Elite Tasting: Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

I LOVE Hot Pot! I can eat it all day and everyday :)
This was one of the BEST tastings I’ve been to! AYCE and AYCD… OMGawd! Roll me outta here!
Menu:
*Original & Spicy broth– I prefer the original
*Beef, pork, lamb and chicken… the moo, oink, meh eh eh & bok bok were all delish!
*Fish balls w/​roe… MY FAVE! We had two plates!
*Shrimp Balls– didn’t try. I’m allergic :(Everyone at the table enjoyed it.
*Mixed mushroom/​veggie/​tofu platter– very fresh!
*Mini pork sausages– ok…
*Sesame pancake– this was my least fave. It was bland and dense…
*Thick noodles– very chewy, just the way I like it.
*5 spice peanuts and Mongolian kimchi as starters… Yum!
*Yam mochi w/​red bean filling & ice cream for dessert. Mmmmm mochi! Anything w/​mochi is Yum!
*Refreshing passion green tea in a to-​go cup!
Yay for the self-​serve sauce bar!
A big Thanks to Nitar, Katie and Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot for hosting a wonderful event. Thanks to Niki S. for inviting me and Cydney & Kris for allowing us to join your table :)
Looking forward to the next Tasting!

Wowee! Hot pot, beer, good company… can’t ask for more, right?
I generally don’t bother looking at the beer list for Asian places but get this– THERE’S STONE IPA HERE! BY THE PITCHER!!! HOOORAAAAAY!!!
Obviously I (not so slyly) suggested that we get this over a light beer and needless to say, we were the loudest table there. Jennifer H and I joined Harry M and his friends Mimi D (and Anne W for her birthday!) and Ruben N. What an awesome group of people!
Our waiter Seven was top notch. Wow. He brought out things in a timely manner and explained each dish, made sure we got everything we wanted AND MORE, and was SO friendly. Also, the pitchers of IPA kept coming!
Sauce bar is super awesome though you must beware of mixing the wrong sauces. Yes, there are wrong combinations. The beancurd sauce was salty for my tastes and not nearly as good as Boiling Point, but the satay sauce was really excellent!
Though the sauce bar is great, the food really doesn’t need any additional flavoring. The broth on both sides was flavorful even before the addition of food. I can just drink it as a soup on its own! But adding all the goodies makes the broth at the end very sweet. The spicy broth got MUCH hotter at the end when all the chilis released their oils. Whoo!
Everything was fresh from the meat to the fish and shrimp balls to the veggies and noodles. My favorites here were the beef, lamb, firm and fried tofu, tong oh (acquired taste but it makes the soup at the end SO flavorful), spinach, mushrooms, shrimp balls (pretty sure they made these in-​house or got it from someone who did), Taiwanese sausages AND the noodles at the end.
Did I mention these noodles were springy and when cooked, made the best friggin noodles ever? Just sayin’.
We were so stuffed from all the food and beer that we just barely had room for dessert. The mochi yam with red bean filling was REALLY good. I’m not a huge dessert girl, but damn! They fried the mochi perfectly. It was like Chinese New Year sticky rice cake with red bean filling made to perfection.
THEN THERE WAS ICE CREAM.
It wasn’t really vanilla but more of a custard-​taste. Whatever. Liked it anyway. It’s ice cream. Who the heck doesn’t like ice cream?!
Thank you SO much to Katie B. & Nitar L. for organizing this event and stuffing everyone’s tummies! It was an AMAZING event!

