I would like to make a formal apology.

After my latest video where I stated that the brand-new Tripot on Quayside was the only place in Cambridge where you could create your own hotpot at your table, I was wrong.

Nothing travels faster than being corrected on the internet and in this example I am so glad for this to be true. As one of my noble followers quite rightly pointed out that there is actually a spot already doing this in town: Kung Woo on Regent Street.

Part of the reason I missed it is because Kung Woo is a true “Xiao Spot” hiding in plain sight, with absolutely zero online presence. It ticks every single box for my Xiao Spot series: completely under the radar, with rudimentary interior, and a wide range of authentic Chinese home cooking from the Dong Bei area (North East China) which is hard to find in Cambridge. In fact, it might only be “Fu” that also serves it and rumour has it, that has now closed! With that in mind, I cut the queue on my long list of places to visit and headed straight over to explore.

As the restaurant has no website, I had to rely on Google for opening times (always a dangerous thing to do when you have to drive 45 minutes to get in). It was listed as opening at 11am, which I thought was a great time to visit while it was quiet as there is nothing worse than trying to eat a meal with an insufferable content creator on the table next to you. However, the doors didn’t actually open until 11:20am. This wouldn’t have been such an issue if it hadn’t been pouring with rain!

The Setup

Walking in, the place is small, quirky, and untidy. There is dust everywhere, with boxes loaded up across the restaurant that look like they have been sitting there for some time. Despite the cluttered vibe, the views from the Regent Street window were fantastic, allowing me to grab a table and watch everyone get soaked outside.

True to my follower’s word, the tables all come equipped with built-in electric stoves that allow you to cook while eating. They were small and modest, making them quite practical without getting in the way.

The menu is almost endless, covering everything you could possibly imagine, including Korean and Japanese cuisine. Prices are very fair – coming in at almost half the cost of Tripot. I noticed numerous dishes that I have already earmarked for my return, including a stunning-looking “house spicy fish” reminiscent of my visit to Shang Wei on Burleigh Street.

The gentleman serving me was an absolute delight. He was friendly and chatty, though he did struggle a little with my thick Fenland accent! Service was fast and prompt throughout.

Let’s get cooking

I was torn between the Korean Army Hotpot for £45 and the Hotpot Buffet for £25. Since I was eating on my own, I thought I would be sensible for a change and order the Hotpot Buffet. My host fired up the stove at my table and quickly brought out the feast.

As the hotpot began to bubble, the rising steam added a lively atmosphere, fogging up the windows into a cozy contrast against a cold and wet morning in Cambridge. In fact, while my pot was bubbling away, I noticed two groups of passers-by look in at me with pure envy while they wrestled with their umbrellas.

The hotpot set comes with beef, chicken, and pork, alongside mushrooms, potatoes, dumplings, and greens. I couldn’t help but notice that the meat was still frozen in parts, so it clearly wasn’t fresh. This is actually fairly common with hotpots as the meat is cut so thin that it cooks almost immediately when thrown in. Either way, considering it was nearly half the price of Tripot, you can’t complain – it was the end product I was interested in.

For the broth, you are given a choice of different sauce bases that you add directly to the water in the pot. Predictably, I chose spicy so I was given a bottle of hot sauce. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but I couldn’t help feeling that a bit more effort could have been made with the broth setup. On the flip side, this gave me ultimate control over how much kick I wanted to pack in.

Once everything was simmering, the broth looked fantastic and cooked brilliantly into the dumplings. The greens and mushrooms stood out as my particular favourites, though I struggled with the sweet potato slices, which lost their structural integrity pretty quickly. This was likely because I had no idea what I was doing with the cooking times! Unlike Tripot – which helpfully lists cooking times for each ingredient on the menu – Kung Woo is strictly for seasoned hotpot pros who grew up on this dish and know exactly what they are doing. Even with this in mind, I had to question boiling thin slices of potatoes as getting that balance right is always going to be hard and much of it went stodgy.

The meat cooked instantly but failed to wow me with flavour. In fact, I struggled to tell the difference between the meats in the pot by the time they were cooked. (even after cooking in the spicy sauce for some time). Now, I am just a dumb Westerner who probably doesn’t understand hotpot but this is my least favourite hotpot in the city so far.

The Verdict

While I was dining, the restaurant quickly filled up with Asian customers, which is always a reassuring sign that a place offers something authentic. The sheer value, coupled with home cooking reminiscent of family recipes, clearly touches a chord with visitors and students alike.

Kung Woo might be the most quintessential Xiao Spot yet on my journey, but it will either be a place you love or hate. I really enjoyed being able to cook my own hotpot exactly how I wanted it, but my lack of experience resulted in a total pig’s ear of the timings – so this is very much a restaurant for people who are experienced with hotpots and know exactly how they like them.
The ingredient quality isn’t anywhere close to Tripot, but you simply cannot argue with the value. Kung Woo is very much an everyday local spot that feels like visiting a friend’s… well, not even living room… office, with a load of junk in it?
If you want to explore authentic Chinese home cooking – or even Korean and Japanese dishes, especially given how few Korean spots are left in Cambridge – it is well worth a look. The menu is massive, and there is bound to be something that entices you or ticks an item off your foodie checklist, but do not expect to be blown away by quality. With so many outstanding Asian restaurants on Regent Street, I just wonder whether it can ever be truly recommended over the competition.

Thanks for reading!