Three Must Try Drinkable Medicinal Hot Pot Soups in Tokyo After Malatang

The Medicinal Hot Pot Soup Boom

Walk around Tokyo, and you’ll see lines of mainly young women waiting for “Mala Tang.” You pick your favorite ingredients and cook them in a numbing, spicy soup—an undeniably addictive experience. But the depth of authentic Chinese cuisine goes far beyond this. With competition heating up among Tokyo’s serious Chinese restaurants, entirely new, previously unavailable hot pot flavors are emerging.

Here’s a look at the latest hot pot spots serving drinkable medicinal soup—the next trend after Mala Tang. Japanese diners are just beginning to discover these dangerously delicious offerings.

Japan’s First! Exquisite Fig Chicken Hot Pot

The first must-visit is the newly opened “Sumibi Torinabe” in Takadanobaba (opened January 2026). This restaurant serves a Cantonese-style chicken hot pot, emphasizing the natural flavors of its ingredients.

While most people think of hot pot as the bright red, chili- and Sichuan pepper-laden mala hot pot, competition for that style is fierce even in China. Recently, regional variations like “Yunnan mushroom hot pot” and “Guizhou fermented tomato hot pot” have been gaining popularity. Cantonese-style chicken hot pot has also been spreading in major cities, and Tokyo’s authentic Chinese scene has adopted this trend to stand apart from the saturated mala hot pot market.

The soup is the highlight. Diners can choose between two medicinal chicken soups, one of which uses dried figs, imparting a gentle sweetness. The other features “Shikkoku”, a traditional Chinese herb. Owner Mr. Li explains:

“The refined sweetness of figs and their refreshing aroma bring out the full umami of the chicken.”

Once the soup reaches a rolling boil, thinly sliced chicken is briefly swished in the broth like shabu-shabu. The plump chicken absorbs the mild sweetness of the figs, creating a perfectly balanced flavor. Because it’s a light, shabu-shabu-style hot pot, it’s ideal even for those who usually find Chinese cuisine too greasy or heavy.

For the finishing touch, diners can add rice and an egg to make a porridge, enjoying the rich chicken broth—a bonus that Japanese customers especially appreciate.

As of March 2026, this is the only place in Japan offering this particular fig chicken hot pot. During a visit in February, the restaurant was bustling with young Chinese residents who had heard about the opening. Takadanobaba, home to many Chinese-language schools for students, is a prime spot to experience the latest culinary trends from China.

Astonishing! Ice-Boiled Lamb Hot Pot

Next up is the Inner Mongolian-style lamb hot pot specialty restaurant “SAINUU Bing Zhu Yang Lu” in the Ueno-Yushima area. This is also a newly opened spot, debuting in November 2025.

The Ueno-Okachimachi area has recently become a hotspot for serious Chinese cuisine. Alongside mala hot pot and “Mala Tang,” regional styles such as “Yunnan mushroom hot pot” and “Guizhou fermented tomato hot pot” have already established a presence, making this area a place where hot pot diversification is rapidly advancing.

The key feature of this hot pot, true to its name “Bing Zhu Yang Hot Pot,” is that large portions of lamb are boiled together with ice. According to the owner, Mr. Nari Su, who hails from Inner Mongolia, the method originated in the time of Genghis Khan, when lamb was boiled with ice (various theories exist). Slowly heating the meat from a low temperature helps make it more tender.

The flavor depends on extremely simple ingredients: lamb, green onions, jujubes, and salt and pepper. By simmering these for 15–20 minutes, a delicious broth full of lamb umami is created.

“Slow cooking brings out the full flavor of the lamb while removing almost all of its gaminess,” says Mr. Nari Su. The chunks of lamb become astonishingly tender, likely thanks to the ice, and slide down smoothly.

In the latter part of the meal, adding greens and mushrooms enriches the broth further, and finishing with knife-cut noodles in the concentrated soup is a highly satisfying experience. A hot pot set course with all items and an all-you-can-drink option costs 6,980 yen, offering excellent value.

Umami-Packed Golden Chicken Hot Pot

Finally, we introduce “WEI HUANG” in the same Ueno-Yushima area, which has been popular among Chinese residents since opening in December 2024.

Like the first restaurant, it serves Cantonese-style chicken hot pot, but its defining feature is the broth made with “Huadiao wine,” a type of Shaoxing wine. The mildly fragrant wine, combined with medicinal ingredients like wolfberries and jujubes, creates a deeply flavorful soup. Though Cantonese in origin, this is an overseas branch of a popular ten-store chain centered in Shanghai, and the high quality of its soup has made it a hit in Tokyo.

The recommended way to eat is to first savor the rich broth, then enjoy the plump chicken, and finally add vegetables, tofu skin, or other ingredients. The soup, infused with the depth of Huadiao wine and chicken umami, is delicious on its own and warms the body. Free refills of the soup allow diners to enjoy it to their heart’s content.

Towards the end, diners face the ultimate choice: finish with “bao zai fan” (claypot rice) or add instant noodles to the concentrated soup—both are exquisite. The restaurant’s popularity is so high that in November 2025, a second branch opened in Roppongi, expanding its reach.

The Evolving Serious Chinese Scene

While most people think of Chinese hot pot as just mala hot pot, the growing number of restaurants has diversified the styles significantly. These trends are mirrored in Japan in real time.

The three restaurants introduced here are currently frequented by many Chinese customers, offering an experience that feels like traveling to China. For those who became interested in Chinese medicinal soups through Mala Tang, trying regional hot pots from different parts of China is highly recommended.