I HAVE NEVER LEFT A RESTAURANT SO HUNGRY IN MY LIFE!!! It was worse than the most terrible review!!! The pictures of the food on their website are totally misleading. The Garlic Butter shrimp tasted so bad that the Shrimpinator...my 4 year old son spit them out & refused to eat them! They were extremely tiny for an entree & they were not fresh, which I thought they would be since the waitress asked if we wanted the heads on or off. The crawfish came to the table in a plastic bag swimming in more of the un-appetizing Garlic butter & were not sweet at all. The side of rice was tiny & had no sauce to eat with it. The side salad was a child's handfull worth & the macaroni was bland, tastless & was an ugly shade of gray. The spring rolls were not hot, mushy & not nearly as good as what you can get in the frozen section of any grocery store. The korean short ribs were the only thing with some taste, but the portion size was so small!!! We had the beniegts which were just a little piece of fried dough served with condended milk. We did not try the hot pot, so I cannot comment on that. The atmosphere was as tasteless as the food. Our waitress was fine, though she was the only waitress I've ever had who never asked how anything was...no wonder! I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone! Even at half off I found it very expensive for what you get. As soon as we left, my husband & I looked at each other and said,"where can we get something to eat now"!... We ended up going for Chinese when we left there. Oh, and did I mention it was my Anniversary.... I really wanted to believe the good reviews, but after experiencing it for my self... I can tell you the bad reviews are much more accurate!!! BEWARE
(1)
Lindsay W.
The restaurant was great! It was a new type of dining for us and the owner himself walked us through the process, not that it's complicated, just different. The food was very fresh and the staff was very friendly and checked on us frequently. There were five adults and we ordered the dinner for four and we still had leftovers. Go to the website and read the history of how this dining experience came about, it makes the dining more of an experience. The location is a little difficult to find so be sure to ask the name of the shopping plaza it is located (I can't remember). The wine was decent although a tad over priced. Overall we had a great experience and will definitely go back. Be sure to check the hours as they are different during the week than the weekends.
(5)
Sharon D.
Like some of the others, we found this place through Groupon. Never knew what a Hot Pot was, boy am I happy I do now! The atmosphere is a little wonky, but the food was very good! Hope they get enough repeat business to stay!
(4)
Sherry E.
Awesome restaurant! The garlic shrimp was out of this world! The service was friendly and we had a great time!
(5)
Richard A.
This had to be one of the worst experiences I have ever had in an eating establishment. We walked in the door and were immediatly underwhelmed by the horrible decor, the place looks like and old pizza joint with portable camping stoves for cooking at the tables. Once we were seated at a table we waited for over 20 minutes and no one even came by to take our order. I finally got up to complain that no one had visited the table and they still had us wait another 10 minutes till someone took our order. We ordered two hot pots and waited over an hour for our food, I complained multiple times and they told us they were understaffed for the night and offered us some popcorn for the wait. Finally when our pots showed up they were out of portable stoves and we waited even longer till they could find another working portable stove. We ordered the shrimp and barely got any on the plates. The taste of the food was bland and flavorless. I had a groupon for this place and still feel like I was completely ripped off. I would not go back to this place if they offered me dinner for free as it was that bad of an experience.
(1)
Jamie C.
Shabang sauce! Get it! We tried the shrimp, crawfish and the hotpots. Our favorite is any seafood with the shabang sauce. It's spicy, garlicky and buttery. The hot pots were decent (It seems a little bland but you can customize it to your liking) but I would go back for the shrimp and crawfish. The service was decent and the price was ok. I wish they start selling crabs with the shabang sauce. I would be there in a heartbeat.
(4)
Celine L.
I don't know why this place doesn't have higher ratings- the food is so yummy. I love getting the hot pot- you pick two broths & fill it with chicken, salmon, beef, udon noodles, veggies- whatever your heart desires. If you don't feel like building your own soup, they also have pho. They also have seafood by the pound- my friends love chowing down on some spicy crawfish. I personally love the shrimp and crab tossed in garlic butter sauce.
(4)
Peter L.
We always get the hot & spicy and house hot pot with pork dumplings, bok choy and cabbage. At the end we order udon noodles. Sort of pricey but we still enjoy coming here. Service is good.
(4)
R O.
Meal could have been better this is the second time I've come to eat and my food was not up to par, the first time I came my food was better and I felt that my meal was well served and made . Today my dish the crab legs with sha bang sauce seemed small and rushed . P.s I ordered this the 1st time I came and I received a better dish the 1st time .. This place is worth a try but this left me feeling not wanting to come back or recommend..
(3)
Emmi A.
Omg!!! The sha-bang sauce is da bang! Ordered corn and sausage with our crawfish but could have done without it. Corn tasted frozen and sausage was ok. Might have been better if the sausage was cut up into bite size pieces and soaked in that amazing sauce. No shame in my game-asked them for a container to bring home the leftover sauce. I will be putting it on everything. Just get the crawfish if you go. The Vietnamese style wings were amazing as well. Nice crisp with plenty of flavor. The only thing disappointing here was the banh Xeo (viet crepe). It was huge when it came out but if you know anything about banh Xeo, it cannot be overstuffed. Overly meaty and extra doughy. My search for banh Xeo down here continues. I guess I'll be making it at home to satisfy my craving.
(4)
Trang N.
I love this place ! The staff there is very friendly . The servers are always checking on you . It's great for family lunch/dinner and even great for big parties . Jordan is always walking around making sure everything is okay and everyone is happy with everything . MUST ORDER -shrimp (made to perfection so wet and juicy) -oyster (sauce is delicious) -crawfish (Shabang) When you walk in, you feel welcomed. It's family orientated . Great vibes . The tables are clean , the floors are clean, the washrooms are clean , and the restaurant itself is clean . I travel a lot to other states and hands down this is the best sauce to throw your crawfish and shrimp in . I compare to Orlando Cali Denver Texas and nothing compares to THE HOT POT . They serve you with gloves as well so that's a plus ! I would definitely recommend this place to others :) enjoy
(5)
Isabel C.
Every time I'm in town I would come here with friends and family for our crawfish cravings. It's never consistent but it's still good...weird huh? I recently dined in here on a Thursday night and I just wanna say this visit was one of the best!!!! We were all surprised with the freshness and flavor, there was an extra bang in the sha bang sauce for our crawfish and shrimp. And also since its crawfish season now you'll be getting giant crawfish with lots of meat and the meat has its own sweetness to it so you'll know it's fresh. Must get shrimp (head on) and crawfish with the sha bang sauce. Mild is the way to go, you'll still get that kick of spiciness and it's just perfect. Nom nom nom
(4)
Love L.
I come here ALL the time, it's become a weekly thing for my friends and I. I cannot believe some Of the negative reviews because I have never had a bad meal here!!! Try their riblets (not sure of the proper name) but they're awesome as well as the Vietnamese wings! The hot pot Thai broth is my fav and of course the sha bang sauce on the seafood! OMG!!!! I definitely recommend this place
(5)
Kimberly K.
What better way to celebrate Chinese New Years than with HOT POT?! I live in west Kendall but decided to make the drive all way to Hollywood because I was adamant about having legit delicious hot pot, and the drive was most certainly worth it! Although the menu says one serving feeds two, they were definitely big enough to feed my group of four! We were so full towards the end that we had to force ourselves to finish the last few mussels and what not. Ingredients we ordered: mussels, watercress, meatballs, tofu, shrimp, Enoki mushrooms, bok choy, and egg noodles. I was extremely pleased with how FRESH everything was! Once the shrimp finished cooking, it came out looking so vibrantly orange, as if it was ready to be shot for a food commercial. We had two broths, the schezuan broth and chicken broth. Definitely go for schezuan if you like spicy or if you're sick and trying to decongest yourself like I was that night haha. I took away 1 star because the service we received could've been 10x better than what we got, to be very frank. Our waitress took forever to just bring us waters, looked annoyed with us, and took a long time overall to bring us everything. It wasn't until halfway through receiving our food that she tried to excuse herself by saying she "was the only server there". Idk if it was cause they were closing in an hour but at least slap a smile to that face to make up for slow service, a happy server helps create a happy environment for guests
(4)
Ana B.
I tried this restaurant because of a Groupon I had bought and have become a regular ever since. While Vietnamese food and Cajun seem like an oddity to most, it is actually pretty common. In the 1970's, many Vietnamese families settled in New Orleans, hence the Cajun influence. My favorite things on the menu is the hot pot and the crawfish with the Sha Bang sauce. They serve both live and frozen crawfish for a very reasonable price. The last time I went it was $12.99/pound for live crawfish. They also have other seafood such as shrimp, which is also very good and crab. No matter what you get I recommend getting it with the Sha Bang sauce. It is a little spicy but it is so packed with garlicky, buttery, spicy flavor it is well worth it. I personally hate heat and spice, but it is tolerable for me and I'd say well worth it. As you can tell from the name, they serve hot pot. Hot pot is said to have originated in Mongolia but is common in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnamese but all called something differently (shabu shabu, lu, etc..). Basically, you pick two soup stocks, the starch (various noodles and rice) and your choice of vegetables and meats to be cook, by you, tableside (think Melting Pot). You are also given chillis, garlic, soy sauce and fish paste to make your dipping sauce. I would say that this place could really improve on giving you more ingredients to concoct your dipping sauce such as Sriracha, oyster sauce, vinegar, etc...The House and Vegetarian broths are very, very bland so you need a good dipping sauce to improve the flavor. My personal strategy is to get the Hot broth and the House broth and mix them together for the perfect heat and flavor. The Hot and the Szechuan are very spicy and spicier. It will make you sweat for sure. I usually get the pork dumplings, which are more like meatballs than dumplings but are very delicious, beef, fatty beef, and shrimp (head off) for my meats. While I love head on shrimp, it distorts the flavor of the broth because the shrimp flavor is so strong, so I usually stick to head off plus it is easier to eat as it is peeled as well. Overall, I feel like the prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get. One hot pot can feed 4 comfortably, or 2 with a lot of leftovers. What I usually do for left overs is cook up all the meats and vegetables and have them pack the soup and order a side of noodles for $3 to go. If you cook the noodles and then pack it up, it will absorb all the liquid and get very soggy. Go on, give it a try!
(4)
Meagan M.
Asian Fondue with a side of cajun.. seems very odd to me, but everything was very good. We bought the Groupon for $40 and spent another $30 which is pretty reasonable. The place is no frills. Booth or table seating and open kitchen window looks like it used to be a sports bar or wings place. We started with the crawfish. Shared a pound which was more than enough. These tasted delicious!! There was garlic and butter which I haven't had on crawfish before, but it certainly worked. Had them at medium spice which was also perfect. For the entree we had a hot pot of course! We did half spicy and half vegetable broth. We also ordered Bok Choy, corn and tofu. For meats we had chicken, beef and pork dumpling. I highly recommend getting the pork dumpling. It was awesome!! The corn is the only thing I will do different next time. It was so hot and since the center was still hard it was like impossible to eat. We also ordered rice and udon noodles. That was too much, next time only getting one starch. All in all this place tasted great and the service was wonderful. On paper it doesn't make much sense, but I will definitely be back again!
(4)
Anna L.
This place is hidden in a plaza... and the decor is pretty simple, its not a fancy place by any means. BUT it has good, healthy food. Also, its clean. My boyfriend loves the crawfish, as well as all the seafood boils (crab, shrimp) by the pound. Crawfish is cheaper than in any other place I've seen. I'm a huge fan of the "hot pot". I eat mostly vegetarian food, rarely seafood or chicken, never meat. Their hot pot dish accommodates all my needs. I can get a vegetarian broth, I can add noodles, tofu, tons of veggies, rice... The other broths have chicken, they can be spicy or not so much... They have meats and seafood to put into the broth... Basically there are lots of options, which is great! Basically I can get a personalized bowl of noodles and veggies. OR I can share a huge pot with some friends :)
(5)
Le N.
