- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot
Categories: Restaurants Chinese Restaurants Mongolian Chinese, Mongolian [Edit]
215 S Ellsworth AveSan Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 343-2566
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
827 reviews for Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot
Review Highlights
"The spicy broth is sooooooooooo good."
(in 156 reviews)
"Soup base: $3.75/person (make sure to bring this home w..."
(in 130 reviews)
"And they have the best Meat Pie -- a must try."
(in 39 reviews)
Loading...
827 reviews in English
-
Review from Annie D.
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here for a birthday, they ordered up a storm so I can't tell you what was being ordered, but probably one of everything on the menu.
They do cost a pretty penny here, but I just feel that way because any hot pot doesn't cost much doing it on your own.
Broth here though, very good. -
Review from Jackson Q.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012
Meandering down the peninsula some 18 miles seems a bit much when Little Sheep awaits you. Meager decor evokes hazy memories of Chinatown visits in the 90's.
Opted for half n' half broth which seems to be the way to go. Wouldn't expect anything too thrilling, spicy really feels like regular broth with some cumen thrown in. Meat/veggies are pretty cheap which opens the gates for some extra dishes. Threw in some cold egg noodles on the side which seemed to be one of the meal's highlights.
Shoddy service with some casino-ass outfits gave Little Sheep an overall luke warm appeal. I'll stick with the trendy Shabu joints, thanks. -
Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Notables -
Loved the "mixed" spicy and regular herb broth. It's $3.75/per person for the broth
Surprised by the good fish and beef balls.
Service was attentive as he kept filling our hotpot with broth and glasses with water
We were stuffed as we got some meats, shrimp, vegetables, and noodles.
3 people around $35/each for dinner. If it wasn't for the broth, I would not come back as hotpot is something very easy to do at home. But I had to try Little Sheep to see for myself. (reminds me of the hotpot I had in Guong Zhou, China).
Stinky factor - It wasn't too bad, I thought I would be reeking of Chinese food smell. -
Review from Rebecca K.
San Jose, CA
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
SIGH! I wish I wasn't preoccupied with something before so that I could have come here with my friends ON TIME instead of making them wait an hour for me already done eating inside the restaurant...
BUT! I still had a good experience because my friends were kind enough to leave leftover meat pieces for me and let me just RAAAAAAAVE OVER THE BEER MEAT!!!!
Since I didn't get to see the menu, I don't know what any of the names are but OMFG GET THE MEAT THATS MARINATED IN BEER!!! HOLY CRAP THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST, TENDER, YUMMY, MEAT PIECES I'VE EVER HAD IN HOT POT!! SO DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!
We had the half regular half spicy broth and they ordered a whole crap load of stuff like lamb meatballs, beef, pork, spinach, other green veggies, noodles, etc etc. BUT THE BEST ONE WAS THE BEER MEAT!! I seriously have dreams of trying it again... so good....
BUT MINUS ONE STAR for forcing us to order shrimp! After everybody was done eating we looked at the half eaten plate of shrimp and were like, okay whoever ordered shrimp eat it now! But nobody said they ordered it and we realized that they added shrimp onto our list and everybody at our table thought somebody else ordered it and left it there. Yeah and we couldn't return it because one person cooked the shrimp because they thought the person who ordered it wanted it cooked! BUT NOBODY ORDERED IT!! sigh that was an extra dollar I had to pay.. sheesh.
I would definitely love to come back here and try again for a better experience. It's kind of weird eating out of an already devoured hot pot with most of the ingredients gone, and the ones there just sitting out for an hour.
NEXT TIME! WE SHALL BE REUNITED BEER MEAT!! OH JUST YOU WAIT!!!! -
Review from Mitty C.
Fremont, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yum! Hot pot!
Let's start off with things you should know (a.k.a. reality):
1. The hot pot here isn't cheap. Expect to be paying anywhere in the neighborhood of $35 to $50 per person. (About a $4 base rate per person for the soup base, then it's anywhere from $4 to $10 per plate of ingredients for the pot.)
2. You WILL walk out of this place smelling like hot pot.
3. There is usually a (ridiculously) long wait/line. (And sometimes they might make a mistake so be sure to check in on your spot in line with the host/hostess about every 20 minutes.)
4. Parking can be hard! Especially if you come during a normal meal time!
Now..with that all aside, let's talk about why this place gets four stars.
