Hot pot is good in any weather. But lamb hot pot when it’s cooler than normal outside really hits the spot!
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The streets around Minquan West Road station are swarming with delicious places to eat, and this mutton hot pot is just one of the many places I love to eat when I am around the area.
It gets busy, so I would strongly recommend you to book in advance, you can call using this number taken from their Google Maps – 0225367922
The menu (price updated)
If you struggle with reading the menu, then check out my previous post on how to attack this potentially daunting issue. We only ordered 3 things here at this hot pot spot, simply because we didn’t know quite how much was going to be in the hot pot itself…
Lamb stomach
I get that this is a rather opinion-dividing dish. This is not something that you will see everywhere, certainly you would be hard-pressed to find it in a western country.
This lamb stomach was cut thinly, cooked, chilled, then dressed with a garlic, ginger, and soy sauce vinaigrette. It was lip-smackingly tangy with the vinaigrette being quite strong, but it was really refreshing as a starter before our hot pot actually arrived. In terms of the lamb stomach itself, it didn’t have any discernably strong lamb flavour, but more acted as a vessel for the vinaigrette with a crunchy chewiness.
I would definitely get it again.
Stir-fried noodles with lamb
yáng ròu chǎo miàn $110
The stir-fried lamb noodles were right on the money. They were stir-fried with some greens, chilli, and satay sauce. There was plenty of sauce with the delicate meat, and the noodles were also really good, too. The noodles were thick, yet cooked really nicely in that they still retained a little ‘bite’ to them – al dente, so they say.
Lamb hot pot
The main event arrived, and I was excited to see the thick fatty lamb taking pride of place! The soup base is a Chinese medicine style – 當歸 dāng guī – Angelica. Angelica is a type of herb that is often used in herbal medicine.
So, why did we go for fatty lamb? Honestly, I have never seen this on a menu for hot pot before, so I felt almost obliged to give it a go. I love lamb, in every form. I’m one of those that you’ll find sucking the marrow out of the lamb bones when given them at a restaurant.
Inside the hot pot, you will find tofu of various forms, some fish meatballs, tomatoes, mushrooms, ginger, cabbage, and plenty of lamb. Other than the lamb itself, the rest of the ingredients are all good, but nothing stands out. I’m quite glad of that, really, as it allows the lamb to take center stage.
Look. At. That. That is some epic lamb right there. That’s not two pieces of lamb sandwiched together, that’s 1 thick piece of lamb including the skin, fat, and meat. What was great about this, is that the meat itself was delicate, the fat was silky smooth, and the skin was chewy. All of those three textures together result in an incredible mouthful. I really cannot recommend this enough.
The bottom line
Is it worth lining up for? Yes. I would happily line up for this.
Is it somewhere to take family and friends in a big group? I don’t really think so. If I am with a big group of family or friends I want somewhere slightly quieter and less busy. This is more suitable for smaller groups so that they can be seated more easily.
Is 下港吔羊肉專賣店 any good?
Yes, it is definitely worth a try. The cold dishes, fried noodles, and hot pot are all really good.