One of the first restaurants I've been to since I've moved here, and I'm glad it was the hot pot. The service is always on point as well as the food. I absolutely love the mussels, oysters, crawfish and the best is the edamame. I def recommend this restaurant!!!
(4)
Olga D.
I'm not a big fan of rice and noodles, however, I decided to check out this spot in spite of this, and I wasn't disappointed!! Ordered a Vietnamese crepe (Banh Xeo) - it was excellent! Fresh herbs (mint is my favorite!!), added to the dish! I'll definitely come back!
(5)
Benjamin G.
Always get the same stuff every time we come. Crawfish with sha bang sauce medium spicy. House broth and hot broth with fatty beef, beef tongue, pork, and pig ears. Add some watercress and mung bean noodles. The perfect combination of food. It's always amazing and delicious.
(5)
Neal A.
Came with a large group of 7 on a Tuesday night. First time here and we came hungry. Had the crawfish (10 lbs total), 2 lbs shrimp, and corn on the cob all in the house sauce. Also ordered a Thai hot pot with various add on meats and veggies. Crawfish was delicious; super fresh and the sauce was amazing (rich, garlicky, and spicy). Shrimp and corn was lackluster, shrimp wasn't fresh and corn was obviously frozen but the awesome sauce saved it. Hot pot was ok; broth wasn't great but at least the add ons were fresh. Service was pretty bad, we didn't get refills on waters and had to pretty much stalk our waitress for more napkins, bags for shells, etc. We felt bad for her though, she was handling tables, register, and take outs. I would recommend coming here if you don't mind the wait for a good Cajun boil.
(4)
Kurlotzz B.
Came here after my sister's college graduation to experience how Hot Pot works and it was an amazing fun experience with me and my family. The serving portions was a lot and enough for everyone. We ordered a lot for 6 people but it was definitely worth it. The crawfish was great and their chicken wings that tasted like teriyaki were awesome! We ordered green tea creme brulee and beignets and they were all great. But we definitely loved the creme brulee. The server was really nice and explained to us about the whole Hot Pot thing.They also have a karaoke room but never got to experience it. Especially coming from a Filipino background, karaoke is part of my culture and i will definitely come back here with my friends! THANK YOU FOR HAVING US!
(4)
Edna C.
I'm obsessed with Lousiana-style crawfish, so I try to find new places wherever I go. I was in town for my boyfriend's basketball tournament, and I'm so glad I found this place! I wish it was closer to home! We ordered the crawfish with "the sha bang" flavor because of all the reviews. So garlicky and tasty! If you love the seafood at Boiling Crab and Hot N Juicy, then you'll love this place, too. I would say that it is just as good. We also got the kal-bi and a shaved ice dessert. The shaved ice was huge! The decor and ambiance was super casual and our server was nice. I'm writing this review months later and now I'm sad that it's so far away.
(5)
Eric L.
I love my crawfish, and this is by far the best place for crawfish. Their sauce is unbeatable (shabang sauce). Personally I thought it was better than Boiling Crab (a large chain in california, vegas, texas). Their crawfish is however quite pricey at ~$12/pound. I can't comment on their other food as I have not tried it. They also have 2 karaoke rooms that one can rent out.
(5)
Suxiang S.
I don't write review very often, but when I do, I prefer to be frank and truthful. This place is totally a gem in South Florida, if you like hot pot that is advertised to be the Chinese Fond du, crawfish and fresh seafood. I came on a Sunday and the place was not packed at all, so finding a table was fairly easy. They have multiple varieties of broth to choose and even two broth in one pot. I personally like the homemade garlic paste a lot as it is an authentic dressing for hot pot, but most importantly, it is delish. After hotpot, we ordered a pound of crawfish which is believed to be the signature item on the menu, and is only $9.99. It comes in a incredibly flavorful sauce which will force you to suck your finger to enjoy the dish to the fullest. I noticed that they also service clams and oysters, meaning I will be back.
(5)
Ross I.
Used to be an awesome and cute date spot, last time we went we couldn't determine if the bugs were coming from the plates or the holes on the side of the table where the wiring for the cookers was, either way it was gross. (It was those weird bugs that are attached to watch other by the butt.)
(1)
Liz P.
We went on a Friday night and had a wonderful meal! Ordered the dinner for 2 for $30, total bill was $36 with drinks and we left the restaurant Stuffed with leftovers. Our service was good, all the food was fresh & delicious, and I can't wait to go back!
(4)
Mandy H.
Their family portions of Hot pot is not really worth the money. Their meat plate is so small that each person will ending up getting 2 pieces of beef and assorted meat balls. When someone is doing Chinese Hot Pot. The most important dish is the meat. But you won't get enough meat in here.
(2)
Patrick G.
I think Ive died and gone to Shabu and crawfish heaven!! I am coming from the bay area so I have very high expectations when it comes to food. This is the new wave and once you've tried hot pot, you will begin to crave it on any rainy or chilly day! The crawfish is amazing and you need to get it with the "shabang" seasoning! As for the hotpot, i love the spicy broth!
(5)
Lola N.
I usually make my own hot pot because it is an inexpensive meal for a big party but, tonight we decided to go eat out. When we arrived, our server was really nice. We order the hot and spicy broth, and half the original aka "house". The broth was on the bland side but, the herbs they used to top it off made it smell very nice. We order beef, fish paste, Fried fish paste, Mung bean noodles (Clear noodles) and many vegetables. When we ask our server: "do you have the fish balls?" She said no, but she said that the fish paste was the same. It is just a paste version of it. When we received it, I used the spoon to scoop the paste into the broth. We waited for it to float (TIP: that means it is ready). When I tried it... It was terrible. It had a fishy smell to it. And it was a chalky feeling like it was frozen fish. The fish was bland. This is why I gave them 3 stars: i ask the server to remove it. (Removing the paste and the fried fish paste) she said ; well you put it in the hot pot I will still have to charge you. WTF? We tried less than half. It was horrible. As a person that has been in the hospitality industry for years, I was very disappointed with the response. Mind you, she said she would take it away.... But still charge me. Ridiculous. Over all, I should have just went there for my first purpose: Banh Bot Loc. No more hot pot EVER... Not from here.
(3)
Chris N.
Yesterday was my first time going to The Hot Pot, and it lived up to its great reputation. I do recommend the crawfish, their House Special Fried Rice (They have a slightly different name for it.). The meal was sumptuous, to say the least, but what was significant for me was the service. The Hot Pot is a welcoming restaurant. It felt like eating at home, in fine style. The service was island-style with warmth, and most inviting to return. All this and more are captured in The Hot Pot's mantra, "There are no strangers here, only friends we haven't met."
(5)
Maryann S.
You ever had that crave for some spice & seafood?? Well we found this place that serves Louisiana style seafood & a big plus on the Pho!! Yes they serve Vietnamese dishes as well!! As you walk in, the restaurant is really big and has a lot of tables and a lot of room, so you wouldn't have a problem on wait time. The establishment does need a bit of an update on the table booths and also the restrooms. But thats ok, its all about the delicious food they serve! Beef Pho: Has the tripe,tendon,eye-round steak,beef ball. When you eat pho, its all about the broth. Their broth had a sweeter side & very tasty. When you order the seafood, you can spice it any way you like; 1. you pick your seafood- blue crab, shrimp,crawfish, etc. 2. Then you pick your spice: Garlic Butter Lemon Pepper Rajun Cajun House Special The Sha Bang all of the above I personally always order the shrimp w/ Sha Bang(1lb) - I have tried the medium & the spicy one. Love them both. It was very tasty & delicious. I cannot complain on the level of spice of it & usually with all that seasonings, it would be salty,but it was not salty at all. The also have the hotpot where you can order your meat & veggies and cook it yourself. Thats our next venture =0) Looks interesting! All in all, our visit was very pleasant and would recommend this place to others.
(4)
Liu C.
Soooooooooooooo Bad!!!!! There is cockroach in bean sprouts ! How dirty the kitchen is!! Service is so bad! Ugly! 居然蟑螂在豆芽ï¼ï¼ æœåŠ¡å‘˜è¶…å·®ï¼ï¼æ€åº¦æ¶åŠ£ï¼ï¼å±…然没有æ£å¼é“æ‰ï¼ï¼å°±ç®—旅游æ¥ä¸€æ¬¡ 也太å™å¿ƒï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼åˆ†é‡å°‘ä»·æ ¼è´µï¼ç‰›ç¾Šè‚‰æ˜¯çº¸ç‰‡ï¼ï¼
(1)
Amelia M.
Great hidden little hole in the wall spot for some authentic Vietnamese food. This is hot pot style cooking which pretty much consists of a soup meal. You start off by selecting your broth style, and now they have changed up their menu so that you can pair it with only what you want (their old menu use to only offer a pre-selected combos of broths and items with limited options - I prefer the option to customize it and welcome the change). Visiting with someone who likes it spicier than you do? No problem! The pots have a waterproof partition in it, so you can select two broths and both have what you like. For those of you who do like it hot, make sure to ask your server for the super spicy sauce ( would wont find it on the table with other hot sauce). My fav's: Udon Noodles House Broth Egg (raw and in shell) Dumplings (see photos - these are not your average dumplings but very tasty) Bok Choy Raw Garlic What will this unique eating style cost you? Typically it is around $30 for two but you get soooo much, there's always some to take home, and they are happy to pack it up for you. With all the broths and items to select from there is always a new combination to try. PLUS if you like crawfish this is also the place to go! They sell them by the bagful, seasoned and ready to be devoured. I love watching the first timers faces as they're brought a bag full and a plastic bib and left to their own devices. I do not eat shellfish, but anyone I have ever asked swears by them!
(5)
Jennifer O.
Delicious Pho...great broth :) They have Hot Pot too. Server was super helpful. Great experience. Will be back.
(5)
Naomi C.
First off I have to say the service was great. Our server was amazing and took care of us the entire time. I wish I remembered her name. It started with the letter E like Elektrina or something (so sorry if you're reading this). Now onto the food. If it wasn't for the service, their Vietnamese Coffee and Beignets....I don't think I would have given this place 2 stars. The coffee was Amazing!!!! The beignets.... Were good...but I've definitely had better. My husband ordered the Korean BBQ rice bowl but was given noodles instead. They apologized for the mistake. Luckily he doesn't complain and just ate it. The beef was great... We liked it. The hot pot was bland. No flavor at all. I'm used to hot pots being so flavorful with a lot of spices. He had to add fish sauce and Siracha just to enjoy it more. We ordered the house broth and spicy broth. The beef wasn't even paper thin....come on!!! I had high hopes for the place but it just didn't do it for us. We looked around and saw that almost everyone ordered the crawfish boil. Maybe that was good but the place was called "The Hot Pot" and not the crawfish boil. Not sure I'll come back to eat here.
(2)
Emmett W.
I went here on my first experience of "Hot Pot" there is a lot of different varieties, but not for me. Maybe I'm just old fashioned. But if your looking for something different give it a try.
(3)
Keith H.
Went back to Hot Pot again today - and for the first time, did not do a hot pot meal. We chose 3 dishes instead
(4)
K B.
