On November 26, editors of The Crusader Newspaper went out and reviewed MuMu Hot Pot. Mumu Hot Pot is tucked away at 2 Valeria Ave Ste 203 right near SF State, making it a perfect spot to grab some dinner after class. This article is a special joint review with different editors reviewing their own experiences.
By Vincent Douglas ’25
When I first entered the door, I was overcome with the smell of delicious meats and sauces. My glasses fogged with the steam from the boiling soups. I was not sure what to order as this is outside of my usual palette. The sauce bar was completely foreign to me, and I did my best to work out how to make it all fit together. I spent the first half of the meal conservatively eating pork boiled in my pot of lettuce, broccoli, and a single mushroom. However, as the evening went on, I reached out across the table of foods before me. Before the night ended, I had experienced new, delicious flavors in meats I have not tasted before. I even ate tofu (which is not a particular favorite of mine) soaked in the pot with pork and vegetables.
Hot Pot is a kind of do-it-yourself Benihanas. Part of the appeal is the ability to be completely in charge of what one eats. There is also a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction to cooking and eating without worrying about prepping or clean-up.
By Loghan Hwang ’27
A variety of soups was presented to me on a little tab labeled soups. Green pepper soup labeled as spicy intrigued me. As we submitted our order through our phones, excitement grew. The sauce bar was our next stop. Many different soy sauces, oils, and even herbs lay in shiny silver containers creating an endless combination of flavors. Perfect to make your concoction to accompany the many meats and vegetables basked in the flavor of the soup.
Back at the table, a green soup, floating atop a dark green oil and sediment of peppercorns. An aroma giving a zing. Lamb, pork, and beef stacked up on platters accompanied by an assortment of vegetables. My chopsticks, snatching a piece of beef then immediately dunking into the broth. A quick few seconds pass, and almost magically, the meat is cooked. The beef, now coated in the broth, melted in my mouth. After eating plenty of broth-cooked delectables, a numbing feeling on my tongue approached. Green pepper, almost like a milder version of Sichuan, tingled my tongue. The freshness of the pepper created a contrast to the numbing heat of the broth. Mumu hotpot is a great option for good-quality meat and veggies! I would go again.
By Ishaan Gupta ’26
Walking into Mumu’s hit me with the instant aroma of broths and meats. After a long day of being outside, Mumu’s decor and vibe felt like the perfect place to have my dinner.
As I sat down, I tried to order my food through my phone but it wouldn’t connect to the internet, a problem present with everyone at the table. Eventually, the waiter was able to provide the password to another wifi which we were able to connect to.
I settled for the Sichuan spicy base while ordering New Zealand lamb and pork collar with an addition of house rame and vegetables. Mumu’s doesn’t offer all-you-can-eat but my experience wasn’t affected by that fact.
While waiting for my soup base and meats to arrive, I went to the sauce bar where I went for a concoction of spices.
Once my food and soup base arrived, I was excited to dig in after looking at the vibrant red and chillies present throughout it.
I put mushrooms for the vegetables and let my soup base boil while I prepared to cook my meat.
After the base reached a boil, I dipped the piece of meat inside the soup base and waited the few seconds it needed to cook.
As I took my first bite, I was instantly hit with the strong and delicious flavors that soaked into the meat, flooding my mouth with flavors.
Those were further intensified when I decided to use the sauce I made, providing my mouth with an explosion of flavor.
Besides its technical problems, Mumu’s is a place I would definitely recommend for hot pot.
