Melting Pot, Irvine CA

Unfortunately I didn’t start off with cheese fondue because I knew my pants would no longer fit around my waist by the time I got to dessert, which meant that I would have to walk out of there pantless. So for my entrée, I went Mojo style, which is a broth with Caribbean style seasonings, splashed with lemon and orange juice and topped with cilantro. They also have a garlic and wine house seasoning that you can shake onto anything if you want to add a little more saltiness if that’s your thing. My meats were teriyaki sirloin, filet mignon, chicken and salmon. The teriyaki sirloin sounds weird to be dipping in Caribbean flavored broth, but trust me, you’ll like it. After you’re done cooking it, then you have 5 different sauces you can dip your meat and veggies in. Quite honestly, I think it’s a little too much just because I think it crowds the table and I only use the one that I think is worthwhile. Ah the Green Goddess, sour cream with parsley and green onion. There’s no need to go into any more description, that’s all you need to know. It goes with your meats and veggies alike. I really like fondue because when you cook meat in broth, it doesn't dry out and it doesn't overcook. It remains plump, juicy and infuses well with the flavors of the broth.

Now dessert: the reason why I had to sacrifice the cheese. I wish I didn’t have to, but I need to think of the big picture here. So I went for the cookies and cream fondue: dark chocolate and marshmallow cream, crushed Oreo cookies then flambéed with 151 (insert smiley face). Your weapon of choice: strawberries, pound cake, brownies, bananas, marshmallows, rice crispies and cheesecake. The fondue itself great, given the ingredients, I think you’d have to be dimwitted to mess this one up. As far as your dippers, my complaint is that the portions are off. I thought there was a good amount of strawberries but that’s it. They can do without the cheesecake and brownie; those are forgettable even with the chocolate. But they need to bring on the pound cake. There was only one tiny piece and I had to snag it before my other half noticed with was there to begin with. But overall it was a great meal and I accomplished what I always set out to accomplish, unbutton my pants and fall asleep.