The concept of the "hot pot" gives a feeling of warmth, coziness, family and a kind of satisfaction which feels like home. But, once you've gotten comfortable enough to begin this experience, it begins with sloth-like slow service, heat generated from the hot pot which will have your perspiring before you start doing so from the spices, and the tiniest portions of ingredients to create your meal. Double or triple every order of ingredients. If I knew, I wouldn't order the hot pot. Too much work, too much heat, felt a bit "too" much like having to cook at home only much more expensive... I would recommend the salt and pepper shrimp and fried rice... These were unbelievably delicious. As a matter of fact, better than I've had in much better restaurants. Their deserts are the tiniest portions. Don't order the donuts. They were bland, tasteless and heavy. The mochi is delicious and out of the box... They have many flavors. They have a private karaoke room and while there, we got to hear the worst karaoke singing ever! Hilarious...
(3)
Nelson M.
Service was good, food was a bit too salty, but, all in all, a different kind of place to visit.
(2)
Crystal S.
My second hot pot experience! Lots of seating. The duck was the best for me! Right near my friends house so we went here for a meet up just to catch up.
(4)
Zully D.
My husband and I are regular customers since the first day we tried their Pho and the Hot Pot. We have tried Pho from other places like Pho 78&79 and Green Papaya and they always fall short when we compare them to the food from "The Hot Pot". Food is súper fresh, and delicious. They have a new appetizer (some kind of beef wrapped in lettuce and grilled) that is amazing!!!!
(5)
Alina A.
Came here for the first time with a Groupon. Our server was very informative about the hot pot concept and explained the menu with great detail. The hot pot was amazing! We came back a 2nd time for the pho (very good) and will definitely be back for awesome service and food.
(4)
Kristin C.
Think Melting Pot, but waaaay healthier. You get some broth, then pick your protein & veggies, and throw it in the pot. It seems a bit pricey, but for two people we had LOTS of left overs. We did have a groupon for $40, and there were no issues with that. The beignets were not Cafe Du Monde, but still hit the spot. Powdered sugar on anything fried is gonna be good. Lol
There is only one dish that keeps me coming back and it does not have anything to do with the hot pot. I am a fan kalbi short ribs, nicely seasoned with mixed veggies.
My wife and I had a great dinner in Hot Pot, the experience of a vietnamese fondue was expectacular. (First time for us) We ordered The house and the vegetarian broth, and them we ordered as protein chicken, meat, mushroom, we also ordered an egg and udon noodles. When the broth is boiling, you have to put everything inside. The result is a super tasty healthy soup!! We loved it! Probably with the same portion, could eat at least another person. Good prices, super friendly staff (katrina, the russian girl was very very kind at explaining everything). The only thing is about the space per se, I'm not looking for fancy places, probably my best meals had been in not pretty places, but that doesn't mean that the space need to be in bad condition. Probably a good hand of paint and changing the glasses, dishes and other tiny things would enhance the experience. Could be 5stars but..... For food and staff 4 1/2, for ambience 3. For sure we will back!
(4)
Adrienne B.
Tiffany is amazing. Food so healthy and great. Pricing fair. .would bring friends..just amazing.
(5)
Maria I.
After reading all the very critical reviews on here for their hot pot, I was very skeptical when first entering this restaurant. The meal turned out to be delicious. We ordered the house broth and the Schezuan one. They were both very flavorful. Not to mention our waitress was extremely welcoming and polite. I take off a star due to the lack of variety in terms of ingredients you can order to cook in the hot pot. Definitely recommend to all my fellow hot pot enthusiasts!
(4)
Tim F.
Chinese Fondue? Don't mind if I do! Okay, so like your typical fondue......at Hot Pot you have your choice of broth (spicy, house, vegetarian) in which you cook your meats/seafood/tofu (we had chicken, steak, shrimp) and mix them in with a choice of many vegetables (we picked cabbage, mushrooms, bok choy) and once cooked put your custom concoction in your bowl with rice or noodles and enjoy! Add additional sauces if you like, however we found that the delicious broth infuses enough into the meat/veggies that sauces were not necessary. However before you get to the main course, the appetizers are killer. Specifically the Hurricane Popcorn is a fantastic mixture of popcorn, Nori, Chinese Crackers and it is addictive as Crack. Also delicious is the garlic edamame which is almost as addictive as the popcorn. This place is a fusion of Chinese and Cajun cuisine, which means they also serve crawfish, various other types of seafood and for dessert....beignets and coffee from Cafe du Monde. Although we did not have a chance to try these....we will the next time we are back! Now this place is not perfect, as service, although very friendly, is a bit spotty. No doubt that they will work out the kinks and eventually get it down right. Also the steak was a bit on the smaller portion side, but with all of the chicken,veggies, noodles etc, there is no way that you will leave here hungry. The decor needs a bit of work (don't expect fancy), but it appears it is a work in progress. However, in NO way does this place deserve a single star. To those reviews that gave it a single star....are you f-ing kidding me? I rarely criticize fellow Yelpers, but c'mon. The place was packed when we went; it only a month old so they are stil finishing construction; @ $15 a person, this place is hardly "very expensive"; and unless you are the type of person who orders everything supersized, most folks will find the portions more than adequate. So although really a 4 star, i am giving it a 5 to level out the rating field. Regardless, I encourage readers to come here for something a bit different and tasty and decide for yourself.
I think this place is more of a 3.5, but I'll round up because I think Florida needs more places like the Hot Pot. They serve good fusion food, and the hot pot soup options were good. I personally liked the "hot and spicy," which had a good kick without being overwhelmingly spicy. Most of the food seemed fresh and they honored a coupon I won for a half pound of crawfish from a yelp event. The crawfish was well seasoned, but I've always found crawfish to be a little too much work. I also had the thai iced tea which wasn't too sweet, perfect for me since I think it can be heavy sometimes. Pricing was reasonable for a large group. My issue was that service was kinda slow, and I suggest they have more things prepped for hot pot to minimize the wait between dishes. We had reserved a table for 10, so I would not have minded ordering a few things in advance to get the ball rolling if I knew how long it was going to take. After all, it should be fast since we cook it at the table. I hope my friends had a good hot pot experience, and I hope The Hot Pot continues to improve. My personal favorite were the oyster mushrooms!
(4)
Giang D.
This place is amazing!!! We tried everything everyone recommended: the crawfish was so fresh and spicylicious!!! We ordered hot pot 1 spicy and 1 sezchuan flavors, they were both delicious but I like the spicy flavor better cuz I like spicy stuff! We had the hot pot with salmon (salmon was super fresh and lot in quatity for $8, with that much salmon, if you ordered these fresh salmon sashimi in sushi restaurant, it would cost you $20), beef (so fresh and red), water crest, tofu, and egg noodles (the noodle was so good that we had to ordered three times). It was an amazing experience! Definitely would come back again!
(5)
Jeffrey Y.
Excellent interesting Asian cuisine option. Second time back and the hot pot option is great. Loved the vietnamese crepe and the fried squid heads. Good stuff.
(4)
Lee Z.
Flavors were good. Service was excellent. Portions were on the small side for meat kind. Overall, good experience.
(4)
Kimsley A.
I was a little skeptical of trying this place out but it is the closest Hot Pot Restaurant to me so I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt; what a bad decision. The meal was probably the lowest grade of meat I have ever been served - think mystery meat with large chunks of fat. The house broth was tasteless and the hot n spicy was so spicy it completely overpowered the other flavors in the broth. Oh, and our waitress was slow, skittish, and completely unintelligent of the menu. Unfortunately, I have nothing positive to say about this place. Next time, I'll be making the drive to the Miami area for some decent Hot Pot.
(1)
Chris T.
Crawfish was not fresh. It was not good. Corn not good either. Shrimp was ok. Not recommend this place. I should have known this place wasn't good when it was pretty empty around dinner time when I was there.
(2)
Vince S.
Came here on Sunday morning with fiance right when they open. Waitress was very nice, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Food portion is generous and fresh. Good atomsphere and good experience.
(4)
Natasha C.
Yum yum, I love a good hot pot! This place is definitely Asian fusion with some cajun touches. Went here with a friend who had acquired a Groupon for the place. We started with the garlic fries, which are quite tasty, then moved on to the hot pot that was included as part of the Groupon deal. We were not disappointed at any point during the meal. The portions are huge if you're looking to eat more than just meat, as the veggies and starches are piled high. Try the meatballs-- they're made of pork and have that perfect consistency like ones you'll find in a good bowl of pho. We made pigs of ourselves and still had plenty leftover by the time we were finished. Try the spicy hot broth, as it's full of hot chili oil; if you mix it with a little of the house special broth, it'll be a perfect blend of heat and umami. The induction cooktops that they use are more than hot enough to come to a boil, and they adjust the temperature for you as you go along to ensure that your food cooks at the correct heat level. Since we had beef, shrimp, and meatballs, we didn't need it up past boiling for long. The folks at the table behind us had theirs higher, as they were cooking chicken at their table.
(4)
Alex G.
I'm assuming it just opened, as everyone working there was pretty much clueless. Our waitress seemed to be trying, but she knew nothing about the menu items or ingredients, and was not particularly helpful. "What's in the House broth"? "Oh, I don't know, it's our house made broth." Then she argued (somewhat politely) that we couldn't have TWO hot pots with six people. We didn't want everything shoved into one pot; and instead of making it easy for us, it was somewhat of a minor battle. Ultimately, we prevailed and they brought us two hot pots. They also forgot to bring us chopsticks. The service got more polite as the dinner went on, and we established a repoire with our server. Still, it's a family run business, and the service is less than professional. The most important part, of course, is the food. The food is a solid 4 stars if you like hot pot (shabu shabu). We cooked shrimp, meat, veggies and noodles in broth, of which you have 3 choices. We also ordered a side of tofu. The meat was tasty and high quality, and they gave us a huge portion of mushrooms, bok choy, napa cabbage, and noodles. A little more variety of veggies would have been a plus, but the quality of the meats and veggies was so good I refuse to complain about what wasn't there. Service was 2 stars, food was 4 stars. That makes this a 3 star place to dine.
(3)
Nhu V.
Okay, when its crawfish seanson, get the crawfish boil with the shabang sauce! So good!! But other than that, the hot pot selection isnt that great for the price you pay. They really did raise their prices! Idk, i usually go for crawfish and hotpot, but now might just stick to crawfish itself.
(3)
Kristen B.
Too bad this place is tucked in the back corner of the shopping center, because this is a hidden GEM! Service was excellent and very helpful. Food was of good quality, good portions, reasonably priced, and a good fusion of food. Will definitely be going back.
(4)
Candace R.
Took my mom here; loved it, and will go back. Caution: The hot broth is very spicy and I grew up with spicy foods on the dinner table so next time I go we're opting for the regular broth and will spice it up at will. I consider myself pretty adventurous with eating different foods, but we stayed with the more common shrimp and chicken choices. A few other tables were loaded with crawfish, which I like, but was specifically there to try the Hot Pot. I believe one table had some Vietnamese diners and they seemed to know all the homeland specials. I would love to try some of the more exotic choices, but will need some direction. We had a green tea creme brulee that was really good too. It's definitely a casual atmosphere, and no where I'd take someone on a first date if you're looking for ambiance. I bought a Groupon recently and not sure if I can convince my husband to go, but I'm sure my mom will be up for it.
(5)
Sylvester N.
This review is for the crawfish and shrimp only. I haven't tried other things on the menu yet. The sauce was on point. I tried the "shabang" and the flavor was exceptional. Very close to some of the best I've tried. The menu was very diverse, and I look forward to coming back! Service: Our waitress was very nice and helpful.
