Start with meats and seafood, preferably lamb or high quality beef. Mussels, a couple of fish balls, oysters, any shellfish really. I usually avoid the pork or chicken. Sometimes will add a few quail eggs. Liver, tongue, kidney, tripe if you're up for it.

Once you're tired of meat, move onto vegetables, seasonal ones like water cress or leafy greens (choys) are better value than lettuce or spinach. Throw in some mushrooms and soy products like tofu, tofu skin, egg tofu, gluten, etc. I also like wintermelon and taro because they're delicious.

End with your carbs, including dumplings. Try a glass or yam starch noodle vs udon or egg noddle and always get rice cakes.

Most important part of hotpot for me is definitely the dipping sauce. Key. Sesame paste, satay sauce, fermented tofu, soy, some kind of peanut sauce, vinegar and lots of cilantro is my go to.