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I’ve had my fair few shares of hotpots, and especially charcoal claypots. But I’d never heard of a charcoal claypot stall dishing out prawn collagen broth until recently. For all you hotpot enthusiasts, your next fix should be at Shiok! Hotpot, hidden in the Tai Seng industrial area.
Producing fresh collagen, this establishment has elevated the hotpot game to new heights.
Having just opened on 1 Aug 2024, head chef and co-founder Dominic (33) left his previous work to begin Shiok! Hotpot. he told me that Shiok! Hotpot began as Shiok! Prawn Noodles, served from 11.30am – 2.30pm on weekdays.
The same ingredients and soup bases are used at both establishments. However, he mentioned that there is a different ratio to the soup in Shiok! Hotpot and you can expect a thicker and richer broth.
I arrived at Shiok! Hotpot, which is located inside Kim Chuan Eating House, on a Thursday at 6pm. As I glanced around the kopitiam, I noticed that most tables were filled with charcoal claypots with an intense prawn aroma surrounding the air.
Like any other hotpot establishment, Shiok! Hotpot has a wide array of condiments for you to create your own sauce.
After ordering, I immediately grabbed a small serving dish and created a dipping sauce consisting of their signature chilli sauce, sesame sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic & cilantro.
What I tried at Shiok! Hotpot
Shiok! Hotpot has 3 different soup bases to choose from but Dom recommended we try their signature soup base, Prawn Collagen Broth (S$29.80). The other soup bases available are the Pork Collagen Broth (S$19.80) and Mala Collagen Broth (S$19.80).
I started to pick up a common theme of Shiok! Hotpot – they specialise in collagen! As I guessed, the process of making their broths was unlike anything I’d heard.
Before my meal, Dom gave me a sneak preview of how they formulate their broths and what he told me next left me in awe. To begin, he fills a claypot with ingredients that make the base of their broth. This includes prawn oil, deep-fried prawn heads, belachan, dried shrimp and collagen (more on that later).
Imperial Taste — $19.90+ hotpot buffet with 28 ingredients & all-you-can-eat lok lok at Bedok
He then cooks the prawns in these ingredients. What caught my attention was the big barrel of prawn broth that was simmering concurrently, which he told me takes 3 hours to make every morning. This same broth is used for their prawn noodles in the morning.
Once the prawns are cooked, Dom deglazes the mixture with prawn broth and strains it through blended prawn heads. Who knew making a hotpot soup base was this complex?
Midway through him talking me through the process, I saw a glimpse of a barrel the size of a tyre from a 16-wheeler. Turns out, it was filled with their homemade pure collagen. Known as a “perpetual stock pot“ the collagen is heated all day until they close. It contains chicken and pork bones as well as collagen soup, and is changed every 2 to 3 days.
We ordered a wide array of ingredients, including the Hokkaido Scallops (S$9.80), USA Short Plate (S$7.80) and the Tiger Prawns (S$7.80). Do note that the broth already contains prawns.
Shiok! Hotpot has a Crayfish promo running until 30 Sep. By leaving a Google review, you can add a Crayfish (S$0.80, U.P.: S$7.80), limited to 3 add-ons per claypot.
Of course, my first taste arrived through sampling the broth. It wasn’t too salty and had a lot of umami. The creaminess and the richness of the collagen teased my taste buds and were almost perfect.
The Hokkaido Scallops were plump and had an amazing sweetness to them. The crayfish had a very nice chew to it. All the ingredients were very fresh but with every bite, the broth had soaked further into each ingredient, making for a very umami-rich hotpot. Paired with my dipping sauce, this added depth of flavour to every ingredient.
Final thoughts
My overall experience at Shiok! Hotpot will stick with me for a while. The complex prawn broth lingered on my taste buds for hours and the meal was perfectly conducted.
Shiok! Hotpot is very generous with their soup refills and it kept convincing me to keep eating. Undoubtedly, charcoal claypot is the backbone of their dining experience, preserving the ways of traditional hotpot.
This is a different vibe of a hotpot and I would not hesitate to call members of my family and friends to come down and try Shiok! Hotpot for themselves.
Expected damage: S$20 – S$40 per pax
