Even though this is across the street from me, I had put off trying it just because I’m not a huge noodle fan, and there are so many great noodle places on Robson anyway. Finally, some fall weather arrived, and it was time for some soup. I’m glad we tried it. I think of all the hot pot places I’ve been to, it is my favorite.
For starters, it’s really nicely decorated inside, so you feel like you’re having a real dining experience, not like part of a factory, as in Danbo Ramen. Also, I love the ability to pick from all the ingredients, and they have a really nice selection here with two kinds of scallops and lots of other seafood and, of course, wonderfully fresh vegetables.
And yes, there are many types of noodles you can add to your bowl, but I skipped those for the most part. If you use a little restraint, pricing is extremely reasonable since the broth is essentially free, and there are a lot of tasty broths to choose from. The kimchi one had lots of flavor, but it was pretty spicy. I tried their signature ma lang tang broth which comes with Szechuan chili oil, medium spicy, and it had plenty of spice as well.
There’s also a lot more than just hot pot here. We’ll need to go back and try some of their fried items and side dishes, and they have an interesting sauce bar for dipping. Plus, there are things pretty far afield from standard hot pot places, such as fettuccine alfredo.
Hot pot was offered with two complimentary drinks: iced tea and a peach lemonade. I was surprised that the peach lemonade was not overly sweet. I really liked it. I would definitely have that again. The tea had a bit too much sugar for my taste.
It’s hard to beat this pricing. Lunch for two, including drinks and dessert, came to $21.
The service is good, too, for a self-service place. One server was basically taking care of the cash register, to-go orders, and all the tables, and promptly brought us our complimentary ice cream. When we finished, it was great for putting out the fire.