Xiao Long Kan Hotpot In KL Has Authentic Sichuan-Style Steamboat For Lovers Of Spicy Food

Xiao Long Kan Hotpot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Malaysians aren’t new to the hot pot game. We have tons of hotpot restaurants on our shores, and even on days when the heat gets unbearable, there’s still a bunch of us who are always up for a meal of steaming soups and hearty meat platters to fill our bellies. 

Xiao Long Kan Hotpot is a steamboat restaurant that originates from Chengdu, a city where foodies know as the motherland of hotpot. 

Besides getting an authentic experience of the steamboat fare of Chengdu here – think spicy mala and tomato broth options, and plates of beef and more – Xiao Long Kan Hotpot doesn’t skip out on the ambience either, with interiors that’ll make you feel as if you’ve stepped into ancient China.

Give our video a watch before you read on:

A feel of a traditional Chinese inn in the heart of KL

Dine in a traditional pavilion-like setting at Xiao Long Kan Hotpot at Bukit Bintang
Image credit: Xiao Long Kan 

There are over 1,000 Xiao Long Kan outlets worldwide, across countries such as Japan, the US, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and, of course, China. 

You’ll find 2 outlets right here in our own backyard located at Bukit Bintang, KL and Gurney Drive, Penang. Those in Johor Bahru can look forward to a new Xiao Long Kan outlet in Malaysia at Austin Heights too, which is set to open towards the end of 2020. 

Dining tables at Xiao Long Kan on Bukit Bintang are separated with wooden panels for privacy
Image credit: Xiao Long Kan 

But no matter the location, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into the same traditional Chinese inn-themed restaurant. As you grab a seat on one of the wooden benches here, you’ll feel like you’re on the set of a Chinese historical drama. 

At Xiao Long Kan’s Bukit Bintang outlet – located just a stone’s throw away from Fahrenheit 88 – the dining spaces are sectioned off with traditional wooden screens for privacy. Exposed bricks dress the walls to add to the old-school feel, while Chinese-style murals and lanterns hang from the walls and ceilings. 

All of Xiao Long Kan’s furnitures and decor are imported from China 

There are also private dining rooms here – great for groups or family gatherings. 

Private dining room at Xiao Long Kan

Sichuan-style traditional hotpot – with a variety of broth options and unique ingredients

To kick off your meal, choose from a pot of 2 broths (RM48) or 3 broths (RM50). They offer non-spicy options of tomato, mushroom, or pork bone, as well as their signature spicy mala broth for spice lovers.

For those who can tahan the heat, Xiao Long Kan’s mala broth is a must-try. The century-old recipe comprises a whopping 90 ingredients steeped in a base of beef tallow to achieve its signature spicy, fragrant taste. You’ll have options of mild, medium, or extreme to take this rich broth up or down a notch in spiciness levels too.

If things do get too spicy, a dipping sauce made of cilantro, spring onion, garlic, red chillies, a dash of sesame oil and a generous portion of vegetable oil, will dial down that immediate kick of spiciness from the mala broth. 

Note: We had the mala with medium spiciness and it’s a great starting point for those who can take anything extra pedas without having to gulp down mouthfuls of water. 

Dip your meat in the specially mixed dipping sauce to bring down the immediate kick of spiciness from the mala broth

There are over 50 ingredients – from sliced meats, vegetables, mushrooms, innards, seafood, to tofu and eggs – that you can order to add to your hotpot here. You’ll find the usual Pork Belly (RM28) and Shrimp Paste (RM38) too. 

Pork belly

But you’ll want to try its speciality plates of XLK Spicy Chilli Beef (RM48), which are lean cuts of beef marinated with a secret blend and topped with green and red chilis, as well as the Rose Meat Meatball (RM26) that gets made to order and comes displayed on a bed of rose petals. 

Other unique ingredient options include Crystal Glass Duck Intestine (RM28), which are crunchy innards served in a bowl made of ice, as well as Sliced Green Bamboo Shoot (RM15) that’s a good palate cleanser. 

Those who are up for even more interesting ingredients can try the Pork Brain (RM10), a local delicacy in Chengdu, or Supreme Thousand Layered Beef Omasum (RM48), which is a tender part of a cow’s stomach. 

XLK Spicy Chilli Beef and Crystal Glass Duck Intestine

Side dishes popular at hot pot restaurants in China can be found here too. We recommend the Rice Cake with Brown Sugar (RM8/4 pcs). It’s a savoury-and-sweet treat of fried glutinous rice coated with gooey brown sugar that’s not to be missed out on. 

Rice Cake with Brown Sugar is a soft and crispy treat 

New menu items to look out for at Xiao Long Kan Hotpot

In July 2020, Xiao Long Kan added 2 new platters to their offerings – 1 Meter Beef (RM140) and Seafood Platter (RM128).

The former comprises lean slices of beef served on a 1-meter wooden platter that’s bound to turn heads and fill your belly. You can request to switch out the beef for chicken or pork too. 

Seafood Platter (RM128) comes with 4 different kinds of seafood previously not available on their menu before: Japanese scallops (hotate), abalone, baby squid, and white prawn. The ingredients are flown in from Japan, and come served in a bed of ice in a dragon boat-shaped bowl. 

Xiao Long Kan Hotpot in KL

It’s hard to run out of options when we have so many hotpot restaurants to hit up in the city. But you’ll want to put Xiao Long Kan Hotpot on your radar, as this restaurant has been serving hotpot in Chengdu since 2014. 

The dining area at its Bukit Bintang outlet spans 3 floors – so you shouldn’t have a long wait even if you’ve seen snaking lines here.  

Xiao Long Kan Hotpot @ Fahrenheit 88
Address: Lot 03, Block D, 179 Fahrenheit, 88, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 11AM-12AM, Daily (during the RMCO)
Telephone: 010-220 9618

Xiao Long Kan Hotpot @ Gurney
Address: 190-192, Persiaran Gurney, Sunrise Tower, 10250, Pulau Pinang
Opening hours: 11AM-12AM, Daily (during the RMCO)
Telephone: 010-220 9618
Website

For more restaurants and cafes in KL, check out our other articles: 

• Sky-Dome Hotpot – dine under the stars in a dome
• BBQ Lamb KL Kemensah – dine in the river in the city
• Concubine KL – old-school bar in Kwai Chai Hong
• Cafes with old-school aesthetics in KL
• Cafes for coffee connoisseurs in KL 

Cover image adapted from: Xiao Long Kan & The Smart Local Malaysia

Photography by Janet Cho.