One of the best Unilocal Elite Events ever!
My BF and I found parking in a parking structure near the event. We knew where the restaurant was because of the accumulating long line outside of it’s doors. A nice Unilocaler told us that the check in was inside the restaurant (we would’ve just stood in line). After we checked in, we were told that we could hang out in the bar area for free alcohol! SCORE! Everyone that were waiting in line began coming into the restaurant and finding their seats.
My BF and I found a table in the back near the sauce station. Every table had Unilocal beverage sleeves and bottle openers for souvenir, as well as a beautiful menu of what was being served for the tasting. We also had free passion fruit iced tea! Ahh I love this place! Another Unilocal Elite couple sat with us, so it was sort of a blind double date! Hahaha! It was fun mingling with our new friends!
We lined up for the sauce station which offered a variety of sauces: seafood soy, sacha, chili oil, etc. The amount of food we received was incredible! We had the Yin Yang soup broth (half spicy broth and half regular broth), kimchi, bread, boiled peanuts, two orders of fresh noodles (our favorite), mix vegetable basket, mix mushroom basket, assorted tofu, shrimp balls, fish balls with roe (our favorite), lamb, beef, chicken, pork, sausages, and yam mochi with ice cream. It was A LOT of food. We had 4 containers of leftovers at the end of the meal.
The service was excellent. The managers of Little Sheep and the Unilocal LA managers came around and asked how we were doing. We even got giftcards from the Little Sheep managers to come back for 2 free lunch combos or $ 20 off during weekends or dinner! OMG how nice of them! My BF and I have been to several other Little Sheep locations, but this Pasadena location is by far the best when it comes to customer service and experience!
Thank you Unilocal LA East for a wonderful dinner!

Thank you Katie B., Nitar L., Little Sheep, and Unilocal for hosting such a wonderful event! Having never been to an Elite Tasting, I was delighted to see such a mix of great food with phenomenal company to match.
The restaurant is comfortably spacious with plenty of seating. The walls are decorated with earthy, wood tones with a couple of televisions against the walls.
Upon sitting with my +1 and some lovely Unilocalers, Casper the manager introduced himself and gave us the lowdown on Little Sheep and how to cook our meals (this was especially helpful, since I’ve never had a hot pot meal before).
First we had our appetizers which consisted of kimchi and boiled peanuts, then soon after we had the broths brought out to the table. We made our way to the sauce area and got creative with the wide variety of spices and sauces for our hot pot. Even without the sauces, the broth was so pleasantly aromatic and was delicious on its own.
We had different quality meats brought to us which included beef, lamb, sausage, and shrimp balls. There was a small placard in the middle of the table to let us know how long to cook each meat for inside the broth. After the meats, we had rice, buckwheat noodles, tofu, and a variety of greens. Everything was absolutely flavorful and delicious.
After sitting, eating, and drinking (did I mention, all you can drink beer?!), we were given our desserts which was a warm yam mochi with red bean filling and ice cream!
Had I anticipated such a generous dinner, I would have skipped breakfast and lunch altogether! Thank you again to our wonderful hosts for such an extraordinary event!

This was my first Unilocal Elite event, and my friend and I had a great time! Thank you Nitar and Katie, as well as the staff at Little Sheep for such a great event.
This was actually my first time going to Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot, although I have been to similar hot pot restaurants. The hot pot is shared with a group (and my friend and I had fun meeting other Unilocalers!), and we had it ying-​yang style — one side non-​spicy, the other side spicy. I was glad that the spicy said wasn’t super-​red-​hot-​spicy because I wouldn’t have been able to handle that.
My friend and I were surprised that there were so many different items available to us on the menu, since we thought it was a tasting. We had a good assortment of meats, veggies, tofu, and other hot pot essentials like fish balls and shrimp balls. My favorites were probably the supreme angus beef, the pork shoulder, and the fish balls w/​roe. The dessert (warm yam mochi with red bean filling served with vanilla ice cream) was interesting-​good (just made that phrase up). Never had yam mochi before!
As everyone else has said, one of the best things about Little Sheep is the sauce bar.
It was great meeting other Unilocalers; can’t wait for the next event!

I did not know what to expect since this was my first event. Thank you, Nitar, for making it easy. Thank you, Katie, for making sure everyone was having a good time.
The food was yummy and kept coming. We thought, we were just picking a free items of the menu but we received everything. Started off with yummy kimchi and five spice peanuts. The pot was half and half. Broth was delicious! One side with a kick and the other side for the less adventurous. We were served everything from beef, lamb, chicken, fish balls, and veggies! The server kept refilling our broth without us even asking! I passed on the sesame bread since I was already getting stuffed and wanted to take advantage of eating the protein. The menu provided us with a great idea on what they serve and all of them was quite yummy. Complimentary drinks and beer was amazing as well.
The service was quite good considering there was about a hundred of us they have to keep happy. Our server was always smiling and was giving us tips on how to cook the noodles and meat. I was impressed on how the manager introduced himself and made sure that we enjoyed ourselves! A great hot pot place in Pasadena… Yay! The company we had was amazing too!
Again, special thanks to Nitar, Katie, and the staff for making sure that we had a fabulous time and get treated like VIP’S! I will definitely be back for more yumminess in my belly!

