Eric K.
Yelp
What a GREAT find for authentic Sichuan spicy fish hotpot!
TL;DR - It isn't a cheap eats, but you get what you pay for - good quality & tasty spicy fish. Read on for breakdown, what to order, and some tips to get the most out of this place!
Wife and I visited after work one day and we were quite pleased with the quality, quantity, and the variety of food they offered, along with good service and very interesting & inviting interior.
FOOD:
1. Lamb Skewer (APP, 4/5, $4.95) - We started off with the skewer and it was well-cooked, tasty, without much gaminess (well-covered w/ cumin & spice). Good palate-arouser
2. Roasted Oyster (APP, 5/5, $4.95) - LOVED this. It's ginormous (see pic)! But somehow, it was nutty, savory, and didn't lose flavor throughout its massive size. (I expected parts of it to be under seasoned - not the case!) The toasted topping/sauce on top was sweet & addictive.
3. Spicy Fish hotpot (MAIN, 5/5, $76.95)
- Spicy Tofu Pudding Flavor Broth ($18)
- w/ Sea Bass ($49.95)
- 3 vegetables (Asparagus lettuce, Lotus roots, and Chinese cabbage, $9)
The broth was excellent. It had all the right kick w/o being overwhelmingly spicy (my wife can't handle spice too well). Tofu pudding refers to silken tofu (like Korean soondoobu) in the broth. Sea bass was fresh and offered good amount of meat since it was the whole fish. Subtle and chewy at different parts, we only left bones when done.
The veggies we picked were all winners, but I would STRONGLY recommend the LOTUS ROOT. I mean, I've had my share of them for many years, but this one... so crisp yet holding all that broth inside... even wife who normally doesn't care for it was hooked.
There's enough food that you can take home stuff... esp. the broth, so you can put in stuff and make your own hotpot at home for day 2. Totally worth it, ain't no shame in asking for it to go.
4. Kumquat lemon iced tea (DRINK, 5/5, $3.95) - Get it, super refreshing and the coolant you need when eating spicy fish.
VIBE: They have a giant screen playing latest Asian MV's, and surprisingly, the playlist was *quite* good, even for me who doesn't really care about k-pop, c-pop, whatever pop these days. To a point I actually asked for the streaming site. It was Chinese. :( ::::::
SERVICE: Our waitress was helpful in assisting with broth choices, but the drink did take quite a long time to come out.
After the sweat-inducing & hearty meal, we were treated to nice palate cleanser bubble tea. At over $100 inc. tip, this isn't cheap, but all that delicious leftover broth meant we got 2 meals out of it so I'd say worth it.
Highly recommended!