Hot Pot 火鍋 at Happy Sheep Shabu & Grill 小肥羊, San Gabriel

Happy Sheep Shabu Shabu is traditional Chinese hot pot restaurant featuring the goodness of Lamb!
The Duck Blood. This is something I don’t eat.

Lamb in certain cultures is the beef or pork staple. I know there are those who detest lamb in the utmost fashion. This allegedly gamey tasting meat has a bad reputation, almost like the crap-tasting foods such as lima beans. My friend Mr. G has ill feelings toward cilantro. Another buddy Mr. J also can’t stand celery. So, its no wonder, some people can’t stand lamb.

Anyways. . . hot pot is a usually for a special occasion at Chinese family homes – known as 火鍋. At this time of year, during Lunar or Chinese New Year celebration, which is the most important part of the year for Asians, families may have a hot pot together as part of the festivities. Hot pot meals are a fun interactive do-it-yourself meal. Koreans BBQ is another version of a DIY meal.

A couple of notes for novices
A. Make sure you don’t use the same utensils when handling raw food and eating cooked food.
B. Meats need not be cooked too long or else they will become too tough and rubbery.
C. Vegetables can be cooked for a long time, as well as tofu and duck’s blood.
There are advanced pointers that I could mention, but I’ll save that for another post.

Even if you don’t necessarily like lamb, but don’t if you are allergic, I would still suggest an order of the lamb. I would always try to order the signature dish at any restaurant. The thin slice of lamb, as well as beef and pork, cook quite fast. You only need to snag a slice and dip & mix in the boiling pot for a few seconds to have a tender cooked morsel. Personally, I don’t think lamb has a gamey taste. Once dipped in the sauce, you don’t taste that funny gaminess. The beef and pork are fine as well. I know I personally favor the beef over pork.

Chinese Hot Pot differs from Japanese Shabu Shabu しゃぶしゃぶ , in two major points. The 1st point is the soup broth – the Chinese will have a spicy pot 麻辣 or a non-spicy(slightly sour) pot, while the Japanese mainly use a clear broth with seaweed flavoring. And the second point is the dipping sauce. Chinese typically use a variation of a thick egg yolk with a satee sauce, mixed with green onions, chili, or other sauces. Japanese will use ponzo and a peanut based sauce. I like both hot pots.

Happy Sheep also has these little baked bread 饅頭 appetizers that are crispy and tasty. I don’t remember having these before, but I know we gobbled them up as soon as they came out.

Another thing, Chinese White Wine which we had, not alcohol from grapes, goes great with Chinese Hot Pot. This alcohol, made from rice, is some of the harshest shit. I would challenge any drinker to drink this stuff with me. At around 50% alcohol the taste has been described by critics as tasting like rubbing alcohol, motor oil, crap, etc. My friends know this drink all too well. But with the spiciness of the hot pot and the sourness, the white wine goes great. Imagine the bold flavors from the soup and the harshness of the alcohol – they together negate each other out.

Wandering Chopstick’s Post
Overseas Chinese Web Guide Post

What to Order: Lamb – because that’s what made this place famous
What not to Order: Lamb, if you are think it is gamey and yucky

Rating
2 pigs, $$

Happy Sheep Shabu & Grill
227 W Valley Blvd, #3
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 457-5599

Lamb comes fatty (suggested) and non fatty. Fat Lamb Sliced – comes marbled with fat for better taste.

The left side is the spicy Hot Pot. And the right side is the non-spicy but slightly more sour hot pot.

The thinly sliced lamb slices.

Chinese White Wine. It goes great with Chinese Hot Pot. It is also cheap.

Here’s our table. Notice the soft boiled peanuts in the foreground.

The meat cooks really fast in the boiling pot.

The bread appetizer. It come with 4 pieces.

Thank goodness the bread is complimentary and we can have as many as we want.

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