I used to be that one person in my family that doesn’t like spicy food. Oh how the tables have turned in the past few years, particularly since my introduction to mala. And suddenly I constantly want to eat spicy and numbing hotpot, if only my budget (and gastrointestinal health) will allow for such indulgence.
Anyway, after surveying a couple of the Chinese hotpot restaurants at Sunway Velocity (there really are so many there it’s like a mini Sichuan), the two of us decided on 蜀国印象 · 火锅 and it seemed like it was the most popular one during lunch time, with a full house compared to the relatively quiet ones. This is what we had!
We opted for the Yin Yang pot with a medium spicy mala base and a pork bone broth in the other half. The mala base was rich with beef tallow flavour and I prefer this over plain oil bases. To enjoy (or suffer) alongside the soup, we ordered the spicy numbing mala beef slices which were amazingly tender after a few swish-swashes in the rolling boil. The beef was coated in a blend of spices and a sh*t tonne of Sichuan peppercorn for that extra kick, an acquired taste. We also ordered a portion of pork neck slices, which were tender and flavourful, and a plate of shrimp balls. The ten shrimp balls were handmade in house and had a very smooth, slippery and bouncy texture.
Not pictured was an assorted vegetable plate with water spinach (kangkung), Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, black fungus, and other green leaves (RM12).
They have a lunch promo going on where all food items are 20% off, not inclusive of drinks, soup bases and condiment charges. Speaking of condiments, you can find the usual assortment of sauces at the condiment bar ranging from sesame sauce, to chopped garlic and herbs, to chili oils and about 10 others (I need to remember to take a photo of hotpot sauce bars lol). Every diner is also charged RM6 for unlimited sauce bar access and a herbal tea in a bowl on the table. Hot water is poured in from a loooooong-spouted teapot with ferocity by the wait staff and caught me off guard the first time he poured it.
Overall, the bill came up to RM123.40 for the two of us, which is about what most Sichuan hotpot places cost (Read: Expensive af). It’s pricey considering the number of things we ordered but I would definitely revisit with more people.
Food: 9/10
Price: 5/10
Ambience: 7/10
Service: 6/10
蜀国印象 · 火锅
1st Floor, V03-01-03A,
Level 1, Boulevard, Sunway Velocity
55100, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
11.00 AM – 02.00 AM (Daily)
+603 9770 0079
JUMIN EATS 