Different mgmt from Hakata Tonton in west village. Pros: online reservation. Small restaurant but the waitress still made the magic happened. We were group of six and shared three pots in two tables. Nice and cozy perfectly fits in the cold New York snowing night. Cons: cash only. There was a ATM outside but it's broken. We had three different pots : collagen pot, pigs feet and pork belly pot. Each pot was so delicious and very savory. My personal favorite two were collagen and pigs feet. Love the beef intestine in the collagen pot and sweetness of the broth. We also ordered a bowl of lounge ramen and pork and egg pancake. Their ramen and pancake are very authentic compared to those I had in Japan. We ended up paying $26 per person. Very reasonable priced as well. My only complain is the broken ATM outside and it's a cash only restaurant. Not a fun thing to do to walk several blocks to get cash in the cold winter night !!!
(5)
Jennifer K.
We had the collagen hot pot which was tasty...when we finally got it. It took us an hour to have our hot pot delivered after we asked about it twice. When it finally did arrive, we were told that they had run out of ingredients and needed to go out and buy more -- information that I would have appreciated when it came up or even when we ordered so we could have the option of ordering someone else. THEN as we were enjoying our food, they asked if we would like our ramen noodles now. I said "yes, of course", they wanted to TAKE AWAY our hot pot so they could put the noodles in. We pointed out that they brought out the bowl of noodles for other patrons and if they could just kindly bring out the extra dish. So while yes the hot pot was tasty, it wasn't worth the long wait or poor service. Make reservations at Hakata Tonton instead.
(1)
Yujen C.
I love all food and wanted to try this place because I saw it from chopstick magazine. 3 star is the MAX I would give restaurant. compare to hakata tonton is NO WHERE NEAR! feels like the owner just ate at hakata tonton and just think that they can make the same thing. I tried two of the hot pot from here and taste wasn't simple as it should be. every ingredients flavor just mix together; in a bad way. NOT RECOMMENDED
(2)
Kay Y.
Ordered the hotpot and a few appetizers. Appetizers and sashimi were only ok, the egg omelet we ordered was literally frozen. Hotpot was good. The bill was $108 for two and it was cash only. (Last time i came here they accepted cards, and the waitress explained that they only take cards when they are busy, like WTF?) I had to go to the ATM outside the restaurant and withdrawn cash.
(3)
Ginny L.
I was looking around Yelp for some new places to eat and spotted Hakata Hot Pot...Hakata is one of the cities in Kyushu prefecture..love some of the foods from there.....anywho since this place needs two people or more to order a pot, I decided to drag a friend with me to try it out. This place is actually sisters with Sushi Lounge, so if the seating are full here, they usually direct you over next door. We had a reservation booked at 8pm, and since my friend was running late, I decided to order the Okonomiyaki to start. When he arrived, we decided on the Motsu pot. The okonomiyaki came promptly and it was the best one that I have ever eaten in New York...it was very fluffy and the portion was good. The motsu nabe came next, the portion of the pot was pretty good, and there were a good amount of food it in. The soup didn't taste bitter after the meal, so that was awesome..we also opted for eggs to go in the soup (Surcharges). You can also add noodles if you like as well... Cant wait to come back again. Note: They do take credit card, just prefer cash, so feel free to use your cc if you like
(4)
David B.
Came here with friends. Being from Queens, I've had the chance of trying hot pot as well. Made a reservation for Friday evening through open table. Figured a place with decent reviews on yelp and open table would have their act together by now. Obviously they don't. Make sure you make no guest notes on Open Table becasue you will be completely ignored as you will be when physically being in the restaurant. The food was edible nothing special. This place is about getting you in and dropping the check. No knowledge of the food what so ever, and make sure you bring you're own water because you will be dehydrated and forgotten. Call me a snob but don't offer services if you can't keep up with them at the establishment. I would rather spend more money then get the service I did, and try the terrible food. It's cheap Japanese. Kenka, Taisho, and the other ramen shops do a better job. Hakata get your act together.
(1)
Henry Y.
