Chinese · Hot Pot
A Clairemont AYCE hot pot spot Roger tried twice a year apart: a rude, hour-long wait for a table in 2014 gave way to a better-run but still middling visit in 2015, with freezer-burned meat undercut by a good self-serve sauce bar. He kept pointing people to Little Sheep instead.
Gourmet City's Clairemont Mesa Blvd location is listed as closed on Yelp. This page keeps Roger's dated reviews as a record, not as a place to visit.
Yelp — Gourmet City (San Diego) listed as closed (2026-09-18) ↗This page is kept as part of the dated record. The order notes below describe the place as Roger recommended it, not as it operates today.
From Roger’s camera roll
From Roger’s Foursquare
We waited nearly an hour when there were dozens of open tables! And the staff is quite rude, saying if we sat down at the table first it would take another hour for them to take our order down...
Posted
Source-backed notes
Checked in 3 times on Yelp and Swarm, most recently Dec 8, 2015. See the check-in log
“This time was totally different!”
A year after a bad first visit, Roger gave this Clairemont AYCE hot pot spot another shot: prompt seating, a choice of five broths (Sichuan spicy recommended), and a beef-and-lamb combo let down by freezer-burned meat, though the self-serve sauce bar helped. He still pointed people to Little Sheep for better-quality meat.
“And the staff is quite rude.”
On an earlier visit, Roger and a group of friends waited nearly an hour for a table despite dozens of open tables, and found the staff rude. He recommended taking hot pot business to Little Sheep or Mr. Dumpling instead.
Stay in the neighborhood
Comforting Hong Kong-style cooking in Clairemont, with the kind of unfussy menu that makes repeat visits easy.
A tea-first boba shop that stands out for brewing with real leaves instead of leaning on powder and artificial flavoring.
Roger rated this 4 stars, ordering udon, Kama-meshi, monkfish liver, and herring with a pitcher of beer, noting the $90 tab put it on the pricey side.
Keep exploring
Browse the Chinese page, or continue to another place with a matching cuisine.
A Northern Chinese skewer spot Roger found overpriced for tiny portions, with slow vegetable dishes and a check-in discount it refused to honor.
Decent late-night hotpot with a last call of 12:45 a.m.; Roger’s order was half spicy, half rejuvenation broth.