A cold, rainy day like this one is perfect for the news that Johnny Chu, chef-owner of hip Asian tapas and sake spot Sens, just opened his new hot pot restaurant. Week-old Tien Wong (2330 N. Alma School Rd., #118) takes over the Chandler space that used to house Citrus Cafe.
The interior looks completely different, Chu says, with tables geared to groups of hungry customers who gather 'round pots of bubbling broth to cook up their own thinly sliced meats, exotic mushrooms and Asian vegetables. Call it hot pot, or call it shabu shabu (the Japanese term for the same thing), but either way, it's soul-satisfying communal food.
Homemade noodles, meat and seafood add-ins, and four different broths -- spicy Taiwanese-style, pork-based Hong Kong-style, miso-based shabu shabu broth, or the two-in-one Yin Yang soup (half creamy pork broth, half spicy garlic-ginseng broth) -- will make every meal customizable.
Sounds like it would be great with beer, right? A liquor license is in the works, too.
Tien Wong is open daioly from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Call 480-802-2525 for info.
