Hot Potting and Much More at Happy Sheep Cafe (Rowland Heights)

The chill in the air reminded my of an overdue post about a hot pot meal at Happy Sheep in Rowland Heights. Wandering Chopsticks had blogged about the Happy Sheep location in San Gabriel, and the owners wanted to thank her in some way. That way ended up being a (free) lunch for a group of her (mostly) blogger friends.

Now, since it's been a while since this meal, I had forgotten all the prices. Luckily Wandering Chopsticks had blogged it, complete with all the price information, so I referred to her post for it.

As this is a newer location, the decor and furniture are nicer than the other location.

Their staple complimentary boiled peanuts.

Most people that come here will probably get the spicy Mongolian broth, but I can't eat spicy. Luckily, these places let you split up the broth bowl with a metal divider. Call it "yin yang" hot pot. Our table ordered the "Nourish and tonic" and "Mongolian mildly spicy" (the hot pot costs $3.50 per person, plus the dishes you order).

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Boiling Point: Gettin' Hot and Stinky

A not-so-well-timed post as summer is just settling in the air, but trust me that it was cold and rainy when I went to Boiling Point, and that it is oh-so-good during times like that.

And that there will be a line during those times.

I've done communal hot pots such as Mon Land, but Boiling Point was my first individual hot pot experience. Boiling Point serves Taiwanese hot pot and each hot pot is $9.99 for dinner or $8.99 including a drink for lunch - not bad at all since you get quite full by the end! You can choose between beef, lamb, seafood, etc, but what they are most famous for is their House Special Hot Pot.

What's in the House Special, you ask? Why, stinky tofu of course!
And pork, intestines, meat balls, quail eggs, enoki mushroom, cabbage, fish cake, hot dogs. You can choose between vermicelli or rice but I always go for the vermicelli. I ask for my broth to be 'mild' which is still a bit spicy but totally do-able for me.

The broth is spicy enough and you get the flavors from all the meats and vegetables soaking in it, but the flavor is not quite complete yet. No, not without Boiling Point's dipping sauces!

For me personally, nothing goes from the pot to my mouth before passing through this garlic soy sauce:
Others prefer the spicy bean sauce, or mix the two of them together. Since I can't handle spicy that well, I didn't go for the bean sauce.

Now. The stinky tofu. In my opinion, this one isn't all that stinky, really, but it does linger. Triangles of stinky tofu sit at the bottom, "seasoning" the broth. I'm not that crazy about eating the stinky tofu blocks themselves, actually, I found them rather bland (although yes, definitely still has the aroma, even if it isn't that strong). Why I like getting the House Special w the stinky tofu is actually the aroma it adds to the broth. The 'odor' is pretty mild but it stays, and probably not for everyone.

The fire for the individual pot is likely to stay on throughout the meal (you can ask them to turn it off) and is bound to keep you warm all night.

Can't wait until it gets cold again.

Boiling Point

153 W Garvey Ave

Monterey Park, CA
(626) 288-9876