Xihu A-Show Mutton Hot Pot

Review

Xihu A-Show Mutton Hot Pot sits on Changqing Street beside Xihu Market, a local institution open for nearly forty years, and Supertaste placed it on its list of Taiwan's best mutton hot pots. The queue says it all: no reservations are taken, people wait outside before opening, and bloggers note lines on weekdays and weekends alike, with waits of over an hour not unusual and another rush after 5 pm. Reports say the goats are slaughtered fresh each morning, and the shop is known for unchilled fresh mutton.

There are two broths, herbal and ginger. The herbal one is simmered with white radish and spine bones, mild in flavor with no gamey taste, and some say it does not leave you thirsty. The signature order is the herbal hot pot with mixed cuts, covering lean meat, skin, belly and head meat, the head meat being especially springy; sources disagree on the price of this set (NT$650 to NT$750), so check on site. The dipping sauce is sweet chili mixed with fermented bean curd, salty-sweet with a little heat. A large plate of dry noodles is tasty even without broth, and groups can order a NT$3,000 set with belly meat, tripe stir-fried with celery, liver in sesame oil, garlic chive flowers and more.

Diners are generally happy with the tender mutton and smooth broth, and staff top up the broth unprompted; a 2026 review also praised the bright, clean dining room. The downsides are just as clear: long queues and no parking lot of its own; the belly portion is smaller than expected and the spine bones carry little meat; sources differ on how strong the herbs taste, and some find the broth oily. Rice wine goes into the seasoning, so tick the no-alcohol option when ordering if you want to avoid it.

It opens about 10:30 am to 7:30 pm and closes Mondays and Tuesdays. A blogger recorded about NT$400 to NT$600 per person, with no service charge. Parking is in the market lot across the street, when spaces are free. Avoid the early-evening peak and pick a quiet hour, and you may walk straight in.

It suits anyone willing to queue for a pot of fresh mutton. Two or three people can share the herbal hot pot with mixed cuts plus a plate of noodles and greens; bigger groups should go for the set to try every cut and stir-fry at once.