LOCATED in downtown Shenzhen, the Mengxing Lamb Hot Pot City is known for its superior-quality lamb from the Mongolian steppes.

"We called our servings lamb rather than mutton, which is commonly known as sheep meat," said the restaurant manager Wang Xiaolong. ¡°The difference between the two is a lamb is a sheep not older than six months.¡±

All the lamb the restaurant serves is from the Xilinguole grassland in Inner Mongolia. According to Wang, Xilinguole is rich in water and grass, which in turn produces a species of lamb introduced from New Zealand that has superb, nutritious meat.

Not only the meat but also the more than 60 types of herbs the stock contains make the restaurant's hot pot one of a kind. Therefore, it not only tastes extremely delicious, but it is also healthy.

According to traditional Chinese medical theory, lamb can whet a person's appetite and help the spleen. "And the 60 herbs in the stock add to the value of our lamb's medical value," Wang said.

There are three types of stock, the Qingtang stock that is not spicy and costs 28 yuan (US$3.37); the Yuanyang stock which features half part of hot stock and half part of non-hot stock, and costs 32 yuan; and the health-preserving stock, which costs just 25 yuan.

The hot pot also features ingredients other than meat, such as vegetables, mushrooms, potatoes and bean curd.

Aside from lamb hot pot, the restaurant serves beef and a large variety of cold dishes. You can also order lamb and beef barbecue.

Usually two diners can consume two to three plates of lamb or beef --- each plate of lamb costs 20 yuan, and one plate of beef costs 26 yuan. With some other orders, two may spend around 100 yuan to eat and drink their fill.

Editor: Wings