So the days have been incredibly wet, mighty cold, and rather “ick”. Noses have run amuck (this writer’s included), with many feeling quite literally “under the weather”.Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is officially hotpot season.
It is during such times that places like Go-in Hotpot Train receive resounding praise. This dime-sized eatery is best defined as a mash-up between a sushi bar and a hotpot restaurant because it is, essentially, just that. Picking up where ‘Sushi Train’ left off, the ingenious entrepreneurs of Go-in Hotpot decided to preserve the restaurant’s abandoned conveyor belt and create a novel hotpot sensation, where diners select their own hotpot ingredients as they travel up and around on a moving belt. Ah, the resourcefulness of the human mind.
Saddled up to the counter, spying morsels of passing ingredients like a predator eyeing its prey – is a visual treat in itself. The meal kicks off with each diner ordering their preferred soup base, each with his/her own individual pot. Meats and seafood are denied the trip down the runway (for health/hygiene reasons, understandably) and are ordered off the menu. But with everything else, it was open season!
Various tofu, fungi, meats and veggies quickly found their way into our bubbling laksa broths. Of particular fancy were the homemade “balls” (i.e. fish, pork etc.). On the contrary, the round knobs of what appeared to be deep-fried buns were rather difficult to down. These factory-dehydrated buns received their ceremonial boiling (as instructed by the wait staff), after which they resembled hot-sloppy socks with a plasticky taint. We quickly moved on to more favourable commodities, like the sheafs of stiff glass noodles that softened to a translucent goodness upon immersion in piping hot soup.
All in all, it made for a simple, cheery evening. Warmed, satiated, and filled with our year’s worth of MSG, we left fairly satisfied with our $15pp meal.
The restaurant brims with a hungry host on most evenings, and as they don’t take reservations, try to get there early to avoid being left out in the cold. Perfect for that mid-week catchup whilst all is wet, windy and wild; heed the call of this restaurant’s name and simply.. Go-in.
Go-in Hotpot Train
38 HINDLEY ST, ADELAIDE
Ph: 8212 1858
