Fish-roe dumplings look like "lucky bags". [Photo provided to China Daily]

According to Ao Ba Nian's Beijing branch manager Huang Wei-feng, it took the chefs years to develop a signature soup base that was both spicy and drinkable.

"We needed to find the right balance," Huang says.

The menu currently offers several different hotpot bases, including assorted mushrooms, golden dried scallops and preserved Chinese cabbage and pork, as well as a spicy beef shank and a pepper-dried scallops and chicken-soup hotpot.

This ensures that there is something for every palate, from spice lovers to those looking for more delicate flavors. Diners can also choose a split pot with two different bases.

"All the varieties can be drunk, and we encourage diners to taste the broth before boiling the ingredients," says Huang.