When rain pours down the ground, the genre of music suddenly switches from loud upbeat to calm and mellow. The change of atmosphere influences my choices most of the time. Do I go with the flow? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Also when it rains, my choice of food quickly converts to desiring for a bowl of hot soup to warm my body.

This season, the bipolar weather calls for nothing else but comfort food in a bowl. To answer that call, there is now a haven for shabu-shabu lovers in Mall of Asia. From the same family of Vikings group, let me introduce you Four Seasons Hotpot City.

This new concept of Vikings wows hotpot lovers through their extensive menu of fresh and healthy ingredients. I had the same amused reaction as I entered Vikings the first time, also in their MOA branch. I thought I was in a luxurious clean market as I explored while carrying my plate with me.

Four Seasons features 7 main stations in their buffet – appetizer, meat, seafood, vegetables, Japanese, desserts and bar. Now, let’s get the shabu-shabu party started.

We all know that compared to usual buffet restaurants, shabu-shabu takes more cooking time in its own electric hot pots. FYI, Four Seasons have equipped each table with its own induction cooker plus a large pot with a divider to extend two types of broth. There are 4 choices of soup base to heat up – Pork, Chicken, Vegetable and Sinigang broth. To highlight more flavors, you can mix Filipino tomato paste, Szechuan mala, Sate, or Chinese herb – popular among senior Chinese visitors. You are not madonna in here. It’s self-service where you are expected to be responsible in cooking your own creation.

While faced in the process of steaming your meat in hot pot, you don’t have to suffer and hold back your appetite. The appetizer section of Four Seasons provides small bites to start your eating machine. O and I picked similar pieces on our plate, everything raw and Japanese! At one corner, you’ll find the salad station with assorted greens and veggies plus various dressings. Also, bite-sized party appetizers fill up one part of the section.

Let the marketing begin with a basket of assorted greens and veggies for a healthier shabu-shabu pot. For a second, I really thought I was in Rustan’s supermarket as I shopped for ingredients.

To dance with the soup, these assorted noodles in different shapes and flavors match any broth you choose. Unique finds are black squid ink noodles, mushroom noodles and chili noodles.

You’re on the right track when you hold the tongs and place the seafood on your tray. The seafood sign is too big that you can’t fail to miss out. Four Seasons and I recommend that you include various seafood like crab, shrimp, gindara and squid for your table’s hotpot.

On the other side, you’ll find assorted dumplings, meat and seafood balls. These are necessary for a more colorful and flavorful soup.

Carnivores, the way to get your freshly cut meat is to approach any of the servers. Once you’ve chosen your meat, request for it to be sent straight to your table. Available during dinners and weekends, you can pick from the following: beef short ribs, beef striploin, beef shortplate, pork jowls, pork neck, pork belly and lamb.

This is the other element of shabu shabu we enjoy, preparing our own dipping sauce. O and I love to add a bountiful amount of satay, peanut butter, soy sauce, oyster sauce and right amount of dried chili. Sometimes, we break an egg to mix with our sauce.

Is this your first time? You can ask any of the servers to create the dipping sauce for you.

At the back side of the buffet near the bar, you’ll discover a number of ready-to-eat dishes plus cooked rice to complete a meal. Right beside, a tempura station serves as another attraction in Four Seasons. I’m not surprised actually. In any Vikings restaurant, the tempura station has one of the longest queues.

The buffet isn’t over until your lips meet the desserts. All sweet and sour delicacies, for the small one and the big ones, I’m sure you’ll find your dessert match. Three scoops of green tea ice cream for me please?

If you’ve been to other Vikings restaurants, you’ll see the similarity of the bar layout – a row of different shades of beverages. For tea drinkers like me, a choice of hot tea, cold Chrysanthemum tea or milk tea will keep us hanging by the bar. Fruit shakes are made available too. I’m afraid I had to control myself from fuelling myself with beverages. Or else, my tummy will end up becoming full easily.

Of course, beer makers like San Miguel and Chang, largest Thai beer, position themselves for serious Filipino drinkers.

KIDS RATE:
Kids below 3 ft: FREE
Kids 3 ft – 4 ft Weekday Lunch: 188
Kids 3 ft – 4 ft Weekday Dinner: 288
Kids 3 ft – 4 ft Weekends/Holiday Lunch & Dinner: 288
Kids 4 ft – 4 ft 6″ Weekday Lunch: 288
Kids 4 ft – 4 ft 6″ Weekday Dinner: 388
Kids 4 ft – 4 ft 6″ Weekends/Holiday Lunch & Dinner: 388*Prices are subject to 5% service charge.

Food	9/10
Ambiance	9/10
Service	9/10
Cost	8/10
Overall	8.75/10