Beijing Hot Pot is located on Parkway Forest Drive in North York. It is a short walking distance from Don Mills subway station so is very transit-accessible. It was very full of patrons when I arrive so appears to be doing very well. Reusable chopsticks are used. Pop is $2, canned not AYCD. The only broth that is included is a very watery "traditional" broth, and the other broths cost $8.99.(A small bowl of green onion and cilantro are included, so I threw them into the "traditional" broth, then ordered two helpings of the the spicy beef and threw that in as well and the ground chili peppers come off of it. Presto! Spicy broth for free, not $8.99! And the chili, green onion and cilantro lent their flavor well to the food.)
I tried spicy soy and garlic barbecue sauce and both were excellent with flavors I have not had before. I didn't like the sesame peanut sauce as well as it had a burnt flavor that did not agree with me and was a bit salty. AAA beef, lamb and pork belly were all excellent with both sauces. Sausage was traditional and very good. Lobster ball was very good especially with the spicy soy sauce. Pork dumpling was excellent with a wonderful flavor. Dried bean curd was also quite good in the spicy soy sauce, as were matsutake mushrooms. Whitefish was very good in the garlic barbecue sauce. However, like Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot and others, the shrimps are delivered unpeeled and with a head on, which I do not understand as it is a lot of effort to peel them and they end up much smaller.
Beef balls were very tasty and well-seasoned. Spicy beef is quite hot so watch out but if you like the heat, as noted it will spice up the watery "traditional" broth. I ended up ordering it again as it was quite enjoyable. Sliced bean curd was good with the soy spicy sauce. Japanese udon is quite good but beware that the noodles are too long and difficult to remove from the pot for that reason, Chinese cabbage AKA bok choy pieces are also too large for convenient eating without slicing them. They were quite good along with the spinach once cooked in the hot pot.
For dessert, mango, red beans, and green tea ice creams are available. The green tea ice cream was freezer-burned, the red bean and mango were good. Service was very fast and friendly. Weekday lunch is $24.99, weekend $26.99. The $8.99 broth price is in contrast to other locations where the broth is all included or one small price such as $2 for two people. I did enjoy my lunch at Beijing Hot Pot and the ingredients are very fresh and good; it is a quality place, but I can get equivalent nearby for significantly less cost, especially in regards to the unreasonably overpriced broth. Beijing does end up deficient as a good value, and I would not return due to the proximity of other hot pots that are.Rating: 7/10
