Dan’s parents recently gave us a portable stovetop, and the first dish we cooked up just had to be Steamboat.
To start with, fill the pot with a VERY mild stock (in this instance, chicken) and bring it to a gentle boil. As all veteran steamboat/shabu shabu-ers know, a good dipping and swishing session will have the stock infused with all the flavours of the meat and veg. To go out too strong now with a big flavoursome stock is just insanity. So start out mild and build the flavours.
Next, choose the items to get a dunking in the pot; lean slivers of rump steak, slices of fish cake, fish balls, Hokkaido scallops, prawns, scored squid, Chinese cabbage, oyster mushrooms and rice noodles.
To dip, just a simple light soy and some incendiary sriracha. Sometimes a good roasted goma (sesame) sauce goes well too.
To drink, some good Japanese sake 
I’m not familiar with this steamboat experience – but it looks interesting.
There’s one vegetable that goes really well with steamboat. It’s called “tong aw” in Cantonese. I don’t know what it’s called in English. It looks a bit like in that it has small offshoot leaves. You can find it at all Chinese grocery stores. Maybe if you ask them, they can point you to it, because that’s the vegetable everyone always has when having steamboat.
Another sauce that works well is “sar cha” sauce in Cantonese. Hey Wikipedia has a link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shacha_sauce.
I really like the “Bulls Head” brand.
I hope I’m not telling you things you already know. It’s just that my favourite part of steamboat is having that vegetable and also dipping everything in a mixture of soy and sar cha sauce.
Hey Anna – hmm, I’ll have to make it for you! Or, we’ll have to go to Shabu Shabu buffet!
Hiya Thanh – thanks for the tip on the “tong aw”. Both Dan and I are unfamiliar with the term, so we’ll have to ask next time we are at the asian grocers. The sauce too sounds interesting. Is it really hot? Or is it more pungent/spicy? Steamboat is a relatively new experience for me (..I’ve really only had it since I’ve met Dan), so I’m still an enthusiastic novice
I’ll have to snap a photo of the vegetable soon and send it to you. The sauce can range in how hot it is. It isn’t pungent, but instead smells wonderfully of like smokey meat in garlic and spices. The Bulls Head brand (a translation of the Chinese brand) is not hot at all and very aromatic.
I LOVE a good steamboat, and it looks like you have found one worth trying. We’ve just started to try and do this at home, it’s lots of fun, but after a few attempts (which were great)- we might need another trip out for that extra inspiration!
You’re pictures are always so great too!
Thanks!
-jane
Sorry- forgot to ask where you got the portable cook top from- that’s the bit we need to try! Once we’ve got that, we can go out and get some more inspiration out and about!
Hello Jane (Intrepid). You can get that cook top from most camping stores and chinese grocery shops for around $28. However, my mum (ever the bargain hunter) got ours on special from K-mart for $13!! The gas bottles are extra, and cost around $5. The great thing about our particular cook top is that it has its own igniter, and doesn’t require matches to get the fire started
Hey Thanh – that would be great if you could send a photo! I’ll keep an eye out for both it and the Bulls Head sauce. Sounds delicious!
Hi Jane – glad you enjoy the pictures
If you’re interested in Steamboat / Shabu Shabu, check out this post. But to be honest, I think making it at home is much better, mostly because you can choose the quality of your ingredients. Get the best meat, best seafood and best veg…and enjoy!
hi there, to clarify – “tong ho” the vegetable is otherwise known as garland chrysanthemum or shingiku in japanese. it’s a pretty mild leafy green but has a distinct flavour which holds up really well in steamboat or clear broths. actually it’s better in soup than stir fried. i highly recommended it for “da bin lo” (aka steamboat in cantonese)!
Leigh, thanks for that. I’ve been trying to find out what it’s called in English. Now I know what to tell people in future.
Thanks for that Leigh! I don’t think I’ve eaten it before, so I’ll have to keep an eye out for it.
Hey Mellie,
Next time u should try out this Thai sauce for steamboat! They are called sukiyaki sauce, and you can find them in Asian groceries. The brand Lobo is pretty good, it’s a must have for me whenever I have steamboat!
Thanks for passing on the brand name HH. It’s always good to know that when venturing to the grocers
I’ve had the sukiyaki at Shabu Shabu Buffet, which was great. So I’ll definitely give the Lobo brand a try.
We were looking for a steamboat and didnt like the idea of putting hot coals into a funnel (bit dangerous). Really glad i found this site – thankyou. Already have the gas stove which is easy to use anywhere. Now all we need is a decorate pot. The Womans Weekly Oriental Dinner Party cookbook gave us the idea of steamboat cooking and had a brilliant photo of prepared food ready to cook. Will definately impress our guests now.