Lamb hot pot is a tradition that goes back many centuries in Mongolia, and Happy Lamb Hot Pot has been busy spreading the as-yet lesser known delicacy of Central Asia all over the globe. Happy Lamb Birmingham takes up residence in Ladywell Walk, just a short walk from Birmingham Grand Central, and this is Happy Lamb's first UK outpost outside of London, as it also boasts restaurants in Holborn and Bayswater.
The interiors are very smart, with a chic modernist vibe running through the restaurant. The tables are well spaced and generously sized, giving you ample room to load up on dishes. In the centre of the table, you'll find a hole for your hotpot - the idea with hotpot is that you have a pot of gently simmering stock in the middle of the table, and you order a variety of raw meats and vegetables to cook in the pot. The stock is central to the experience, and Happy Lamb doesn't hold back in making some seriously delicious stock - selected hen and beef bones are simmered for six hours, then 36 fresh ingredients (such as goji berries, jujubes, ginseng and herbs) are added to the broth to make it more aromatic. You can add dividers to the pot, allowing you to sample multiple broths at once.
As for the meat, Happy Lamb sources from farms in Wales, Scotland and North Ireland and all the meat is freshly sliced at the restaurant before being served to you. The lamb selection includes spring lamb, lamb fillet, marbled lamb, lamb loin and lamb shoulder. Though that's the speciality, there's plenty more available, including a variety of sliced beef cuts, meatballs, fishballs, seafood, offal cuts like tripe, tofu, mushrooms and a variety of vegetables.
Mix things up with a few barbecue skewers and dumplings for good measure!