Fancy Chinese Hot Pot Spot Springs Up on Convoy

An upscale Chinese hot pot chain has opened its first Southern California branch on Convoy Street. The new Kearny Mesa location of Liuyishou Hotpot is only the sixth in the United States, although the company has more than 1,000 franchises around the globe. Founded in Chongqing, China, the restaurant’s main specialty is the spicy soup base made with chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and beef tallow which is available in three degrees of fiery heat. But Liuyishou offers a wide range of flavored broths including pork bone with Chinese herbs, fish filet with pickled vegetables, duck with pickled radish.

Diners cook their own meals inside tabletop pots, where the seasoned, boiling broth cooks a vast array of meat, seafood, and vegetables ranging from marbled beef and organic pork belly to handmade cuttlefish balls, frozen tofu, oyster mushrooms, and lotus root. The eatery’s self-serve snack bar features small appetizers and fruit as well as a comprehensive assortment of condiments for building your own dipping sauce.

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