Join the circle at Little Sheep Hot Pot
Little Sheep Hot Pot is a branch of the wildly popular Chinese chain which began in Baotou in Inner Mongolia in 1999. The Mongolian hot pot originated hundreds of years ago when nomadic Mongol tribes would sit around a fire over which a pot containing a simmering broth and fresh cuts of meat would be shared by the participants - a place to converse, make decisions and renew old acquaintances. The concept of hot pot originated in Szechuan Province, while much of the lamb, which was the main meat, originated in Mongolia. Hot pot could be considered the forerunner to modern fondue.
The Hacienda Heights location has a very sleek ambiance with numerous booths, dark woods, granite countertops and an exhaust fan above each communal eating area to carry away the steam from the hot pot. The broth itself contains around 36 spices and comes in a mild version called "mala," a spicy version, or a mushroom vegetarian version. And then there's the most popular version, the "Ying Yang" pot, which contains half mild and half spicy broth with chiles or chile oil and a divider in the middle. For my money, the spicy version is the way to go, as the chile components accentuate all the flavors. There's no added MSG or preservatives and the broths are made fresh daily.
All meat items are cut almost paper thin, requiring only 5-10 seconds in the bubbling broth to render them completely cooked. Seafood, such as shrimp, calamari, surf clams and codfish fillets take only about another15 seconds to finish cooking. You can use either chopsticks to hold the various raw ingredients in the broth or drop them into a perforated ladle and hold them under the surface to cook.
The whole experience is quite interactive and you will find yourself eating less because you're cooking one item at a time. The ingredients, once cooked, can be dipped into an assortment of sauces including sesame, sacha (BBQ), seafood sauce with a tangy finish, bean curd with leeks, chile paste, and a peanut based satay.
We sampled an array of different hot pot items, all of which provided generous portions. Lamb was definitely the highlight in various guises (lamb dumplings, lamb shoulder, and house lamb meatballs). Other unusual items included fresh pork kidney, goose intestine (a bit chewy, so it would benefit from additional cooking), beef tendon meatballs and pork blood rice cakes. More familiar favorites include tiger shrimp, pork belly, fried fish cakes, fresh thick noodles and an array of mushrooms including shiitakes, king oysters and maitakes. There is no shortage of vegetables, either, be it green leafy Tong Ho and A choy, sliced taro root, watercress and sugar pea sprouts.
From the BBQ section, I'd recommend the Mongolian lamb skewers and the grilled chicken wing skewers. The Mongolian beef pie and the boiled pork dumplings are worth sampling from the hot side dishes, while the Korean-style pickled garlic and seaweed salad from the cold section make for excellent starters.
If you have room, try the sweet corn pancakes or sweet red bean and yam pancakes for dessert.
Stepping out beyond your comfort zone to Hacienda Heights (or other Little Sheep locations in San Gabriel and Irvine) will pay multiple culinary dividends, both from an unusual flavor and texture standpoint as well as experiencing a very high level of regional authenticity. It's more than worth the extra drive. Bring a group of friends when you visit Little Sheep. It literally breeds conviviality, conversation and culinary adventure.
The Hacienda Heights location has a very sleek ambiance with numerous booths, dark woods, granite countertops and an exhaust fan above each communal eating area to carry away the steam from the hot pot. The broth itself contains around 36 spices and comes in a mild version called "mala," a spicy version, or a mushroom vegetarian version. And then there's the most popular version, the "Ying Yang" pot, which contains half mild and half spicy broth with chiles or chile oil and a divider in the middle. For my money, the spicy version is the way to go, as the chile components accentuate all the flavors. There's no added MSG or preservatives and the broths are made fresh daily.
All meat items are cut almost paper thin, requiring only 5-10 seconds in the bubbling broth to render them completely cooked. Seafood, such as shrimp, calamari, surf clams and codfish fillets take only about another15 seconds to finish cooking. You can use either chopsticks to hold the various raw ingredients in the broth or drop them into a perforated ladle and hold them under the surface to cook.
The whole experience is quite interactive and you will find yourself eating less because you're cooking one item at a time. The ingredients, once cooked, can be dipped into an assortment of sauces including sesame, sacha (BBQ), seafood sauce with a tangy finish, bean curd with leeks, chile paste, and a peanut based satay.
We sampled an array of different hot pot items, all of which provided generous portions. Lamb was definitely the highlight in various guises (lamb dumplings, lamb shoulder, and house lamb meatballs). Other unusual items included fresh pork kidney, goose intestine (a bit chewy, so it would benefit from additional cooking), beef tendon meatballs and pork blood rice cakes. More familiar favorites include tiger shrimp, pork belly, fried fish cakes, fresh thick noodles and an array of mushrooms including shiitakes, king oysters and maitakes. There is no shortage of vegetables, either, be it green leafy Tong Ho and A choy, sliced taro root, watercress and sugar pea sprouts.
From the BBQ section, I'd recommend the Mongolian lamb skewers and the grilled chicken wing skewers. The Mongolian beef pie and the boiled pork dumplings are worth sampling from the hot side dishes, while the Korean-style pickled garlic and seaweed salad from the cold section make for excellent starters.
If you have room, try the sweet corn pancakes or sweet red bean and yam pancakes for dessert.
Stepping out beyond your comfort zone to Hacienda Heights (or other Little Sheep locations in San Gabriel and Irvine) will pay multiple culinary dividends, both from an unusual flavor and texture standpoint as well as experiencing a very high level of regional authenticity. It's more than worth the extra drive. Bring a group of friends when you visit Little Sheep. It literally breeds conviviality, conversation and culinary adventure.
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