1. The broth here is delicious and different from your normal hot pot as it's saturated with special herbs and spices that are made in-house. If you can handle spicy, I recommend choosing the spicy broth.
2. There are SO MANY plates/ingredients to order from. (Tofu, meats, veggies, etc.)
3. Dishes come out really fast
4. The wait staff is prompt and generally on top of things. They consistently add in more broth for you when you get low.
5. The booths are nice and the tables are clean. The establishment itself is nice inside. (They blast the A/C in here usually to help ventilate the room so keep in mind it can be chilly inside!)
Overall, a good hot potting experience. Just keep in mind that it's not dirt cheap (as most hot pot experiences tend to be). -
Review from Ken K.
Updated - 12/16/2011
Dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooods
and
Dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooodette$
New broths have been introduced since my last visit aeons ago. Who knows when they did, but for some reason many folks are still stuck in the past with House Original or Yin Yang double double Original/Spicy splits. Try something new!
- Pickled Cabbage Pot Soup (Suan Bai Tsai Guo, a true taste of the NorthEast) $3.75. This broth also contains some killer wide cellophane (or bean) noodles with a slight chewy texture, really good stuff.
- Pork Rib Pot (Lung Hsiang Pai Gu Tang) $3.75. Comes with slices of lotus root. Hardcore nourishing stuff.
If these broths don't get in touch with your Chinese side, I don't know what will.
Little Sheep is a fantastic place to be when it is "colder than a muzzafuggah" outside. Mandarin speaking hoodlums might be sayin "hao ji ba lon!" when frigid temperatures cause their nads to integrate into their bodies.
The only downer is towards the end of the meal when it gets super crowded, despite the fact that you feel a lot warmer after eating, you end up smelling like the crowd and the restaurant.
Bring at least 3 people to partake....much like a game of mahjong "3 missing 1".
The more the merrier.
It is also a major meat market in here....more selections to choose from, including these new ones
Lamb Shoulder w/Red Wine marination - $8.95
American Style Kobe Beef - $13.95 (sounds like the best gimmick in town)
Prime Ribs Beef - $10.95
American Kurobuta Pork - $7.95 (could it be Berkshire from Canada? :-o)
Fatty Pork Belly - $5.95
Dunno about you, but when the regular selection of supreme beef slice is $7.95, supreme lamb or shoulder is $5.95, and boneless chicken drumstick slices are $5.95, the new stuff seems radically overpriced (other than the fatty pork belly).
But in the end, it is more about fewer slices of meat, maybe some of their hand made meatballs (beef tendon ball screams of great Vietnamese meatballs, like the kind in pho), some mushrooms....but the only veggie (leafy greens) here to get for the hot pots is tong ho (chrysathemum garlands) especially during winter time. If you are throwing all sorts of other assorted complex chit in there, I don't know what else to say.
$0.50 for sauce? Ouch...don't need it.
The other beauty of Little Sheep Hot Pot is that you can SHA BOO SHA BOO your meats, or let it sit in there for a while to the point where it will be deemed overcooked by many, and it will still taste good.
Other than the damage to my leather container of ca$$$h, this place makes me a phat happy $heep during colder than a muzzafuggah days.
(\____/)
/ o o \
( oo )
\ \/ /
- - - - - -1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/1/2007 First to Review
EDIT: THIS PLACE IS NOW OPEN! PILLAGE RAPE PLUNDER AND EAT YO LAMB HOT POTS!!!!
Right in the heart of… Read more »
-
-
Review from Tiffany W.
Fremont, CA
12/21/2011
Last week, I came to Little Sheep with a friend for dinner after work. First off, I'm not a frequenter of Downtown San Mateo at all - I've maybe been a handful of times in my life. Anyhow, parking is horrendous after work hours. I had been to the Union City location before, so I already knew what to expect before coming here. However, this location seems to be a bit nicer and trendier than the Union City one.
Service was fine here, and food was good. The one thing I do like about Little Sheep is that they give you great quality foods. It is expensive, but you do pay for the quality. The only thing I don't like is that their broth here was way too salty - I don't remember the broth being so salty when I dined at the other location. We did the half and half, original and spicy broth - both taste great, but once again, just way too salty.
We ordered:
Spinach, Tofu Combo, Enoki Mushrooms, Kurobuta Pork, Cuttlefish Ball, Napa Cabbage, and Seaweed Knot.
