Shang Shan Hot Pot 尚膳老火锅

Article By Jaz Henderson

West of Tian Ci Yi Fu Compound,Sheng Zhou 3 Road.
神州三路天赐颐府小区北门西侧
(029) 8905 1000
9:00am-9:00pm

Average Price per Person /人均消费: 106RMB

PROS: Great food and service

CONS: None

Shang Shan Hot Pot (尚膳火锅) offers some of the best hot pot that I’ve had in a while in Xi’an, serving a mouthwatering collection of dishes that are suitable for work parties, outings with friends, or a night out with that special someone. From barbecue to hot pot its menu is sure to please everyone that shows up. The restaurant is conveniently located right off Line 4 of the Metro, at Hang Tian Da Dao station, making it really accessible. It is actually a part of the Tianyu Fields Hotel, so the service provided is sure to please. This location is very clean and organized with a great staff that are very helpful and knowledgeable of what they have to offer. The atmosphere was quieter than most hot pot places that I have been to before, it was also lit nicely and had fans above the tables to help rid the smell of food seeping into your clothes.

Now, I’m not a fan of extremely spicy foods. I can handle some spicy things, but I usually stay clear of spicy hot pot (麻辣), but it came recommended so I gave it a chance, and I’m glad I did. It wasn’t overpoweringly spicy as it usually is at other hot pot restaurants—this soup had a nice flavor to compliment the spice. Of course, the other half of my pot was the mushroom-based soup (菌汤). They also offered different styles of pots to choose from; they have the basic half and half, as well as the small pot in the center of the large pot. I ordered the usual dishes one gets at hot pot: beef, lamb, bamboo, mushrooms and other vegetables. The vegetables came nicely displayed on plates, the meats came thinly sliced and set on iced plates. The portion sizes were a little more generous than I was expecting.

One thing that really impressed me was that the head chef walks around and asks the tables how the food tastes. I have yet to see this at other places. Although I didn’t order any barbecue, it all smelled great. All in all, this was a great place to have hot pot at, and I will definitely be returning.

Jaz is a drama teacher from the US. He can be reached at reviews@xianease.com

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