Liu Yi Shou Hot Pot Restaurant

After a few unsuccessful Japanese restaurants at this particular location on Robson Street, I hope Liu Yi Shou Hot Pot is here to stay! Chongqing Liu Yi Shou is a popular chain in China and the establishment highly focuses on quality. The first Chongqing Liu Yu Shou chain to open in B.C is Thumbs Hot Pot restaurant in Richmond, which I have not visited yet and would not be opposed to now. The restaurant is also a la carte rather than all you can eat.

And of course previously renovated to suit a barbecue restaurant, it is well ventilated and there are plenty of spacious booth table seating arrangements.

To top it off, there is an amazing sauce bar for only $2.50!


And a large selection of garnishes.


Yes, and even WATERMELON!

Soup bases run from $9.95 - $13.95 and specialities from $21.95 - 35.95. For those who are new to hot pot or cooking, the restaurant provides a list of how long it takes to cook the ingredients too (a first for me to see in Vancouver).

SPECIAL PORK RIB ($13.95) AND SPECIAL SPICY STYLE ($12.95)
Rating: 3.5/5

- Love birds, two different soup bases (price reflects higher soup base)

- Special pork rib broth has a rich pork bone flavour along with a nice settled herbal taste and is one of the better soup bases I have had
- Special spicy style soup base has a medium level of spiciness as requested and is fairly flavourful as well. There are layers of flavour and it is not just a plain spicy soup base

SLICED ANGUS BEEF ($18.95)

Rating: 4/5

- Tender, fatty and buttery

- Good quality meat

- Worth the price

 TOFU SKIN ($3.95)

SLICED SHORT RIB ($13.95)
Rating 4/5
- Tender and fatty
- Good quality meat
- Slices are thinner compared to the angus cut and not as buttery
- Still worth ordering for variety

SELECTED LAMB ($13.95)
Rating: 4/5
- Also have sliced lamb option for $8.95
- Tender, thick and buttery slices of lamb
- Can tell the meat is of good quality and tastes better than at all you can eat restaurants

ENOKI MUSHROOM ($5.95), FRESH OYSTER MUSHROOM ($5.95), QUAIL EGG ($5.95), SPINACH ($4.95), CHRYSANTHEMUM ($5.95), FRESH BAMBOO SHOOT ($5.95)

- Vegetables are thoroughly rinsed

- Good portions for a la carte price

- Fresh bamboo shoots, which is rare to find at a hot pot restaurant!

DEEP FRIED BUNS ($5.95)
Rating: 1/5
- Over fried
- Extremely oily
- Crunchy and hard on the bottom

GREEN ONION PANCAKE ($5.95)
Rating: 2/5
- Not pan fried enough
- Soggy despite the bits of char
- Oily and not even in the good way
- Not worth ordering in my opinion

Liu Yi Shou Hot Pot is high on my list of restaurants to revisit because the quality of food (especially the meat) is noticeably better than other hot pot restaurants! Moreover, the food quality is much better than other higher priced la carte restaurants such as Landmark at Garden City Hot Pot. Also despite that the prices are a la carte which results in paying more compared to all you can eat, the prices are very reasonable. In regards to the service, the staff were very friendly and attentive.

POSITIVES
- Open until 12am
- Reasonable prices
- Good quality ingredients
- Attentive and friendly service
- Best sauce station for hot pot
- Better than Garden City and Landmark

NEGATIVES
- Pricer than all you can eat

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5

LIU YI SHOU HOT POT RESTAURANT
1542 Robson Street Vancouver, BC V65 1C2
Telephone (778) 379-3977