All of the items were good. I liked the Tofu Combo plate since it comes with Frozen Tofu, Fresh Tofu, and Tofu Puffs - great for me since I love all kinds of tofu. I also really liked the Kurobuta Pork - thinly sliced, delicious pork. This was actually the first time I had pork in hot pot, and I enjoyed it - I usually tend to order Chicken and I've just come to the conclusion that I don't like chicken in hot pot.
Anyhow, like I always say, hot pot is much better at home because it's cheaper, it's done exactly how you want it, and I can make my own sauce. I love my hot pot dipping sauce to consist of like 8 different things, and not many hot pot restaurants offer you a wide range of sauces. However, Little Sheep is a good alternative if you're looking to dine out. Oh yeah, and be prepared to leave stinky! Shower REQUIRED afterwards. -
Review from George C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place was really good! I love hot pot and it was pretty good for the price, I really love their different kinds of meats. Having to pay for different sauces was a turn off (even if it was 50 cents each). Wait wasn't long because we came in at around 5 PM on a Tuesday. Although after we left, the line was quite huge.
Overall good meal for the price. -
Review from Constance C.
East Bay, CA
Updated - 12/12/2011
Little Sheep has redeemed itself in my book!
Half-Half Soup Base. OF COURSE! LOL, gotta get me my spicy fix!
Kobe Beef. Recent addition to the hot pot menu, I believe. Delicious goodness! I love me some Kobe and this was super good. Melt in your mouth fatty goodness, literally! SO GOOD!
Bamboo Heart. Insides of a bamboo! This was nommy! But I'm sure a part of it is because I love eating bamboo, including bamboo shoots. This tasted like a larger version of a bamboo shoot because it essentially is one, just not a baby version of it.
Lamb Shoulder. DELISH! So good, I usually love this but I think this time it was overshadowed by the Kobe because that was just too damn good!
A-Choy. My fave hot pot veggie! So crisp, fresh and delicious. Can't do hot pot without it.
Enoki Mushrooms. NOMS! Can't do hotpot without these either! Even though they don't really have a flavor, I've always loved how chewy they were.
Tofu. LOVE TOFU! Love it even more in my hot pot soup, I love how when you boil it in the hot pot it soaks up the soup like a sponge and makes it even yummier.
Bamboo Pith. Delicious! I usually eat this for the texture but I also love how this soaks up the flavors of hot pot soup! Noms.
We also got their lamb skewers and they were pretty delicious, similar to the Xinjiang style ones I had in China. Somehow I lost my photo of it though so you'll have to trust me on that one and do without. :P
See photos of food, http://potbellypanda.t...1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/1/2011
Spicy/Non-spicy Soup Base. Om nom nom! I loved the spicy one, just enough spice for me! I love their… Read more »
-
-
Review from Wayne K.
Mountain View, CA
1/17/2012 4 Check-ins Here
This chain is the best place for hot pot in the Bay Area and I have several friends who crave coming here.
THE GOOD:
- Flavorful broths. You could drink this by itself and walk away happy. They do a good job with the Chinese herbs. Get a half-and-half if you're not sure how spicy you want to go.
- Many unique ingredients like hand-made dumplings (even lamb, which they do really well, and shrimp), a mushroom platter with much variety (enoki, shiitake, oyster), seafood (oysters, shrimp, scallops), pigs blood sausage, and various types of noodles (include hand-made). It'd be challenging to hit this kind of variety with hot pot you do at home.
- For a Chinese place, they have consistently great service with frequent water and broth refills. This is especially cool cause you can take any extra broth home.
- The vegetarian broth isn't nearly as good as the regular broth, but this restaurant is very vegetarian-friendly so you can bring your vegetarian friends and have them eat out of their own half-pot while you pig out on meat.
- Great for large groups with reasonable privacy.
- Though you'll definitely walk out with a new smell (don't wear clothes you care a lot about), they keep the place relatively well-ventilated so it's not as bad as it could be.
- Dessert Republic and Tpumps are within walking distance if you want an Asian dessert afterward.
- Takes credit cards.
THE BAD:
- Paying per plate adds up so it gets pricy. I usually leave having spent $30-40, which is more than I've ever paid for hot pot anywhere since most other places are all-you-can-eat.
- Rice costs money. Dipping sauces cost money.
- Parking in this area is never easy and can take up to half an hour if you're unlucky.
