There are meatballs. There are dumplings. And then there are Fuzhou meatballs–often referred to, perhaps a little more accurately, as Fuzhou fish balls. Diners who love a good, bouncy fish cake and a juicy meatball will fall in love with the meatballs wrapped in fish cake. And at Hot Pot Legend in Ashburn, they’re just one of the many treats bubbling away on the daily.
Billing itself as “the most authentic Szechuan hot pot experience in Ashburn,” (that’s true, but it’s also the only one), the restaurant’s servers do an excellent job explaining each detail of the procedure to beginners. But I’m an experienced eater. I know what I want when it comes to a spicy bowl of soup, and Hot Pot Legend delivers in many ways.
The meal starts auspiciously with free apps, including peanuts, spicy cubes of cucumber, and chewy strands of seaweed. When trying a new hot pot place, I always order the spicy Szechuan-style broth to test spice levels. I tried the medium, which was about as advertised. Spice lovers like me would probably do better one level up, with the “regular” version of the pork-based broth. My companion and I elected to use individual pots, but it’s also possible to split a single big one at the center of the table to ease sharing.
But my dining partner and I mostly stuck to our own fixings. Udon for him, glass noodles for me, and so on. Though the Fuzhou fish balls were the highlight, I also demolished the bowl of tofu skin, the leafy spinach, and spicy beef. The sauce bar provides everything I needed to make my favorite hot pot dipping sauce, a combo of sesame oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, garlic, and cilantro. Better yet, there are dishes with three small connected bowls, encouraging improvisation.
But my favorite thing about Hot Pot Legend is the presence of bubble tea. I had never felt like I was missing something when I drank water with hot pot. Now, without a cool cup of honeydew smoothie to cool the chile-and Szechuan-peppercorn-inflected heat of my soup, I’ll surely long for it. // 20462 Exchange St., Ashburn
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