A week ago, I took my mom to Hai di Lao hot pot at the outside promenade of Santa Anita Mall for her birthday. I was impressed by how well they utilized their outdoor space to place plenty of tables at well over 6 feet apart to accommodate health safety regulations.

Each table was accompanied by a gas burner that runs on small propane and had a metal cart where food was delivered and waste picked up. Each waiter wore face mask and gloves. The food came promptly and as always, I enjoy the freshness of their meats & vegetables.

I always love sesame sauce as a dipping sauce, however, their mushroom sauce is my all time favorite! They have a generous amount of mushroom bits inside this sauce and there is two layers to this sauce: the mushroom sauce & bits itself and the oil that gives it a verryyyy slight kick.

Both broths were very savory and rich. However, I think the mushroom broth may be more rich and even slightly more salty compared to the bone broth. The pork bone broth was very comforting to drink and had just the perfect amount of salt in it to accommodate a mild or decadent eater. I like that these brothers already included some vegetables. These two broths are the only options that didn’t incur an extra charge with the lunch special option.

The meats were very tender and freshly sliced. The noodles were also fresh! There was plenty of vegetables to add.

I think the manager was our waiter because of how different he dressed and he knew it was my mom’s birthday so he brought out a complimentary container of fruits (pineapple & watermelon). That was very sweet of him.

Outdoor dining here felt safe & clean. I will surely come back for more lunch specials because I think that is the only time it is worth it. Otherwise, dinner menu is so expensive!