Lamb Hot Pot

Continuing on with our visits to restaurants participating in Chopstick Fest (think Dine-Out Chinese-style), we ended up at Lamb Hot Pot.  Not to be confused with similarly-named establishments in Richmond, this place really does live up to its namesake.  Let's just say if you are a fan of everything lamb, this is your kinda place.  For me, it was heaven since I love lamb!  Now if you are not a fan, well to be honest, you might want to move along because the pungency of lamb hits you like a hammer once you walk in the door.

Right on cue, we were presented with a giant and grandiose Hot Pot filled to the brim with lamb bones.  These included lamb ribs, neck, knee and tail bones.  One side was regular broth and the other was spicy.  I really enjoyed the bones as they consisted of tender, yet gelatinous and chewy pieces of lamb meat. Some of the meat could've been a bit more tender, but I didn't really care personally.  The spicy broth was pretty potent as it definitely had an initial kick that lingered far past the initial taste.  As for our Sauces, we could help ourselves near the front counter.  We could customize from a selection that included soy, chili oil, vinegar, peanut sauce, sesame oil among others.

Onto the ingredients, there was an option for lamb brain, but no one seemed overly interested.  Hence, we went for the safe things including Beef, Tofu, Enoki Mushroom, Tiger Prawns, Fish, Napa Cabbage and Sliced Potato.  The well-marbled beef was nicely thin and cooked quickly.  It was buttery and tender where it was even better dunked into the spicy broth.  There was nothing amiss with the tiger prawns as they were large and had a meaty snap.  I found the fish a challenge to keep in one piece within the broth, but the fillets were soft and flaky nonetheless.

One of the more surprising items was the Baked Meat Pastries.  The flaky exterior was light and buttery exhibiting an aromatic brown hue.  Inside, the meat was succulent and moist while aggressively seasoned, yet not salty.  We were also served the radish pastries which were similar but with shredded daikon inside.  I liked the meat ones more.  Interestingly, we were served some Cold Appies next which included Cucumber, Pig's Ear and Marinated Bean Curd Skin.  Nothing particularly wrong with these dish as the cucumber was vibrant and crunchy while the pig's ear was tender with a nice rebound texture.

The last item to arrive was the Lamb Neck Meat.  For me, this was on point with tender, yet still meaty pieces of lamb neck that were nicely seasoned with a balance of savoury and sweet notes.  I would've been happy with just a plate of this for myself.  On that note, if you were paying attention, this place is a lamb-lover's paradise.  Therefore, I enjoyed my meal.  Now if you aren't, then it gets a bit more complicated because it is rather difficult to avoid coming into contact with something lamb here.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- If you like lamb, this is your place
- The spicy broth was flavourful with just the right heat level
- Quality ingredients

The Bad:
- Well, if you don't like lamb...
- A little pricey