Winter is hot pot season — All-you-can-eat mutton hot pot in Kaohsiung for just NT$400

Text and photos byShadow

If it weren’t for a friend’s recommendation, we wouldn’t have discovered this mutton hot pot all-you-can-eat restaurant tucked away in an alleyway, which has been running for 60 years. The owner and his wife, who are from mainland China and quite advanced in age, must have been operating the place since they were young. The owner has the demeanor of a traditional mainland Chinese uncle — he speaks loudly, and first-time visitors might be taken aback by his attitude, but that’s just his personality, so no one really minds.

The restaurant is located quite close to the MRT station exit — just a five-minute walk away. However, since it’s situated in an alley, it’s easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. We heard the place gets very busy on weekends, so we specifically chose a weekday to dine there. Although it’s called a restaurant, the equipment and decor are reminiscent of old-school Chinese eateries, clearly showing its long history. The hot pot ventilation ducts even run along the ceiling — a truly retro establishment.

The dining method here is mainly all-you-can-eat, and there are no menus available in the restaurant. We only happened to spot this tiny menu at the counter, though it’s unclear when it’s actually used.

One corner of the restaurant displays a variety of condiments: fermented tofu, minced garlic, chopped scallions, cilantro, pickled mustard greens, chili sauce, chili peppers, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and satay sauce, among others — plenty of choices.

The satay sauce seems to be homemade by the restaurant, unlike the commercial bucket versions, and it has a rich, fragrant taste that’s quite delicious.

Condiments can be added according to personal preference. Shadow only used scallions, garlic, soy sauce, fermented tofu, and satay sauce.

The hot pot itself looks like it’s seen some years, using the same kind of tall-chimneyed pot common in northern Chinese pickled cabbage and pork hot pots, which helps regulate the heat. At first, the pot only had pickled cabbage, but the owner quickly brought out more hot pot ingredients for us.

The seafood included shrimp, clams, and fish balls. The shrimp were particularly fresh, plump, and of high quality, and all of these items could be reordered.

A whole plate of large oysters was served for guests to eat as much as they liked.

The enoki mushrooms were thicker than the usual supermarket variety, and the frozen tofu had lots of holes that soaked up the broth.

Four plates of lamb were brought to the table as soon as we sat down. The fat marbling was beautiful, and after just a few quick swishes in the pot, it was ready to eat. The lamb was tender with very little gamey flavor.

The pork also had good fat distribution, and like in a regular hot pot, you just cook it in the pot until done. Perhaps because there weren’t many customers that day, the owner kept replenishing our meat plates.

The owner really isn’t afraid of customers eating a lot — any time ingredients started to run low, they were replenished before we even had a chance to ask, ensuring our table was always full of hot pot ingredients. It was quite a feast.

Cooking hot pot the old-fashioned way, the communal experience around the hot pot was wonderful. The steam from the pot billowed upwards, filling the room with warmth.

Lightly blanched lamb is also easy to eat, and for those who prefer stronger flavors, a dip in the satay sauce enhances the taste even more.

These pork meatballs are fried until crispy on the outside yet soft inside — they’re a specialty of the restaurant. The outer layer is super crispy, but once you bite in, the inside is fluffy, and you can hardly tell it’s made from ground pork. They’re quite unique meatballs.

The caramelized sweet potatoes are stir-fried on-site by the restaurant. Though not like traditional candied sweet potatoes, the white sesame coating adds aroma, and the sweet potatoes themselves are naturally sweet — a dessert worth savoring slowly.

The thick slices of scallion pancakes offer a satisfying chew of both dough and scallion flavors, with a moderate level of saltiness. It’s easy to eat too many and end up losing your appetite for hot pot.

The post-meal fruit was a bit disappointing — the watermelon served that day had overly soft flesh, lacking the freshness of just-cut fruit, which was quite a pity.

All-you-can-eat mutton hot pot isn’t common in Kaohsiung. Although the owner may not seem very approachable, he’s diligent — adjusting the heat for us, bringing out hot pot ingredients, and more. For those who eat a lot and love meat, NT$400 is definitely money well spent. As winter ushers in hot pot season, chances are you’ll be eating hot pot more often. If you’re looking for something different, head to Pingjin for mutton hot pot — we highly recommend it.

Address: No. 8, Lane 76, Dayong Road, Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-5511688
Business hours: 11:00–14:00, 17:00–21:00
Payment: NT$400 per person

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