Utterly unable to secure a booking for hotpot anywhere on a recent chilly Friday night, we decided to search farther afield than the hotpot hotspots of Wan Chai, Mong Kok and Causeway Bay.

Remembering an enjoyable time at Neptune’s a couple of years ago, we decided to head back to see if this cavernous joint has stood the test of time. After being guided into a booth (with a private TV so we could catch up on our TVB soaps, natch), we joked around with the friendly waiter (his English was impeccable, if you’re a non-Canto speaker looking for a safe introduction), who guided us around the menu.

We ended up with a selection of balls (fish, beef, shrimp, pork,), sliced beef, emperor vegetables and tofu, all cooking merrily in a yin-yang bowl, with an acceptably spicy Sichuan “mala” broth in the yin, and a rather insipid carrot and tomato soup in the yang. What we love about Neptune’s is that it’s friendly, the handmade balls are fresh and bouncy, it’s spacious and quiet (minus the TVs), and you can always get a table.

We were slightly disappointed with our beef (though not disappointed enough to leave any), and we wish that someone could identify the difference between Angus, Wagyu, supreme local (the most expensive!) and two or three other varieties on the menu, which all seem to be priced rather arbitrarily. But oh well, that just gives us an excuse to go back and try them all.