Happy Lamb Hot Pot

The Mongolian-style hotpot is one of the finest (and most fun) examples of self-cooked meals done right. At polished spot Happy Lamb Hot Pot in Holborn, there are comfortable booths and big round tables, all of which belie the potential mess you might make fishing out a bouquet of enoki mushrooms last seen in your spicy broth 10 minutes ago. Broth, meat, and vegetables are the name of the game here. You need a couple of broths—one fizzing with chilli and Sichuan pepper is a must—and from there it’s a case of how many things you want to dip, dunk, and slurp up over a bowl of rice. Finely sliced rib-eye and lamb shoulder go down a treat, as do chunks of tofu, cabbage leaves, and hand-cut noodles. Your table and sidecar will quickly fill up with ingredients but, trust us, you work up an appetite cooking it yourself.