- Though some like the meat pies, I found most of the non-hot pot items not too noteworthy.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS:
- Order the combo platters like the meat plate, mushroom plate, seafood, tofu plate, etc. Looking at the menu you'll be tempted to order individual items that jump out at you but unless you've been here a bunch, it's hard to predict what'll taste the best. Variety is key so you don't get sick of eating 10 pieces of a meat you don't like that much.
- Don't just dump everything in there right away. Some of the hardier veggies take a while to cook but meats and noodles usually require minimal cooking and you don't want to end up with overcooked meat and disintegrating noodles. Try to go one item type at a time for as long as you can.
- Don't eat the garlic cloves or drink too much broth until the end. They both taste awesome after they've had time to absorb flavors from everything else you dump in.
- Go in a party of at least 3 or 4. If you go with just one person you won't be able to order much variety. Usually I go in a group of at least 6.
- For larger parties make a reservation or you'll be waiting a while. It's usually not too hard if you remember a few hours beforehand.
- They sell the broth mixes at Chinese supermarkets if you want to give this a shot yourself. -
Review from Yvonne K.
12/28/2011
The only thing that makes this place special is their broth. It's different than the usual hot pot place; there are various Chinese herbs immersed in the hot broth that give it a unique flavor. It's absolutely delicious -- I recommend getting a half and half, which will give you half a pot of regular broth and half a pot of spicy broth.
However, the pricing for the orders of food is a little ridiculous. $4 for a small bowl of tofu? Not really worth it to me. And of course, once you sit down, you can't just order a few dishes. You'll have to order a lot to fill yourself, and the bill adds up quickly. Our party of 6 ate well over $100, and I'm sure that not everyone was full.
Bottom line: broth is special and tasty; everything else is overpriced. -
Review from Albert L.
So, are you a "Spicy Girl"?
Cause I'm am! hahaha.. okay, no seriously, I love their spicy house broth!
This was my girlfriend and I first time at Little Sheep after hearing numerous great things about it. Was this going to be worth the 17 mile drive out of the city just for hot pot? Yes, it certainly was.
So again this was our first time, and we didn't know what to order so what any other sane couple would do, we ordered a helluva ton of food! -- boneless chicken, fish balls with filler, head-on shrimp, tendon balls, beef and lamb combo, tripe and honey-comb, supreme lamb shoulder, fatty pork belly! (that's what normal people do, riiight!?)
Within 5 minutes of placing the order, our hot pot, meats, veggies, and sauces all came incredible quick and we got our grub on!
OMG. The fatty pork belly was delicious! Do you remember the first time you've ate bacon? *tears* That combined with their house spicy broth, makes me a happy spicy gir-- boy!
Little Sheep is definitely legit if you want some great hot pot. The service was very fast and efficient, the meats were all freshly sliced to order and delicious, if you order veggies, they give you a gardens worth! and there are just so many numerous options you can add to spice up your taste-buds, for a cost.
The only thing about Little Sheep is that you HAVE to know what you want to eat and how much of it, or you might over order and waste money. Everything has a charge from plates of meats varying from $5-$12, veggies for $4-$8, $1 for a bowl of rice, and even individual pot fee's of $3+ per. Needless to say, the bill for two was well over $80. It seems a little excessive for the nicknacks but at least now I'll know how much NOT to order next time, especially when I hit the dreaded "wall". Yep, I'll be back next time!Listed in: Trust me, I'm Chinese!
-
Review from Ryan L.
San Francisco, CA
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been here on three occasions, the first two times were darn good but today... I wasn't diggin' it. I didn't know that the AYCE option was only during the summer months which really dampened my mood for my friend's birthday dinner. Honestly though, what hot pot place doesn't let you have all you can eat!? (Unless the waiter lied to me, haha) Quite a bummer, really.
Firstly, the broth is $3.75 a person; I had a party of 9 share two pots so right off the bat, the restaurant made $33.75 off soup. Don't get me wrong, the broth is pretty spectacular, it's just the thought of $33.75 for soup that you aren't really drinking. If you manage to wave down a waiter, they deserve props for their fast service. As for the meats, we had lamb shoulder and lamb leg, premium beef, fatty beef, the cheapest beef, and an assortment of other veggies, balls, and dumplings. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference in the meats and all of it kinda just came out in one load so we had a table full of red meats and just ate away. The meat was alright; nothing outstanding. The bill racked up to 31 a person and everyone was pretty content and satiated. -
Review from Cynthia H.
