Formosa Asian Cuisine - Iowa City

    Hot Pot traces its culinary roots back to the Gobi desert of southeastern Mongolia, where the armies of Genghis Kahn once camped on their way to founding the largest continuous empire in history. Yet the origins of Hot Pot are humble. It is believed that the legendary Genghis Kahn developed Hot Pot in order to most efficiently feed his massive army. The thinly sliced meats cooked quicker, requiring less fuel, and the soup itself capture not only the flavor of the meats and vegetables, but also more of their nutrients.

    As the Mongol army spread across Asia and part of Europe in the 13th Century, so did Hot Pot. In the succeeding centuries, many Asian countries developed their own forms of Hot Pot, such as Vietnamese Clay Pot cooking, the Korean Kim-Chee Pot, and the Thai Sukiyaki. Also important are Japanese and Taiwanese Hot Pot, which are both more recent variations since neither were ever of the Mongol Empire. Japanese Hot Pot, or Shabu Shabu, is known for its use of dipping sauces to accompany the meats and vegetables once they're cooked. The Taiwanese further refined the dish by giving each diner their own individual pot rather than using one large communal pot. 

    Jump forward to the 21st century and we have what we at Formosa call Asian Fondue.  We've taken the best elements of each regional varation and combined them into a unique dining experience.  It starts with an individual pot of your choice of broth, placed on a burner built right into your table.  When the broth boils we bring you raw fresh vegetables and paper-thin slices of uncooked meats such as prime rib, chicken breasts, lamb, or seafood.  You cook it all right at your table simply by placing the food in the broth.  When it is cooked, we offer you a range of distinct dipping sauces to further compliment your dish.

    The staff at Formosa is happy to guide you through your experience, giving you direction and pointers on the proper way to eat Asian Fondue.

Entrees

Chicken - $14

Beef - $18

Lamb - $18

Shrimp - $21

Seafood - $25

Beef and Shrimp - $23

Chicken and Shrimp - $20

Seasonal Vegetable $12

Soup Broths 

 Chicken 

Miso

Kimchi

Vegetarian

Chili

Curry

Sauces

Ponzu (Lemon Vinegar)

Sesame

Satay

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