Happy Wait Hot Pot Description

In all fairness, ‘Happy Wait’ seems to be an approximate translation of the restaurant’s Chinese name, Deng De Xi, but it doesn’t change the fact it’s a bizarre moniker (who the hell is going to be happy about waiting at an F&B venue?). 

Much like the interior design, the menu here is all over the place, and features everything from hot pot to sizzling, spicy pepper-strewn meat dishes.  We order the mala zhe ji (RMB88), a dish of chicken bits, peppercorns, spicy peppers, garlic and onions. When it arrives at our table, our server pours a clear oil over the edibles and sets them alight. It’s a hell of a show, and the tender – albeit zesty – morsels of chicken are cooked to perfection in the process. 

This eatery also serves two different styles of shrimp rolls, one made with a punchy garlic sauce and the other with a Sichuan-style mala sauce.