Chinese hot pot chain Shoo Loong Kan has opened a restaurant in Antwerp in June, its 23rd in Europe.
The grand opening took place on June 27th with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, lion dancing, traditional dance, and food tasting.
Shoo Loong Kan’s new Antwerp location is located steps from Antwerp Central Station and is the first for the chain in Belgium. (Address: De Keyserlei 58D, Bus 102, 2018 Antwerpen, België)
It is the latest milestone in a longer story about how Chinese brands are reshaping their presence abroad, moving beyond manufactured goods to bring aesthetics, hospitality and lifestyle into everyday life across the globe.
THE BEST CHINESE CLASSICAL HOT POT: A Taste of China’s Culinary Geography
With the slogan THE BEST CHINESE CLASSICAL HOT POT, Shoo Loong Kan has a brand identity built around three interlocking ideas of “classic”: the classic flavours of China’s diverse regional cuisines; a classic environment evoking the architecture and intangible cultural heritage of western Sichuan; and a classic way of life — gathering around a shared pot, cooking and eating together.
It is an unmistakably Chinese restaurant that continues Shoo Loong Kan’s signature aesthetic. There is a dragon-relief wall at the entrance, carved hardwood panels, lantern-lined corridors and traditional motifs drawn from Sichuan craft heritage.
The food matches these aesthetics. While drawing from the traditions of Sichuan hot pot, Shoo Loong Kan does not limit itself to the province. Four signature broths trace the breadth of China’s culinary map: the Sichuan-style beef tallow red broth — bold, direct, and the hot pot style most recognisable internationally; the Xinjiang tomato broth — vivid orange, bright with acidity and natural sweetness; the Yunnan wild mushroom broth — clear and deeply savoury, slow-cooked from forest fungi; and the Guizhou sour broth — a centuries-old Miao and Dong technique, tangy and lingering on the palate. Guangdong Fish Maw Chicken Broth, Sichuan pepper chicken, Leshan Qiaojiao beef (a light beef broth specialty from Sichuan) and other specialities extend the map further still.
The menu’s most emblematic offering is the “Three-Flavour Pot” — beef tallow, tomato and mushroom in a single divided vessel. It is both a practical design and a quiet cultural statement: the signature spice is preserved for those who seek it, while the milder broths offer an accessible entry point for European diners encountering hot pot for the first time. Taste, the menu suggests, is not a single answer — it is a landscape shaped by geography, climate and generations of lived experience.
Founded in 2014 under the philosophy of “making flavour with heart and quality with conscience,” Shoo Loong Kan today operates across four continents, in 36 countries and regions. Its franchise network ranks among the leading hot pot brands globally. In Europe, its 23 restaurants span Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and beyond.Â
The overarching atmosphere is that of a Chinese gathering: friends and family seated together, watching broth rise to a simmer, talking while they cook and eat. This communal, unhurried mode of dining has a natural resonance with European social dining culture, and it is what Shoo Loong Kan hopes to share with its guests abroad.
From Products to Culture: A New Wave of Chinese Brands in Europe
The new Antwerp location of Shoo Loong Kan arrives in the context of a broader shift. As Labubu has become a household name, Chinese advertising is all over the FIFA World Cup 2026, and BYD electric cars can be seen across Europe.Â
These brands operate in entirely different sectors, yet they point in the same direction: Chinese companies are no longer content to export products. They are learning the real structure of local life and building long-term relationships within it. Of all daily life’s rituals, few are more intimate than a shared meal. Shoo Loong Kan’s Antwerp restaurant is a concrete example of how this wave has reached the dinner table.
Standardized Narrative, Localized Expression: Shoo Loong Kan’s Strategy for Going Global
Articulating what makes a brand “classic” is itself a discipline, especially for one that has expanded into 36 countries. In its global communications, Shoo Loong Kan adheres to a consistent approach: unified core messaging paired with layered modes of expression. For mainstream media, the brand conveys a macro-narrative of cultural confidence and unity in diversity. On social platforms, it leans into authentic, experience-driven content — showcasing the visual impact of its restaurants and the warmth of shared meals. On local review and lifestyle channels, the focus narrows to the most practical concerns: Is the flavour authentic? Is the atmosphere comfortable? Is it a good fit for family gatherings or nights out with friends?
The core positioning never wavers, but the tone shifts with the audience. This disciplined, methodical approach is, in many ways, a microcosm of how Chinese restaurant brands is maturing in their overseas operations.
From Cultural Export to a Lifestyle People EmbraceÂ
How can Chinese culture genuinely become part of everyday life in Europe? Simply bringing dragons, lanterns, and calligraphy overseas often leaves them as decorative symbols. For culture to make a meaningful impact, people must be willing to engage with it, and it must connect with their daily lives. This is precisely where dining holds a unique advantage. It does not require people to understand China’s long history or cultural background. Instead, they can begin by taking a seat, breathing in the aroma, sharing a hot pot meal, and discovering China through a tangible, memorable experience.
In the past, Chinese restaurants primarily served overseas Chinese communities, preserving the familiar tastes of home. For Today’s new wave of Chinese restaurant brands to go global, however, must appeal to a much broader local audience. They cannot simply replicate domestic menus overseas, nor can they dilute their identity in pursuit of local acceptance. The success of Chinese cuisine in Europe depends not on becoming less Chinese, but on expressing its authentic character in ways that are clearer, more approachable, and easier to connect with. This is the question Shoo Loong Kan seeks to answer in Antwerp.
Grand Opening: Officials, Community Leaders and Guests Celebrate Together
The June 27 ribbon-cutting brought together important guests including Koen Kennis, First Deputy Mayor of Antwerp and Li Shuoyan, Shoo Loong Kan co-founder and CEO.
In his remarks, Li Shuoyan expressed his hope to share with the world the most representative classic flavours, architectural beauty and traditional cultural elements of China, as well as the centuries-old practice of gathering around a hot pot.Â
First Deputy Mayor Koen Kennis welcomed the opening, noting that the brand enriches Antwerp’s dining landscape and brings new energy to the city’s multicultural exchange.
Following the ceremony, guests toured the restaurant and participated in a tasting. During the soft-opening period, the Antwerp location has already become a popular destination — a place where members of the local Chinese community come to reconnect with home, and where Belgian and international diners come for an immersive first encounter with Chinese hot pot culture.
Conclusion: From Being Seen to Being Loved
National ambitions ultimately come to rest in people’s everyday choices. From Huawei to BYD, from Midea to Shoo Loong Kan, the arc of Chinese brand expansion is clear: first, the world uses Chinese-made products; then, local markets welcome Chinese brand services; and ultimately, Chinese culture and ways of life enter ordinary people’s daily routines. The deeper a brand reaches into lived experience, the less price and efficiency alone determine its success. Understanding and respecting local life — and genuinely enriching it — is what determines how far a brand can go.
A hot pot restaurant may seem a small thing. But it can become a door through which Europeans begin to know China. For the Chinese diaspora in Belgium, the smell of beef tallow and Sichuan pepper carries the memory of home. For a European guest stepping inside for the first time, it is an unfamiliar warmth — intense, generous, and inviting. If one day a Belgian family lists hot pot among the options for a weekend gathering, if friends choose to sit together and wait for a pot to come to the boil — then Chinese culture will have moved beyond being seen. It will no longer simply be seen—it will have become a natural part of everyday European life.
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