At long last, my yearslong quest to try the infamous conveyor belt hot pot restaurant has come to fruition! I'm rarely up in Northwest Houston but in conjunction with a shop-till-you-drop trip at the premium outlets, the opportunity to visit Chiba was too good to pass up. We gathered a group of friends to join us for weekend lunch (same as dinner pricing) and were warmly welcomed by the waitstaff, who gave us a thorough introduction of the menu, soup choices, and dessert/sauce bar. She took our initial orders before we promptly ran over to the self-service area to make our dipping sauces and try the sushi rolls (which you can skip - it's not called Chiba Sushi, is it?) Once our personal soup pots arrived, we quickly got them up to a rolling boil - here are my thoughts on what we tried:
Soup bases - Having ordered different soups at a variety of spice levels, we all started off with a little trade-and-taste! I opted for the gentle yet addictive dashi broth, which was tasty enough to drink on its own but even better at the end of the meal after being enriched with poached/boiled meats and vegetables. The mushroom broth was equally savory and would make for a wonderful vegetarian option; the house spicy was #1 in terms of pure flavor and kick, and I think I might choose either that one or the tom yum next time!
Sliced meats - Chiba keeps the a la carte menu relatively simple, with pork, chicken, and two beef options offered during lunch, and the addition of pork belly and lamb for dinner. I thought everything was appropriately fresh and delicious, without freezer burn or funky tastes. Though these are typically delivered on order by the train above the conveyor belt, it was unfortunately out-of-service during our visit. I do hope it is eventually fixed, but until then you have the pleasure of flagging down waitstaff for a refill :)
Grilled skewers - These tender morsels of meat are a dinner/weekend exclusive and are known as chuan (串) in China. They're succulent, well-spiced, and great to whet your appetite, though I wish they came out a little sooner compared to other items. Don't miss out on these if you're coming when they're offered!
Conveyor belt items - Does the belt live up to the hype? I'm pleased to report that it does! You might expect that ingredients revolving endlessly might lose a bit of their freshness, but because the belt is contained and chilled, most items held up pretty well. I particularly enjoyed the lobster balls, kabocha, fried tofu rolls, and udon noodles - it's easy to sample and choose when gratification is near-instant. Don't worry if you miss something on the first pass, the belt moves quickly enough that you'll have another chance soon enough.
Desserts - These are your standard Asian buffet offerings, consisting of layered sponge cakes, tarts, macaroons, fruits, and several ice cream flavors. Try one if you want, but it may be worthwhile to save some stomach space to get dessert elsewhere.
Though the place was practically deserted when we first arrived, it did get a little busier by the time we left, which I appreciate with AYCE places to ensure good turnover of ingredients. The staff were really proactive about clearing extra/dirty plates and refilling drinks, so we made sure to leave a good tip! All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to stop by again if I were in the area, especially if weekday lunch pricing is available - hope to be back soon! read more