Hearty Japanese-Style Hot Pot at Tsukada Nojo Serves Farm-to-Table Ingredients

There’s nothing more comforting than a heartwarming hot pot as weather grows more and more chilly. While our cold-inspired desperation might drive us to mall basement staples like Xiabu Xiabu, an elegant hot pot meal with fresh ingredients is a bonus. Having originated in Japan, Tsukada Nojo is a popular izakaya chain, with over 250 outlets in Japan, America, China, and Singapore. Nojo means farmer in Japanese, and they claim to source local ingredients and bring them directly from farm to table.

Located on the fifth floor of U-Town Shopping Center, Tsukada Nojo is a place with warm, bright lights, plenty of tables for two, a bunch of booths for four, and a convenient self-service table for water, spoons, and wet wipes. Unlike the typical izakaya-style, you will be given a tablet to order and bring the bill to the front to pay. The menu includes their signature hot pot (RMB 128 for two) and several ramen dishes (around RMB 39). We opted for the hot pot, the collagen-enriched chicken broth was served in an iron hot pot. We patiently waited for the thick lump of broth to dissolve, then eagerly dumped in our platter of veggies, including tofu, enoki mushrooms, shrimp balls, lettuce, spinach, and bell peppers. The broth was rich in flavor and milky in color, and by the end of the meal tasted like soup.  

It wouldn’t deserve the title of izakaya without drinks. They have a selection of cocktails, sake, and beer. To ease the hunger of nearby workers, there are six choices of lunch sets, all at RMB 49, which include noodles, salad, a small hot pot, and rice, all paired with onigiri (or rice ball) and a small pudding. We’ll be back to try the lunch set. When it's that cheap, we can't afford not to.

Tsukada Nojo
Mon-Fri 10am-3pm, 5pm-10pm, Sat-Sun 10am-10pm. 5/F, U-Town Shopping Mall, 2 Sanfeng Beili, Chaoyang District (6553 6081)
FROM FARM塚田农场：朝阳区三丰北里2号悠唐购物中心5层

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Photos: dianping, Tracy Wang