The Unilocal Elite Tasting everyone wishes they were at. treated to a FEAST like Unilocal king and queens.
Amazing atmosphere, people, food and service. Derek W. and his wife Ada joined our table. We were given kimchi and peanuts almost immediately after our seated affair. Management came around to let us know it was an open bar. Nitar came around midway to let us know if we wanted more meat or any other side dishes, they would be happy to bring some out. Basically, we had an all you can eat meal! With the amount of food they already provided, we didn’t dare ask for more. From the sesame bread to dessert to different types of meat to veggies, they did not skimp at all.
From what I experienced at the event, it’s better to take most of the chili out of the spicy soup before it becomes REALLY spicy. The chinese sausage was something new I have never seen at any hot pot location before. Surprisingly, it was real yummy. I usually have it fried but the boiled sweet sausage tasted just as delicious.
All employees working were absolutely fantastic! Our water cups were always full, we were always greeted with a smile and thanked by all employees we encountered on the way out. They thanked US a million times for coming when we are really the ones who are thankful for the wonderful fun-​filled event! On top of the feast, each person received a coupon for a free weekday lunch combo for 2 or $ 20 off weekends/​dinner.
Park on the street (all meter parking) or in the Paseo lot for 90 minutes free. Heard the parking enforcement in Pasadena is always looking to ticket people so be careful if you are at the meters!
Thank you for the great event, Nitar and Katie! Fabulous meeting Derek and Ada, our booth buddies.

So, this is how a Unilocal elite event goes down?! Boy, I’ve been missing out! This is my first Unilocal event as a newly excited elite member and the experience was way better than I thought it would turn out! Thank you Katie, Natir, the rest of the Unilocal crew and Little Sheep for this awesome event! Really nice meeting you guys!
Rick and I did not know what to expect when we first arrived. We saw the menu and thought «oh cool, we have options and probably get to pick a few things.» Little did we know, we were getting every single thing on that menu and then some! We felt so spoiled! Both of the broth were on point and delish! One side was mildly sweet while the other side was spicy. I really liked the sweet garlic soy and sesame from the sauce bar too.
The fish ball with roe was definitely my favorite! I’m still thinking about them.
We had a blast stuffing our faces with Queenie and Joe. Queenie got me pumped throughout our hot pot feast, telling me the inside scoop she’s been living as an elite for four years!
Looking forward to more elite events and coming back to Little Sheep!

First off thank you Katie and Nitar for organizing this. And a Bravo to the lovely staff at Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot.
I love the fact that there is a Hot Pot so much closer than driving over to the San Gabriel area. This tasting was a great opportunity to sample items that I would not normally get.
We started off with a small order of 5 spice peanuts and kimchee. I am big fan of boiled peanuts, so this satisfied my belly. And the kimchi… so fresh and right kind of heat. This wasn’t my first rodeo, been to a few tastings so I knew pacing was a key factor here.
Sauce bar: Great idea. Ponzu, sesame, chili oil, scallions, cilantro, chopped chilies, garlic, and many more… I happily filled up two bowl. Ponzu being a winner all the time for me.
Then… the entrée gently rolled in one after the other.
Each table had a ying yang pot half regular broth and half spicy to serve four. Both were equally wonderful, though I do tend to go for the spicier option. Broth were so flavorful, that I found that I rarely used my sauces.
Meats: Pork, Lamb, Chicken, Beef, Sausage. all was quality meat. Be forewarned that the sausage may be to fatty for some palate.
Fish Ball w/​roe — A fav of mine. Be careful to not eat it as soon as you take it out from the pot as there are broth inside that’ll be piping hot.
Shrimp ball
Tofu Assortment
Veggie assortments: corn, great selection of mushrooms, japanese pumpkin,
Fresh noodles: beware not to fill up on this.
Side: Sesame bread. By itself is nothing to hoot about, but sop it in the broth… magical.
Dessert: Warm Mochi with red bean filling served with Mango ice cream. Mochi, such a comfort food, especially when warm. Complimenting with the sweet red bean filling and a very creamy ice cream was a perfect ending to a wonderful night.
Drinks:
Complimentary sodas, passion iced tea, beer
I opted for passion iced tea. I normally am not big on fruit iced tea, but I have to admit that this was pretty yummy.
Service/​Staff:
As busy as it was, they were on point in seeing how everything was. We also had a lovely table visit from Quingquing, General Manager aka «Hamster». Totally charming and gave us a lovely meal coupon.
Again, thank you Katie and Nitar for organizing this event and Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot for opening your doors to us bunch. My coupon will definitely be in use and your place recommended.