(4)
Veronica J.
This place exceeded my expectations. The service was amazing , you dont see that at many restaurants. They were very helpful, even the Owner kept walking around to make sure we were ok. The food was the best I ahd in a long time. It is healthy but very tasty. I recommend this restaurant to everyone that loves healthy food.
(5)
Renee C.
Authentic Chinese fondue no kidding Fresh meat fresh vegetable and not pricy at all The decor is lacking and I don't care
(3)
Chris G.
Found this place through Yelp and I loved it! I've never had food this way but my friend has else where. It's definitely a place to take your time eating since you cook the food yourself and in portions since all the ingredients you order won't fit at once. I will be going back.
(5)
Timmy J.
Food is ok but they cheat, they cheat on lbs of crawfish. They charge price of 6lbs when we order 3-4 lbs. happened a few times. Dont go here.
(1)
JD C.
Love the beef short ribs, very tasty. The Shrimp "pot" is super, make sure to get the shabang flavor, its garlic and some spices that rounds very well. Tried the beignets, my son loved it..... all in all I give them a 5! BTW the hotpot is also good to have. If you haven't tried the food here, you're missing a lot!
(5)
Bao P.
This is asian hot pot. DON'T COME HERE THINKING IT'S MELTING POT. it's basically a chicken broth with asian spices that's boiling and you dip in fish balls, beef, shrimp or whatever meat you ordered. It also comes with vegetables that you dip in. You also get noodles or rice. The food is alright, but the portion size is too small in my opinion. love, Bao Eat on my Friends!
(3)
Sarah G.
This was an interesting meal. Cool concept, mediocre experience. The restaurant is fairly large. We went in (party of 4) at 7:30 on a Friday night. There were only 2 other couples in the restaurant. The hot pot had 4-5 flat screen TVs but only 2 were turned on. The menu is a variety of different cuisines... vietnamese, korean, cajun?? I shared a hot pot with the house broth and hot and spicy broth. Both lacked flavor. We asked for hoisin sauce to give it some taste. The proteins we ordered were shrimp and beef. The servings were not small which was good. We ordered 1 egg noodle enough to share for 2 people. We each got an egg and shared daikon. The daikon was raw and had no flavor. I liked being able to soft boil the egg. The electric plate on the table is pretty noisy when turned on. The soups were filling but really just ok. One guest ordered the bulgogi (short rib) noodles, the noodles were cold, meat hot...weird. It came with a sweet dipping sauce that was very good. Another guest ordered the seafood vermicelli soup pre-made. It tasted good but didn't have a lot of seafood in it. It was a cool idea to make your own soup, but it was hard to serve yourself the noodles once droped in the broth. I'd give this place another try but I wouldn't wear my nicest outfit here because you are bound to get dirty. We all left full but wished the food had a little more flavors.
(3)
MiMi V.
Finally, a decent hot pot place to replace Peppers that went down the drain in the Pines. Based on another review the Viet/Cajun thing doesn't make sense. Haven't been to New Orleans lately? Check out Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre foods tour of Versailles in New Orleans that has one of the largest populations of Viet in the US. In fact, if you eat at Cafe du Monde 9 times out of 10 the waitress is Viet. The Viet owner is from Gretna and has lived in New Orleans. Nice lady. Had a groupon and decided to try it out and was pleasantly surprised. Waitress, Nina, was pretty good. Owner came by several times to to check up on us and ask if we needed anything. She and my Viet mom chatted. Use to live in Louisiana and Hawaii hence the variety in the menu. Appetizers: Crawfish cooked in seafood boil and then tossed in a mild sauce call Sha Bang, a mix of spicy Cajun, garlic butter and lemon pepper for $11.99/lb. Very nice and tasty. Well received by our group of 6. Next was an order of Kal-bi (Korean short ribs) which was really really really good. I suspect my husband, who is normally so polite, was trying to hide them by placing other foods in front of it and kept it close to his plate. Hot Pot, mix of spicy and regular. Very well seasoned. Hot pot was not all you can eat but the amount given was more than sufficient and we were full. Seafood was pleasantly fresh and we were really happy. My husband who hates hotpot normally kept eating and eating. I had to tell him to stop so we could order desert. Desert was beignets which were really good. Had 3 servings = ). A bit heavier than the ones from Cafe du Monde but nevertheless pretty good and worthy of ordering more. Will definitely be coming back. They are contemplating adding Pho to the menu and hope they do. Have yet to find a decent bowl south of Orlando.
(4)
Celeste M.
No other place of this kind are in the area. Fun place to dine with friends and for late nights! Everything we order is delicious - hot pot, viet sandwiches, thai tea. There's karaoke for larger parties. Never walk out disappointed after eating here.
(5)
mimi c.
really good stuff! reminds me of N'awlins! The crawfish were delish, and the korean beef short ribs = YUM!!! Nice looking place too, really liked the ambiance and the waiter was super friendly.... will be back!
(5)
Jacob D.
Very authentic and a great place to bring your friends. Always see people eating the crawfish. Hear they are flown in from New Orleans daily. The spicy broth is amazing! Must try the hurricane popcorn. Private Karaoke rooms in the back for the adventurous.
(4)
Cecilia J.
"Welcome to Hot Pot!!!" exclaims the overenthusiastic and spacey waitress. "We are Vietnamese, Cajun, and American!!" --Huh?? That doesn't make any sense. And the menu reflects this nonsensical hodgepodge of a concept. The food just doesn't taste very good. Maybe it's because I'm Chinese and I actually have some standards for Asian food, but the restaurants seriously needs to rework their operations. Crawfish came served in a huge plastic bag? I don't know if that's how crawfish is usually served but it doesn't help to elevate the sophistication of this place, that's for sure. The hot pot was just okay. The broth was unauthentic and too salty. The hot plate was too slow resulting to a pot that could never fully boil. Maybe this place should be renamed Warm Pot? Portions were fair, though the price was not worth the quality of the food. ($44 for 3 people). We had a Groupon and it seemed like almost everyone else eating there on a Monday night did as well. The place looked like a half-renovated pizza place or something. The best part was the four large flat screens TVs to distract you while waiting too long for the crawfish to come out in the dead quiet restaurant.
(1)
Andy G.
Worst experience ever! First red flag the place was empty on a Friday night at 7PM. Second red flag no sweet tea. Third red flag construction tarps as walls. 4th red flag they said they ran out of crab legs. We ran out right after they stuck us with a bill for the can of coke for $3 The place is a joke with a bad odor, disgusting decor, high prices and NO fresh seafood. It is really sad.
(1)
Ana C.
LOVED the crawfish and shrimp!!! Delicious food and sauce!! Fun place to go in a group or with kids.... can't beat the price!!!! WE LOVED IT :)))))
(5)
Mayako N.
We decided to try this place because we had groupon deal and the web site looked good. The deal was for 4 people but we were a party of 3. As some of the reviewers mentioned there, the meat plate for the hot pot is a joke. The meat and the seafood plates were so small and it's not even enough for 3. They do give plenty vegetable, noodle and rice. If we didn't have a groupon deal and had to pay the full price, we would feel this place is rip off!!
(1)
Dawen H.
Korean BBQ is tasty, but chicken Katsu was too hard.
(3)
Martin G.
The Hot Pot was a new experience for me--an enjoyable one. I discovered it through one of those 'pay $20 for $40 worth of food' and it was something I hadn't experienced before so off we went. We had the Hot Pot For 2 ($29.99) consisting of : 2 broths--we chose the house Style and vegetarian--2 seafood dishes--shrimp and fish balls (they were out of scallops--don't order the fish balls)--2 vegetables-- nappa cabbage & baby bok choy--2 starches-- mung bean noodles (very unmanageable LOL) and brown rice--we added 2 meats chicken and beef ($5.99 each)--I had coffee ($1,50) and was sort of surprised that I was charged for a refill--Allen had his usual coke ($1.50). For dessert we shared the mochi ice cream--not to our liking--$4.99--and excellent beignets ($3.99) The check, before the coupon deduction, with tax and tip came to $69.76 The 2 hours we were there only 2 other parties came in but it was that in-between hours of 4-6 PM Our server, Tiffany, was very good explaining everything to us plus enjoying the way we ate everything up! LOL I was intrigued by the 'hot plate' and how it worked. Aside from the fish balls and mochi the food was fresh tasting and the fact that they were out of scallops on a Friday wasn't a good sign. I did enjoy The Hot Pot experience but it isn't something I would be doing again soon. WARNING: Right next store is a Weight Watchers office!!!!
(4)
Susan C.
Went with a group of four to The Hot Pot last night because we had the Groupon. Our server was very nice and thoroughly explained the process to us. Basically, this is a build-your-own-pho restaurant. I gave it three stars because you are paying more money to cook your own dinner than it would cost to actually go get a bowl of pho, which is really cheap. It's a good novelty, but I didn't really like the House Broth, and kept thinking to myself that I could have just gone over to Pho 78 for a better bowl of pho. I will say that all of us were happy with the meal and left full. We had the spicy broth and house broth; beef, chicken and shrimp; watercress, bok choy and straw mushroom; and clear noodles and brown rice. You think you're going to run out of food/broth, but you're not! I would be interested to go back for some of the New Orleans-inspired items on the menu. I was also intrigued that the two items on the dessert menu were beignets from Cafe du Monde and mochi ice cream!
(3)
Li S.
Got a Groupon Hotpot Dinner for 4 last year summer. Shrimp tofu and sotong. lots of vegetable, little rice and noodle. if not for the groupon I don;t think it is worth the value.
(2)
Paul M.
I liked this place. I was a little concerned when we pulled up as blacked out windows made the restaurant look closed. Second bad sign was that we were the only people in the place on a Sunday for lunch. My worries were quickly alleviated. The waitress was extremely nice and the food comes raw so service is quick. They setup a hotplate with your soup broths and bring the other ingredients out. You get a few kinds of broth (hot & spicy, house or vegetarian) plus 3 vegetables (on choy, bok choy, mushrooms, watercress, etc..) 3 meats (beef, chicken, meatball, tofu, shrimp, scallop) and 2 starches (white rice, brown rice, noodles or mung bean noodles) for $55. Everything was fresh and tasty. The broths were nice and the enoki mushrooms were delicious. I gave this place 4 stars based on the overall experience. It was a great place to go with friends and share a meal. Great place for groups.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Aizanah N.
I HAVE NEVER LEFT A RESTAURANT SO HUNGRY IN MY LIFE!!! It was worse than the most terrible review!!! The pictures of the food on their website are totally misleading. The Garlic Butter shrimp tasted so bad that the Shrimpinator...my 4 year old son spit them out & refused to eat them! They were extremely tiny for an entree & they were not fresh, which I thought they would be since the waitress asked if we wanted the heads on or off. The crawfish came to the table in a plastic bag swimming in more of the un-appetizing Garlic butter & were not sweet at all. The side of rice was tiny & had no sauce to eat with it. The side salad was a child's handfull worth & the macaroni was bland, tastless & was an ugly shade of gray. The spring rolls were not hot, mushy & not nearly as good as what you can get in the frozen section of any grocery store. The korean short ribs were the only thing with some taste, but the portion size was so small!!! We had the beniegts which were just a little piece of fried dough served with condended milk. We did not try the hot pot, so I cannot comment on that. The atmosphere was as tasteless as the food. Our waitress was fine, though she was the only waitress I've ever had who never asked how anything was...no wonder! I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone! Even at half off I found it very expensive for what you get. As soon as we left, my husband & I looked at each other and said,"where can we get something to eat now"!... We ended up going for Chinese when we left there. Oh, and did I mention it was my Anniversary.... I really wanted to believe the good reviews, but after experiencing it for my self... I can tell you the bad reviews are much more accurate!!! BEWARE
(1)Lindsay W.
