Just in time for the scary and suicidally-crap-weather season is Chihuo Xiao Yao Fu Huoguo, a delightful, kinda shit haunted hotpot restaurant nestled into a back corner second floor space off Anytown USA Lu (that Maoming Lu thing with the White Castle, Hard Rock, Goose Island, and impending Taco Bell). Take the elevator up to the second floor and the golden doors creaaaaak back to reveal the spooooky, scaaary dining environs — basically a balls-dusty old pirate-themed hotpot restaurant that a Halloween twaddle Taobao page jizzed all over. FEEL the chills down your spine as you push through cotton ball cobwebs and plastic spiders cascading down from the ceiling, shaking their price tag stickers menacingly in your face. TREMBLE at the sight of the ghoulish waitstaff, damned for eternity to hotpot servitude, wearing cut-rate Pervert Party masquerade masks and polyester Scream Guy black robes. FEAR the motion sensor operated giant plastic skull that goes, “MUAAAARRR I CAN *CRRRRR* *SCCCCRRRRR* *CCRRRRR*... (indecipherable)... *BRRRRR*... (indecipherable)... *CRRR” as you pass, shuddering, under its gaze! Take my hand if you dare! Zombie babies! Ring-u Girl! Tropical birds! Some vaaaaarious shiiiiiit! So yeah. It's a kinda janky, kinda fantastic Halloween-themed hotpot place. I can't tell if it's good or bad. Or even bad-good. Or even good-bad. We're so beyond these paltry inadequate terms to describe the various glorious experiences in life. Make up your own damn minds, this blog can't do everything for you! I'm just here to say that it definitely exists. All the waitstaff are dressed up in classic, mandatory "office party Halloween gear" and sort of milling around dreading their lives like Sharon from HR is going to announce SING A SONG FROM YOUR CULTURE time. Just waiting for the iPad lucky draw that will never come. Except this guy. He was really selling it. He was popping out from behind the corners and going BLLLAAARGG. Not going to lie, it was delightful. Truly the spirit of Halloween. The food is straight-ahead mid-tier hotpot. You've got three types of broth basses, split into very not-so-spicy, not-so-spicy, and kinda spicy varieties: crab (198rmb), frog (228rmb), and general (88rmb). Then it's just ticking off boxes for meat and veggies. I wanna say 150-200 per person including beer. They also supply you with your own waitstaff to cook it for you. I know you're thinking that half the fun is cooking you own hotpot but you'd be wrong. The fun is in fact watching someone else do it for you and just sitting there drinking beer scrolling through boring WeChat moments. This picture makes our person look real Halloween-y. Double trouble, boil and bubble... Then, towards the end of our meal, our server was like man, my dudes, I can't see shit, EFF IT with this mask, and put her glasses back on. The illusion was shattered! And that's it! Don't know what else to say really! Is it amazing? Yes. Yes, it is? Should you go? Yes. Totally. Totally, no, never. Pro Tip: After dinner you should go to Duo Sports Bar, that Tron-nightmare beer pong place, which is one floor directly above. They are hosting something TRULY scary for Halloween. Check it: *** Chihuo Xiao Yao Fu Huoguo is at 2/F, No. 16, Lane 193 Maoming Bei Lu, near Weihai Lu.