RMB 59 and up Hot Pot for Loners at Little Faigo Hot Pot
What do you do when you absolutely – 100 percent – would kill for a hot pot of bubbling broth, tender meats, and cooked veg but you don’t want to burn a hole of your wallet, nor can you find the friends to warrant occupying an entire table at Haidilao or Coucou? Apart from Xiabu Xiabu, where else can you go to get your dose?
The simple answer is Little Faigo Hot Pot, which has seven locations throughout Beijing, including in Viva Plaza in Shuangjing, Parkview Green at Dongdaqiao, Glory Mall in Chongwenmen, and even one out in Fengtai Wanda. Just like the aforementioned Xiabu Xiabu, which acts as a economy version of its big sister restaurant Coucou, Little Faigo is the price-friendly version of Shanghai's Faigo Hot Pot (which would normally set you back on average RMB 670 per person).
We visited the Parkview Green spot during a recent work day lunch break, and unlike Xiabu Xiabu, where you'll often be greeted with the rest of humanity wanting a soothing bowl nutritional goodness, we were guided directly into the restaurant – 10 points Faigo! There are several huge tables for groups, and a bunch of smaller tables.
If you don't opt for the à la carte menu, there are three weekday lunch set options priced at RMB 59/79/99 per person, which include a choice of broth, various meats (this denotes the price), a bowl of vegetables, shrimp balls, a choice of noodles, and a drink. And it wouldn't be hot pot without being able to mix your own sauce from the big self-service table which is filled with different sauces, pastes, shallots, and chili, as well as some watermelon and popcorn for starters.
The broths we chose – chaozhou (mushrooms and dried shrimp) and original (corn, tofu, cucumber, and tomato) – were both flavorful and delicious. The beef was decent, and not the cheap variety that disintegrates when left in the hot pot for just that little bit too long. The food was plentiful and we left as stuffed as one should after hot pot.
The soup is served in a small bronze pot, and boils with an alcohol burner rather than an electric burner, making it more mobile and convenient to fish out those last hard-to-reach morsels. As you might imagine from our (non-)queueing experience, the dining area was relatively quiet, and the service is good – someone will be by to add more soup before your pot dries out without you having to frantically flail your arms around.
Decorations sit firmly in the category of "Chinese with a twist" – think a tank with gold fish in a bird’s nest and colorful neon lights matched with wooden frames. And if you're able to zone out the borderline schizophrenic playlist (from Taylor Swift to K-pop hits) then Little Faigo is certainly a worthy competitor when you next turn wild and head off down the street in search for your next hot pot feed.
Little Faigo Hot Pot
Daily 10am-9.30pm. LG2, Parkview Green, 9 Dongdaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (5690 7829)
小辉哥火锅：朝阳区东大桥路9号侨福芳草地购物中心LG2层
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang
