美國第6大購物中心The sixth largest shopping center in the US.
巧克力鍋專用水果蛋糕拼盤 fruit and cake platter for chocolate fondue
巧克力加上花生醬 melted chocolate and peanut butter
主菜火鍋 entrée fondue
主菜火鍋配料 beef, spinach ravioli and white shrimp
今天想來分享自己的巧克力火鍋體驗，這次拜訪的是Melting Pot，它是位於美國各州的全美連鎖店，專門供應瑞士起司火鍋、牛肉火鍋和巧克力火鍋，據說在美國也算是小有名氣，有人很喜歡，有人卻評價普普，可能也和品嘗美食的餐廳地點有關，用餐時餐廳氣氛和環境也很重要，好的氣氛通常在食物品嘗上也能加上不少分。
在紐約州雪城時，除了進行一般的觀光，其實也是為了黑色星期五大採購而前往，我和朋友當時在算是在當地的購物中心Destiny USA進行了不少採購，採購之餘，也要好好餵飽肚子，所以我們直接就近在該購物中心的Melting Pot餐廳享用了午餐。
Melting Pot主要提供前菜沙拉、起司火鍋、主菜火鍋和巧克力火鍋，當時我和朋友總計3人，就簡單了點了兩種火鍋一起享用，我們先點了傳統的主菜火鍋，有牛肉、雞肉、鴨肉、海鮮等類別可供選擇，最終我們決定選擇莎朗牛肉，另外火鍋裡也會附上波菜義大利餃、白蝦可享用。至於主菜鍋底則是高湯加上蘑菇、大蒜、香料和紅酒，也算是一種非常特殊的味道，當然還有優格等沾醬。
由於大家完全沒吃過巧克力火鍋，所以也點來吃吃看，它的鍋底是巧克力加上花生醬，現場會有服務人員展示在巧克力之上加花生醬，然後會附上一個水果蛋糕拼盤，包括水果、餅乾、麵包、草莓、棉花糖、起司蛋糕、與巧克力蛋糕等，享用方式就是直接在巧克火鍋裡蘸著各種水果、餅乾和麵包吃。
最後我們三個人點了兩種火鍋，一人大概付了40多元美金，老實說我們沒有吃得非食飽，可能是因為印象裡同等價位下的火鍋總是有很多配料可享用，所以對主菜火鍋就覺得料有點不夠，但巧克力火鍋還是一種很不錯的嘗試，畢竟這種吃法對我而言是第一次，只能說喜歡吃甜食的人千萬別錯過巧克力火鍋。
Today, I want to share my experience of trying chocolate fondue at Melting Pot, a well-known chain restaurant across the United States specializing in Swiss cheese fondue, meat fondue, and chocolate fondue. It has gained some popularity in the U.S., with some people loving it while others find it just average. The dining experience can vary depending on the location, and the restaurant's ambiance plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall enjoyment of the meal.
During my trip to Syracuse, New York, aside from sightseeing, my main goal was to do some serious Black Friday shopping. My friends and I spent a good amount of time at Destiny USA, a large shopping mall in the area. After all that shopping, we needed to refuel, so we decided to grab lunch at the Melting Pot conveniently located in the mall.
Melting Pot offers a menu that includes salads, cheese fondue, entrée fondue, and chocolate fondue. Since there were three of us, we decided to keep it simple and ordered two types of fondue to share. For the entrée fondue, we went with the classic option, which allowed us to choose from different meats like beef, chicken, duck, and seafood. We ended up selecting sirloin steak, which came with spinach ravioli and white shrimp. The broth-based fondue was flavored with mushrooms, garlic, herbs, and red wine, giving it a unique taste. It was also served with dipping sauces, including yogurt-based ones.
Since none of us had ever tried chocolate fondue before, we were excited to give it a shot. The chocolate fondue base was made with chocolate and peanut butter, and the server demonstrated how they poured the peanut butter over the melted chocolate. It was served with a platter of various dippables, including fruits, cookies, bread, strawberries, marshmallows, cheesecake, and chocolate cake. The idea was to dip these treats into the warm, melted chocolate for a sweet and indulgent experience.
In the end, three of us shared two types of fondue, and the bill came out to about $40 per person. To be honest, we didn’t feel completely full—perhaps because we were used to hot pot meals that come with a lot more ingredients for the same price. However, the chocolate fondue was definitely a fun and delicious experience, especially since it was my first time trying it. If you have a sweet tooth, I highly recommend giving chocolate fondue a try!