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Little Lamb
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Budget choice
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RUNNER-UP - BEST CHEAP EATS
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The image of 13th-century Mongolian soldiers brewing a meaty broth in their helmets before battle is a colourful one, but feels a million miles away from this diminutive restaurant on Shaftesbury Avenue. Here, tables are set with Kenwood hobs, and the decor is a few ethnic prints and paper lanterns away from a greasy spoon. Yet the constant flow of customers (and inquisitive stares from passers-by clocking the craziness through the windows) suggests that the Mongolian hotpot may be a colourful enough image without the legend. Dining is based around an enormous metal pot – filled either with a red chilli broth or a pale herbal tonic, or split down the middle and offering both – into which customers dip meat, fish and vegetables ordered plate by plate. Some were delicious: enormous chunks of squid and thinly sliced lamb absorbed the best of the fiery broth, while needle mushrooms and thick, flat noodles made from mung beans worked well with the herbal brew. Other ingredients, including some flavourless chicken dumplings, were less successful, but all made an enjoyable mess, and the childish amusement of plunging, losing and later finding things in a bubbling broth far outweigh any culinary shortcomings.
Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009
Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.
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Tommyboy77
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Today three of us from Japan visited this place for Saturday lunch on our way back home from Oxford to Tokyo. We poked into the restaurant through the window and found a bunch of Asian-looking customers there so we decided that this must be good, and, it indeed turned out to be a very correct decision. We took a three-flavored pot with meet and all that. It was a perfect match for a cold and windy day (even somewhat snowy) like today.The flavor and seasoning of the soup were just right. We were quite pleased with the very fresh greens and squid besides beef and lamb. Somehow they did not bring in an extra bowl to keep the scum out of the pot. I do not know if the Mongolians do not care or because we did not request it clearly, though. Other than that, and if you know that their food is somewhat different from regular Chinese cuisine, this is definitely worth a try, in particular on cold days.
I agree with the previous reviewer: this place is not nearly as inexpensive as the "Cheap Eats" moniker suggests. It looks cheap, because all of the items are charged seperately; but when you pay £10 for the broth and £5 per meat, it all adds up very quickly. I ate there last night, and it came to about £45 per person: not exactly a cheap eat! That said, KT Li is also correct that the service is quite responsive and patient, and if nothing else, the passersby's stares at the spectacle have to be worth something.
this place is great. i think it's the most asian authentic compare to all the restaurants in china town. somehow still keeps its original rather than adapting to "european style asian". love it! although it's quite pricy, £20 pp so only be able to afford it on special accassions. yummy!
I went to LITTLE LAMB on a weekend to celebrate my friend's birthday. The place's rather small but with decent decor. I think the service was fantastic, which I have to say is quite a surprise in China Town. Me and my friends're not very familiar with their 'soups' and some of the dishses on the menu. The waitress explained very patiently and gave us great recommendations. We all loved the food, which're fresh and has good quality, and particularly the 'soups' which're strong and delicious. (though I think the spicy soup was not spicy enough) It's a bit pricy compared to other restaurants in China Town but I do think it's worth it.