San Jose, CA
12/18/2011
Approximately $30 a person for food you boil yourself? Yeah, that sounds a bit expensive. At the same time, the food was good. I think our group ordered nearly everything on the menu, judging by the platters, bowls, and trays that arrived. Everything was delicious. We ordered the half spicy/half regular broth. The spicy was not too spicy, but definitely added a nice kick. The lamb meat balls are delicious.
Overall, worth the price. Sort of. I mean, the cheap side of me still can't really fathom how hotpot can cost $27! I mean sure, meat is expensive. But c'mon, still. We're still basically doing all the cooking! And yes, the broth is good, but is it really worth the $3.75 a person?
I'd come back again though. Just be forewarned that you might get sticker shock if you aren't mentally prepared to shell out some serious dough. \
Oh yeah, and be prepared to smell like hotpot for a few hours afterwards. Not that it's a bad thing. Nothing wrong with smelling delicious. -
Review from Matthew H.
San Bruno, CA
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is moderate. Food and ambience. Kobe Beef and The Premium Beef, ($6 difference) taste EXACTLY THE SAME!!! wouldnt waste money here, but is the main restaurant for shabu-shabu around the bay. Meat is not fatty enough to have distinct flavors
-
Review from Shawn S.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
It's not the first time I've been to Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot... but coming back reminded me that I should've taken off my North Face fleece before I showed up.
Phew....that smell... it's like that tangy B.O. smell of a guys locker room that hasn't been cleaned in a week; completely made me want to walk right back out..but we didn't.
Went on New Years Day evening and placed our name on the waiting list; said to be around 20mins wait...okay, we can deal.
I grabbed a Manhattan at the bar and my guests a lounge seat while we waited. - The bar tender made the drink but decided to use slushed ice..instead of on "the rocks"..as I asked. okay...no big deal...overly priced for a mediocre mixed drink btw...
We were anticipating a new meal but come to find out we waited over 45mins while we still waited. No big deal..we had small chat with a couple next to us; talking about our oversea travels and dining experiences. - The highlight of the evening at the moment.
...tick tock...tick tock...okay..close to an hour. - Friends decided it was time and had me call a Korean BBQ across town; reservation booked!
Sorry, no specific foodie rant this time..even on a busy night..don't promise 20mins and make people wait 1hr.
I like hot pots and have had eaten at Little Sheep on more than one account...but couldn't talk about anything memorable..to date.
Half regular and spicy was okay...the soup was a bit on the simple side as far as taste. - I guess I'm spoiled as the way I eat Shabu Shabu and clean my meat in the water...then dip it into a soup base so there's no fatty oils and boiled blood really left on my meat when I eat it.
Will update post the next time I try this... -
Review from Lawrence L.
Millbrae, CA
Came in the night after Thanksgiving. Perfect spot for a cold night. It was about a 30 minute wait around 7pm, which was pretty good considering that the place was packed.
We had two soup bases: spicy and original... Had the pork belly, premium beef, enoki mushrooms, napa cabbage, pea sprouts, fresh tofu, fish balls with filling, cuttlefish, tripe, and baby octopus. All were great! Perfect for our group of 4.
They also have a full bar with Stella and Sam Adams on tap.
Service is pretty attentive for such a busy place. They know how to turn the tables over to keep the crowds moving. One of the better hot pot restaurants I've been to. Will be back. -
Review from Doug H.
1/16/2012
Wish we had a place like this near me. Fun, chaotic, loud place for hot pot. I thought the broths were OK; the meats were high quality, and I liked their sauces, particularly the traditional mongolian sesame. The system for ordering is bizarre and like filling out a tax form, which can result in serious over-ordering if you're not careful. The waiters are harried and may not point out to you that you just ordered enough beef to clean out the State of Wisconsin (which our waiter thankfully did). All in all, worth a special trip.
-
Review from Ben Y.
Monterey Park, CA
12/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I absolutely fell in love with little fat sheep during my trips to HK. They literally blew my mind in regards to hot pot!
There were a couple of "fake" little sheeps in Monterey Park and I was on a mission to find an official franchise location in the states. I found out about the San Mateo location and finally got to go there during a trip to SF.