The restaurant was great! It was a new type of dining for us and the owner himself walked us through the process, not that it's complicated, just different. The food was very fresh and the staff was very friendly and checked on us frequently. There were five adults and we ordered the dinner for four and we still had leftovers. Go to the website and read the history of how this dining experience came about, it makes the dining more of an experience. The location is a little difficult to find so be sure to ask the name of the shopping plaza it is located (I can't remember). The wine was decent although a tad over priced. Overall we had a great experience and will definitely go back. Be sure to check the hours as they are different during the week than the weekends.
(5)Sharon D.
Like some of the others, we found this place through Groupon. Never knew what a Hot Pot was, boy am I happy I do now! The atmosphere is a little wonky, but the food was very good! Hope they get enough repeat business to stay!
(4)Sherry E.
Awesome restaurant! The garlic shrimp was out of this world! The service was friendly and we had a great time!
(5)Richard A.
This had to be one of the worst experiences I have ever had in an eating establishment. We walked in the door and were immediatly underwhelmed by the horrible decor, the place looks like and old pizza joint with portable camping stoves for cooking at the tables. Once we were seated at a table we waited for over 20 minutes and no one even came by to take our order. I finally got up to complain that no one had visited the table and they still had us wait another 10 minutes till someone took our order. We ordered two hot pots and waited over an hour for our food, I complained multiple times and they told us they were understaffed for the night and offered us some popcorn for the wait. Finally when our pots showed up they were out of portable stoves and we waited even longer till they could find another working portable stove. We ordered the shrimp and barely got any on the plates. The taste of the food was bland and flavorless. I had a groupon for this place and still feel like I was completely ripped off. I would not go back to this place if they offered me dinner for free as it was that bad of an experience.
(1)Jamie C.
Shabang sauce! Get it! We tried the shrimp, crawfish and the hotpots. Our favorite is any seafood with the shabang sauce. It's spicy, garlicky and buttery. The hot pots were decent (It seems a little bland but you can customize it to your liking) but I would go back for the shrimp and crawfish. The service was decent and the price was ok. I wish they start selling crabs with the shabang sauce. I would be there in a heartbeat.
(4)Celine L.
I don't know why this place doesn't have higher ratings- the food is so yummy. I love getting the hot pot- you pick two broths & fill it with chicken, salmon, beef, udon noodles, veggies- whatever your heart desires. If you don't feel like building your own soup, they also have pho. They also have seafood by the pound- my friends love chowing down on some spicy crawfish. I personally love the shrimp and crab tossed in garlic butter sauce.
(4)Peter L.
We always get the hot & spicy and house hot pot with pork dumplings, bok choy and cabbage. At the end we order udon noodles. Sort of pricey but we still enjoy coming here. Service is good.
(4)R O.
Meal could have been better this is the second time I've come to eat and my food was not up to par, the first time I came my food was better and I felt that my meal was well served and made . Today my dish the crab legs with sha bang sauce seemed small and rushed . P.s I ordered this the 1st time I came and I received a better dish the 1st time .. This place is worth a try but this left me feeling not wanting to come back or recommend..
(3)Emmi A.
Omg!!! The sha-bang sauce is da bang! Ordered corn and sausage with our crawfish but could have done without it. Corn tasted frozen and sausage was ok. Might have been better if the sausage was cut up into bite size pieces and soaked in that amazing sauce. No shame in my game-asked them for a container to bring home the leftover sauce. I will be putting it on everything. Just get the crawfish if you go. The Vietnamese style wings were amazing as well. Nice crisp with plenty of flavor. The only thing disappointing here was the banh Xeo (viet crepe). It was huge when it came out but if you know anything about banh Xeo, it cannot be overstuffed. Overly meaty and extra doughy. My search for banh Xeo down here continues. I guess I'll be making it at home to satisfy my craving.
(4)Trang N.
I love this place ! The staff there is very friendly . The servers are always checking on you . It's great for family lunch/dinner and even great for big parties . Jordan is always walking around making sure everything is okay and everyone is happy with everything . MUST ORDER -shrimp (made to perfection so wet and juicy) -oyster (sauce is delicious) -crawfish (Shabang) When you walk in, you feel welcomed. It's family orientated . Great vibes . The tables are clean , the floors are clean, the washrooms are clean , and the restaurant itself is clean . I travel a lot to other states and hands down this is the best sauce to throw your crawfish and shrimp in . I compare to Orlando Cali Denver Texas and nothing compares to THE HOT POT . They serve you with gloves as well so that's a plus ! I would definitely recommend this place to others :) enjoy
(5)Isabel C.
Every time I'm in town I would come here with friends and family for our crawfish cravings. It's never consistent but it's still good...weird huh? I recently dined in here on a Thursday night and I just wanna say this visit was one of the best!!!! We were all surprised with the freshness and flavor, there was an extra bang in the sha bang sauce for our crawfish and shrimp. And also since its crawfish season now you'll be getting giant crawfish with lots of meat and the meat has its own sweetness to it so you'll know it's fresh. Must get shrimp (head on) and crawfish with the sha bang sauce. Mild is the way to go, you'll still get that kick of spiciness and it's just perfect. Nom nom nom
(4)Love L.
I come here ALL the time, it's become a weekly thing for my friends and I. I cannot believe some Of the negative reviews because I have never had a bad meal here!!! Try their riblets (not sure of the proper name) but they're awesome as well as the Vietnamese wings! The hot pot Thai broth is my fav and of course the sha bang sauce on the seafood! OMG!!!! I definitely recommend this place
(5)Kimberly K.
What better way to celebrate Chinese New Years than with HOT POT?! I live in west Kendall but decided to make the drive all way to Hollywood because I was adamant about having legit delicious hot pot, and the drive was most certainly worth it! Although the menu says one serving feeds two, they were definitely big enough to feed my group of four! We were so full towards the end that we had to force ourselves to finish the last few mussels and what not. Ingredients we ordered: mussels, watercress, meatballs, tofu, shrimp, Enoki mushrooms, bok choy, and egg noodles. I was extremely pleased with how FRESH everything was! Once the shrimp finished cooking, it came out looking so vibrantly orange, as if it was ready to be shot for a food commercial. We had two broths, the schezuan broth and chicken broth. Definitely go for schezuan if you like spicy or if you're sick and trying to decongest yourself like I was that night haha. I took away 1 star because the service we received could've been 10x better than what we got, to be very frank. Our waitress took forever to just bring us waters, looked annoyed with us, and took a long time overall to bring us everything. It wasn't until halfway through receiving our food that she tried to excuse herself by saying she "was the only server there". Idk if it was cause they were closing in an hour but at least slap a smile to that face to make up for slow service, a happy server helps create a happy environment for guests
(4)Ana B.
I tried this restaurant because of a Groupon I had bought and have become a regular ever since. While Vietnamese food and Cajun seem like an oddity to most, it is actually pretty common. In the 1970's, many Vietnamese families settled in New Orleans, hence the Cajun influence. My favorite things on the menu is the hot pot and the crawfish with the Sha Bang sauce. They serve both live and frozen crawfish for a very reasonable price. The last time I went it was $12.99/pound for live crawfish. They also have other seafood such as shrimp, which is also very good and crab. No matter what you get I recommend getting it with the Sha Bang sauce. It is a little spicy but it is so packed with garlicky, buttery, spicy flavor it is well worth it. I personally hate heat and spice, but it is tolerable for me and I'd say well worth it. As you can tell from the name, they serve hot pot. Hot pot is said to have originated in Mongolia but is common in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnamese but all called something differently (shabu shabu, lu, etc..). Basically, you pick two soup stocks, the starch (various noodles and rice) and your choice of vegetables and meats to be cook, by you, tableside (think Melting Pot). You are also given chillis, garlic, soy sauce and fish paste to make your dipping sauce. I would say that this place could really improve on giving you more ingredients to concoct your dipping sauce such as Sriracha, oyster sauce, vinegar, etc...The House and Vegetarian broths are very, very bland so you need a good dipping sauce to improve the flavor. My personal strategy is to get the Hot broth and the House broth and mix them together for the perfect heat and flavor. The Hot and the Szechuan are very spicy and spicier. It will make you sweat for sure. I usually get the pork dumplings, which are more like meatballs than dumplings but are very delicious, beef, fatty beef, and shrimp (head off) for my meats. While I love head on shrimp, it distorts the flavor of the broth because the shrimp flavor is so strong, so I usually stick to head off plus it is easier to eat as it is peeled as well. Overall, I feel like the prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get. One hot pot can feed 4 comfortably, or 2 with a lot of leftovers. What I usually do for left overs is cook up all the meats and vegetables and have them pack the soup and order a side of noodles for $3 to go. If you cook the noodles and then pack it up, it will absorb all the liquid and get very soggy. Go on, give it a try!
(4)Meagan M.
Asian Fondue with a side of cajun.. seems very odd to me, but everything was very good. We bought the Groupon for $40 and spent another $30 which is pretty reasonable. The place is no frills. Booth or table seating and open kitchen window looks like it used to be a sports bar or wings place. We started with the crawfish. Shared a pound which was more than enough. These tasted delicious!! There was garlic and butter which I haven't had on crawfish before, but it certainly worked. Had them at medium spice which was also perfect. For the entree we had a hot pot of course! We did half spicy and half vegetable broth. We also ordered Bok Choy, corn and tofu. For meats we had chicken, beef and pork dumpling. I highly recommend getting the pork dumpling. It was awesome!! The corn is the only thing I will do different next time. It was so hot and since the center was still hard it was like impossible to eat. We also ordered rice and udon noodles. That was too much, next time only getting one starch. All in all this place tasted great and the service was wonderful. On paper it doesn't make much sense, but I will definitely be back again!
(4)Anna L.
This place is hidden in a plaza... and the decor is pretty simple, its not a fancy place by any means. BUT it has good, healthy food. Also, its clean. My boyfriend loves the crawfish, as well as all the seafood boils (crab, shrimp) by the pound. Crawfish is cheaper than in any other place I've seen. I'm a huge fan of the "hot pot". I eat mostly vegetarian food, rarely seafood or chicken, never meat. Their hot pot dish accommodates all my needs. I can get a vegetarian broth, I can add noodles, tofu, tons of veggies, rice... The other broths have chicken, they can be spicy or not so much... They have meats and seafood to put into the broth... Basically there are lots of options, which is great! Basically I can get a personalized bowl of noodles and veggies. OR I can share a huge pot with some friends :)
(5)Le N.
One of the first restaurants I've been to since I've moved here, and I'm glad it was the hot pot. The service is always on point as well as the food. I absolutely love the mussels, oysters, crawfish and the best is the edamame. I def recommend this restaurant!!!
(4)Olga D.
I'm not a big fan of rice and noodles, however, I decided to check out this spot in spite of this, and I wasn't disappointed!! Ordered a Vietnamese crepe (Banh Xeo) - it was excellent! Fresh herbs (mint is my favorite!!), added to the dish! I'll definitely come back!
(5)Benjamin G.
Always get the same stuff every time we come. Crawfish with sha bang sauce medium spicy. House broth and hot broth with fatty beef, beef tongue, pork, and pig ears. Add some watercress and mung bean noodles. The perfect combination of food. It's always amazing and delicious.
(5)Neal A.
