This was my first time dining at a hot pot restaurant, and I have to say it was a memorable experience! Me and two others arrived on a Tuesday, late at night. There was only one other group there. Don’t dine alone if you stop by; one pot is enough to serve three to four people.
When we squeezed through the narrow door, we were quickly greeted by both maneki-neko and the host. The restaurant itself is sparsely decorated, without a lot of personality. We were quickly seated, as we had our choice of spots being late on a weekday, on long wooden benches facing a cafeteria style table. On the table was a convection oven that proved to be very much up to the task in keeping our food boiling hot.
We ordered a half “mild spicy”, half chicken broth pot. Let me tell you, the mild spicy was too hot for me and one friend, and the other person who enjoys spicy food said it tasted bitter. The chicken broth side was very good though, so next time we will be sure to do the chicken broth, and maybe the tomato one.
For the ingredients, we ordered the following: prime lamb, quail eggs, raw egg yolk, crab sticks, lobster meat ball, mushroom combo, potato, seaweed, broccoli, glass noodles, handmade noodles, hot pot dumplings. Everything ordered for the hot pot was substantially proportioned. The prime lamb was sliced very thin for a shorter cook time, and did not taste too gamey. I loved the tiny quail eggs, seaweed, and handmade noodles especially. We also ordered a side of fried steamed buns, which we all agreed were hot and delicately sweet.
They had quite a few options for sauces, including a build your own station. It was late at night, so they were running a little low, but I enjoyed my mix of green onions, cilantro, oyster sauce, garlic, and chives. Don’t knock it till you try it! Be warned though, if you have a peanut allergy, stay away from the sesame based sauces, as there is potential for cross contamination.
When I used the bathroom, it was very clean and well stocked, though they had added water to the soap, nearly rendering it useless. There were handicap accessible bars for the toilet, and it was roomy enough for a large wheelchair and more. I was pleased. Unfortunately, the front door is not handicap accessible, so keep that in mind!
My takeaway is that this is a great way to experience food. We all agreed it is best suited for winter, or a rainy day. The food was fresh and delicious, in good sized proportions. The restaurant itself is clean. We didn’t really get to interact and get to know our servers, but they were very polite and quick with everything. Check this place off of your to do list soon!
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