The soup base was good but not nearly as spicy as the version i had in HK. The menu was also much smaller with much less variety then the HK locations.
But the food was still great and i'd definitely eat here again. In fact they recently opened up a franchise location in Hacienda Heights, SoCal which i definitely plan to try.
My only gripe is that you can actually buy the Little Fat Sheep soup base packages at Chinese markets and do your own hot pot for much cheaper at home. -
Review from Harriet W.
San Francisco, CA
12/19/2011
Yummy yummy hot pot! I think the Chinese name sounds cuter, Little Fat Sheep :x
But anyway, the herbal soup base was DELISH! nom nom nom nom. I came here with a pretty big group, and initially, we marked down A LOT of food. But good thing the server told us that it might be too much food, and that it's recommended that we ordered half what we actually had on the sheet and then order more if we needed.
Definitely order the lamb, its tastes better than the beef. And if you're hungry, I suggest not going for the premium meat, because you might just be stuffing your face, and the soup base is pretty good as is! So the cheaper meat isn't bad at all. Because it's pretty pricey, don't order just all meet!!! Don't forget veggies and noodles. The Fun See/vermicelli is really good with the soup base. ;9
Oh yea, they charge for the different sauces, and it's a big bowl for each, so I suggest sharing with people since you only take a portion of different sauces anyway to mix.
Definitely a must-go place! -
Review from S L.
San Francisco, CA
11/26/2011
You need a party of 6+ to make a reservation. Otherwise, get here early to put your name down and find a comfortable seat at the bar. It'll be a while before you hear your number and name called!! Another downside of their long wait - you'll keep marking more items to order on their two sided menu out of starvation and boredom. They add up quick!
I half and half'ed the soup base: original and spicy. I teared from the spicy goodness and chewed into one too many garlic cloves. Never the less, they were both PACKED full of flavor. I also crammed so many fried fish cakes in my mouth before the soup even came to a boil. I'll have to remember to order two plates of those next time.
Just like korean bbq, you'll need to change your shirt after you eat here :) -
Review from Rachel Z.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2011
Probably one of the best hotpot places you can find in North America.
Decent soup base/meat quality, modern decor and generally friendly service. My friend who's regular here complained that the flavor of the spicy broth is not consistent though.
The location is great. Lots of parking space and it's closed to Caltrain station. There are quite a few dessert places nearby too (might be interesting to try them out if you are not too full from the hotpot).
Little Sheep is a hot pot restaurant (and related product) chain from inner Mongolia in China. I don't think their hot pot is among the most impressive ones I've tried in China, but it's as good as it can get here. -
Review from Tien P.
11/13/2011
This is a great spot to come with a group of friends on a cold day! It's located in downtown San Mateo which is a pretty cute little place to hang out at.
The restaurant itself is pretty clean and modern. The service was pretty good and the waiters like to joke around with us, lightening the mood.
The soup base is the reason we go here. It is sooooooo good and garlicy!!! Someone told me you can actually buy a mix from them for the soup base, I'm not too sure, but I would definitely look into it for future hot pot experiments at home.
Be ready to spend at least $30-35 per person when you come here because it all definitely adds up. Definitely worth it, but not something you can eat weekly! I'm definitely coming back one of these cold rainy days... -
Review from Michael C.
San Jose, CA
1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
The best Hot Pot that I have ever had. The broth is flavorful. I really don't need any dipping sauce for my meat or vegetables because the broth is just that good. I came here for lunch and had their lunch special. Super bang for your buck and it wasn't crowded either.
-
Review from Beethoven C.
Palo Alto, CA
11/11/2011
Interestingly enough, Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot (Xiao Fei Yang) is now owned by
...drumroll...
Yum Brands. That's right, Xiao Fei Yang, The Colonel and Pizza Hut
are now siblings.
That said, Xiao Fei Yang thankfully doesn't serve bland food. Its hot pot is pretty decent with a stock that is strong in taste and for some, somewhat medicinal (goji berries), combined with interesting ingredients like lamb, tongho and enoki mushrooms.
Hot pot here isn't cheap but for those looking for a unique dining experience in the middle of winter chill, you can't go wrong with Xiao Fei Yang. -
Review from Janna W.
Manhattan, NY
1/21/2012
You will keep eating even after you're full because you don't want to waste anything left in the pot. It is the same idea as fondue where you dip your item into the pot to eat only in this case you're dipping raw meat, fish or veggies into a boiling broth to be cooked. Sauces are served on the side so you can control how much or how little you'd like on your food. Prompt service and fun circular booth makes this a great spot for family dinners.