Came with a large group of 7 on a Tuesday night. First time here and we came hungry. Had the crawfish (10 lbs total), 2 lbs shrimp, and corn on the cob all in the house sauce. Also ordered a Thai hot pot with various add on meats and veggies. Crawfish was delicious; super fresh and the sauce was amazing (rich, garlicky, and spicy). Shrimp and corn was lackluster, shrimp wasn't fresh and corn was obviously frozen but the awesome sauce saved it. Hot pot was ok; broth wasn't great but at least the add ons were fresh. Service was pretty bad, we didn't get refills on waters and had to pretty much stalk our waitress for more napkins, bags for shells, etc. We felt bad for her though, she was handling tables, register, and take outs. I would recommend coming here if you don't mind the wait for a good Cajun boil.
(4)Kurlotzz B.
Came here after my sister's college graduation to experience how Hot Pot works and it was an amazing fun experience with me and my family. The serving portions was a lot and enough for everyone. We ordered a lot for 6 people but it was definitely worth it. The crawfish was great and their chicken wings that tasted like teriyaki were awesome! We ordered green tea creme brulee and beignets and they were all great. But we definitely loved the creme brulee. The server was really nice and explained to us about the whole Hot Pot thing.They also have a karaoke room but never got to experience it. Especially coming from a Filipino background, karaoke is part of my culture and i will definitely come back here with my friends! THANK YOU FOR HAVING US!
(4)Edna C.
I'm obsessed with Lousiana-style crawfish, so I try to find new places wherever I go. I was in town for my boyfriend's basketball tournament, and I'm so glad I found this place! I wish it was closer to home! We ordered the crawfish with "the sha bang" flavor because of all the reviews. So garlicky and tasty! If you love the seafood at Boiling Crab and Hot N Juicy, then you'll love this place, too. I would say that it is just as good. We also got the kal-bi and a shaved ice dessert. The shaved ice was huge! The decor and ambiance was super casual and our server was nice. I'm writing this review months later and now I'm sad that it's so far away.
(5)Eric L.
I love my crawfish, and this is by far the best place for crawfish. Their sauce is unbeatable (shabang sauce). Personally I thought it was better than Boiling Crab (a large chain in california, vegas, texas). Their crawfish is however quite pricey at ~$12/pound. I can't comment on their other food as I have not tried it. They also have 2 karaoke rooms that one can rent out.
(5)Suxiang S.
I don't write review very often, but when I do, I prefer to be frank and truthful. This place is totally a gem in South Florida, if you like hot pot that is advertised to be the Chinese Fond du, crawfish and fresh seafood. I came on a Sunday and the place was not packed at all, so finding a table was fairly easy. They have multiple varieties of broth to choose and even two broth in one pot. I personally like the homemade garlic paste a lot as it is an authentic dressing for hot pot, but most importantly, it is delish. After hotpot, we ordered a pound of crawfish which is believed to be the signature item on the menu, and is only $9.99. It comes in a incredibly flavorful sauce which will force you to suck your finger to enjoy the dish to the fullest. I noticed that they also service clams and oysters, meaning I will be back.
(5)Ross I.
Used to be an awesome and cute date spot, last time we went we couldn't determine if the bugs were coming from the plates or the holes on the side of the table where the wiring for the cookers was, either way it was gross. (It was those weird bugs that are attached to watch other by the butt.)
(1)Liz P.
We went on a Friday night and had a wonderful meal! Ordered the dinner for 2 for $30, total bill was $36 with drinks and we left the restaurant Stuffed with leftovers. Our service was good, all the food was fresh & delicious, and I can't wait to go back!
(4)Mandy H.
Their family portions of Hot pot is not really worth the money. Their meat plate is so small that each person will ending up getting 2 pieces of beef and assorted meat balls. When someone is doing Chinese Hot Pot. The most important dish is the meat. But you won't get enough meat in here.
(2)Patrick G.
I think Ive died and gone to Shabu and crawfish heaven!! I am coming from the bay area so I have very high expectations when it comes to food. This is the new wave and once you've tried hot pot, you will begin to crave it on any rainy or chilly day! The crawfish is amazing and you need to get it with the "shabang" seasoning! As for the hotpot, i love the spicy broth!
(5)Lola N.
I usually make my own hot pot because it is an inexpensive meal for a big party but, tonight we decided to go eat out. When we arrived, our server was really nice. We order the hot and spicy broth, and half the original aka "house". The broth was on the bland side but, the herbs they used to top it off made it smell very nice. We order beef, fish paste, Fried fish paste, Mung bean noodles (Clear noodles) and many vegetables. When we ask our server: "do you have the fish balls?" She said no, but she said that the fish paste was the same. It is just a paste version of it. When we received it, I used the spoon to scoop the paste into the broth. We waited for it to float (TIP: that means it is ready). When I tried it... It was terrible. It had a fishy smell to it. And it was a chalky feeling like it was frozen fish. The fish was bland. This is why I gave them 3 stars: i ask the server to remove it. (Removing the paste and the fried fish paste) she said ; well you put it in the hot pot I will still have to charge you. WTF? We tried less than half. It was horrible. As a person that has been in the hospitality industry for years, I was very disappointed with the response. Mind you, she said she would take it away.... But still charge me. Ridiculous. Over all, I should have just went there for my first purpose: Banh Bot Loc. No more hot pot EVER... Not from here.
(3)Chris N.
Yesterday was my first time going to The Hot Pot, and it lived up to its great reputation. I do recommend the crawfish, their House Special Fried Rice (They have a slightly different name for it.). The meal was sumptuous, to say the least, but what was significant for me was the service. The Hot Pot is a welcoming restaurant. It felt like eating at home, in fine style. The service was island-style with warmth, and most inviting to return. All this and more are captured in The Hot Pot's mantra, "There are no strangers here, only friends we haven't met."
(5)Maryann S.
You ever had that crave for some spice & seafood?? Well we found this place that serves Louisiana style seafood & a big plus on the Pho!! Yes they serve Vietnamese dishes as well!! As you walk in, the restaurant is really big and has a lot of tables and a lot of room, so you wouldn't have a problem on wait time. The establishment does need a bit of an update on the table booths and also the restrooms. But thats ok, its all about the delicious food they serve! Beef Pho: Has the tripe,tendon,eye-round steak,beef ball. When you eat pho, its all about the broth. Their broth had a sweeter side & very tasty. When you order the seafood, you can spice it any way you like; 1. you pick your seafood- blue crab, shrimp,crawfish, etc. 2. Then you pick your spice: Garlic Butter Lemon Pepper Rajun Cajun House Special The Sha Bang all of the above I personally always order the shrimp w/ Sha Bang(1lb) - I have tried the medium & the spicy one. Love them both. It was very tasty & delicious. I cannot complain on the level of spice of it & usually with all that seasonings, it would be salty,but it was not salty at all. The also have the hotpot where you can order your meat & veggies and cook it yourself. Thats our next venture =0) Looks interesting! All in all, our visit was very pleasant and would recommend this place to others.
(4)Liu C.
Soooooooooooooo Bad!!!!! There is cockroach in bean sprouts ! How dirty the kitchen is!! Service is so bad! Ugly! 居然蟑螂在豆芽ï¼ï¼ æœåŠ¡å‘˜è¶…å·®ï¼ï¼æ€åº¦æ¶åŠ£ï¼ï¼å±…然没有æ£å¼é“æ‰ï¼ï¼å°±ç®—旅游æ¥ä¸€æ¬¡ 也太å™å¿ƒï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼åˆ†é‡å°‘ä»·æ ¼è´µï¼ç‰›ç¾Šè‚‰æ˜¯çº¸ç‰‡ï¼ï¼
(1)Amelia M.
Great hidden little hole in the wall spot for some authentic Vietnamese food. This is hot pot style cooking which pretty much consists of a soup meal. You start off by selecting your broth style, and now they have changed up their menu so that you can pair it with only what you want (their old menu use to only offer a pre-selected combos of broths and items with limited options - I prefer the option to customize it and welcome the change). Visiting with someone who likes it spicier than you do? No problem! The pots have a waterproof partition in it, so you can select two broths and both have what you like. For those of you who do like it hot, make sure to ask your server for the super spicy sauce ( would wont find it on the table with other hot sauce). My fav's: Udon Noodles House Broth Egg (raw and in shell) Dumplings (see photos - these are not your average dumplings but very tasty) Bok Choy Raw Garlic What will this unique eating style cost you? Typically it is around $30 for two but you get soooo much, there's always some to take home, and they are happy to pack it up for you. With all the broths and items to select from there is always a new combination to try. PLUS if you like crawfish this is also the place to go! They sell them by the bagful, seasoned and ready to be devoured. I love watching the first timers faces as they're brought a bag full and a plastic bib and left to their own devices. I do not eat shellfish, but anyone I have ever asked swears by them!
(5)Jennifer O.
Delicious Pho...great broth :) They have Hot Pot too. Server was super helpful. Great experience. Will be back.
(5)Naomi C.
First off I have to say the service was great. Our server was amazing and took care of us the entire time. I wish I remembered her name. It started with the letter E like Elektrina or something (so sorry if you're reading this). Now onto the food. If it wasn't for the service, their Vietnamese Coffee and Beignets....I don't think I would have given this place 2 stars. The coffee was Amazing!!!! The beignets.... Were good...but I've definitely had better. My husband ordered the Korean BBQ rice bowl but was given noodles instead. They apologized for the mistake. Luckily he doesn't complain and just ate it. The beef was great... We liked it. The hot pot was bland. No flavor at all. I'm used to hot pots being so flavorful with a lot of spices. He had to add fish sauce and Siracha just to enjoy it more. We ordered the house broth and spicy broth. The beef wasn't even paper thin....come on!!! I had high hopes for the place but it just didn't do it for us. We looked around and saw that almost everyone ordered the crawfish boil. Maybe that was good but the place was called "The Hot Pot" and not the crawfish boil. Not sure I'll come back to eat here.
(2)Emmett W.
I went here on my first experience of "Hot Pot" there is a lot of different varieties, but not for me. Maybe I'm just old fashioned. But if your looking for something different give it a try.
(3)Keith H.
Went back to Hot Pot again today - and for the first time, did not do a hot pot meal. We chose 3 dishes instead
(4)K B.
The concept of the "hot pot" gives a feeling of warmth, coziness, family and a kind of satisfaction which feels like home. But, once you've gotten comfortable enough to begin this experience, it begins with sloth-like slow service, heat generated from the hot pot which will have your perspiring before you start doing so from the spices, and the tiniest portions of ingredients to create your meal. Double or triple every order of ingredients. If I knew, I wouldn't order the hot pot. Too much work, too much heat, felt a bit "too" much like having to cook at home only much more expensive... I would recommend the salt and pepper shrimp and fried rice... These were unbelievably delicious. As a matter of fact, better than I've had in much better restaurants. Their deserts are the tiniest portions. Don't order the donuts. They were bland, tasteless and heavy. The mochi is delicious and out of the box... They have many flavors. They have a private karaoke room and while there, we got to hear the worst karaoke singing ever! Hilarious...
(3)Nelson M.
Service was good, food was a bit too salty, but, all in all, a different kind of place to visit.
(2)Crystal S.
My second hot pot experience! Lots of seating. The duck was the best for me! Right near my friends house so we went here for a meet up just to catch up.
(4)Zully D.
My husband and I are regular customers since the first day we tried their Pho and the Hot Pot. We have tried Pho from other places like Pho 78&79 and Green Papaya and they always fall short when we compare them to the food from "The Hot Pot". Food is súper fresh, and delicious. They have a new appetizer (some kind of beef wrapped in lettuce and grilled) that is amazing!!!!
