Little Sheep Mongolian Hotpot : West broadway location (2nd visit)

FIRST POST ON LITTLE SHEEP MONGOLIAN [HERE]

POST ON LITTLE SHEEP MONGOLIAN IN BURNABY [HERE]

When there is a restaurant you really like, the answer to "where do you want to eat?" is very simple. There is no need to be indecisive and choosing a restaurant is as simple as answering "okay". This was the case for Little Sheep Mongolian.

The main attraction about hot pot are the soup bases, but majority of the all you can eat restaurants in B.C have mediocre ones and Little Sheep Mongolian is one of them. Soup bases aside, the quality of the ingredients as well as the selection would be the second important component. Are the vegetables rinsed? How is the quality of the meat? Are there a variety of meat, tofu, vegetables and seafood? These are the questions that come to my mind because many AYCE hot pot restaurants are similar and I will select those that suit me.

ADULT $19.98 CHILD $14.98 BROTH $9.99 POP $2.00

CILANTRO ($1.00).

The last important component would be the service; if the food is similar to many other AYCE restaurants, I pick the one with better service. In my case, the staff at Little Sheep Mongolian are friendly. It may be hard to wave someone down when the restaurant is full, but none of them have ever had an unhappy face. Furthermore, they actually make an effort to check up on you; not only ask if more broth is needed, but how the food is. The service was actually a bit more attentive compared to the previous visit, despite that the restaurant was a full house.

HOUSE SPECIAL ORIGINAL AND SPICY ($9.99).

The soup bases are not the highlight here, but neither of them are bad. The original has a house broth flavour without tasting salty, and the spicy one tastes actually spicy this time. We requested for the soup base to be "extra spicy" and the broth started with a hint of spiciness then built up to a medium level.

Starting with the vegetables, there is tong ho, spinach and watercress. The vegetables are thoroughly rinsed and taste fresh. Following, the selection of mushrooms include white, enoki and oyster. We also ordered a couple of sweet corn. The corn tastes sweet and is not previously frozen.

The selection of "Mongolian Specials" include Szechuan style kimchi, Mongolian spicy meaty bone and garlic seaweed. First up, we passed on the kimchi and tossed it into the hot pot. Following, the pork has a light soy flavour and the meat tastes tender. Last up, the seaweed tastes fresh and not like it has been sitting around for too long. In addition, there is a nice fresh seaweed and a rich garlic flavour, along with a nice buzz of spiciness.

Quail eggs, mussels and cod fillet. Generic, no complaints.

The selection of tofu includes tofu puffs, bean curd sheet rolls and fish tofu. We also ordered some slices of sweet potato.

Shrimp, mutton, beef, cod paste and cuttlefish balls are available. We ordered the beef and shrimp, neither taste too stiff and are fairly small which we both prefer.

Mutton, pork and shrimp, as well as veggie and pork dumplings are available and we ordered the pork and shrimp. The dumplings taste generic, juicy and are a great filler.

FATTY BEEF SLICES.

The ribeye is what sold me on revisiting Little Sheep Mongolian. The meat is well marbled, tastes tender and fatty. Asides from the ribeye, the selection of beef includes garlic beef and loin of beef.

LAMB SHOULDER SLICES.

The slices of lamb taste a bit dry this time, but it does the job for an AYCE hot pot restaurant.

TENDER PORK SLICES.

The pork tastes tender, fatty and good. These along with the ribeye are the highlights of the meat. Tender chicken, chicken mid-wings and luncheon pork are also available.

TOTAL: $55.60 + TIP $10.40 = $66.00.

If in Vancouver, Little Sheep Mongolian is a great option especially on a cold rainy day or just to satisfy a craving. The restaurant is clean and there are comfortable seating arrangements. Other than Little Sheep Mongolian, Fatty Cow is another AYCE hot pot restaurant in Vancouver and they offer a la carte seafood. However, for those who want a tastier broth and more options, Richmond would be a better choice. As for myself, Little Sheep Mongolian is a regular hot pot restaurant for whenever I do not want to go to Richmond.

POSITIVES
- AYCD pop
- Quality ingredients
- Friendly staff that tries to be attentive
- Complimentary self serve sauce station

NEGATIVES
- Soup bases are meh, but the quality of ingredients make up for that (I guess)
- Sauce station is still by the washroom and is not going anywhere…

LITTLE THINGS
- First post on Little Sheep Mongolian [here]
- Post on Little Sheep Mongolian in Burnaby [here]
- Reservations are recommended (we arrived on a weeknight and the restaurant was packed)
- $5.00 off coupons per person are provided with the bill for next visits

Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5