-
Review from Morris C.
Daly City, CA
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yummmmmmm but stupid pot fee 3.75 per person :( They have a great variety of foods i.e. shittake mushrooms, fried tofu, lamb, beef, chicken, and all kinds of veggie, but (like I said) I'm not fond of the pot fee of 3.75 per person!
Prepare to leave with your clothes smelling of herbal goodness. By the way, I purchased xiao bai yang instant mix at Ranch 99, it definitely is missing out on some of the herbs and spices they use in the restaurant itself. Be sure to try it inside! -
Review from Robert H.
Concord, CA
12/16/2011
Yum-o-lish! This brought back some great Shabu Shabu memories while living in Japan. This was our first time so we opted for the original soup broth since the kids may not like the spicy (but we do!). Broth is very flavorful and as you cook, it gets even better. Wait staff is very prompt so watch out when they come by to fill up your broth. As you cook things down, everything condenses and gets really rich, the staff will want to fill it up so be watchful if you like it the way it is especially toward the end of the meal.
Portions are huge. So when you think you need pork, fish, chicken, and fish for 4 people you could probably eliminate two of those!. Ordering veggies is also great additions - shitake, bok choy, glass noodles, and tofu really made it superb. The only (not so hot) ingredient was the house meatballs. We dumped them into the broth for flavor but not for eating. The other reviews will talk about smelling like a 'herbal goodness', and that is spot on. A meal and a steam facial all in one. Take that Living Social and Groupon!!
Street parking is very tight so suggest you use the Central parking structure located between 3rd and 4th street -
Review from Angela Y.
10/30/2011
I finally got the chance to try Little Sheep after hearing so many good things about it. My friends and I came a little past normal dinner hours but the place was still packed! They have a bar in the front if you're up for getting a drink and killing some time. They also give you a sheet to order your food before you sit down which I highly recommend.
What really makes this place what it is is the soup base - both regular and spicy. I was a little disappointed that the spicy ... wasn't even all that spicy. But they gave us more of their spicy mix to bring ours spicier. (Though I can easily tolerate a lot of spicy food more than most - so if you can't handle it, don't take my advice!)
We ordered a lot of vegetables, mushrooms, the seafood plate, lamb, pork, shrimp balls and tofu. Food was great; definitely one of the better hot pots I've been to. Definitely recommend the lamb! All the food was enough to fill all four of us and they let you take the soup base home if you want (as well as any other leftovers from your order).
Definitely a great meal but expect to come out smelling like hot pot! -
Review from Jennifer F.
Santa Clara, CA
10/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Oh my this is a yum-fest! Come for lunch when the prices are MUCH cheaper. Be sure to bring your appetite, there will still be gobs left over for you to make your own hot pot at home.
Tip: the Tea is hot, hot hot and the water in the bathroom is equally so. Don't wash your hand with purely hot water or risk a severe burn.
But, come for the food not the crazy water temperatures. You will not be disappointed. -
Review from carlie c.
10/11/2011
get half and half (to accommodate any friends who can't handle the spicy broth).
Little Sheep is really fun if you have a group of 4 or more so you can try out all their different items. It's not all you can eat, but it's a pretty good serving size for a small to large party.
Top picks;
Enoki mushrooms
Clear noodles
Tofu
Beef
Pigs Blood (i didn't eat this, but my friends loved it)
A great alternative to shabu house!Listed in: san mateo spots
-
Review from Jeanie Y.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2012
Don't get me wrong but this place was great before; however, after the recent visit, we are never going back again.
Their soup base was amazing before; after a few refill of rice water, the soup base was still very tasteful. it had a long lasting taste of Chinese Medicinal. However, this time the soup base had no medicinal taste whatsoever. After the third time of the rice water refill, the base became just water.
Coming from a traditional Chinese family, every piece of meat and veggie must be fully cooked before consumption. Even though we consumed fully cooked products, my younger siblings is suffering from a stomach virus. I suggest people who are going in the future be careful of what they consume. -
Review from Kristen C.
San Francisco, CA
10/7/2011 8 Check-ins Here
BOMB.COM CHINESE HOT POT. NUFF SAID.
fresh ingredients. reasonable prices. amazing broths. = perfect meal for those cold days that are approaching us.
