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| - 3 years ago Chef Johnny Chu set out to bring a hot pot restaurant to the Valley of the Sun. If you're unfamiliar with Chef Chu he's the proprietor of the hip and popular downtown Phoenix Asian tapas joint Sens. Now his dream is realized with the opening of Tien Wong Hot Pot.
Surprisingly his new restaurant isn't even located in downtown Phoenix, but in the city of Chandler. After talking with Chef Chu on my last visit he explained to me that this location was selected to prove out his concept, in an Asian neighborhood. Low rent and a discerning customer base, he can make all the necessary tweaks for success and will hopefully bring Tien Wong to downtown in the future.
For many the whole hot pot experience might be foreign since many of us are used to having our food cooked for us, forget that. The idea of hot pot while romantic and interactive, is all about you cooking various meats and vegetables in hot pots filled with flavored broths. Each table is equipped with a high powered induction burner where you hot pot is placed, and then you order as many different raw meats, seafood, vegetables and noodles as you desire.
Once our order started showing up I become overwhelmed and confused, where do you start? What are the cooking times? What do I do? Before allowing my head to explode, I simply took a breather and one of the helpful staff to my aid. In my calamity I didn't notice the helpful hints on the welcome card. However it goes something like this, the broth boils, you drop in the thinly sliced meats, pull out, dip into one of 2 sauces, sesame and soy, then eat, easy. After only a few minutes of practice it all came together into a well crafted experience that's designed for socializing, romance and lingering.
If you have difficulty choosing your broth, opt for the Ying Yang Broth ($5.95) which includes both the house original herbal broth and the house spicy broth with the later being the most complex of the flavors I've tried. Starting with pork stock, the addition of dried dates, ginseng, Schezuan peppercorns and dried chiles give the base heat and depth. Over the course of your evening the broth evaporates with cooking which adds to the intensity and enjoyment.
Not to be confused with the tips of peas, Pea Tips ($4) actually are the leaves and stems surrounding the pea itself. The tips cook fast and have both crunchy and tender qualities that taste so good either cooked or raw. By contrast the Korean Pumpkin ($3) takes longer to cook but the payoff is so tender you can even eat the thin skin.
Noodles include springy Udon ($3) as well as a Flat Rice Noodle ($3) which resemble chewy flat pieces of rice than a noodle in the traditional sense. Both cook up in a hurry and their absorbent properties are capable for taking in so much flavor.
Sliced Wagyu Beef ($8) comes from one of the best breeds of cattle in the world. So its no surprise that the meat was flavorful and tender. Add an order of Lobster ($9), if available, for a surf and turf combo. Names aren't always accurate descriptions, take Sliced Black Pork ($4) which isn't black at all, the name refers to the pigs breed since it has black hair and skin. It's super tender and flavorful only taking a few seconds to cook thanks to expert slicing.
Desserts feature 2 different kind of cheesecake, Strawberry ($6) and Green Tea ($6), both were light and satisfying, the perfect ending to Chef Chu's dream.
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