Just came back from a 10-day trip to Japan and while that certainly doesn't make me an expert on Japanese food, I did have a craving for Japanese food that was more than satisfied by this brand new hot pot spot located right on St Marks. A few things to start this review off: This hotpot isn't your average hotpot. Evidently the city of Hakata in the prefecture of Fukuoka is known for their hotpot specializing in everything from your everyday chicken broth hotpot to beef offal hotpot. Now before the whiteness in you is scared away by the word 'offal' I'd like to point out that offal, when cleaned properly and served with the right sauces and ingredients, can be much much more delicious than normal lean or fatty meat. There are 5 main hotpot features: one involving beef offal, which looked delicious but I just wasn't in the mood for offal that night. Another was pork belly, another collagen based, which was supposed to have pig's feet and chicken, etc. The last two were a Cilantro hotpot and then a Kimchi hotpot. As I'd mentioned, I wasn't really feeling offal on this particular evening, so in lieu of ordering the Hakata Motsunabe (the offal one) and the Collagen hotpot, my gf and I opted for the Dontaku (primarily pork belly). Dude. First of all, this hotpot comes to you in the form of a MOUNTAIN of meat. It's all done up and looks real pretty, with spices, roasted garlic slices, scallions, bean sprouts, tofu, leeks, and cabbage. As the personal stove top on which this hotpot sits starts to heat up, this mound of deliciousness melts into the hotpot that you have typically enjoyed and loved. The broth is out of this world. Out of all of the hotpots that I've ever had in my life (and being Chinese I've had more than you can count), this was by far the most rich and satisfying. It's not overly salty and you can just tell that they've been working on this for hours on end. Following your feast the server will bring you one of two options (or even both if you prefer): ramen or rice to soak into the rich broth for you to enjoy. We were already completely stuffed from the hotpot itself and the okonomiyaki (a Japanese specialty consisting of what could only be defined as a decked out pancake. Think pajan if you're korean and jianbing if you're Chinese. But with a TON of ingredients, with bonito flakes on top), so we only went with 1 serving of ramen. Turns out 1 serving of ramen serves two. Which was fantastic and added to my already filled and satisfied stomach. The wait staff is incredibly attentive and lacks none of the warm hospitality shown to us during out trip in Japan-- Japanese ppl do service right. They're always making sure to check on you and ensuring that you've got enough napkins, water, tea, etc. The basics really, but this kind of hospitality and service is severely lacking elsewhere in the US. You are also (at the time of this writing) offered a complimentary shot of plum wine and a small dabbling of dessert. In response to other reviews regarding long wait times, I can only imagine it were a function of the restaurant being crowded that people had to wait so long for their food...and the fact that the restaurant was perhaps brand new and trying to get their process together. The wait time was about 8-10 minutes for the entire hotpot to come out, and the wait time for the okonomiyaki was a mere 10 minutes as well. I'm an impatient eater...so trust me when I say that the food came out at just the right times. As a side note, I can't imagine a small spot like this taking too long to get their orders out. From what I observed in Japan, Japanese people are hella efficient eaters and unless it's an izakaya, omakase, or some other fancy restaurant, everyone eats and peaces the heck out. They've got vending machine ramen that's pretty much a standard there, and ppl are in and out in under 20 minutes. Anyway, this is my 300th review, and I'm happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Hakata Hot Pot, and will definitely be going back again.
(5)
Zhichao Z.
I went with my cousin and her friend at 6:30pm. The staff is very friendly and patient. We got various choices of hot pot, pancakes and so on. The taste is really good, and the atmosphere is perfect, I'll highly recommend this place!
(5)
Amy L.
Really tasty Hakata Hot Pot. And large portion with a reasonable price. Highly recommend!
(5)
Steffany L.
We don't want wait for 1.5 hours and the service is really suck
(1)
Francis Y.
Small establishment. Great spice broth. Hakata hot pot is like someone making ramen in the style of hot pot. If you like roasted garlic and ramen, you will dig this place.
(4)
Lils Y.
Had the "Hakata Dontaku Hot Pot" here, shared amongst myself and significant other. It was DELICIOUS! Tender pork belly layered over a soup of bean sprouts & cabbage, this is the perfect meal for a cold winter night. Priced $17 per person, you can add $5 for ramen on top. Your choice to flavor it with the side of hot sauce. It comes with shot-glass sized plum wine as well. The service was excellent. There was no wait (on a Sunday 5pm, and pretty much nobody on this side of the store until 7pm). Definite one of best kept secrets in lower east side and not enough ppl know about this (hence, it was quiet/relaxing). $$$CASH ONLY. But ATM outside the store.
(5)
Carmen G.
Super small! 6-7 tables available and the spacing is a bit tight. Reservation during weekend or prime time is somewhat suggested. We (group of 3) tried Hakata Collagen Hot Pot which is one of their signature hot pots. The broth was tasty with a nice kick (heat/spice) at the end of each taste. Each pot comes with a complimentary plum wine (shots, shots, shots!), very sweet and yummy. What's nice about it is after finishing all the broth and all the goodness, we have the option of adding noodles which Hakata adds more broth. Our mistake was assuming they were going to put the same broth as before but nope! Totally different and way too salty. Nice concept though. Overall, the place was alright. I would not make the trip out again for this place unless there's another pot that's way better. Cash only really kills it for me. Come prepared with some dough.
(3)
Tammy K.
Have you ever had those nights where you want both hot pot and ramen? Perhaps it's just me, but if you are in the same boat, you should come here! If you order hot pot and get the $5 ramen add-on, after you are done with the hotpot, they take your pot back into the kitchen and use the leftover broth to make you a nice piping hot bowl of ramen. It's like DIY Tonkontsu ramen. No, it's not Hakata Tonton, but it's also not that bad of a substitute, considering how much easier it is to get a reservation and the fact that it's much less pricey.
(3)
Aleksey M.
