Loft Hotpot Bistro ： For All Your Pre & Post Clubbing Feed Needs

By Sophie Steiner

The Place

Shanghai's hottest weekend epicenter, INS, has welcomed new Cantonese Loft Hotpot Bistro, backed by Linhang Ren and Lauren Lee.

They are the duo behind A, WAY – an adult lifestyle and fine spirited ice cream brand (or luxury booze ice cream, in layman's terms), with its flagship location also in INS. 

READ MORE: Lick Responsibly! A, WAY: Shanghai's 1st Luxury Booze Ice Cream

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Hotpot is synonymous with Chinese nightlife, and Loft Hotpot Bistro has arrived on the scene to satisfy said demand in a way that aligns with a night full of dancing and drinking, imbibing and thriving.

Think lighter hotpot with an equally fresh supply of ingredients, so guests can get their fill without the stomach heaviness. 

Image by Sophie Steiner/That's

Image by Sophie Steiner/That's

This health-conscious style hotpot experience is coupled with a curated wine selection, a generous smattering of both hot and cold traditional Cantonese dishes, plus hours that extend to 6am on weekends, making it the answer to all your pre- and post-clubbing needs. 

The Food 

Loft Hotpot Bistro debuted in early June with five hotpot soup bases to choose from, each recipe created by Guangdong native Chef Liang, who claims three decades worth of cooking experience, including most recently working at the lauded Amanyangyun Shanghai.

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All of the broths are cooked fresh daily, with zero additives, colorants or shortcuts, and are simmered for hours to coax out the most bona fide flavor from top notch ingredients like Boston lobster, fish maw, Wagyu oxtail, and free-range chicken. 

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"As the flavor comes entirely from the ingredients themselves, without seasoning packets or unnecessary oils, diners don't have to worry about that signature hotpot smell sticking to their clothes throughout the rest of their night," explains Lee, while slurping down a supple piece of coral trout.

"No one wants to bring the smell of oily spice into the club while trying to get their mix and mingle on, so we make sure that's never an issue."

Image by Sophie Steiner/That's

Image by Sophie Steiner/That's

The broths span: Herbed Oxtail; Pig Stomach with Chicken and White Pepper; Guizhou-style Sour Tomato Fish Soup; collagen-rich Fish Maw and Chicken Golden Broth (one pot uses four whole chickens!); and 8-hour simmered Boston Lobster and Shrimp Head Oil.

They range in price from RMB188-498, which includes meats, DIY dipping sauce, and basic accoutrement. 

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Take the 8-Hour Shrimp Head Oil Boston Lobster Broth (RMB498), for example. This clean seafood broth arrives tableside with an entire Boston lobster swimming inside it, the crustacean's inherent sweetness coming through in each spoonful.

And it is precisely this that sets Loft Hotpot Bistro apart – their live seafood selection, flown in daily from around China, is as vast as it is fresh, ranging from market priced Snow Crab to Australian Lobster, from Black Tiger Prawns to Geoduck Clams (and the list goes on). 

Despite being seafood-centric, there's also an equally expansive meat selection, with options like Australian Wagyu Brisket (RMB498), Prime Thick Cut Rib (RMB388), M6-M7 Australian Wagyu Top Blade (RMB288) and upwards to Wagyu M10-M12 (RMB1,088) for really impressing your date.

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The usual suspects of tripe, luncheon meat, tofu, noodles, and an assortment of seasonal vegetables make a showing. But the must-order items extend into the fish and shrimp ball category, of which there are four varieties to choose from. 

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Pounded by hand for an hour for the requisite QQ springy texture, alternatives include Shunde Fish Balls (RMB128) – inspired by Shunde-style sashimi with a snappier crisp and veggies thrown into the mix – to Handmade Black Truffle Shrimp Balls (RMB128) to Chaozhou Fish Balls (RMB38).

