Kat's 9 Lives

Alright, the long awaited post of Ninji in Fremont. Boy do I miss the Hot Pot there! I want to go there now! Then I can also get some yummy Egg Cake next door! ^_- We went here the night we were going to the Alicia Keys concert in San Jose. This way it is sort of on the way down and Ms. Lin won't have to pay the toll for the return trip. She took the San Mateo bridge and BOY was that a long bridge. We eventually made our way there and I went over to pick up a drink while she sat down first.
At Ninji they have Buy One Get One Free Plum Tea. Ms. Lin usually gets that and she drinks both by herself, because to me that just sounds blech! Lol I picked up my delicious Fruit Tea at Tea Station near by. Even the people there liked my drink and started to ask about it! ^_- Yup that's right, it's better than what Ms. Lin ordered. O=)
Before I got there they already brought out the "Yuan Yan" Hot Pot and boy did it look yummy! This is the only place Ms. Lin can actually drag me to get hot pot. Also it is the ONLY place I ask to go to for hot pot. There are no crazy medicinal herbs in here. The flavor of the "Mah-Lah" side is thick, rich, and TASTY! I love the non-spicy side too because after all the meats you dip it becomes so flavorful and delicious. Am I drooling all over the screen?
Before anything is ready I head over to the Sauce Bar. It's your normal Satay, Chopped Garlic, Sesame Oil, Egg, Chopped Green Onion or Cilantro, Sesame Paste, Soy Sauce, and more. I enjoy the sauce a lot and you can create everything to your own liking. For me, I LOVE Garlic! Lets just say that my breath will smell for weeks to come. =-X I experimented different combos, but my favorite is still the simplest combo. All I need in there is tons of garlic, satay, onion, and cilantro with some soy sauce and sesame oil. It's so aromatic and flavorful!
Ms. Lin ordered some vegetables and Pigs Blood for herself. I can't recall the name of the vegetables because I didn't really care to be honest. *Achoo* I am allergic to all vegetables! ^_- She was telling me about the one that is clear and the great spongy texture it has. Apparently it doesn't feel like a vegetable? I will trust her and not have any. I am just being a great Sister letting her enjoy the stuff she loves all by herself. O=-9
For me it's all about the meat! We ordered a plate of the Beef and many many plates of the Lamb. My favorite is to get Pig Intestine! Yum! I know those of you who are not Asian are probably saying "eww" to yourselves. All I can say is to each their own. If you have never had it, be more open minded and you might be surprised. Every item becomes enveloped in flavor from either the spicy or non-spicy side and it's only enhanced by the sauce!
Throughout the meal they will keep adding more soup base as most of it evaporates or is taken out to drink. Ms. Lin loves that they have huge chunks of flavored Tofu inside the "Mah-Lah" side. Towards the end of the meal you always need some Glass Noodles to cook inside the flavorful soup and make your own noodle soup. I normally don't like noodles, but I have to have them with the hot pot here! YUM! You mix your sauces in and it's heaven. Before we leave Ms. Lin will be sure to have them fill the soup up for both sides and then continue to "eat" so that it won't look bad. That way she can take home the wonderful soup and tofu home for tomorrow's meal. This is also one of the rare times that I will eat left overs! YUM YUM! They are just that good!
All in the food is always GREAT! The service is fine and you will go home happy with much to spare. Do what Ms. Lin would do, go out and buy more meats & vegetables to add the next day and have another great meal! Why oh why can't there be a place like that down in OC??? Ms. Lin and I talked about it. She says that if I find one she is there! I am tempted to go up to SF again just for the hot pot!! We should take a road trip HoneyBee! ^_~ It will be a foodie weekend with the siblings! lol