If you want to try an authentic Japanese Hakata hot pot - come to this restaurant. Their hot pots are delicious, sake selection is good, and sashimi are fresh. Hot pots have very thick and delicious soup, if you order additional ramen afterwards - they can provide more soup with generous sesame oil. Sashimi that I have tried was very fresh and tender. Sake selection is pretty good, and some sake types are hard to find in other places. Service was great (though a bit slow), and waiters like if you appreciate the Japanese culture. Just for the sake of great food and service I am giving them 5 stars. From the drawbacks: food comes a bit slow, so plan ahead (or call in), and they are cash-only. Did I mention that you can order a take-away?
(5)
Ting L.
Made a reservation here on Friday night, saw some empty tables but they were actually reserved too. Better to make a reservation if you can as the space is small and fills up quick. There're two separate adjacent spaces/entry ways, but they share the kitchen. We got the motsu hotpot with beef intestines, which tasted a lot better than it sounds. We also ordered the okonomiyaki but that never came. Service was slow, but they give you complimentary edamame and plum wine. The space is so cramped the waiters have difficulty moving around, further contributing to slow service. The hotpot was really good, broth was tasty. We got additional noodles for the pot, that was so good I want it again. Overall a good food experience if you want just the hotpot, but hakata ton ton in the West village has better non - hotpot options.
(4)
Josh K.
A Hakata Tonton imitator (down to the cute bathroom with tons of freebies inside -- I admit, I flossed) for a couple bucks less and a bit more casual. It shares a kitchen with a sushi restaurant in the adjacent unit. We were stuffed after ordering the motsu (intestine) hot pot and putting the noodles in afterward. That's really all there was to say about it. Service was good, overall great experience, we'll be back.
(4)
Katherine R.
We went last night with a reservation for 8:15. Though we arrived on time and there was an open table, we were moved next door to Sushi Lounge. If you're going to seat me in a different restaurant than I requested, let me know at the time I make the reservation. I was disappointed because Sushi Lounge has a different ambience. And A Different Kitchen!! That being said, I still give them (or Sushi Lounge??) three stars. The collagen pork belly hot pot was awesome. I was stuffed and satisfied. It had lots of veggies and salty yumminess.
(3)
cy c.
the waitress is the WORST you can think of. and the WORST experiences I (and all my friends there) have ever experienced. I have never rate a place only by it's service, but this is simply outrageous . we make it very clear at the time we order that we definitely want to add rice in the end. she said ok, she'll come back later to make sure what we want. she was playing with her phone and forgot our order of drinks, we were trying to be nice and remind her politely since she seemed very nice. and she came said do you still want noodle? we said no we want RICE (all of us are not the fan to have ramen in hop pot) and then it came with noodle and we tell her it's wrong, and she said "ohhhh!! sorry!!! I'll take it back and cook another for you." so we waited for another 20mins. when the hot pot came back, it's the old one, add rice and recook, so that it's obvious what it'd be like when the noodle was cooked twice. everything is mushy like gunge...... I hate bad food and already was very upset. and she came to ask us to leave because the restaurant is close. "there's no other customers!" I told her, "it's not our fault that you mess up the order and had to recook so that it took us more time to eat" she said "but when you order the rice it's already very late!" (that's before the last order, and we made the request at the very first beginning it's not our fault that you accepted our order and then blame us to order it too late) she go so mad and told us " I thought everything went well, and you suddenly got upset" and she said "I'll refund you the money of the noodle!" and she just went back to the counter and throw $11 dollar at our table and said "This is your money, that's all you want after all, right?!" "oh you should know that the rice is 5 dollars extra, and I didn't charge you for that!" (like we really cares about so little money that it's worth to get a bad meal and bad service, really, people have better things to do......... the tips we gave her before was probably already close to that [she asked us to pay the bill first, and we did, huge mistake!!]) and she said it to our face "This is so ridiculous!!! " WOW can you imagine? I thought that's our line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)
W S.
How can this place get 4 stars? As soon as you walk in, door slams like thunder every time someone walks in or out. Service is horrible, extremely slow. Only one waitress for 5 tables. She might be the chef too because she is rarely seen. Simple age tofu sucks, soggy and tasteless. Wings super oily. Hot pot is tasteless. Will never return. We got jerked.
Worst service ever. Not only did I have to ask for drinks, water, and food 2-3 times each, in order to get water, drinks, and the rest of my food I had to go into the kitchen and tell them midway through my dinner that they needed to bring everything. I've never had to do that in a restaurant. Not to mention the attitude I got from the moment that I sat down. It took 15 minutes for a woman to acknowledge that I was sitting at a table. Come on, there are 5 tables in the entire restaurant and there were only 3 tables being used when I got there. The kimchi hot pot is great but I'm never coming back here again. Also, CASH ONLY. So if you're planning on going, be sure to have that ready because their ATM outside of the restaurant didn't work yesterday.
(1)
Yi W.
