matcha & pavlova: Jazz Cat Restaurant Revisited

Today, my sister and I went to Jazz Cat Restaurant in San Gabriel for a nice hot pot (I know, again...) late lunch. I remember when we first checked out this restaurant years ago-- it was originally located in Alhambra, and while the food was good back then, they have made many improvements since their move to San Gabriel. Usually the wait for food is insane, anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour! So I'm glad we came at an unconventional eating time, as we were seated immediately.

Since their move, I feel like the restaurant became a lot classier and fancier, with their nice black granite tables, and the black chandelier and beads in the waiting area. The chairs were also very heavy, big, and cushioned. In addition, the walls were painted a deep red and lined with paintings, and the jazzy music really set the mood for a relaxing meal. Another thing that I liked was that even though there seemed to be a lot of tables inside the restaurant, the way it was set up made every table seem very private.

Because Jazz Cat is known for their hot pot (and their incredibly tasty specialty drinks!), I ordered their Mongolian Herbal hot pot combination. I had a hard time deciding between the Rose & Cream hot pot or the Mongolian Herbal hot pot, but finally decided with the latter as I ordered Matcha Milk as my drink. I loved my choice, as the soup base tasted amazing with my meat and veggies. Another cool thing about Jazz Cat is that their hot pots are served individually, so each person has their own type of soup and their own trays of food.

Mongolian Herbal soup base, rice, and Shacha sauce at Jazz Cat Restaurant.

My sister also ordered a hot pot combination, but she chose the Mongolian Spicy soup base. As for how different the two tasted, I can't say because I did not try hers, but you can judge from the photo below! From what she told me, it wasn't that spicy when she first ordered it, but it became a lot spicier by the middle to end of our meal. So be careful if you ever order it!

Mongolian Spicy soup base at Jazz Cat Restaurant.

With our soup bases, the combinations also included a tray of meat (we both chose lamb over beef, chicken, or pork) and a tray of veggies and noodles. I was happy to see that our trays were filled with a variety of items like tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and pumpkin. All together, neither of us were able to finish our own trays, as they were generous in their servings. However, I don't think it's large enough of a meal to share between two hungry people either! I guess it's good for one of those days where you have a larger appetite. To match with our food, we were also given small dishes of Shacha sauce as our dipping sauce (you may recall from my last hot pot post). We added soy sauce and a raw egg in ours to give it an extra kick (trust me, it tastes good together!).

Trays of lamb and veggies for our hot pot combos at Jazz Cat Restaurant.

Shacha sauce with an addition of soy sauce and raw egg for our dipping sauce at Jazz Cat Restaurant.

To wrap things up, it was another good meal out. I loved the atmosphere and the quality of our foods. I highly recommend it to anyone who is up for trying new flavors on a cold winter night (if you ever try that rose & cream hot pot that I was considering, let me know what you think!). Just remember to avoid it during popular lunch and dinner hours if you're starving!