Liu Liu Hot Pot

There are few reasons to stop and look around on Walnut St. between Main and King. The short stretch of street is mainly taken up by the windowless sides of mid-rise office buildings.

However, a closer look reveals a hidden gem, and one of my favourite places to sit down for an all-you-can-eat feast: Liu Liu Hotpot.

Established in 2002, Liu Liu’s hole-in-the-wall exterior gives way to a spacious interior once one passes through the door.

Twinkle lights hang from the ceiling, and a chalk mural just past the door advertises the $20 flat rate for hotpot. The black and white floor tiles contrast with the wooden benches and tables that fill the room, adding to the cozy vibe of the place.

Despite its long history in Hamilton, I first went to Liu Liu during Supercrawl this year.

My friends and I were looking for a dinner spot that wouldn’t be crowded with people attending the festival.

Liu Liu seemed like an obvious choice; it was further east than the festivities and it definitely wasn’t the kind of grab-and-go place most people favour during street events.

When you sit down at the restaurant, a server brings over a list of all the hotpot options. Items range from standard beef and chicken to taro chunks and pig blood.

One of the great features of Liu Liu is that you can afford to try an item out of your comfort zone; there is no fee for unfinished plates.

After placing your order for as many meats, veggies, noodles and tofu as you wish, the raw food is brought to the table, along with a broth, customized to the level of spiciness you want.

Served with a bowl of (delicious) cold noodles and a variety of sauces, patrons then cook the pieces of food in the broth.

Liu Liu is definitely a restaurant for when you’re hungry. There are so many items to try that you want to be able to taste everything and still have room to return to your favourites.

While chances are you can’t go wrong with any of the options at Liu Liu, the sticky rice cakes are a must-have.

They take a while to cook in the broth, but they develop a wonderful chewy texture and complement every sauce perfectly, the peanut sauce in particular.

Fish fillet is another, much faster cooking staple, along with both fried and frozen tofu. Beef and chicken taste wonderful with the noodles, especially when the hot and cold components mix together.

No dinner is complete without dessert of course, and as part of Liu Liu’s all-you-can-eat deal, an agar dish called “glass pudding” is served after the meal.

Similar to Jell-O but with less pronounced flavour, glass pudding is the perfect palate cleanser after a hearty meal. The brown sugar flavour in particular is an absolute treat.

Whether you’re looking for a restaurant to celebrate with friends or enjoy an evening off from studying, Liu Liu is the perfect off-campus mini adventure.