I really wanted to give 5 stars. I dropped one star because the food comes out really slow. I have no idea whether this one is affiliated with the other hakata. They both have the same style hot pot. The hot pot is very good!! The base soup is rich, the meat is tender. The waitress even helps you put the food into your bowl. The sushi is ok. I ordered a spider roll which has soft crab in it. I guess I won't order it again. It's kind of tasteless. They also have ramen burger!! It's good but the ramen is a bit greasy. We waited about 30 mins for the sushi and Another 10 mins for the burger than another 15 minutes for the hotpot. That's where the one star get deducted. The plus is they have almost everything in the restroom!! Tooth pick, sanitary napkin, mouth wash, q-tip, even skincare stuff!! If you are not in a rush, definitely give it a try.
(4)
Mihoon C.
Hot pot and their house sake was the perfect meal on a winter day. Make reservations as the place is a bit small and it seems they prefer cash but took my card anyway. Okinomiyaki was also good but I think I'd do without ordering sushi next time. Add in ramen to the hotpot, it was fresh and delicious.
(4)
Nina K.
It is just ok. I, for some reason, thought that this is a new branch for the very popular Hakata Tonton- but realize now that it is not. I made a reservation and when I walked in, the waitress said go next door which is "Sushi Lounge" - they are doing business together serving both menus. The service is slow which I didn't mind. The food is just ok-nothing fantastic. When you go to the bathroom which you have to go through the tiny kitchen area, it just makes you lose appetite.... as the area seems so dirty. Also they are NOT CASH ONLY! I know it says that on the bill they bring you but it is not. The ATM machine next door was broke, so we just gave them our credit card which they processed right away. So if you don't have cash or don't feel like paying cash, BY ALL MEANS, PAY WITH CREDIT CARD- THEY WILL ACCEPT IT!
(2)
B ..
Delicious broth and ingredients..so perfect for a cold brisk day! I just wish that they included more meat in the pot. Excellent service!
(4)
Luna A.
Wow. I really never expected this place to be good but everything I had was so delicious and perfect. I had a Okonomiyaki and the Hakata Collagen Hot Pot ( two orders minumum!) and guess what.. It was the best okonomiyaki I've had in the city! The hot pot had a really generous portion and the combination of veges and pork collagen was perfect. What was more amazing about this place was the complimentary dessert and the plum wine. Order any hot pot here and get complimentary cute little plum wine in a long shot glass. It will definitely make you appetite more while waiting for the hot pot to be cooked. So, the total for seafood okonomiyaki, two orders of collagen hot pot, and two glasses of kirin draft beer was about $55. We were full and happy! I don't think I can ever go back to Hakata Ton Ton in the West Village: the long line, slow service and small portion of the food. Instead, dine in this new place: Hakata Hot Pot!
(5)
Monica K.
I must say we were totally disappointed with the service. We saw no manager available to handle the situation. Here is the story. We've made a reservation for four people at 7pm and when we got there at 7pm, there were no table available. One of the waitstaff told us it's because two group of people came in at the same time about 15 min ago and took two remaining tables. So!? The same waitstaff kept telling us that one table would be available in 15 min but it actually took one hour for us to finally seat at a table. There is no bar in this restaurant, so we waited at a bar across the street leaving one of our phone#. It was the busiest time and day of the week, we decided to wait rather than walking around. Here is my suggestion. When you take a reservation, you reserve a table. Yet, it's on St Marks, who expect good quality service and food? I prefer spending little more money and go to Hakata TonTon. Is this authentic Japanese place? I'm not sure.
(1)
Jerry C.
If you think Hakata Ton Ton is tiny, then Hakata Hot Pot is super tiny. I think any more than 12-14 people will max Hakata Hot Pot out. The restaurants are not related, but they do focus on the same essential ingredient: Japanese hot pots based on long-simmering pig feet/pig toe broth. That may sound off-putting, but collagen is the secret ingredient for having soft silky skin. Pig feet and pig toe are cooked and eaten by many cultures, but I seem to like the Japanese Hakata style the best. For appetizers, we selected Seafood Okonomiyaki which was good but a bit overcooked. The Takoyaki, which are minced octopus meat balls, tasted bland to me. We had better luck with the Collagen hot pot. It came piled high with vegetables that soon cooked down into the broth. The pork belly was delicious, and the broth excellent. This is definitely a place to return to, especially in the winter when your stomach is craving for hot soup. Just be prepared for a super tiny restaurant with not much ambience.
(4)
Vivian S.
nah... we ordered the pork feet hot pot and apparently their computer system had some problem so our order didn't go through to the kitchen. It was not until after 20 minutes I had asked the waitress if our order was ready, they found out the order was not processed. Then another 15 minute wait. The waitress and the lady who looks like manager were not professional. We were starving and showing impatience on our face and they did not explain the situation. Again, nothing was explained to us or apologize until I asked why it took so long.
(3)
Cindy T.