(5)Alina A.
Came here for the first time with a Groupon. Our server was very informative about the hot pot concept and explained the menu with great detail. The hot pot was amazing! We came back a 2nd time for the pho (very good) and will definitely be back for awesome service and food.
(4)Kristin C.
Think Melting Pot, but waaaay healthier. You get some broth, then pick your protein & veggies, and throw it in the pot. It seems a bit pricey, but for two people we had LOTS of left overs. We did have a groupon for $40, and there were no issues with that. The beignets were not Cafe Du Monde, but still hit the spot. Powdered sugar on anything fried is gonna be good. Lol
(4)Diana T.
The hot pot here was a little bland for our taste; we had to add in more fish sauce. We ordered the dynamite mussels were delicious. We've tried the green tea creme brûlée, and it's decent. With that being said, the staff was extremely nice and helpful.
(3)Bonnie L.
There is only one dish that keeps me coming back and it does not have anything to do with the hot pot. I am a fan kalbi short ribs, nicely seasoned with mixed veggies.
(3)Marqus R.
The say "Enjoy the Difference" and different it is. It's an "Asian fondue," which I didn't understand when I went in Hot Pot and confess that I still didn't understand when I left. It has a basic menu of blue crab, king crab leg, snow crab, shrimp, crawfish (fresh and straight out of Louisiana), oysters, mussels, Korean style barbecue ribs, Japanese fried chicken (Katsu), beignets and various other offerings. I had the crawfish for which I was supplied with a bib and protective gloves. They were served in a plastic bag and to me seemed to have been seasoned with butter and garlic which is very much unlike any crawfish I ever found in Bayou Country. They certainly were unlike the crawfish boil or any other mud bug preps to which I'm accustomed. However, all in all pretty darn good. I also had the Kal-bi, Korean style ribs, which were indeed very tasty however excessively greasy because of the large amounts of fat left on what seemed to be untrimmed ribs. For dessert, a beignet, which was just about as good as any I've had at Café Du Monde, but a beignet without chicory coffee or café au lait? In New Orleans, that is tantamount to sacrilegious heresy! Then, as to fondue I kept thinking cheese like in Melting Pot, but I didn't find that at Hot Pot. So it doesn't seem fondue, it's certainly not Cajun; it's not Louisiana so is this supposed to be Asian fusion? Not in my book, as the combinations for that term don't make much sense. As for the place itself, located at the end of aging strip mall, it really could use a little more décor and some sprucing up. Though I gave it an A-OK 3 star, there are better places.
(3)Nick C.
My wife and I had a great dinner in Hot Pot, the experience of a vietnamese fondue was expectacular. (First time for us) We ordered The house and the vegetarian broth, and them we ordered as protein chicken, meat, mushroom, we also ordered an egg and udon noodles. When the broth is boiling, you have to put everything inside. The result is a super tasty healthy soup!! We loved it! Probably with the same portion, could eat at least another person. Good prices, super friendly staff (katrina, the russian girl was very very kind at explaining everything). The only thing is about the space per se, I'm not looking for fancy places, probably my best meals had been in not pretty places, but that doesn't mean that the space need to be in bad condition. Probably a good hand of paint and changing the glasses, dishes and other tiny things would enhance the experience. Could be 5stars but..... For food and staff 4 1/2, for ambience 3. For sure we will back!
(4)Adrienne B.
Tiffany is amazing. Food so healthy and great. Pricing fair. .would bring friends..just amazing.
(5)Maria I.
After reading all the very critical reviews on here for their hot pot, I was very skeptical when first entering this restaurant. The meal turned out to be delicious. We ordered the house broth and the Schezuan one. They were both very flavorful. Not to mention our waitress was extremely welcoming and polite. I take off a star due to the lack of variety in terms of ingredients you can order to cook in the hot pot. Definitely recommend to all my fellow hot pot enthusiasts!
(4)Tim F.
Chinese Fondue? Don't mind if I do! Okay, so like your typical fondue......at Hot Pot you have your choice of broth (spicy, house, vegetarian) in which you cook your meats/seafood/tofu (we had chicken, steak, shrimp) and mix them in with a choice of many vegetables (we picked cabbage, mushrooms, bok choy) and once cooked put your custom concoction in your bowl with rice or noodles and enjoy! Add additional sauces if you like, however we found that the delicious broth infuses enough into the meat/veggies that sauces were not necessary. However before you get to the main course, the appetizers are killer. Specifically the Hurricane Popcorn is a fantastic mixture of popcorn, Nori, Chinese Crackers and it is addictive as Crack. Also delicious is the garlic edamame which is almost as addictive as the popcorn. This place is a fusion of Chinese and Cajun cuisine, which means they also serve crawfish, various other types of seafood and for dessert....beignets and coffee from Cafe du Monde. Although we did not have a chance to try these....we will the next time we are back! Now this place is not perfect, as service, although very friendly, is a bit spotty. No doubt that they will work out the kinks and eventually get it down right. Also the steak was a bit on the smaller portion side, but with all of the chicken,veggies, noodles etc, there is no way that you will leave here hungry. The decor needs a bit of work (don't expect fancy), but it appears it is a work in progress. However, in NO way does this place deserve a single star. To those reviews that gave it a single star....are you f-ing kidding me? I rarely criticize fellow Yelpers, but c'mon. The place was packed when we went; it only a month old so they are stil finishing construction; @ $15 a person, this place is hardly "very expensive"; and unless you are the type of person who orders everything supersized, most folks will find the portions more than adequate. So although really a 4 star, i am giving it a 5 to level out the rating field. Regardless, I encourage readers to come here for something a bit different and tasty and decide for yourself.
(5)Yami D.
Yo... straight up awesome. I recently moved to this area and was craving a local restaurant to call home and this is it! My fiancé and I literally come here once a week, sometimes twice because it's that good. Prices are fair and the experience is really cool. As an appetizer i would order the garlic edamame, you won't regret it. For the hot pot, we usually get the house and the hot and spicy since I don't like spicy but my fiancé does. I recommend the vermicelli noodles, beef, shrimp, and bok choy. Now, the thing that has my mind blown is the seafood boil. We haven't been adventurous enough to try the crawfish so we get shrimp. If you don't want to wear gloves and fight with your food then order them headless. We usually get 3 pounds for 2 people which is a very filling meal. The shabang sauce is to die for so order potatoes as an addition to help serve as a vessel for more sauce. The spicy wings are crunchy and deliciously sauced. Great place for big groups also. They usually have tons of people there and we hear there's karaoke on Saturday nights.
(5)Debra C.
I think this place is more of a 3.5, but I'll round up because I think Florida needs more places like the Hot Pot. They serve good fusion food, and the hot pot soup options were good. I personally liked the "hot and spicy," which had a good kick without being overwhelmingly spicy. Most of the food seemed fresh and they honored a coupon I won for a half pound of crawfish from a yelp event. The crawfish was well seasoned, but I've always found crawfish to be a little too much work. I also had the thai iced tea which wasn't too sweet, perfect for me since I think it can be heavy sometimes. Pricing was reasonable for a large group. My issue was that service was kinda slow, and I suggest they have more things prepped for hot pot to minimize the wait between dishes. We had reserved a table for 10, so I would not have minded ordering a few things in advance to get the ball rolling if I knew how long it was going to take. After all, it should be fast since we cook it at the table. I hope my friends had a good hot pot experience, and I hope The Hot Pot continues to improve. My personal favorite were the oyster mushrooms!
(4)Giang D.
This place is amazing!!! We tried everything everyone recommended: the crawfish was so fresh and spicylicious!!! We ordered hot pot 1 spicy and 1 sezchuan flavors, they were both delicious but I like the spicy flavor better cuz I like spicy stuff! We had the hot pot with salmon (salmon was super fresh and lot in quatity for $8, with that much salmon, if you ordered these fresh salmon sashimi in sushi restaurant, it would cost you $20), beef (so fresh and red), water crest, tofu, and egg noodles (the noodle was so good that we had to ordered three times). It was an amazing experience! Definitely would come back again!
(5)Jeffrey Y.
Excellent interesting Asian cuisine option. Second time back and the hot pot option is great. Loved the vietnamese crepe and the fried squid heads. Good stuff.
(4)Lee Z.
Flavors were good. Service was excellent. Portions were on the small side for meat kind. Overall, good experience.
(4)Kimsley A.
I was a little skeptical of trying this place out but it is the closest Hot Pot Restaurant to me so I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt; what a bad decision. The meal was probably the lowest grade of meat I have ever been served - think mystery meat with large chunks of fat. The house broth was tasteless and the hot n spicy was so spicy it completely overpowered the other flavors in the broth. Oh, and our waitress was slow, skittish, and completely unintelligent of the menu. Unfortunately, I have nothing positive to say about this place. Next time, I'll be making the drive to the Miami area for some decent Hot Pot.
(1)Chris T.
Crawfish was not fresh. It was not good. Corn not good either. Shrimp was ok. Not recommend this place. I should have known this place wasn't good when it was pretty empty around dinner time when I was there.
(2)Vince S.
Came here on Sunday morning with fiance right when they open. Waitress was very nice, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Food portion is generous and fresh. Good atomsphere and good experience.
(4)Natasha C.
Yum yum, I love a good hot pot! This place is definitely Asian fusion with some cajun touches. Went here with a friend who had acquired a Groupon for the place. We started with the garlic fries, which are quite tasty, then moved on to the hot pot that was included as part of the Groupon deal. We were not disappointed at any point during the meal. The portions are huge if you're looking to eat more than just meat, as the veggies and starches are piled high. Try the meatballs-- they're made of pork and have that perfect consistency like ones you'll find in a good bowl of pho. We made pigs of ourselves and still had plenty leftover by the time we were finished. Try the spicy hot broth, as it's full of hot chili oil; if you mix it with a little of the house special broth, it'll be a perfect blend of heat and umami. The induction cooktops that they use are more than hot enough to come to a boil, and they adjust the temperature for you as you go along to ensure that your food cooks at the correct heat level. Since we had beef, shrimp, and meatballs, we didn't need it up past boiling for long. The folks at the table behind us had theirs higher, as they were cooking chicken at their table.
(4)Alex G.
I'm assuming it just opened, as everyone working there was pretty much clueless. Our waitress seemed to be trying, but she knew nothing about the menu items or ingredients, and was not particularly helpful. "What's in the House broth"? "Oh, I don't know, it's our house made broth." Then she argued (somewhat politely) that we couldn't have TWO hot pots with six people. We didn't want everything shoved into one pot; and instead of making it easy for us, it was somewhat of a minor battle. Ultimately, we prevailed and they brought us two hot pots. They also forgot to bring us chopsticks. The service got more polite as the dinner went on, and we established a repoire with our server. Still, it's a family run business, and the service is less than professional. The most important part, of course, is the food. The food is a solid 4 stars if you like hot pot (shabu shabu). We cooked shrimp, meat, veggies and noodles in broth, of which you have 3 choices. We also ordered a side of tofu. The meat was tasty and high quality, and they gave us a huge portion of mushrooms, bok choy, napa cabbage, and noodles. A little more variety of veggies would have been a plus, but the quality of the meats and veggies was so good I refuse to complain about what wasn't there. Service was 2 stars, food was 4 stars. That makes this a 3 star place to dine.
(3)Nhu V.
Okay, when its crawfish seanson, get the crawfish boil with the shabang sauce! So good!! But other than that, the hot pot selection isnt that great for the price you pay. They really did raise their prices! Idk, i usually go for crawfish and hotpot, but now might just stick to crawfish itself.
