Beijing's Bashuwangpotasha: A Must-Try Shrimp Hotpot Experience 2026

You Can't Find This Back Home!

Beijing Restaurant Recommendation:

Shrimp Hotpot at Bashuwangpotasha

Words/Photos ©HiCouple

Are you like me, always on the hunt for unique, characteristic dishes when you travel abroad?

Before my trip to Beijing, I stumbled upon the concept of 'shrimp hotpot' and was immediately captivated by its distinctive preparation and mouth-watering visuals!

Today, I'm excited to share my review of the incredible shrimp hotpot I savored in Beijing, complete with tips on how to enjoy this amazing meal!

1. Beijing Restaurant Recommendation: Bashuwangpotasha Shrimp Hotpot

Bashuwangpotasha boasts several branches across Beijing, including popular spots near Nanluoguxiang and Beijing Railway Station.

I ventured to the branch near Beijing Railway Station, which is a bit further from the main tourist hubs. While the Wangfujing branch is quite famous among international visitors, this particular location felt like a genuine local secret – I didn't spot any other tourists!

2. Restaurant Ambiance

The interior reminded me of a casual shabu-shabu restaurant, with tables equipped with stovetops. The setup, where you can pick your own ingredients and sauces, felt very familiar and comfortable.

I arrived after 10 PM, and there were only a few local young patrons enjoying their late-night meal.

Near the entrance, there's a simple salad bar and a variety of sauces you can refill as much as you like.

A basic charge of 8 Chinese Yuan (approximately ~$1) per person is added for the salad bar, which is a very reasonable price.

The sauce selection included garlic, oyster sauce, and chili oil – plenty of options to create a custom dip that suits your taste. However, the salad bar itself had limited choices, with only the fruit being particularly appealing.

3. The Shrimp Hotpot Experience

Ordering is conveniently done via a QR code at your table. First, I made sure to order some beer, which is an absolute must-have with shrimp hotpot!

They offer both chilled and room-temperature beer. I opted for chilled, but it was surprisingly only slightly cool, so keep that in mind when you order!

Then, the shrimp hotpot arrived! We ordered the small size with spice level 1 for 118 Chinese Yuan (around ~$16).

Even after having dinner, the sheer quantity of the 'small' size for four people was astonishing!

The shrimp hotpot is a two-part dish: first, you enjoy a delicious stir-fried mala shrimp, and then broth is added to the remaining sauce to transform it into a hotpot.

The ingredients are simple, mainly fried whole shrimp with some corn and potatoes, but the shrimp make up about 80% of the dish!

Since we ordered the mildest spice level, it had just a subtle hint of mala flavor and wasn't spicy at all. The shrimp were fried, making the heads crispy and perfect as a beer snack, while the bodies, once peeled, were plump and full of succulent meat.

Getting so much shrimp for the price of a hotpot felt like incredible value!

Once you've devoured all the shrimp, just let your server know, and they'll pour in the hotpot broth. You can then add the complimentary vegetables, noodles, and any extra meats you've ordered, and enjoy it like a traditional shabu-shabu.

The noodles are served as a complimentary bonus, and they'll keep adding them until you say stop! It was fun watching the staff perform a noodle-pulling show as they added the chewy dough to our pot.

And let me tell you, these noodles were absolutely delicious!

We also ordered extra fish cake, beef, and cabbage. Since the shrimp portion was already so generous, we were quite full by this point.

The hotpot broth itself was savory and rich, so the added ingredients absorbed the flavors perfectly. We made our own dipping sauces, but honestly, the broth was so good, we didn't even need them!

A small word of caution: when ordering meat, be careful not to accidentally select seasoned varieties. I made this mistake and ended up with marinated ribs, which felt more like eating 'water ribs' in the hotpot. While not bad, it wasn't what I was expecting and slightly diminished the experience.

4. Final Thoughts: A Beijing Gem You Can't Miss!

While hotpot restaurants are common everywhere, I haven't found a shrimp hotpot quite like this, especially not one with such an abundance of shrimp at such an affordable price! It's truly a unique Beijing specialty.

Our group of four paid approximately 255 Chinese Yuan (around ~$35) for our late-night meal. For a 'small' pot that was surprisingly generous, plus two beers, extra beef, veggies, and fish cake, getting all that for just ~$35 is an undeniable deal!

If you love shrimp, hotpot, and a hint of mala spice, you'll find this an incredibly satisfying and budget-friendly meal. When you're in Beijing, I highly recommend stopping by Bashuwangpotasha for a memorable shrimp hotpot and a refreshing beer!

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