TLDR: Hakata Hot Pot in St Marks is a lot better than Hakata Tonton in West Village. I brought one girlfriend. We ordered only two essential things. After consuming the modern okonomiyaki and the classic pork belly hot pot with added ramen noodles, I was the most full I HAVE EVER BEEN. Which is saying a lot because I am a champion eater and, one could say, a hot pot aficionado. On this visit, I was actually worried I was doing irreparable damage to my stomach lining so distended it was from the delicious food. But it was SO WORTH IT. Hakata Hot Pot was amazing. Great portions, great prices, attentive service (though a bit slow). The only confusing thing was the two separate entrances/restaurant sides. You'll see. Go here! I promise you'll love it as long as you stick to hot pot. (I can't vouch for the sushi, etc).
(4)
Joyce L.
Not sure why this place isn't rated higher. We ordered the motsu hotpot to share and it was a lot of food. Wish there was more beef intestine in it but it was still very tasty and filling. We also got some edamame and plum wine for free with the hotpot. Service was good and attentive. We also got some rice after we finished our hotpot and I didn't realize that they actually make it into a porridge for you. It was more than what we could finish and if I knew it was porridge like I would have opted for noodles instead. I would come back again for the hotpot.
(4)
Reggie M.
Since I love everything Hakata, I gathered my pork feet loving friends to try this place. We found out that they did not have any affiliation to our favorite Japanese restaurant Hakata Tonton in the West Village, which we usually go to for special occasions. The Hakata hot pot restaurant itself is tiny but the adjacent Sushi Lounge serves exactly the same menu. Therefore, booking your reservation online is highly recommended. We started our dinner with Seafood Okonomiyaki, a Japanese grilled pancake; and Takoyaki, a Japanese ball shaped snack filled with diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger and green onions served with takoyaki sauce. Both appetizers were implicitly delicious. We settled on to their signature Hakata collagen hot pot prepared with collagen broth, tofu, vegetables, pork belly and tonsoku (pig feet) with additional ramen noodles that has been added to our broth midway dinner. It was a completely satisfying hot pot experience. Although they lack our usual small plate favorites and pork belly skewer, this place served a decent menu and had great customer service to match.
(5)
Elaine H.
Such a small place with only seven tables and cash only, yet everything was worth it. I wish I could rate it five plus star for food and service. As the name indicated, hotpot was their specialty. So we went with their signature course pork belly hotpot. The type of pepper they were using was kinda of spicy, so take a second consideration before pouring their extra hot sauce. Dry garlic was my favorite part, it mixed so well by itself with cabbage. Pancake with egg and pork was also a must if you are a fan of takoyaki. What I wanna emphasize was their service. Before the meal, they served plum wine and appetizer. After three dinner, they had hot tea and green tea dessert offered. I truly enjoyed the place from every single aspect. Paying so much attention to detail was the best part of it. Cash only was their only drawback, yet they have ATM right outside the restaurant and a Chase within one block, so it was not a problem at all.
(5)
Veronica R.
Came here to cure my winter blues and celebrate the lunar new year with some hot pot! I was looking for a place that took online reservations. If you go here, reservations are highly recommended, because the place is tiny. I shared the signature collagen broth w/ pork belly hot pot and the chicken & veggie pancake with my boyfriend. The broth was delicious - exactly what I had been craving the whole week. It was the perfect amount of seasoning. We also ordered a side of ramen, which they cooked with the leftover broth at the end. One of the best meals I've had this year so far! We left stuffed and satisfied (and I got to take some leftovers with me, which I'm already excited to eat for lunch tomorrow). Some prior reviews complained about the slow service, but I thought our server was really nice and attentive. She came by several times to check on our hot pot, and I never felt like I had to wait long for anything.
(5)
N T.
I guess everyone has a different perception of what Hotpot is, but at this place it's literally a pot of food that is hot. To be more accurate, a pot of food that comes out raw in the pot on top of a portable stove and you slowly see it cook and get hot. Im used to Hotpot places where it's hands-on, where you actually cook the food yourself as you eat it. Presentation wise, the food all came out looking really nice for pictures. But taste wise, the hotpot really failed. We ordered the Hakata Dontaku Hot Pot (steamed pork belly, bean sprout and cabbage with spicy sauce) which really mostly tasted like a bunch of vegetables with not much flavor. By the time the meat cooked, the thin layer of meat became a a few slices of thin pork belly. It is minimum order of at least 2 per hotpot. So even if you come here alone, in order to eat their hotpot you need to order 2 servings, for about $36 and $5 extra per person for ramen, it really wasn't worth it considering how it tasted. If I wanted a tiny pot of bean sprouts and veges with a few slices of meat on top with bland tasting broth, I would've made it myself. On the other hand we also ordered Okonomi-Yaki Pan Cake (pork tonsoku, cabbage, red pickled ginger, scallions & konjak, okonomi sauce) and it was surprisingly good. They were generous with with sauce and bonito flakes and the slightly burnt bottom from the sizzling hotplate was actually delightful. The gyozas that came with the ramen was also delicious. The ramen on the other hand was overly salty. The first few bites were okay, but once you reach the middle part where the soup base is, it starts to become a bit too overwhelming. The taste of the miso broth was kind of weird too. I didn't really enjoy any part of the ramen until I doused it with hot sauce. The place is super small, we made reservations online but it's not because it was busy. It's because they only have 4 tables with about 2-4 seats each on this side and if you didn't there might not be enough seats. The service was okay, they were nice but considerably slow with how many people that were here. Second time here and it still failed to impress.
