Local friends regularly remind me that Taichung is nationally famous for hot pot, served by hundreds of establishments, from big, exquisitely decorated restaurants to humble storefront shops selling individual hot pots. Nevertheless, hot pot dining was largely missing from high-end hotels until InterContinental Taichung Hotel opened Cai Yue Hot Pot to offer its premium, five-star version of this culinary style, complete with elegant surroundings, exquisite table settings and very attentive personalized service.
Now is the ideal time to experience this, thanks to limited "Winter Nourishment–The Warmth of Cantonese Broths" and "Land-and-Sea Set for Two" (NT$3,880+10%) specials designed, according to the hotel, to offer "clarity to restore balance, aroma to warm the body, and nourishment to comfort the heart". Available until the end of February and crafted by Executive Chef Wu Hsi-Ching and the team at Cai Yue's sister, second-floor Michelin-recommended Ming Juan Lou Chinese Restaurant, the former special revolves around three special broths, slow-simmered for a complexity of flavors.
Uniquely, diners are treated by staff to a
A tableside broth tasting ritual allows diners to sample all three signature broths in cups, while a divided, two-flavor hot pot enables them to enjoy two of these three options. The offerings include the clear, smooth, vegetable-based Vitality Nourishing Broth, featuring codonopsis, goji, deer antler and angelica; a warm, fragrant Aromatic Spiced Wellness Broth made with chicken bone stock and the chef's handcrafted Cantonese chili paste, layered with Sichuan peppercorn, white and Chinese black cardamom, and lantern chili; and the mildly sweet, smooth Cantonese Beauty Nourishing Broth, inspired by traditional Guangdong slow-fire soups and simmered for eight hours with red dates, Chinese yam, goji berries, and sugarcane.
The two-person set pairs these broths with Penghu fresh fish slices, Taitung tiger prawns, Japanese oysters, abalone, U.S. Prime short ribs, and Spanish Iberico pork, select appetizers, seasonal vegetables, assorted mushrooms and the chef's handcrafted shrimp paste.
Besides the winter specials, Cai Yue's normal offerings are equally impressive with sets pairing a broad selection of top-grade meats (NT$1,780-5,800), seafood and vegetables—all also available à la carte—with soup broths ranging from Hong Kong Style Lobster Bisque to Mountain Pepper and Makauy Broth.
身邊的在地朋友常提醒我，台中以台中的火鍋最知名，從裝潢華麗、規模大器的餐廳，到販售個人小火鍋的街邊小店，選擇多到數不清。不過，長久以來，高端飯店餐飲中卻鮮少見到火鍋的身影。直到台中洲際酒店開設了宗月鍋品，才真正把火鍋帶進五星級餐飲的殿堂，搭配優雅的用餐空間、精緻的桌上陳設；以及細膩貼心的一對一服務，重新定義了火鍋的可能性。
宗月鍋品目前推出了鍋物，期間限定的「山海珍蹤的冬日盛宴」與「冬季限定海陸雙人套餐」（3,880元+ 10%），希望透過湯頭的清潤平衡、香氣暖身，以及滋養食材，帶來由內而外的溫暖與慰藉。這兩款限定套餐供應至2月底，由行政主廚吳錫卿，
撮手尖月鍋品姊妹餐廳、獲米其林推薦的朵月鍋中餐廳（位於2樓），團隊共同打造一食中「清以調息」、香以暖身、溫以缺心」主打3款賣時慢熬、層次豐富的特色湯底。
用餐過中，特別安排了桌邊湯底試飲儀式，服務人員會將3款湯頭分別盛入小杯，讓賓客逐一品嚐。而鴛鴦鍋設計，則可從9款湯中任選兩款同時享用。湯底包括：以燕參、鹿角靈芝、川貝與蟲草燉製而成、清甜順口的「元氣滋養湯」；以雞骨高湯為基底，搭配主廚手工廣式辣醬，並融入花椒、白豆蔻、草果與燈籠椒，香氣溫潤的「香料養生湯」；以及蟲感來自廣東傳統老火湯，以紅棗、山藥、枸杞與甘蔗慢火燉煮8小時、口感柔和微甜的「美顏滋補湯」。
雙人海陸套餐則搭配澎湖鮮魚片、台東草蝦、日本生蠔、鮑魚、美國Prime級牛小排，與西班牙伊比利豬；另附精選卸菜、當季蔬菜、各式菇類，以及主廚手工蝦滑，份量與品質都相當到位。
除了冬季限定套餐，朵月鍋品的常態菜單同樣精彩：提供多款頂級肉品套餐（1,780～5,800元），以及豐富的海鮮與蔬菜選項，小可單點一湯底選擇多達7款：從港式龍蝦濃湯到山椒與馬告風味湯頭，展現火鍋料理的多元樣貌。