Yummy Hot Pot — Restaurant in Denver

At the time of writing, YS has been open for only two weeks. The building was previously open as 'JJ Chinese', which still had plenty of Szechuan dishes. They still have some efficiency of service issues to work out, but that is to be expected with new restaurants as they figure out basic customer expectations. I'd recommend they automatically bring hot tea after seating, and rice bowls with any non-noodle or soup entrees.

We tried their Sliced Beef and Tendon in chili oil and Dan Dan Noodles appetizer, as well as the Sliced Pork in spicy soup and Ginger Scallion Fish Filet.

The sliced tendon and beef was sliced thicker than most versions we have tried, and was served above room temp instead of chilled. Tendon is a lovely texture if you've never tried it before (I'd compare it to the texture of braised oxtail like in Caribbean cooking).

The Dan Dan had a fairly standard presentation: sauce on the bottom, noodles above topped with portions of seasoned, browned pork and blanched leafy greens (Yu choy maybe?). The sauce had a spice that I've never come across in a dan dan, I think it was celery seed or black cumin. Usually it's a pretty savory dish, this one was pleasantly bright.

The Ginger Scallion Fish was on par with any other that we had tried: boneless white fish filets in a thickened white sauce with ginger and scallions. Not too salty, the fish wasn't overcooked, the ginger and scallions weren't overpowering. A solid, family- and friends-pleasing dish.

The Sliced Pork in Spicy Soup wasn't my favorite, and I think it could be spicier. The broth was cumin and cinnamon-forward, but didn't penetrate much flavor into the pork itself. My dining companion said the dish was more commonly done with beef, so we'll try that next time we visit.

There was one couple that sat near us that seemed annoyed that General Tso wasn't on the menu. They also sent back a seafood dish because the shrimp still had their shells. Other diners: please, don't make a restaurant Americanize their cuisine. Be open-minded, try something new. Having a restaurant make a dish off-menu is...

Not for hot pot newbies

The most uncomfortable dinner I’ve ever had, and I’m praying I don’t get food poisoning.

I walked in by myself and the waitress seemed annoyed I wanted a table for just me. Honestly, I would join a table of random people and I’d be just fine with that. Anyways I waited 30 minutes, so I figured the place was pretty good. I’ve had Hot Pot before, but it’s been a while so I told her I’d never had it before. She was very annoyed at that too. She told me to pick one broth and the rest was all you can eat. I was going to try a few items I hadn’t tried before, but then I noticed the line at the bottom of the menu that said you’d be charged for what you didn’t eat. So I stayed in my boring realm of beef slices and chicken out of fear of wasting. I had no clue how high to put the burner. I asked a waiter walking by and he was like turn it up until it starts steaming. I was like ok 2,3,4,5 and he said whatever I want… I looked around the restaurant at others and tried to follow what they were doing. I felt like people could tell I was confused, and it was super uncomfortable.

I realized there was an entire sauce table where you could mix what you wanted. There was a pretty good arrangement, but I had no clue. I combined soy sauce, garlic, and oyster sauce. I feel like it needed rice vinegar or something. It was too salty and I didn’t know how to fix it. When cooking the meat I asked the cooking time, and the male waiter was like it’s thin so it cooks quickly. I feel like I either overcooked it and it was dry or undercooked it and hoping I don’t get sick.

$24 isn’t terrible if you eat a decent amount of food, but I don’t feel like I ate enough and bc I didn’t know what I was going it didn’t taste great. The male waiter did come by to ask if I needed anything else and cleaned up what I...

Wow, what an experience! This was my first time trying a hot pot experience, and it was fabulous.

Staff was friendly, prompt and very courteous. They do water by the pitcher, which is great because you will need it.

It's an AYCE dining, but I understand that if you leave food extra, you will be charged extra. Short version: order what you want, then ask for additional servings as you go. Don't waste food. :-)

Start with the broth. We did the spicy, and it was good, without completely clearing your sinuses spicy. The bone broth was mellow and with some hoisin, reminded us of pho.

Then pick meats, veggies and noodles as desired.

We focused on beef, pork belly and chicken. All are shaved thin and cook quickly. They have a buffet bar with various sauces, from standard hoisin and sweet chili, to an amazing spicy house sauces.

You put the pot on the burner, turn it on, and crank it to eleven... er... five. Yes, five is the number you shall go to.

Cook the meat and then put it on the little rectangular plate to cool. I liked to use cabbage like a lettuce wrap to make mini cabbage sandwiches. The cold of the cabbage, the spicy sauce and the hot meat were a fantastic combination.

They also have watermellon, plus strawberry and chocolate mini cakes that are great palate cleansers.

It's a less expensive fondue,but a whole lot of fun. Don't wear a white shirt unless you bring a bib. ;)

The broth gets more and more interesting as you cook more meat in it. Try to save room for some at the end.

All in all, very highly recommended. Will...