Hotto Potto, Winter Park

I had dinner at this Chinese "hot pot" restaurant at the intersection of Aloma and 436 (old strip mall with Friendly Confines) on Monday. I had: meat stock for $3.50, pork slices for $2.50, pork stomach for $2.50, duck feet for $3 and cuttlefish for $3. If you are wondering what goes down here, this is how it works. You order a broth (3 types) and then some animal parts to boil in. You can also get veggies and noodles too. You get a little bowl full of the aforementioned and drop them in the boiling stock. It's like The Melting Pot or Colorado Fondue Company (at a much lower price point). As you can deduce by my "unusual" melange of tidbits, they have a large variety of components. They are good for timid and ambitious appetites. You can replicate most of the standard Asian hot pots with a little creativity (they have a Tom Yum broth for example). So, it should appeal to any Asian "undocumented" immigrant and/or those who want to eat like them. No need to run to the eponymous section of town to partake. I won't bother listing the options. Go and get your mind blown. It's an episode of Bizarre Foods. I had never had duck feet (duck tongues, yes). They turned out to be fine. Alot like the delicate cuttlefish (the webbing) with extra crunch (the toes). And cuttlefish are basically squid. The pork stomach (had only had cow stomach to my knowledge) was predicatably chewy. The pork was fine. Thin slices of pork (not sure of the cut). The broth was good. It changes in taste as you add elements. I was confused a little by the suggested cooking times. I personally believe they are way too long. You'll turn all the meat into rubber. But, I guess they are worried about lawsuits. I was told - when it floats, it is good to go. Consult your nearest Google task bar to see who is right. I bet they say divide the baby in half (like all indecisive ajudicators). The decor is bland. I've yet to see a compelling disciple of interior design emerge from Chinese roots. It's all silk and gold and a nauseating obsession with a roccoco past. The orange seat covers instantly told me this place was Chinese. And if it wasn't that, it would have been their lack of awareness of what is appropriate and what is not. Industrial fish tanks - inappropriate. Children's high chairs - inappropriate. Etcetera. Hide that junk. Your dining room is not your store room. This isn't your home. This is a place of business where people want to escape from the troubles of their day. Don't ruin the illusion. The place seats about eighty in an older space (old strip mall). Most tables are tables of four with a hot plate in the middle. They have a bar up front and a private room down a hall that has a door that should remain closed. The crowd was mostly hipsters with their frumpy girlfriends. There was one table with Asian Dragon Ladies and another with muscled up, small time Korean Gansters and their white, stripper girlfriends. The service (2) was ok. A little slow (it's raw meat on a plate) and scatter brained (they brought me beef and forgot the cuttlefish and had to be asked for a soup ladle and bowl). All in all I liked it. Good pricing and variety. I think I can categorize it as a destination spot. But, only for the novelty of the experience. It's like a freak show. It's not high art, but, you know you'll leave with a queer look on your face and a smile in your heart.