Excellent event! I was fortunate to receive an invite to this amazing event. My guest and I were probably the last ones to arrive — around 750pm. 2 seats available with another Unilocaler and his guest. Since we missed the appetizers and the first portion of meat, we were given another portion! Amazing service.
We got served: Pork, Beef, Lamb, Shrimp Balls, Fish Balls, Cabbage, Mushrooms, Noodles, Tofu, Kimchi, Boiled Peanuts, Sesame Pancake, and much much more. I thought the menu was set for everyone, but you could keep asking for more and more! Basically AYCE Hot Pot for the night and AYCD! I had about 3 beers and 2 teas.
All the meats and veggies were fresh and clean. The basic broth and spicy broth were delicious and full of flavor! The pot boiled in no time which is a plus at hot pot places. People don’t want to wait too long for the food to be cooked!
Service for this event was amazing! All the servers were friendly and attentive. We got broth refilled every time it was running low, beers and water glasses were always full, but most importantly, food always kept coming.
At the end of the night, we were served an amazing dessert. It was like Crispy Mochi Yam filled with Red Bean and Ice Cream. Perfect way to end a meal. And if this wasn’t enough, we got free coupons for lunch meals or $ 20 off combos!
Definitely coming back for more! Keep it up!
Thank you Katie B. and Little Sheep!

I’ve been wanting to try this place since it newly opened a few months ago. Thank you Katie B., Nitar and Unilocal for hooking me up to such a fabulous event. If I knew I was going to eat so much food today, I would have worn spandex for this occasion. LOL!
The restaurant itself was quite lovely and spacious. All the modern amenities to make your hot pot experience pleasant and enjoyable, including a well stocked sauce bar. I was surprised by the huge turnout and how well everyone was accommodated. It was nice to see old friends again and meet new ones.
Once seated, we were treated to refreshing teas and beer. The Stone IPA was deliciously smooth. During happy hour, they’re actually priced at $ 8 per pitcher and $ 3 per glass which is a great deal and cheap. I look forward to returning for some libations.
The food was simply epic. The yin and yang flavored broths were excellent and so flavorful. The variety of vegetables presented were fresh and beautiful. I really enjoyed the floral assortment of mushrooms. The enoki and oyster mushroom provided a nice compliment to the hot broth and were delicious. Every slice of meat — Angus beef, pork, chicken and lamb was exquisite. The sesame pancakes was amazing. More like bread than a typical Chinese style pancake. Arriving piping hot topped with sesame, I couldn’t resist devouring the entire loaf. And just when you’re about to breathe a sigh of relief from this bountiful meal, we were enticed by luscious desserts of mochi stuffed with bean paste and ice cream. It was a good thing I reserved an empty corner pocket of space in my stomach for this delightful treat.
Of course, let us not for forget the little sheep staff for their phenomenal service. Everyone one was friendly and very hospitable. Thanks You Little Sheep! I’m looking forward to using my gift card for lunch.

The last time I had Hotpot was in China, so I think it is safe to a say, I’m a fan!
This honestly was the best Unilocal Elite culinary experience in my mouth I have ever had. The dishes, meats, broth, spices, drinks… All PERFECT! We honestly couldn’t believe the hook up this was. I was so happy. So full. So amazed by the whole package. They service was by far leagues above any other restaurant in Pasadena. I felt like royalty. We are going back and will definitely share with everyone we know. Thank you Little Sheep! We are so thankful for your generosity and hospitality.

