike its hot pot cousin. Szechuan
peppercorns, known for their numbing and tingly effect on the mouth, are
scattered around the dish. The hot wok (a name the Dudes invented for
this dish) is more intense than your average Madrid hot pot. If you’re looking
for something different and want to get your addictively tongue-numbing sweat
on, check the Chinese menu.
Dude Tip: Mention how spicy you want the dish. The waiter might assume
mild, since, well, you are in Spain. If you want spicy you’ll get it, but if
you’re worried about the mouth numbing Szechuan chilies, then speak up or
forever hold your beer to your lips. And DON’T eat the peppers whole, trust us
on this one.
Expect
to pay 10 Euros per set of chopsticks, a little more if you’re a protein fanatic.
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