Article By Anthony Cordina
1F, Li Ma Hao Cheng, Cao Chang Po.
草场坡骊马豪城1楼
(029) 8559 0665
10:00pm – 4:00am
Average Price per Person /人均消费: 70RMB
PROS: Great food and service
CONS: No English
If your knowledge of Chinese characters is as poor as mine then you might quite easily miss this little gem of a hotpot restaurant nestled amongst a host of other hotpot restaurants on … street. The Restaurant I’m referring to is Xiao Long Teng Si Hai and, as far as my experiences at hotpot restaurants go, this place is definitely near the top of my list.
Because it’s conveniently located in CaoChangPo, you probably know somebody who lives there if you don’t live there yourself, which makes it so easy to get some friends together any day of the week (even at short notice), and that is exactly what I did one Sunday night in October. At the door, we were greeted with great big smiles and words of welcome and were quickly led to our table in a separate room near the back of the restaurant. There was no waiting in line that night! Inside, the restaurant was very clean and the tables were varnished, light wood with bench seats and all the necessary traditional Chinese decorations on the walls to give you the feeling that you have walked into an establishment that has been serving good food for as long as China is old.
It was not long after we were seated that I received a message from my Chinese friend saying that she had gotten caught up with work and she would not be able to make it. I found myself staring blankly at a beautifully designed menu with no idea how I was going to be able to order. As you might imagine, there was no English and no pictures. No sooner had I come to terms with the idea of randomly selecting and possibly ending up with a selection of sheep stomach and pig brains than the highly intuitive staff came to my rescue with a more than adequate list of fine suggestions. Not long after, my friends and I were presented with a grand variety of ingredients, from thin strips of A-grade lean beef to decoratively cut vegetables, tofu, fish and more. You can choose between a spicy pot, non-spicy pot or a split pot if you like the spice but you lack the iron stomach of a Sichuanese person.
The atmosphere was cheerful and warm, food delectable, the service on point and overall the best hotpot experience I’ve had since my Spring Festival in Chengdu. Highly recommended!
Anthony Cordina never breaks the second rule of Fight Club. He can be reached at reviews@xianease.com