AWESOME Event!!!
I’ve had little sheep before, and this place probably has the best service of all hot pots I have ever had. They were super courteous and constantly checked to see if we were doing okay. Even nicer, they provided us with gift cards on our way out! I will definitely be back with my family to stop in for lunch/​dinner!
Shout Out to Katie B, Nitar, and all the staff and owners at Little Sheep. You guys are the real MVP

This elite tasting was such an amazing experience! It ended up being a blind double date, which was very fun as we talked about our food adventures and hobbies over the hot pot. Thank you Little Sheep and Katie B. and Nitar L. for organizing this event for us to experience this great restaurant! We felt very honored that the restaurant was half reserved for us!
The restaurant had a special menu for us, which included appetizers, a half spicy and half original soup base (spicy was our favorite!), lots of meats and vegetables (mushrooms, beef, chicken, pork, bok choy, fish balls, fish balls with roe, tofu, etc.), and dessert (Warm Yam Mochi with Red Bean Filling, paired with ice cream)!
At first, I thought it would be a menu where each guest could only pick a limited number of items from the menu; we ended up trying everything at least once. And the staff was so friendly and quick in their service. They even offered us complimentary drinks; I got the Passion Fruit Tea. They also let us know that we could choose to try other meats again if we wished. We were too full to even ask =P
This was one of the best events I have attended. Everybody had a great time, and the communal experience allowed everyone to enjoy each other’s company and to be more open in conversation, at least more than the other events.
Again, thank you for this experience! What a great way to promo this restaurant chain. They gave us these awesome coupons for us to come back, which we will! =)

This was my first Elite Event where there was food involved and I would like to thank Nitar L. for assisting my guest and I on getting our name tags and showing us the way to our tables and Katie B (L.A. East CM) for putting together this event and of course Little Sheep Mongolian for having us and providing a wonderful experience.
Once we sat down to our desired table, we were met with excellent service from beginning to end.
I for one ordered a Stone IPA for my first drink (draft) also tried their ice tea, which was sweet and had a hint of mango in it.
One thing I will say is that I enjoyed meeting fellow Unilocalers and their guests, interesting to know we are a community which enjoys food for one but share the same & different views about food, city views and current events.
Had the pleasure in meeting 6 fellow Unilocalers at our table. Hae Ben Jeff Judy.
Staff was on top of things, endless amount of different meats (lamb, chicken & beef), House Shrimp Balls that were so delicious, Mini Pork Sausages that were sweet, thick noodles that were wonderful with the Thai sauce, fish balls with Roe that were tasty as well plus plenty of veggies with a mushroom platter that consisted of Enoki, Oyster Shiitake and King Oyster, great tasting in the spicy broth. Broth was plenty since one of our servers came around refilling our hot pot.
Manager and staff checked on us often which was great.
They have a sauce bar, which was outstanding with a variety of dipping and great tasting sauces.
On Tuesdays they have a All You Can Eat for a affordable price ($ 19.99). I will return to try this option as well as any day of the week.
For dessert I tried a yam mochi with red bean which was good, I am not a mochi person but hey it was fried, what is not to enjoy of a fried item, and the red bean gave it a nice touch. Then came vanilla ice cream but tasted more like yogurt, not sweet but just right that complimented the mochi.
This has been my 3^rd experience in hot pot and I like it. By far Little Sheep has been the best experience because of quality of meat and sauce options, were you can just get up and get it and not wait for it like other establishments I have been to.
Convenient Parking located across the street and I for one thought it was affordable, only paid $ 4 in a 4 hour period, and max I believe is $ 6. Plenty of spaces.
See you very soon Little Sheep.

