After a day that bordered on being from hell I finally managed to have a meal at Little Sheep Phnom Penh. For the uninitiated Little Sheep is THE Chinese hot-pot franchise, yet despite almost two years in Cambodia I had yet to try it.
To read about Chinese hot-pot click here.
Ask me about my day….
I’m so glad you asked. It began with a trip to have swabs put in my throat and mouth which I had to pay $130 for the privilege of doing. This is the price we now pay to travel.
I then went to a photo shoot at Prince Group, which was OK to be fair, before going to have an Astra Zeneca as my 5th shot against good old Covid-19, remember that thing?
I digress somewhat….
After collecting my result I found myself walking past Little Sheep and in a moment of nostalgia thought screw it, this will be my last meal before I leave Cambodia – yes I am finally traveling to Syria tomorrow.
To read about my tour to Syria click here.
What’s the skinny with hot-pot and Little Sheep
Hot-pot was invented by the men of great man of the people Ghengis Khan. fun fact most Mongolians think not only tat he was a hero, but that the rest of the world does too. Said soldiers would cook meat and veg in their hats and this became hot-pot.
In China it is a national obsession and if you take anyone out on a date, or a birthday chances are you going to a Little Sheep Hot-Pot. China’s most overrated dish? You be ya!
To read about Mala Tang click here.
Little Sheep apparently has over 300 branches in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, the United States, Japan, and Canada. Notice no Cambodia? Either this place was knock-off or Wikipedia is lying, or we are all living in the matrix.
Little Sheep Phnom Penh – The Meal
Step 1 is you pick your “soup”we went for the classic ying and yang, spicy and not spicy. You then pick your meat and vegetables, I picked mostly meat. Lastly you cook it yourself. This is why I usually pick beef as a main part of the meal. The best thing about beef is that I personally decide when it is ready.
You then eat it. And this is where buyers remorse kicks in. Anyone who has lived in China will tell you that Chinese food is overrated and for me hot-pot sits at the top of this list. In essence you pay to cook a meal yourself and not just pay, but pay through the nose. A meal for two at Little Sheep Phnom Penh managed to cost a scary 66.66 *mark of the beast plus 6) without ANY booze. That’s right it is expensive.
And this was where it all started flooding back to me, how I would miss China intently only to pass the border from Hong Kong, get pushed, or see someone hawking on the floor while not being able to access Facebook that I would realise I didn’t miss it all that much. Alas this was my Little Sheep experience.
China when you open I shall return, but it will likely be for a visit and it will not be for the hot-pot. Next stop Beirut and I am fairly confident some decent kebab based action, via of course some serious serious lounge action……
Thank you American Express.