Morel's takes the plunge with a signature Swiss dish that rivals hotpot as a fun and communal way to spend an evening

For die-hard hotpot fans in search of something slightly different, the Swiss-born fondue is a perfect social treat. Fondue, derived from a French word for "melted", is a meal that in which cheese, chocolate or oil is heated in a pot and then used to dip in either meat or bread.

Those looking for a fun-to-eat communal meal need look no further than Morel's Belgian restaurant in Liangmaqiao. Morel's is one of only a handful of restaurants in Beijing to offer fondue.

Chef Renaat Morel, owner of Morel's Restaurant, has more than 20 years of experience on the culinary scene and it shows in his fondue.

After ordering Morel's fondue bourguignonne, the meat fondue, the table takes on the look of a culinary battlefield, with wave after wave of sauces, salads and snacks brought forth. It's topped off with a piping hot red earthen pot filled with boiling vegetable oil. With 600 g of beef tenderloin flanking two sides of the pot, the only casualty of this succulent skirmish is hunger.

There's a reason they've put a boldface warning on the menu proclaiming the meal a "two-person minimum" endeavor. In reality, it's more suited for six.

At 288 yuan for a set meal of salad, French fries, six sauces, two bowls of meat and the oil, the meat fondue can be as much of a war on the wallet as it is on the stomach.

"Chinese customers love the meat fondue the most; only a few order the cheese," he said. "I've found in 20 years of cooking in China, the one thing you never really run out of in the kitchen of a Beijing restaurant is cheese."

For those with a sweet tooth, Morel said he's been known to cook up the classic chocolate fondue, though it's not on the menu.

Those seeking a more traditional Swiss fondue can find satisfaction in the restaurant's neuchateloise fondue, which combines 200 g of Emmental cheese with 200 g of Gruyere, both bought from local suppliers.

But Morel claims his specialty is the "Chef Morel tomato fondue", which combines a special homemade tomato sauce, white wine and 200 g of Emmental cheese. Morel said he discovered the odd recipe in France.

"I was walking the streets looking for local food when I came across a local stand," he said. "I had one taste of it and that was that.

"Choosing the right cheese is the key," Morel said.

It took experimenting with several different styles of cheese before coming to the right choice. The biggest factor in quality, he said, is to ensure the cheese is made with real milk rather than milk powder.

"If they are made with the powder they don't melt or taste right and end up sticking to the fondue spoons. Basically, it makes it almost impossible to eat," he said.

He was shopping with his wife in France when they came across some fondue sets. "The idea just clicked after that," he said.

He bought six of the sets on the spot.

Though his initial plan was to make the dish available at both of his restaurant locations, Liangmaqiao and Gongtibeilu, he discovered that ventilation in the Gongti branch was not good enough to remove the smoke from the fondues.

But the dish has been so popular at the Liangmaqiao branch that Morel was forced to order 10 more of the fondue pots, to the relief of the dishwasher.

"It's a great meal to get to know people over," Morel said. "You sit and chat while cooking your food rather than just sitting there staring at a plate."