Otluk Hot Pot
What sauce do you make for hot pot?
Start with a base, add aromatics, finish with heat or acid. The Otluk sauce counter is self-serve and included with every meal, restocked all evening. If the choice paralyses you, these three bowls have never failed anyone:
Three bowls that work
- The classic: sesame paste base, minced garlic, a spoon of the chili oil, chopped scallion and cilantro. Rich and coating: built for thin beef out of a mala broth.
- The amplifier: chili oil forward with garlic, a little sesame and a pinch of cumin. For people who ordered the spicy beef tallow base and meant it.
- The bright one: soy, black vinegar, garlic, scallion, no sesame. Cuts through fat, wakes up mushrooms and seafood from a mild broth.
One rule: taste your sauce before you commit a full bowl of meat to it. Ten seconds of tasting saves a whole dinner.
Match the sauce to the broth
Rich broths like beef tallow want the bright vinegar bowl for contrast; mild broths like mushroom or tomato welcome the rich sesame classic. Running a divided pot? Make two small bowls instead of one big one: the bar does not run out, and neither should you.
Included, always
The sauce bar comes with every soup base and with all you can eat ($34.99), alongside vegetables, noodles, tofu and handmade balls. Everything on the counter is halal, like the rest of the kitchen. See it in person at 35-750 Oakdale Rd, North York, menu here.
Frequently asked questions
What is the classic hot pot sauce combination?
Sesame paste, minced garlic, a spoon of chili oil, scallion and cilantro. It is rich, coating and made for thin-sliced beef.
Is the sauce bar free at Otluk?
The self-serve sauce bar is included with every meal and restocked all evening, along with vegetables, noodles and tofu.
What sauce goes with spicy broth?
A bright bowl of soy, black vinegar, garlic and scallion cuts through the heat and fat better than more chili does.
