Gathering with Good Friends at Yanan Chicken Pot

Fate brings friends together! Tonight, I met up with some friends, including one I hadn't seen in years, to enjoy a delightful chicken pot and large cups of lemon tea for a joyful evening. We chose Yanan Chicken Pot located in Prince Edward! Although the restaurant has been open for over a decade, it was my first time visiting. The restaurant is famous for its chicken pot combinations, offering more than ten varieties! If you have trouble making decisions, it's best to choose early. To beat the heat, I started with a large iced lemon tea for $33! This large iced lemon tea is always my favorite drink. Although you can't adjust the sweetness, it's still good with less sugar. Besides lemon, there's also a slice of lime, adding a refreshing aroma that I love. Before diving into the chicken pot, we had some appetizers to whet our appetites! The spicy century egg with green chili for $52 had a mildly spicy flavor, and the crunchy cucumber added a great texture. Next, we had the chilled squid tentacles for $65, which I absolutely loved! The spicy and numbing flavor was incredibly enticing, and the fresh squid was so delicious that I couldn't stop eating. For those who enjoy crispy snacks, I recommend the fried dough sticks with shrimp toast for $62! The shrimp toast was covered in sesame seeds, making it crispy and not greasy, with a chewy shrimp filling that was very tasty. The crispy fried dough sticks were also stuffed with shrimp paste, making them flavorful whether eaten in soup or as a snack. Besides chicken pot, there are many seafood options here! We chose the flavorful salt and pepper abalone for $336/7 pieces. The abalone remained tender after being fried, with an added savory taste from the salt and pepper, offering a different experience from steaming. After enjoying the rich appetizers, it was time to dig into the chicken pot! We chose two chicken pots, starting with the winter melon, dried scallop, and clam pot for $628/large. A friend who is a regular customer specially ordered fresh chicken for us, so we were in for a treat. In addition to the tender and sweet fresh chicken, there were also large, plump clams. Despite my years of cooking experience, I rarely see such large clams, which were juicy and exceptionally flavorful. Of course, we had to savor a bowl of winter melon and dried scallop chicken soup first. Remember to skim off the chicken fat on top before drinking! The soup had a hint of clam flavor, making it very fragrant and sweet. The winter melon slices soaked in the broth were the essence of this chicken pot. For those who like spicy food, we also ordered the fish maw chicken pot for $308/small! It included half a thick meat frozen yellow chicken. We also added 7 Japanese scallops for $224, enhancing the flavor and richness of the pot. The Japanese scallops were sashimi-grade, so they were very tender and sweet even when not fully cooked. The fish maw had a chewy texture and was good for the skin. Although frozen chicken isn't as sweet as fresh chicken, it became particularly tasty with the house-made spicy sauce. After finishing the chicken pot, we also ordered the hand-cut premium beef short ribs for $318/large! Beef lovers praised the high quality of these short ribs. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the premium black pork for $188/small. I prefer pork that's not thinly sliced, so it had a particularly chewy texture, and the meat's aroma and sweetness became more pronounced with each bite. But the biggest surprise of the night was definitely the wild bamboo fungus for $118! This super-sized bamboo fungus was very robust and even had the cap attached, which is rare to see. We placed the plump bamboo fungus in the dried scallop and winter melon chicken pot. After absorbing the rich chicken broth, it looked even more appetizing. The soup burst in my mouth with a crunchy texture, making it truly irresistible. Finally, I want to thank my thoughtful friends for bringing a birthday cake for the three birthday celebrants, including myself. Wishing everyone good health and a happy life. Gathering with friends to enjoy delicious chicken pot is truly one of life's great pleasures! Being able to relax and enjoy ourselves without any constraints made everyone very happy. Delicious food is indeed the best way to make friends, don't you agree?