Boo for cold weather. Yay for Little Sheep :) -
Review from Janelle H.
Los Angeles, CA
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Soup was super healthy, beer marinted beef was good too. its been awhile since i've eaten there since i'm not in the area anymore, but if i were i think i'd be going a lot more.
my mom goes all the time w/ my grandma. -
Review from Leo T.
Fairfield, CA
11/12/2011
Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot was my second hot pot/shabu style restaurant after Shabuway. Although I do prefer Shabuway for the ambiance and staff, Little Sheep delivers a great meal at standard prices.
I visited here with a few friends last Summer and absolutely enjoyed the entire experience. I was still fairly new to the hot pot scene and the friendly staff were more than happy to offer their personal favorites for us to try. I'm not usually a fan of spicy, but have to admit their spicy broth was extremely tasty. All the ingredients were fresh, served in healthy portions and were presented in a pleasing manner.
Overall, an excellent experience for a family or large group. If you find yourself with one or two others, I'd swing over to Shabuway for a more intimiate experience. -
Review from michael g.
San Mateo, CA
11/7/2011
This place confuses me.
The first time I went there, I really liked it. The broth was spicy and flavorful. The meat tasted fresh and I really enjoyed the whole experience. I went here a second time and it was good, but not as good as the first time. I thought they were just having an off day.
I went here the other day with my kids, I thought they would have fun cooking their own soup, and they did. They loved putting the food into the boiling broth, they just didn't love eating it, and neither did I.
The meat tasted like it had been frozen for too long and the broth was REALLY bitter. I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth when I left, it was really bad.
I am not sure if I will ever go back. There are just so many other places to get good soup. -
Review from Dilip R.
San Mateo, CA
10/3/2011
We've walked by this spot many times and really thought it looked like an odd exotic place so never tried it out.
Had some friends visiting us and they wanted to go here. First time for us trying hot pot so might as well go if others swore by it.
It was truly an incredibly experience. It isn't just about the food, it is also about the experience and there is something to sharing food in a bowl that's just awesome, almost like eating ethiopian food. And with all the options, there is so much to discover.
I loved it and plan to go back as apart from the beers this is a zero start spicy meal! -
Review from Karen S.
10/9/2011 2 photos
My parents - well more like my dad - really like the all you can eat Tuesdays. So this year, we had it twice. The first time we went back to the Union City location (ready my review). The second time, we came here.
We ate much later this time so there was a little bit of a wait. Quick tip: if you get there near the end of a cycle, i.e. every 1.5 hours, you can cut down the wait time.
The food here was the same as the Union City location, except we all thought it was a lot fresher. The best thing was that the boyfriend liked the lamb much better than the beef; & he is a huge beef lover. While everything on the menu tasted great, the side order we got - by mistake - was horrendous! We planned on getting cooked lamb dumplings but we got raw ones instead. These dumplings were wrapped in wonton skin & the lamb was WAY over marinated. I seriously recommend against them.
Aside from the small wait & those ghastly dumplings, we really enjoyed ourselves. The price went up this years from $17.99 to $19.99. If this comes back next summer...I wonder if it's going to be $21.99. -
Review from susan w.
San Francisco, CA
9/8/2011
Two of us had the house spicy soup with:
- lamb slices
- jumbo scallops
- beef tripe
- sugar pea sprouts
- watercress
- enoki mushrooms
- oyster mushrooms
- hot & spicy beef tendon
- house made lamb dumplings
All the greens were fresh and the meat was tender. What a feast. The waiters were all very attentive and nice too. It was a little pricy for hot pot -- the total came out to about $30/person before tip, but we may have over-ordered... Best to come with more people so you can have a lot of variety with the ingredients.
Any time I'm in the area I will head back for Spicy Mongolian Hot Pot! -
Review from Benjamin L.
San Francisco, CA
10/31/2011
Came here for my cousins birthday a couple days ago. Been here a couple of times as well and I've had a good experience every time. My friends and I always order beef/lam by the plate and the quantities are pretty large IMO. I drop around $30-40 everytime which is pretty normal for hot pot style dinner I think. The wait is usually long because this place can get pretty crowded (I always end up waiting ~25 min) so maybe calling in advance would be best.
All in all I always have a good time eating here! Spicy broth is the best! Would definitely recommend to anyone!
