Name: Mille Feuille Nabe (Pork & Napa Cabbage Hotpot)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 400 g napa cabbage; 300 g thinly sliced pork; 400 ml dashi stock; 100 ml sake; ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil; 1 tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder (granules); ground black pepper (to taste); ponzu sauce; grated daikon radish ((optional)); Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) ((optional)); yuzu kosho ((optional))

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What is Mille Feuille Nabe?

Mille-feuille nabe (ミルフィーユ鍋) is a creative Japanese hot pot dish inspired by the French pastry, mille-feuille. The French dessert has multiple layers of puff pastry (pâte feuilletée), and this hot pot version has the same layered look by alternating thinly sliced pork and Napa cabbage.

Japanese Mille Feuille Nabe (Pork and Napa Cabbage Hot Pot) in a gray pot on a dark gray background surrounded by various condiments, seasonings and serving bowls

The mille-feuille pastry made its way to Japan around 1870 and is still a popular treat today. The idea of layering, or “mille-feuille,” has inspired lots of different Japanese dishes, not just pastries.

One example is mille-feuille tonkatsu (pork cutlet), which has thinly sliced meat stacked in layers instead of traditional pork chops.

Dipping napa cabbage and thinly sliced pork belly in a bowl of ponzu held above a pot of mille feuille nabe on a gray background

Pork and cabbage layers are gently simmered in a dashi-based broth and then served with ponzu sauce for dipping. To enhance the flavors, the dish can be garnished with yuzu kosho (a citrus-chili paste), freshly grated daikon radish, and shichimi togarashi (a seven-spice blend) to enjoy different flavors in my recipe.

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

Ingredients used to make Japanese mille feuille nabe (pork and napa cabbage hot pot) on a white background with labels

Napa Cabbage (Chinese Cabbage): The delicate leaves and crisp texture are key to achieving those beautiful layers. While other cabbages might work in different recipes, Napa’s unique structure and mild flavor make it the perfect choice.
Thinly Sliced Pork: Pork belly is my top pick because it has the perfect balance of fat, which creates the most flavorful result. If you’d like something leaner, thinly sliced loin or shoulder can be the alternative.
Broth Base: It’s a simple and tasty mix of dashi stock, sake, chicken bouillon powder, toasted sesame oil, and freshly ground black pepper. Don’t forget to check out my homemade dashi recipe on the blog for the most authentic flavor!
Ponzu Sauce: While quality store-bought ponzu is great for busy weeknights, I highly recommend trying my homemade ponzu recipe for an extra special touch.
Optional Condiments: You can jazz up your hot pot with yuzu kosho (a zesty citrus-chili paste), freshly grated daikon radish, and shichimi togarashi (seven-spice blend). Feel free to adjust these to your family’s taste preferences!

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Visual Walkthrough & Tips

Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Mille Feuille Nabe (Pork & Napa Cabbage Hotpot) at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.

This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.

STEP

Prepare the Layers

Remove each cabbage leaf from the head one by one, and keep them whole.

A piece of thinly sliced pork belly across a napa cabbage leaf on a wooden chopping board

Next, stack the cabbage leaves with the thinly sliced pork, one leaf and a layer of pork on top of it, then another leaf. Keep going with this pattern until you’ve used up all your ingredients.

This layering technique is what gives the dish its distinctive mille-feuille look and ensures everything cooks evenly.

STEP

Cut and Arrange

Use a sharp knife to cut your layered stack into pieces about 5 cm (2 inches) wide.

Thinly sliced pork belly across a napa cabbage leaf cut on a wooden chopping board

Next, transfer the cut sections to a wide, heavy-bottomed pan/pot.

napa cabbage leaves and thinly sliced pork belly arranged in layers in a gray and white hot pot on a white background

I recommend arranging it around the edge of the pot first and filling the middle last.

STEP

Simmer the Hot Pot

Pour the dashi, sake, sesame oil, chicken bouillon powder and ground black pepper over the arranged layers.

Pouring dashi into Japanese Mille Feuille Nabe (Pork and Napa Cabbage Hot Pot) in a gray pot on a dark gray background

Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes.

STEP

Prepare for Serving

While the hot pot is simmering, get your dipping sauce and condiments ready. Just pour the ponzu sauce into individual serving bowls. If you’re using any optional condiments, just set out small dishes of yuzu kosho, freshly grated daikon radish, and shichimi togarashi.

STEP

Serve and Enjoy

Use cooking chopsticks or tongs to carefully transfer the cooked layers to serving bowls. Dip each piece in ponzu sauce before you eat it. For variety in flavor, try mixing up the condiments in your ponzu.

Dipping napa cabbage and thinly sliced pork belly in a mixture of ponzu and grated daikon radish with yuzu kosho

The freshness of grated daikon really shines when paired with the rich pork and tender cabbage.

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I hope you enjoy this Mille Feuille Nabe recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!