About a mile from Quincy center and the hustle and bustle that comes with a city center is a Chinese restaurant that lights up the quiet little neighborhood it is situated in. Little Panda Hot Pot and Szechuan House (25 Copeland Street, Quincy,MA02169) is a gem in a neighborhood scarce on anything other than auto body shops and two-family houses. This is why the restaurant’s near midnight closing time is so convenient, too.

But where this restaurant really shines is in the area that matters most: the food. On a weekend, which is when my girlfriend and I visited Little Panda, they offer a $25 all-you-can-eat hot pot buffet menu. When you buy two orders of the buffet menu, they give you a complimentary lobster for your hot pot. How good is that?

The all-you-can-eat menu offers everything that is typically offered at a hot pot restaurant: beef, lamb, pork, chicken, etc. But the basis of hot pot is the broth, and the selection of broths at Little Panda is fantastic. Add to this the rustic feel of the broths, each with its own selection of herbs and seasoning, and you’ve got something that you don’t see at any of the other, arguably, more popular hot pot joints downtown.

The ambience at Little Panda is amazing. Never have I felt so “at-home” at a restaurant, and given that the restaurant is family-owned and operated, this isn’t a surprise. Typically quiet, even during your stereotypical busy-hours, Little Panda is a great place to relax and eat while watching whatever is on the flat-screen television that hangs over the dining room. The tables and chairs are sturdy, which gives the restaurant a very nice feel and ambience. You know they spent some time and effort choosing those tables… and quality that is infused into their food.

I should probably add that along with hot pot, the restaurant also serves a typical Chinese take-out menu, and delivers. These are important aspects to the operation, especially onCopeland StreetinQuincy, as the town gets very quiet after about 7p.m.

So Little Panda is the ideal little neighborhood restaurant where you can satisfy any craving for Chinese food you might have. Excellent hot pot, great take-out, calming ambience, and an exciting atmosphere is what you can expect from this soon-to-be staple of Copeland Street in Quincy. Definitely take the time to go visit, and you’ll find that you’ll be spending a lot more time inQuincythan you expected.