Little Lamb is a Chinese hot pot restaurant occupying the basement and ground floor at 72 Shaftesbury Avenue in Chinatown. Its informal dining room centres the meal on a simmering pot shared at the table. The format is sociable and highly customisable, allowing each guest to cook meat, seafood, tofu and vegetables to the texture they prefer.
The first choice is the broth. A nourishing herbal tonic offers a fragrant, gentle base, while the special spicy pot brings deeper chilli heat. Mushroom and tomato provides another aromatic option, and divided twin or triple pots let a group compare several broths during the same meal without committing everyone to one level of spice.
Thin slices of lamb are a house speciality, joined by beef, pork, meatballs and skewers. Cuttlefish, squid and other seafood broaden the selection, while pak choi, mushrooms, noodles, fresh tofu and further vegetables absorb the flavour of the bubbling stock. Ordering several ingredients gives the meal its rhythm, with each addition cooked and shared in stages.
Sesame, leek flower and sha cha sauces add richness, savoury depth or garlic and shallot notes once each ingredient leaves the pot. Set meals provide a simple introduction by combining one stock with a selection of ingredients, while a larger group can build a broader feast from individual plates. The pleasure lies in cooking together, adjusting the broth and dipping each bite at the table.
Address: 72 Shaftesbury Avenue, Chinatown, London W1D 6NA, United Kingdom