t’s no secret that over the last few years, the Chinese hot pot has become one of the most sold and coveted items on Asian menus. All over the country, small and large-scale restaurants have mushroomed to introduce this communal dish and surprisingly, almost all of them have found their clientele. However, not all hot pots are made equal; something the team behind DanDan strives to prove.

Nestled in one of the many brightly lit streets of Lahore’s upscale locale of Gulberg, DanDan is the latest offering from the team that brought Rina’s Kitchenette and Bamboo Union to the royal city – Ammar Mohsin and Raza Ahmed. The two, who have made their mark on the culinary scene of Lahore, aim to make this new spot in the city a more luxurious experience.

The restaurant, from its entrance to waiting area, halls and private dining rooms, is done up in textures of wood, marble and jewel-tone metals. Private rooms, available upon reservation also feature murals inspired by popular paintings from China, which add to the authentic yet contemporary experience of it all.

The restaurant has a wide variety of pan-Asian offerings available as well. While Pakistan has forever had a love affair with Chinese-inspired cuisine, there are still many who have yet to become accustomed to the taste of hot pot, or the method of cooking it. For them, the inclusion of a well-curated menu is a great step in the right direction.

On their signature menu, DanDan offers about 11 different dishes apart from the hot pot. Some of their most popular ones include, Crispy Soy Eggplant, Prawn Toast with Miso Mayo, Grilled Prawn & Apple Salad, Assorted Dumplings, Miso Glazed Bone Marrow, Pad Thai Bao, DanDan Chicken, and the Tuna Pringle, among others.

From these, what made it to our marble-top tables included the Crispy Soy Eggplant, the Prawn Toast with Miso, the Grilled Prawn & Green Apple Salad, and the Dumplings.

The eggplant, generally is considered a low-brow deal in Pakistan – a nation obsessed with meats, made for a thoroughly sumptuous bite. Crisp to the core, the melt-in-your-mouth pieces of eggplant would make even convert the staunchest anti-veg person. The prawn toast, served with a drizzle of Miso mayo, too, is extra-light if a tad overcooked.

The dumplings and salad on the other hand are for those who like to experiment. It is time the country accepts the dumpling – especially this assortment of them, because they truly bring the best of Chinese dim sum to the table. Making a dumpling and creating a unique set of tastes within them is an art, and DanDan is clearly an artist.

Similarly, the tartness of green apple combined with the oceanic tastes of shellfish makes the salad a double-whammy for those who would like to taste something fresh rather than sticking to the hackneyed dressing-drenched greens.

Over to the star of the night, the hot pot. Unlike many other restaurants all over Pakistan that choose to use table-top pots to cook, DanDan has chosen to go towards a more international standard by making the electric pots a part of the table itself. Not only does it make for a more convenient experience, but it is also safer. Each of these pots holds two types of unlimited broth offerings, which can be selected from a range of five.

For the faint hearted, the clear and the mushroom broth easily make for a good choice. Aromatics play a larger role in these than a stronger flavour, which make them a healthy option for looking to take it easy. The other three broths, pack a massive punch that will make you call for a drink – of which also, DanDan has an eclectic list. The Spicy Mala and Tom Yum, especially, with their hearty use of peppers and spice make them a spectacularly hot choice. The Laksa, with its Singaporean and Malaysian heritage also keeps the spice level

DanDan, along with its range of broths, also is one of the few hot pot restaurants in the country to offer a range of meats and vegetables to cook that go from local produce to international offerings such as Australian and American steak pieces and imported vegetables.

There’s a wide range of dessert on offer as well. However, amidst it all, what catches the eyes the most has to be the giant fortune cookie – which for many, has only been something seen in international dramas showing American Chinese restaurants. However, one has to say the cookie available here is beyond those seen anywhere else.

Apart from its gargantuan size, the perfect mixture of dark chocolate ganache, cookie crumble, fresh cherries, and honeycomb, make this fortune cookie an auspicious piece of dessert that satiates and leaves you with a little slip revealing a ‘fortune’ as a keepsake. If that doesn’t add novelty value, then what does?

All in all, amidst the many sides of the street hot pot places present all across the country, DanDan serves as the perfect example of a high-end variant that doesn’t shy away from being experimental and proudly ostentatious. If you’re willing to save up and go spend it all for an experience that you’ll probably remember – and plaster all over your social media – then there’s no place better than this one for hot pot in Pakistan at the moment.