Dive into a hard-to-find Chinese comfort food in Santa Rosa

Dipping forks and spoons into Boiling Bowl’s communal hot pot is like going on a fishing trip—you never know exactly what you’re going to get.

On a recent visit, our trio of guests ordered two stews, which chattered angrily on the table. They were dangerously filled to the brim with broth, mussels, fish balls, tiny sausages, tofu, corn, fake crabs, strips of beef, and a surprising number of unidentifiable objects that danced happily on the surface above the flames that flickered at the bottom of the pot. Steam enveloped us like a cocoon. On a cool winter evening, it was a comforting moment of sharing among friends.

Boiling Bowl (500 Mission Blvd., Suite E, Santa Rosa) combines traditional Chinese-American cuisine, made-to-order dim sum, sizzling platters and the conviviality of shared hot pots.

It’s a no-frills, family-friendly spot with an epic menu that ranges from orange chicken, broccoli beef, and walnut shrimp to sizzling claypot seafood bowls, shumai (steamed shrimp and pork dumplings), grilled pork buns, and shareable hot pots (our favorite, Cheesy). Milk and Beef (both $23.99).

The cheese milk version consists of a watery soy milk broth studded with mushrooms, tofu, fish tofu (a fried fish paste), eggs, seafood, lotus root, fish fillets and grated cheese.
The beef version is a heartier meat broth with thinly sliced ​​beef strips mixed with corn, tomatoes, clams, mini sausages and other goodies. It’s a lot of food, and each hot pot can easily feed two people.

Vegetarian dishes, seafood, Japanese miso broth and lamb hot pots are also available, ranging from mild to “scorching hot” if you’re feeling adventurous.

While ramen is readily available in Sonoma County, hot pots are rare to find as there are only a handful of ramens in the area. (Petaluma’s Fantasy Restaurant, 1520 E. Washington St., has DIY hot pots that can be prepared tableside, shabu-shabu style.)

Preparing dim sum from bamboo steamers takes about 20 minutes. So order it when you sit down. The Boiling Bowl is open daily for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for dinner from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Delivery and collection are possible. cookingbowlca.com

Reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at [email protected]. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.