I loveeee Hot Pot! Glad to be Emily C’s +1. Thank you, Emily C, glad I did not miss this one because it was amazing and we all walked out happily stuffed!
The service was no complains. Our server, Seven had it all taking care of our table of 6. He filled us up with water and beer without needing to ask. His coworker’s were helping out as well while he was busy helping the table next to us, however, I love how they coordinate.
We were offered with the Special Unilocal Menu which includes beef, lamb, free-​range chicken, pork shoulder, pork, pork sausages (so yummy), fish ball filled with roe (so bomb), shrimp ball (so good) tofu (fried, firm, soft), mixed mushroom plate, mixed veggie plate and fresh soba noo dles! Our hot pot had two types of broth, spicy and non spicy. Both are very good. I swear, the servers went down the list. They didn’t even miss a dish! Now that’s great service right there. I tell ya. I really love their sauce bar, Without the sauce, there is no meaning in eating hot pot. Glad they provided in the middle of the restaurant so we all could get it from either sides of the bar. Cannot forget their dessert! Mochi yam stuffed with red bean was delicious. I just want more.
Thanks to Harry M, I got to meet a couple new Unilocalers, Mimi D, Anne W, and Ruben N! Very fun people. and we all picked up a good conversation while cooking our food. Thanks to all the servers and cooks at LIttle Sheep for allowing Unilocal for this event. Also thank you ladies, Katie B (woohoo glad you made it!) and Nitar L for organizing one hell of an event!

Thank you to the owners, management and staff of Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot for treating us to such a delicious dinner. Katie B. and Nitar L., you continue to amaze me with all the amazing events you whip up for as many as possible to enjoy.
Here’s how the whole thing played out:
— Kris A. and I arrived a couple minutes early. Nitar greeted us and hooked us up with front row seats at the bar.
— Shortly thereafter we found a nice table for four next to the bar.
— Wan L. and Niki S. arrived and the flood of hot pot, kimchi, various meat, veggies, tofu, fish balls, chicken and shrimp balls arrived.
— We were stuffed to the gills and happy as sheep by the time it was over.
Everything was fantastic and I’m looking forward to going back really soon!

I thought I’d crash out when I got home home but I’m going to be really good and write up my review on Little Sheep.
Great food — and awesome service. I will definitely be back and I’m stoked that they have this in Old Town! I had tried Little Sheep before in San Mateo (yay area, HOLLA!) and this time around I appreciated it much more. I preferred the spicy soup more, it was a nice sting, not the type where your entire mouth is paralyzed. The veggies were super yummy (I love those chrysanthemum leaves!), and all the meats were good as well — I can be picky about the meat quality and cuts, you can tell if a place is a good hot pot restaurant based off the meats and Little Sheep didnt dissapoint!
Great company — glad to have met SarahK, and Jason, and thanks to MashaK for being my +1! Everyone seemed to love the food.
Great service — all the staff was on it and they kept bringing the food out. ‘Hamster’ and co. were really happy and enthusiastic the entire night. I love a happy staff!
Overall, thumbs up! Will definitely return and recommend.
Service ⁵⁄₅
Food ⁴⁄₅
Ambiance ⁴⁄₅

Holy Batman! I’ve never been this full in my life! The food just kept coming and coming and coming…
This was my first time trying hot pot (never ever had anything similar either) so to say this was an experience is an understatement. I am so glad I sat next to Regina and her dad or else I probably would have dunked my had in the boiling broths (jk).
It was so good! I am still not over the fact that I had fish balls… but YOLO, I try everything at least once. I really likes the chicken and tofu as well as the noodles. I had mostly from the spicy side and I was gulping down the Sapporo to keep cool! The kimchi was really flavorful and I loved the sesame pancake. Even the picky bf was eating the lamb!
Overall I had an excellent time being a newbie at a Unilocal event!

So far so good! Looks promising =) the Mongolian kimchi is a real surprise (good) its actually spicy! Free draft beers tonight for our Unilocal elite family and their plus ones. Everything is now community seating due to a limited number of tables. Waiting for food to come out. Will update!
UPPDATE! AS I sit here in my food coma induced state, I am very happy to inform the outside world of tonight’s fantastic event. There was sooooo much food it put some buffets to shame. From the lamb to the pork shoulder to the shrimp dumplings to the Monogolian kimchi, everything was super yummy! My favorite item of the night though was the noodles… even though we burnt ours…
It was such a great event. I even got to meet two new (1 elite! woohoo! :) Unilocalers. Lin & Rick thank you for putting up with my craziness the entire night. Surprise of the night: Katie B. made it out all the way from the other side of town. Nitar was such a lovely host as always. Thank you a million times to Little Sheep for having us dine in even before their grand opening. The staff was ahhmazing and always made sure we had our plates, cups, and tummies full. Tonight was amazing and I am so happy to have made it.
**second million thank yous for the gift card LS :) can’t wait till we recover from our comas to come out again!