Some combinations are just meant to be; ketchup and fries, cookies and cream, and of course a perennial favourite, food and film. Just ask anybody with a Netflix subscription. But if you want to take that experience up a notch, Mainland Chinese cinema operator DADI Cinema has just the thing: bubbling hotpot and blockbusters.
In a surprise announcement through their social media pages, the Malaysian arm of the Shanghai-based global cinema chain told customers to be prepared for further details concerning the launch of what they have described as Malaysia’s first-ever ‘hotpot cinema’. Set to debut at its flagship Pavilion Kuala Lumpur location, the company has remained mum on other finer details.
DADI Cinema teases hotpot dining in its cinema halls for KL
With that said, several photos uploaded alongside the teaser post provided some indication as to what the full-fledged hotpot experience will look like when it officially breaks cover in Malaysia.
To start with, it appears that only specific cinema halls with couple seating will be converted into dining booths, providing just enough room to accommodate a table with individual hotpot cauldrons. Diners will receive their own hotpot sets packed in bento boxes, containing all manner of staple ingredients such as meat slices, fishballs, and fresh vegetables, ready to be blanched and enjoyed alongside your favourite blockbusters. Talk about an upgrade from the usual array of popcorn boxes and fried chicken nuggets.
VIP guests and members of the media were already treated to an exclusive preview of the ‘hotpot cinema’ over the weekend during an invitation-only meet-and-greet with Bosco Wong and Carlos Chan, stars of the brand-new Hong Kong blockbuster film, The Unwavering Brotherhood.
Marketing collaterals distributed during the preview indicate that the hotpot dining experience will be provided in collaboration with Shu Daxia, a renowned hotpot chain from China.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that DADI Cinema has introduced such novel facilities to their cinema halls, as they were also most notably the first cinema chain in Malaysia to offer fresh-baked French pastries from its in-house cafe, Café La Croisette.
DADI Cinema can be found in Pavilion Elite Kuala Lumpur on Level 5.