(3)Kristen B.
Too bad this place is tucked in the back corner of the shopping center, because this is a hidden GEM! Service was excellent and very helpful. Food was of good quality, good portions, reasonably priced, and a good fusion of food. Will definitely be going back.
(4)Candace R.
Took my mom here; loved it, and will go back. Caution: The hot broth is very spicy and I grew up with spicy foods on the dinner table so next time I go we're opting for the regular broth and will spice it up at will. I consider myself pretty adventurous with eating different foods, but we stayed with the more common shrimp and chicken choices. A few other tables were loaded with crawfish, which I like, but was specifically there to try the Hot Pot. I believe one table had some Vietnamese diners and they seemed to know all the homeland specials. I would love to try some of the more exotic choices, but will need some direction. We had a green tea creme brulee that was really good too. It's definitely a casual atmosphere, and no where I'd take someone on a first date if you're looking for ambiance. I bought a Groupon recently and not sure if I can convince my husband to go, but I'm sure my mom will be up for it.
(5)Sylvester N.
This review is for the crawfish and shrimp only. I haven't tried other things on the menu yet. The sauce was on point. I tried the "shabang" and the flavor was exceptional. Very close to some of the best I've tried. The menu was very diverse, and I look forward to coming back! Service: Our waitress was very nice and helpful.
(4)Veronica J.
This place exceeded my expectations. The service was amazing , you dont see that at many restaurants. They were very helpful, even the Owner kept walking around to make sure we were ok. The food was the best I ahd in a long time. It is healthy but very tasty. I recommend this restaurant to everyone that loves healthy food.
(5)Renee C.
Authentic Chinese fondue no kidding Fresh meat fresh vegetable and not pricy at all The decor is lacking and I don't care
(3)Chris G.
Found this place through Yelp and I loved it! I've never had food this way but my friend has else where. It's definitely a place to take your time eating since you cook the food yourself and in portions since all the ingredients you order won't fit at once. I will be going back.
(5)Timmy J.
Food is ok but they cheat, they cheat on lbs of crawfish. They charge price of 6lbs when we order 3-4 lbs. happened a few times. Dont go here.
(1)JD C.
Love the beef short ribs, very tasty. The Shrimp "pot" is super, make sure to get the shabang flavor, its garlic and some spices that rounds very well. Tried the beignets, my son loved it..... all in all I give them a 5! BTW the hotpot is also good to have. If you haven't tried the food here, you're missing a lot!
(5)Bao P.
This is asian hot pot. DON'T COME HERE THINKING IT'S MELTING POT. it's basically a chicken broth with asian spices that's boiling and you dip in fish balls, beef, shrimp or whatever meat you ordered. It also comes with vegetables that you dip in. You also get noodles or rice. The food is alright, but the portion size is too small in my opinion. love, Bao Eat on my Friends!
(3)Sarah G.
This was an interesting meal. Cool concept, mediocre experience. The restaurant is fairly large. We went in (party of 4) at 7:30 on a Friday night. There were only 2 other couples in the restaurant. The hot pot had 4-5 flat screen TVs but only 2 were turned on. The menu is a variety of different cuisines... vietnamese, korean, cajun?? I shared a hot pot with the house broth and hot and spicy broth. Both lacked flavor. We asked for hoisin sauce to give it some taste. The proteins we ordered were shrimp and beef. The servings were not small which was good. We ordered 1 egg noodle enough to share for 2 people. We each got an egg and shared daikon. The daikon was raw and had no flavor. I liked being able to soft boil the egg. The electric plate on the table is pretty noisy when turned on. The soups were filling but really just ok. One guest ordered the bulgogi (short rib) noodles, the noodles were cold, meat hot...weird. It came with a sweet dipping sauce that was very good. Another guest ordered the seafood vermicelli soup pre-made. It tasted good but didn't have a lot of seafood in it. It was a cool idea to make your own soup, but it was hard to serve yourself the noodles once droped in the broth. I'd give this place another try but I wouldn't wear my nicest outfit here because you are bound to get dirty. We all left full but wished the food had a little more flavors.
(3)MiMi V.
Finally, a decent hot pot place to replace Peppers that went down the drain in the Pines. Based on another review the Viet/Cajun thing doesn't make sense. Haven't been to New Orleans lately? Check out Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre foods tour of Versailles in New Orleans that has one of the largest populations of Viet in the US. In fact, if you eat at Cafe du Monde 9 times out of 10 the waitress is Viet. The Viet owner is from Gretna and has lived in New Orleans. Nice lady. Had a groupon and decided to try it out and was pleasantly surprised. Waitress, Nina, was pretty good. Owner came by several times to to check up on us and ask if we needed anything. She and my Viet mom chatted. Use to live in Louisiana and Hawaii hence the variety in the menu. Appetizers: Crawfish cooked in seafood boil and then tossed in a mild sauce call Sha Bang, a mix of spicy Cajun, garlic butter and lemon pepper for $11.99/lb. Very nice and tasty. Well received by our group of 6. Next was an order of Kal-bi (Korean short ribs) which was really really really good. I suspect my husband, who is normally so polite, was trying to hide them by placing other foods in front of it and kept it close to his plate. Hot Pot, mix of spicy and regular. Very well seasoned. Hot pot was not all you can eat but the amount given was more than sufficient and we were full. Seafood was pleasantly fresh and we were really happy. My husband who hates hotpot normally kept eating and eating. I had to tell him to stop so we could order desert. Desert was beignets which were really good. Had 3 servings = ). A bit heavier than the ones from Cafe du Monde but nevertheless pretty good and worthy of ordering more. Will definitely be coming back. They are contemplating adding Pho to the menu and hope they do. Have yet to find a decent bowl south of Orlando.
(4)Celeste M.
No other place of this kind are in the area. Fun place to dine with friends and for late nights! Everything we order is delicious - hot pot, viet sandwiches, thai tea. There's karaoke for larger parties. Never walk out disappointed after eating here.
(5)mimi c.
really good stuff! reminds me of N'awlins! The crawfish were delish, and the korean beef short ribs = YUM!!! Nice looking place too, really liked the ambiance and the waiter was super friendly.... will be back!
(5)Jacob D.
Very authentic and a great place to bring your friends. Always see people eating the crawfish. Hear they are flown in from New Orleans daily. The spicy broth is amazing! Must try the hurricane popcorn. Private Karaoke rooms in the back for the adventurous.
(4)Cecilia J.
"Welcome to Hot Pot!!!" exclaims the overenthusiastic and spacey waitress. "We are Vietnamese, Cajun, and American!!" --Huh?? That doesn't make any sense. And the menu reflects this nonsensical hodgepodge of a concept. The food just doesn't taste very good. Maybe it's because I'm Chinese and I actually have some standards for Asian food, but the restaurants seriously needs to rework their operations. Crawfish came served in a huge plastic bag? I don't know if that's how crawfish is usually served but it doesn't help to elevate the sophistication of this place, that's for sure. The hot pot was just okay. The broth was unauthentic and too salty. The hot plate was too slow resulting to a pot that could never fully boil. Maybe this place should be renamed Warm Pot? Portions were fair, though the price was not worth the quality of the food. ($44 for 3 people). We had a Groupon and it seemed like almost everyone else eating there on a Monday night did as well. The place looked like a half-renovated pizza place or something. The best part was the four large flat screens TVs to distract you while waiting too long for the crawfish to come out in the dead quiet restaurant.
(1)Andy G.
Worst experience ever! First red flag the place was empty on a Friday night at 7PM. Second red flag no sweet tea. Third red flag construction tarps as walls. 4th red flag they said they ran out of crab legs. We ran out right after they stuck us with a bill for the can of coke for $3 The place is a joke with a bad odor, disgusting decor, high prices and NO fresh seafood. It is really sad.
(1)Ana C.
LOVED the crawfish and shrimp!!! Delicious food and sauce!! Fun place to go in a group or with kids.... can't beat the price!!!! WE LOVED IT :)))))
(5)Mayako N.
We decided to try this place because we had groupon deal and the web site looked good. The deal was for 4 people but we were a party of 3. As some of the reviewers mentioned there, the meat plate for the hot pot is a joke. The meat and the seafood plates were so small and it's not even enough for 3. They do give plenty vegetable, noodle and rice. If we didn't have a groupon deal and had to pay the full price, we would feel this place is rip off!!
(1)Dawen H.
Korean BBQ is tasty, but chicken Katsu was too hard.
(3)Martin G.
The Hot Pot was a new experience for me--an enjoyable one. I discovered it through one of those 'pay $20 for $40 worth of food' and it was something I hadn't experienced before so off we went. We had the Hot Pot For 2 ($29.99) consisting of : 2 broths--we chose the house Style and vegetarian--2 seafood dishes--shrimp and fish balls (they were out of scallops--don't order the fish balls)--2 vegetables-- nappa cabbage & baby bok choy--2 starches-- mung bean noodles (very unmanageable LOL) and brown rice--we added 2 meats chicken and beef ($5.99 each)--I had coffee ($1,50) and was sort of surprised that I was charged for a refill--Allen had his usual coke ($1.50). For dessert we shared the mochi ice cream--not to our liking--$4.99--and excellent beignets ($3.99) The check, before the coupon deduction, with tax and tip came to $69.76 The 2 hours we were there only 2 other parties came in but it was that in-between hours of 4-6 PM Our server, Tiffany, was very good explaining everything to us plus enjoying the way we ate everything up! LOL I was intrigued by the 'hot plate' and how it worked. Aside from the fish balls and mochi the food was fresh tasting and the fact that they were out of scallops on a Friday wasn't a good sign. I did enjoy The Hot Pot experience but it isn't something I would be doing again soon. WARNING: Right next store is a Weight Watchers office!!!!
(4)Susan C.
Went with a group of four to The Hot Pot last night because we had the Groupon. Our server was very nice and thoroughly explained the process to us. Basically, this is a build-your-own-pho restaurant. I gave it three stars because you are paying more money to cook your own dinner than it would cost to actually go get a bowl of pho, which is really cheap. It's a good novelty, but I didn't really like the House Broth, and kept thinking to myself that I could have just gone over to Pho 78 for a better bowl of pho. I will say that all of us were happy with the meal and left full. We had the spicy broth and house broth; beef, chicken and shrimp; watercress, bok choy and straw mushroom; and clear noodles and brown rice. You think you're going to run out of food/broth, but you're not! I would be interested to go back for some of the New Orleans-inspired items on the menu. I was also intrigued that the two items on the dessert menu were beignets from Cafe du Monde and mochi ice cream!
(3)Li S.
Got a Groupon Hotpot Dinner for 4 last year summer. Shrimp tofu and sotong. lots of vegetable, little rice and noodle. if not for the groupon I don;t think it is worth the value.
(2)Paul M.
I liked this place. I was a little concerned when we pulled up as blacked out windows made the restaurant look closed. Second bad sign was that we were the only people in the place on a Sunday for lunch. My worries were quickly alleviated. The waitress was extremely nice and the food comes raw so service is quick. They setup a hotplate with your soup broths and bring the other ingredients out. You get a few kinds of broth (hot & spicy, house or vegetarian) plus 3 vegetables (on choy, bok choy, mushrooms, watercress, etc..) 3 meats (beef, chicken, meatball, tofu, shrimp, scallop) and 2 starches (white rice, brown rice, noodles or mung bean noodles) for $55. Everything was fresh and tasty. The broths were nice and the enoki mushrooms were delicious. I gave this place 4 stars based on the overall experience. It was a great place to go with friends and share a meal. Great place for groups.
(4)