As Hong Kong temperatures dip, signaling the arrival of the cooler seasons, the highly anticipated Lamb Brisket Hotpot (Yeung Lam Bou) returns to menus across the city, offering a deeply flavourful and warming culinary tradition. This year, the culinary landscape features a selection of exceptional establishments—from traditional dai pai dongs to modern hotpot specialists—showcasing the dish’s rich history and diverse preparations, often highlighting the revered “double-winter” preparation utilizing bamboo shoots and winter fungus (dong sun and tung koo). We survey five premier locations elevating this comfort food staple for the 2026 season.
The Lamb Brisket Revival: A Winter Culinary Tradition
The Yeung Lam Bou is fundamentally a restorative dish, historically consumed during the coldest months to warm the body and deliver deep nourishment. Key ingredients typically include tender portions of black goat brisket (hak cho yeung), simmered slowly in a rich, herbal broth seasoned with fermented bean curd (both red and white varieties), shiitake mushrooms, and fresh bamboo shoots.
This season’s selections offer both classic interpretations and unique, modern dining experiences.
Featured Locations for Premier Lamb Hotpots (2026 Season)
1. Chor Land Kei Dai Pai Dong (楚撚記大排檔): Wok-Hei and Heritage
Famed for its intensely flavourful wok-hei stir-fries, Chor Land Kei features a seasonal Classic Double-Winter Lamb Brisket Hotpot. Utilizing premium cuts of black goat brisket, the broth is concentrated and aromatic. The dish is traditionally balanced with fresh lettuce and accompanied by other seasonal favourites, such as Preserved Duck Leg Pot and Claypot Rice, encapsulating the true spirit of winter street food dining. The establishment operates two busy branches in To Kwa Wan and Tsuen Wan.
2. GUMYUK Small Delicacies (金玉滿堂): The Connoisseur’s Choice
GUMYUK has garnered significant attention from local food aficionados, often cited as one of Hong Kong’s finest purveyors of this dish. Their signature Double-Winter Black Goat Brisket is meticulously prepared using specific cuts of Shandong black goat, resulting in meat that is exceptionally tender, rich in collagen, and notably free of gaminess. For those preferring to dine at home, the restaurant offers convenient delivery services, ensuring the winter delicacy can be enjoyed without navigating crowded dining rooms.
3. Red Sorghum Restaurant (紅伶飯店): Teochew Legacy Meets Cantonese Classic
Red Sorghum, an established Teochew-style restaurant known for its late-night snacks, brings its traditional expertise to the lamb brisket. Their Classic Lamb Brisket Pot features robustly flavoured black goat, slow-braised with yams and classic bean curd sticks. Alongside this, the restaurant offers warming alternatives such as Drunken Chicken Pot and Yellow Wine Chicken Pot.
4. Er Guo Tou Hotpot (二鍋頭): All-You-Can-Eat Immersion
For those seeking abundance, Er Guo Tou, a multi-branch hotpot buffet chain, expands its popular chicken and duck pot offerings to include an All-You-Can-Eat Lamb Brisket Hotpot Buffet during the coldest months. Diners can enjoy unlimited servings of lamb brisket before converting their pot into a regular hotpot base for further culinary exploration. Specific branches, like the one in Tsim Sha Tsui, occasionally offer extended hours and specialty options like seafood congee pot bases.
5. Tai Wai Dinning (大圍小館): Authenticity and Premium Ingredients
Primarily known for its dim sum and Chinese cuisine, Tai Wai Dinning’s signature Double-Winter Lamb Brisket Pot at its Tai Wai location is a seasonal highlight. The establishment stresses component quality, using fresh black goat brisket and preparing the broth with premium ingredients, including century-old fermented bean curd specialty from Liu Ma Ji and high-grade Japanese shiitake mushrooms, ensuring a deep and authentic flavour profile.
Expert Insight: The Double-Winter Significance
The term “double-winter” refers to the traditional inclusion of winter bamboo shoots (dong sun) and winter fungus (tung koo or shiitake mushrooms). This combination is essential, as the winter bamboo adds a subtle sweetness and crunch that balances the richness of the lamb, while the mushrooms deepen the savory, earthy notes of the broth.
As the weather cools, these five establishments provide indispensable opportunities to experience one of Hong Kong’s most cherished winter comfort foods. Dining enthusiasts are encouraged to book early, as these seasonal specialties often draw high demand throughout the chilly months.