After a long morning tramping around the Black Friday sales aisles at the vast Karrinyup Shopping Centre, the last thing our little family party wants is fuss. We want yummy food, fast, to buck us all up before we head back out into the fray for the afternoon.

But, we have added complications — my father is part of the party, visiting from the UK and we have to feed him, my husband and Miss 8 . . . who will only accept Asian food today.

Dad is the pickiest Asian-food person on the planet, having two Chinese anthropologist parents and been dragged across most of the continent for half his childhood. My husband loathes soup of all kinds.

So it’s with trepidation we enter Yo Hot Pot X More in the centre’s sprawling outdoor food court, meeting Miss 8’s requirements, but specialising in hot pot soups (sorry, Darling Husband).

On entering the restaurant, which is charmingly themed with Japanese Maneki-neko statues, Vietnamese-style street food posters and a lot of gold and red, you can’t misunderstand the assignment.

A giant fridge takes out one wall, with every and any topping one could ever want in a hot pot, and a stack of large steel bowls and tongs beckon for you to begin your own pick-and-mix adventure.

Miss 8’s in heaven.

A note of warning, while super fun for kids, I’d recommend parents make sure they aren’t alone with multiple children while they do this — you need a spare pair of hands (or two) and eyes in the back of your head. This isn’t parenting-for-beginners fare.

My husband gives me a beseeching look: “I hate this . . . and I’m starting to hate you” is the clear message.

I gesture for him to look beyond the fridge to the main counter, where the full menu is pinned onto the wall.

His eyes light up, because alongside hot pot, the outlet also has a great range of dim sum-style sides, including pork buns, fried chicken, wonton, cold noodles, gyoza . . . and the option of using all those yummy hot pot ingredients in a stir-fry. There’s something for everyone.

Husband crisis averted.

We move along the bus, choosing our various favourites, and as we make it to the counter, our bowls are weighed (there is a minimum weight requirement of 400g, which is way more food than you realise — I do suggest sharing a hot pot!), you choose your soup type, any “sides” and then you hand over your cash and wait while the friendly staff create your personalised dish.

Dad’s sceptical, you can tell by how he shifts around, trying to watch the cooking process from our comfortable banquet. But when his “fire hot” kimchi soup arrives, he, too, is won over.

“Just spicy enough”, he manages as he dives into the swimming-pool sized serve ($25.87 for 540g).

Dad’s sorted, too!

My own, mild (fish and seafood-free as I’m allergic) fresh tomato version designed to share with Miss 8 is steaming as it arrives, and is exactly what the doctor ordered. Full of flavour, as “fresh” as advertised and brilliantly healthy ($20.84 for 435g).

Sadly, we manage about half — the portions here are truly enormous — particularly as the very second my husband’s “meal” made of sides arrives, we’re diving into those as well.

The crispy chicken with chilli and lime ($14.90), gyozas ($9.90 for four) and steamed buns ($17.80 for four) are juicy, exquisitely flavoured and properly hot. And I’m going to go out on a big limb here and say the BBQ pork dumplings are among some of the best I’ve tried in Perth.

Coming in at just $97 for all four of us to eat and drink, it does exactly what I need it to do on a busy and tiring day: It’s value for money, fun, fast and a genuine crowd-pleaser.

The verdict: 15/20

High value, fast food made just the way you want it.

Yo Hot Pot X More

200 Karrinyup Road, Food Court, Karrinyup Shopping Centre

Open: Monday to Friday, 11am-3pm, 4.30pm-9pm, Saturday & Sunday, 11am-9pm

Contact: 0478 905 599, yohotpot.com/perth

Bookings: No