QT Pot opened in Mira Mesa earlier this year. I went for my first visit with my co-workers back in September and finally remembered to make a revisit last week to try some of their other items.
On one side of their menu it’s all hot pots! They all vary a little.
And the other side has appetizers and more “regular” Chinese food plus grilled meats on a stick! I like food on a stick.
[house special pot / $9.50 – lunch price]
On my first visit I ordered a hot pot. Specifically the “House Special” hot pot which comes with beef, lamb, shrimp, fish fillet, pork meat balls, pork belly, intestines ear, crab meat, bean curd stick, rice cake, fried tofu and vegetables.
A few of my co-workers seemed a little … iffy… on the whole “hot pot” thing. But after encouragement and prodding they ordered their own hot pots, too. Heh heh.
Each hot pot comes out on a little box stand with a butane flame underneath it. Everything is put raw into the broth and cooks at the table in front of you.
It takes extra time for the hot pot to come out and for it to cook, so if you have a short lunch break it’s not ideal. You pretty much sit and watch it bubble and boil and you poke at it and move things around and try to decide when it’s ready. They give you little bowls on the side which is very useful so you can take a bit out, let it cool down, and then stuff it into your face. YUM.
I liked the meats and all and the broth was okay. The broth could have used a teeny bit more flavor. I remember they brought out some sauces so you could season or spice up your dish, but I don’t remember what they were. I do remember thinking “Holy crap, this is a lot of food” and when I was finished it looked like I barely made a dent in it. I could easily share this with someone else and be quite content and happy with life.
[pork belly meat skewers / $3.25]
On my second visit, I decided to try some “BBQ” (as they list it on their menu). You get two sticks full of pork belly that’s been grilled. For some reason they put fennel (or caraway) seeds over the meat. I tried it and it had that little bit of licorice flavor that I don’t like so I took the time to wipe off those pesky little seeds (yes, I’m picky). I ate one stick and took the other one home. The pork belly was quite flavorful! I liked the outer bits that were a little crisper and the meat was quite tender. Pretty yummy!
[walnut shrimp / $6.99 – lunch price]
I also got the walnut shrimp! On my previous visit a co-worker had ordered this and gave me one shrimp to try. It tasted pretty good so I decided to try it again. Some of the shrimp had way, way too much of that mayo/sauce stuff on it and it made it a little gloopy. I didn’t like the feeling of too much mayo in my mouth, it grossed me out. But the other ones tasted fine. They also tasted a little too crunchy, almost like they left a little bit of the shell on. I ate it anyway. The glazed walnuts were yummy and sweet and had lots of crunch. Overall though I’d probably pass on this one in the future, it wasn’t quite delicious enough to warrant me ordering it again.
On a side note, on my second visit I asked for hot tea and got it in a little mug with a green tea bag. I wasn’t charged for it, either!
I’d come back here to try more BBQ and some appetizers or maybe share a hot pot with Jake.
Link love!
Faye was one of the first bloggers to check this place out.
Kirbie also visited QT Pot soon after.
The guys at San Diego Food also visited QT Pot earlier this month!
QT Pot
9225 Mira Mesa Blvd. (next to Cali Baguette/Wells Fargo)
San Diego, CA 92126
858-536-1886
Gosh your pics of the hot pot are amazing ! I’m envious how you get others to order more food when you’re there . Brilliant . Must learn . I haven’t tried their bbq items yet . Did you think the pork skewers were a decent price ? You’ll have to try their fried chicken wings . They’ve gotten better . What did you think about the honey shrimp being served over the lettuce ? The wings are served over cold lettuce which we found a bit odd (it makes the wings a bit soggy if you don’t eat right away ). Merry Xmas Mary !
Hi Faye – You just dictate! Sound like an authority and people will follow. Usually. Hahah. The skewers price was okay, maybe a little high. I can’t remember how much they cost at the ramen places but I think these are a little more expensive. I do want to try the chicken wings! I’ll drag Jake in here sometime to try them. I thought it was okay being served over lettuce, I didn’t think about it much honestly!
Hi, Mary, hot pot spots (I just love Dr. Seuss), have been rapidly becoming one of my favorite places to dine. I love your addition of the egg. Was it for adding flavor to the broth or purely for photo enhancement? The pork belly looks juicy but I’m like you, a funky seed hater. Sesame would be okay, however. I tend to eat a lot of things with sesame seeds or sesame oil. The only down side to hot pot style, is the inevitable mess of splashing the broth as I stir it and transferring it to the bowl once it’s piping hot and ready to eat. You should see me eat pho. Not a pretty picture with anything remotely soupy.
Heehee… hot pot spots 🙂 They put the egg in here, I didn’t ask for it. It just comes with the dish! Sesame would have been a better choice for seeds! Otherwise, please leave weird seeds off of my food. Thank you. When I eat soup out, I usually bring the bowl up to my face and eat because otherwise… dear god. It’ll look like I splashed through a pool of water or something. I can’t get things to STAY in my spoon until it gets to my mouth. It’s a problem… 🙂
It’s “fun” to dictate! *For me that is, ha ha.
Man, that is A LOT of Food! How can anyone finish one of those is beyond me. I would have to share it.
Boo to wierd seeds.
One of my co-workers ate all of his (I think). I’m a tiny bit jealous he can eat that much, haha! I like doing the ordering. You already know this about me. 🙂 Seriously, weird seeds should never be on my food!