Monique C.
Different mgmt from Hakata Tonton in west village. Pros: online reservation. Small restaurant but the waitress still made the magic happened. We were group of six and shared three pots in two tables. Nice and cozy perfectly fits in the cold New York snowing night. Cons: cash only. There was a ATM outside but it's broken. We had three different pots : collagen pot, pigs feet and pork belly pot. Each pot was so delicious and very savory. My personal favorite two were collagen and pigs feet. Love the beef intestine in the collagen pot and sweetness of the broth. We also ordered a bowl of lounge ramen and pork and egg pancake. Their ramen and pancake are very authentic compared to those I had in Japan. We ended up paying $26 per person. Very reasonable priced as well. My only complain is the broken ATM outside and it's a cash only restaurant. Not a fun thing to do to walk several blocks to get cash in the cold winter night !!!
(5)Jennifer K.
We had the collagen hot pot which was tasty...when we finally got it. It took us an hour to have our hot pot delivered after we asked about it twice. When it finally did arrive, we were told that they had run out of ingredients and needed to go out and buy more -- information that I would have appreciated when it came up or even when we ordered so we could have the option of ordering someone else. THEN as we were enjoying our food, they asked if we would like our ramen noodles now. I said "yes, of course", they wanted to TAKE AWAY our hot pot so they could put the noodles in. We pointed out that they brought out the bowl of noodles for other patrons and if they could just kindly bring out the extra dish. So while yes the hot pot was tasty, it wasn't worth the long wait or poor service. Make reservations at Hakata Tonton instead.
(1)Yujen C.
I love all food and wanted to try this place because I saw it from chopstick magazine. 3 star is the MAX I would give restaurant. compare to hakata tonton is NO WHERE NEAR! feels like the owner just ate at hakata tonton and just think that they can make the same thing. I tried two of the hot pot from here and taste wasn't simple as it should be. every ingredients flavor just mix together; in a bad way. NOT RECOMMENDED
(2)Kay Y.
Ordered the hotpot and a few appetizers. Appetizers and sashimi were only ok, the egg omelet we ordered was literally frozen. Hotpot was good. The bill was $108 for two and it was cash only. (Last time i came here they accepted cards, and the waitress explained that they only take cards when they are busy, like WTF?) I had to go to the ATM outside the restaurant and withdrawn cash.
(3)Ginny L.
I was looking around Yelp for some new places to eat and spotted Hakata Hot Pot...Hakata is one of the cities in Kyushu prefecture..love some of the foods from there.....anywho since this place needs two people or more to order a pot, I decided to drag a friend with me to try it out. This place is actually sisters with Sushi Lounge, so if the seating are full here, they usually direct you over next door. We had a reservation booked at 8pm, and since my friend was running late, I decided to order the Okonomiyaki to start. When he arrived, we decided on the Motsu pot. The okonomiyaki came promptly and it was the best one that I have ever eaten in New York...it was very fluffy and the portion was good. The motsu nabe came next, the portion of the pot was pretty good, and there were a good amount of food it in. The soup didn't taste bitter after the meal, so that was awesome..we also opted for eggs to go in the soup (Surcharges). You can also add noodles if you like as well... Cant wait to come back again. Note: They do take credit card, just prefer cash, so feel free to use your cc if you like
(4)David B.
Came here with friends. Being from Queens, I've had the chance of trying hot pot as well. Made a reservation for Friday evening through open table. Figured a place with decent reviews on yelp and open table would have their act together by now. Obviously they don't. Make sure you make no guest notes on Open Table becasue you will be completely ignored as you will be when physically being in the restaurant. The food was edible nothing special. This place is about getting you in and dropping the check. No knowledge of the food what so ever, and make sure you bring you're own water because you will be dehydrated and forgotten. Call me a snob but don't offer services if you can't keep up with them at the establishment. I would rather spend more money then get the service I did, and try the terrible food. It's cheap Japanese. Kenka, Taisho, and the other ramen shops do a better job. Hakata get your act together.
(1)Henry Y.