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No hotpot is complete without the most meticulously assembled dipping sauce, and Loft Hotpot Bistro has got diners covered on all fronts with everything from the conventional (aged dark vinegar, garlic, scallions, cilantro, chili, sesame and peanut paste) to the creative (secret recipe XO sauce that is borderline drinkable, fermented black bean chili, sticky housemade shacha sauce, and aromatic ginger scallion oil, plus chef's proprietary Cantonese soy sauce).

While hotpot is clearly the main event here, the menu still sees a formidable lineup of both hot and cold appetite whetting starters and sides, like…

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... Chef's secret recipe for his take on Cantonese Golden Cabbage Pickles (RMB38)…

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... a veritable union of chili oil, juicy cantaloupe, and the king of mollusks, the Mala Dalian Baby Abalone with Melon (RMB88)…

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... the most texture juxtaposing Fried Tofu (RMB38) we promise you've never before experienced, with a tofu pudding/douhua-like center that pops then explodes on the tongue as the crispy, light coating shatters…  

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... a song of ice and fire with Cantonese Sweet and Sour Pork (RMB98), the sauce's stickiness amplified by the ice teardrop custom-built contraption it's served in…

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... an indulgent play on Jiangnan Shrimp-Stuffed Chicken with Caviar (RMB198) – an inception of a plate with fried chicken skin sheathing pounded and steamed shrimp (instead of chicken meat) atop a fried glutinous rice crisp, all adorned with caviar…

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... and the unmissable INS President Guan's Beef Chow Fun (RMB88) – still boasting that obligatory wok hei essence (smoky aromas and flavors imparted by a screaming hot and seasoned wok) despite being cooked on an electric burner. 

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As the brand is affiliated with A, WAY, many of their alcohol-infused ice creams star front and center for dessert, with options like the A, WAY Mango Margarita Sorbet Coconut Sticky Rice (RMB68) – a play on the ever-popular Thai dessert of mango sticky rice, but make it boozy…

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… and the A, WAY Ube Shochu Ice Cream with Shunde Fried Banana (RMB68) – featuring SG Shochu paired with regional flavors. 

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The wine program is designed by Hu Meng – currently Magnum's Wine Director – who pulls on her experiences from Dubai to Abu Dhabi to China and beyond.

Focusing primarily on whites – from both global legacy vineyards and young, independent local winemakers that represent China's unique terroir – the wines aim to enhance the seafood's fragrant, umami undertones found throughout the menu.

Champagne and a roster of spirits – whiskey, cognac, baijiu, huangjiu, and sake – are also on hand to elevate all occasions. 

For those looking for something lighter, there's a milk tea counter on the outside wall, with drinks like Jasmine Milk Tea (RMB38), Kiwi Lemon Tea (RMB48), Fresh Grape Tea (RMB48) and more, for takeaway or dine-in.

The Vibe 

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Situated on the second floor of INS, within the confines of the former French Concession's century old Fuxing Park, Loft Hotpot Bistro's décor reflects said Gallic influence with French music, Mediterranean bistro-style window-paned doors, and European-inspired hand-painted murals covering the walls. 

Image courtesy of Loft Hotpot Bistro

But what really sets Loft apart from any other hotpot establishment is the unmatchable service and meal pacing. 

Friendly and efficient, the staff are consistently at the ready to ladle more soup, stir in more sides, top up wine glasses, and rearrange the table layout for prime eating ease, before diners even recognize they need it. 

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So, while Loft Hotpot Bistro may be a late night hotpot joint, it retains a sense of daytime class.

Price: RMB350-700

Who's Going: The INS late night crowd, seafood lovers, hotpot addicts

Good For: Pre- and post-clubbing feeds, crustacean consumption, Fuxing Park area date nights 

 

Loft Hotpot Bistro, F207, 109 Yandang Lu, by Nanchang Lu, 雁荡路109号F207室, 近南昌路.

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[Cover image by Sophie Steiner/That's]

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