Yes, we know it’s not winter but there is no reason that the thermometer should keep you from enjoying some food plucked straight from a steaming cauldron. Hot pot can be a hassle. The staff at most chains are about as useful as a condom in a eunuch’s pocket. Yeah, I said it. And some people can’t handle that special feeling that you get in the bathroom the next morning after eating at a Chongqing-style joint. Other times it’s hard to get enough people together to make it worth while and the thing that I hate the most is that when do get enough people together, I always wind up sitting next to a left-handed freak show.
Shang Yi Fang makes short work of all of the usual difficulties. The staff here is, if anything, over-attentive and they even speak a little English because there is hardly any on the menu. That’s okay though because there are plenty of pictures. They even offered to ball up our beef “wah” (it’s tightly packed minced and ground meat) for us. Shang Yi Fang also makes it easy for everyone to make sure that their soup is flavored just the way they like it. Like 789, they serve smaller pots that can be used by one or two people and they have near a dozen types of soup to choose from. So, if you’re a sissy, you can just get the mushroom. After that, choose your fillings and make your way over to the spice bar and mix up some dipping sauces. They have everything from peanut to hemp sauce. These little pots also put an end to the constant chopstick wars especially the one that ensues when someone pulls out the last quail egg.
We would be hard pressed to say Shang Yi Fang is better than 789, but it is without a doubt better than Little Fat Sheep or any of the other chains on all fronts. The décor is modern and comfortable. The prices are, with the exception of a few items, in the 50 RMB per person range. They also have more of a wine selection, though nothing goes with hot pot like cold beer.
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