Just came back from a 10-day trip to Japan and while that certainly doesn't make me an expert on Japanese food, I did have a craving for Japanese food that was more than satisfied by this brand new hot pot spot located right on St Marks. A few things to start this review off: This hotpot isn't your average hotpot. Evidently the city of Hakata in the prefecture of Fukuoka is known for their hotpot specializing in everything from your everyday chicken broth hotpot to beef offal hotpot. Now before the whiteness in you is scared away by the word 'offal' I'd like to point out that offal, when cleaned properly and served with the right sauces and ingredients, can be much much more delicious than normal lean or fatty meat. There are 5 main hotpot features: one involving beef offal, which looked delicious but I just wasn't in the mood for offal that night. Another was pork belly, another collagen based, which was supposed to have pig's feet and chicken, etc. The last two were a Cilantro hotpot and then a Kimchi hotpot. As I'd mentioned, I wasn't really feeling offal on this particular evening, so in lieu of ordering the Hakata Motsunabe (the offal one) and the Collagen hotpot, my gf and I opted for the Dontaku (primarily pork belly). Dude. First of all, this hotpot comes to you in the form of a MOUNTAIN of meat. It's all done up and looks real pretty, with spices, roasted garlic slices, scallions, bean sprouts, tofu, leeks, and cabbage. As the personal stove top on which this hotpot sits starts to heat up, this mound of deliciousness melts into the hotpot that you have typically enjoyed and loved. The broth is out of this world. Out of all of the hotpots that I've ever had in my life (and being Chinese I've had more than you can count), this was by far the most rich and satisfying. It's not overly salty and you can just tell that they've been working on this for hours on end. Following your feast the server will bring you one of two options (or even both if you prefer): ramen or rice to soak into the rich broth for you to enjoy. We were already completely stuffed from the hotpot itself and the okonomiyaki (a Japanese specialty consisting of what could only be defined as a decked out pancake. Think pajan if you're korean and jianbing if you're Chinese. But with a TON of ingredients, with bonito flakes on top), so we only went with 1 serving of ramen. Turns out 1 serving of ramen serves two. Which was fantastic and added to my already filled and satisfied stomach. The wait staff is incredibly attentive and lacks none of the warm hospitality shown to us during out trip in Japan-- Japanese ppl do service right. They're always making sure to check on you and ensuring that you've got enough napkins, water, tea, etc. The basics really, but this kind of hospitality and service is severely lacking elsewhere in the US. You are also (at the time of this writing) offered a complimentary shot of plum wine and a small dabbling of dessert. In response to other reviews regarding long wait times, I can only imagine it were a function of the restaurant being crowded that people had to wait so long for their food...and the fact that the restaurant was perhaps brand new and trying to get their process together. The wait time was about 8-10 minutes for the entire hotpot to come out, and the wait time for the okonomiyaki was a mere 10 minutes as well. I'm an impatient eater...so trust me when I say that the food came out at just the right times. As a side note, I can't imagine a small spot like this taking too long to get their orders out. From what I observed in Japan, Japanese people are hella efficient eaters and unless it's an izakaya, omakase, or some other fancy restaurant, everyone eats and peaces the heck out. They've got vending machine ramen that's pretty much a standard there, and ppl are in and out in under 20 minutes. Anyway, this is my 300th review, and I'm happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Hakata Hot Pot, and will definitely be going back again.
(5)Zhichao Z.
I went with my cousin and her friend at 6:30pm. The staff is very friendly and patient. We got various choices of hot pot, pancakes and so on. The taste is really good, and the atmosphere is perfect, I'll highly recommend this place!
(5)Amy L.
Really tasty Hakata Hot Pot. And large portion with a reasonable price. Highly recommend!
(5)Steffany L.
We don't want wait for 1.5 hours and the service is really suck
(1)Francis Y.
Small establishment. Great spice broth. Hakata hot pot is like someone making ramen in the style of hot pot. If you like roasted garlic and ramen, you will dig this place.
(4)Lils Y.
Had the "Hakata Dontaku Hot Pot" here, shared amongst myself and significant other. It was DELICIOUS! Tender pork belly layered over a soup of bean sprouts & cabbage, this is the perfect meal for a cold winter night. Priced $17 per person, you can add $5 for ramen on top. Your choice to flavor it with the side of hot sauce. It comes with shot-glass sized plum wine as well. The service was excellent. There was no wait (on a Sunday 5pm, and pretty much nobody on this side of the store until 7pm). Definite one of best kept secrets in lower east side and not enough ppl know about this (hence, it was quiet/relaxing). $$$CASH ONLY. But ATM outside the store.
(5)Carmen G.
Super small! 6-7 tables available and the spacing is a bit tight. Reservation during weekend or prime time is somewhat suggested. We (group of 3) tried Hakata Collagen Hot Pot which is one of their signature hot pots. The broth was tasty with a nice kick (heat/spice) at the end of each taste. Each pot comes with a complimentary plum wine (shots, shots, shots!), very sweet and yummy. What's nice about it is after finishing all the broth and all the goodness, we have the option of adding noodles which Hakata adds more broth. Our mistake was assuming they were going to put the same broth as before but nope! Totally different and way too salty. Nice concept though. Overall, the place was alright. I would not make the trip out again for this place unless there's another pot that's way better. Cash only really kills it for me. Come prepared with some dough.
(3)Tammy K.
