Call me a pothead, but I think some of the best meals are hot pot and dry pot, both made in one of China’s main cooking utensils—the guo (锅), or cooking pot. What I love about these meals is their versatility, since you can always choose what to add in and what flavors you want.

Guijie is the best spot to find all types of guo-based meals. This red-lantern-lit street is what I consider the equivalent of 24-hour diners back home in Jersey. No matter the hour or your state of mind, they are here to serve. A staple for me is Jin Gui Xiao Shan Cheng, which has branches on both ends of the street. The delicious shrimp pot (手打鲜虾滑, ¥38) is great for the anesthetizing spice of Sichuan peppercorns. The shrimp paste magically transforms into puffy balls that sizzle in spicy broth. I have many add-ins, but my favorites are enoki mushrooms and thick rice noodles, and the fragrant oil with garlic sauce is always a must.

When it comes to dry pot, it’s basically the same meal but without the broth and more options when it comes to spiciness. To get away from the bustling streets of Guijie, I head to La Jie Malaxiangguo, located just by Gulou Bridge. This cozy restaurant is decorated with Communist propaganda and international movie posters, and the menu offers six different levels of la.

My newest pot meal is Beijing hot pot, which I recently tried for the first time. I was skeptical at first, as I love my spice and never opted for what I thought was the blander version. But Nanmen Hot Pot (8562-8899) is a place I definitely want to return to. This is a restaurant where you can go to embrace your true inner fatty, because you get your own personal guo. The Northern hot pot here uses a pot with a cylinder in the middle, filled with a plain broth with a sparse amount of mushrooms, goji berries, scallions and jujubes. The ingredients are super fresh and speak for themselves. The lamb (¥15) from northwest Inner Mongolia is a must-try, and the rainbow noodles (¥12) are a light, delicate and playful starch.

For a double dose of both hot and dry pot, I recommend Xielaosong Xiangguo. The crab and shrimp dry pot (¥88/jin) is served just like any other dry pot, but the seafood is decent for Beijing. I recommend also getting a separate hot pot with a sour broth, where you can dunk in your crustaceans for a combo of both guos.

Whether you prefer hot or not, guo-based meals are crowd-pleasers that allow you to match your favorite foods with different flavors. They’re an unmissable part of Chinese cuisine.

[More hot pot and EVEN MORE hot pot]