97 Hot Pot is easy to spot. Just look for the red and yellow bright sign. I’ve only been once previously for dinner ($25.95/person) but enjoyed it thoroughly. The fam jam wanted something different to eat so I suggested we go for hot pot. Best of all, it’s only $11.95/person for lunch!
The interior is clean with white on white on white (walls/flooring) and super soft chairs for you to eat in comfort. The place was packed for a Sunday afternoon and even a small lineup queued while we ate. Guess the lunch deal is too good to miss.
The menu is straightforward. Front page is hot pot and back page is pho/other noodle soups (WHAAAAAT?)
How it works. Pick your soup base (5 options), five entrees/dishes (25 options) which include a variety of sliced meat, handmade mashes, balls, dumplings and noodles and lastly, you get a nice mixed bowl of vegetables.
I had no clue 97 Hot Pot had pho and BBH but several people were ordering them. Now I’m curious how they stack up? I’ll never know though. Why come to a hot pot place for anything other than hot pot?
Lunch hot pot ($11.95)
Step 1. Pick soup broth. I went with the tom yum kung, which was slightly spicy. My sis’s looked spicier (Szechuan spicy chicken).
Step 2. Pick 5 dishes. I went with sliced chicken, Korean squid tentacles, pork wontons and sliced pork.
I also picked Chinese lai fun noodles but my sis’s glass noodles looked better. Oh well, there’s always next time.
Step 3. Mixed vegetable bowl. A nice variety of brocolli, enoki mushroom, corn, tomato, carrot, green cabbage and some other Asian greens. Nice.
Step 4. Eat.
We were stuffed by the time we finished all of our food. This is how hot pot should be. Five items is the perfect amount to fill you up without over stuffing yourself (a la AYCE dinner style). Lunch hot pot is the only way to go now that I’ve discovered it. Might be my new fav hot pot place in town.
Bonus, they are open late so you can eat all night if you want to. Friday and Saturday open till 2:00am otherwise midnight for the rest.
97 Hot Pot
10602 – 97 Street
Edmonton, AB
(587) 521-1888
CHERRY BOB-OMBS 