Have you ever had those nights where you want both hot pot and ramen? Perhaps it's just me, but if you are in the same boat, you should come here! If you order hot pot and get the $5 ramen add-on, after you are done with the hotpot, they take your pot back into the kitchen and use the leftover broth to make you a nice piping hot bowl of ramen. It's like DIY Tonkontsu ramen. No, it's not Hakata Tonton, but it's also not that bad of a substitute, considering how much easier it is to get a reservation and the fact that it's much less pricey.
(3)Aleksey M.
If you want to try an authentic Japanese Hakata hot pot - come to this restaurant. Their hot pots are delicious, sake selection is good, and sashimi are fresh. Hot pots have very thick and delicious soup, if you order additional ramen afterwards - they can provide more soup with generous sesame oil. Sashimi that I have tried was very fresh and tender. Sake selection is pretty good, and some sake types are hard to find in other places. Service was great (though a bit slow), and waiters like if you appreciate the Japanese culture. Just for the sake of great food and service I am giving them 5 stars. From the drawbacks: food comes a bit slow, so plan ahead (or call in), and they are cash-only. Did I mention that you can order a take-away?
(5)Ting L.
Made a reservation here on Friday night, saw some empty tables but they were actually reserved too. Better to make a reservation if you can as the space is small and fills up quick. There're two separate adjacent spaces/entry ways, but they share the kitchen. We got the motsu hotpot with beef intestines, which tasted a lot better than it sounds. We also ordered the okonomiyaki but that never came. Service was slow, but they give you complimentary edamame and plum wine. The space is so cramped the waiters have difficulty moving around, further contributing to slow service. The hotpot was really good, broth was tasty. We got additional noodles for the pot, that was so good I want it again. Overall a good food experience if you want just the hotpot, but hakata ton ton in the West village has better non - hotpot options.
(4)Josh K.
A Hakata Tonton imitator (down to the cute bathroom with tons of freebies inside -- I admit, I flossed) for a couple bucks less and a bit more casual. It shares a kitchen with a sushi restaurant in the adjacent unit. We were stuffed after ordering the motsu (intestine) hot pot and putting the noodles in afterward. That's really all there was to say about it. Service was good, overall great experience, we'll be back.
(4)Katherine R.
We went last night with a reservation for 8:15. Though we arrived on time and there was an open table, we were moved next door to Sushi Lounge. If you're going to seat me in a different restaurant than I requested, let me know at the time I make the reservation. I was disappointed because Sushi Lounge has a different ambience. And A Different Kitchen!! That being said, I still give them (or Sushi Lounge??) three stars. The collagen pork belly hot pot was awesome. I was stuffed and satisfied. It had lots of veggies and salty yumminess.
(3)cy c.
the waitress is the WORST you can think of. and the WORST experiences I (and all my friends there) have ever experienced. I have never rate a place only by it's service, but this is simply outrageous . we make it very clear at the time we order that we definitely want to add rice in the end. she said ok, she'll come back later to make sure what we want. she was playing with her phone and forgot our order of drinks, we were trying to be nice and remind her politely since she seemed very nice. and she came said do you still want noodle? we said no we want RICE (all of us are not the fan to have ramen in hop pot) and then it came with noodle and we tell her it's wrong, and she said "ohhhh!! sorry!!! I'll take it back and cook another for you." so we waited for another 20mins. when the hot pot came back, it's the old one, add rice and recook, so that it's obvious what it'd be like when the noodle was cooked twice. everything is mushy like gunge...... I hate bad food and already was very upset. and she came to ask us to leave because the restaurant is close. "there's no other customers!" I told her, "it's not our fault that you mess up the order and had to recook so that it took us more time to eat" she said "but when you order the rice it's already very late!" (that's before the last order, and we made the request at the very first beginning it's not our fault that you accepted our order and then blame us to order it too late) she go so mad and told us " I thought everything went well, and you suddenly got upset" and she said "I'll refund you the money of the noodle!" and she just went back to the counter and throw $11 dollar at our table and said "This is your money, that's all you want after all, right?!" "oh you should know that the rice is 5 dollars extra, and I didn't charge you for that!" (like we really cares about so little money that it's worth to get a bad meal and bad service, really, people have better things to do......... the tips we gave her before was probably already close to that [she asked us to pay the bill first, and we did, huge mistake!!]) and she said it to our face "This is so ridiculous!!! " WOW can you imagine? I thought that's our line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)W S.
How can this place get 4 stars? As soon as you walk in, door slams like thunder every time someone walks in or out. Service is horrible, extremely slow. Only one waitress for 5 tables. She might be the chef too because she is rarely seen. Simple age tofu sucks, soggy and tasteless. Wings super oily. Hot pot is tasteless. Will never return. We got jerked.
(1)Louis N.
I've never had Japanese Hakata hotpot before so this was an entirely new experience for me. It's similar, yet oh so different, to the likes of Chinese style hotpot and the Japanese shabu shabu. It actually reminds me somewhat of the Korean style hotpot where all the ingredients are already in the pot but you have to let it cook and bubble up. This however was so much better because the broth and the freshness of the meats were incredibly flavorful and can be either spicy or not spicy for those who don't handle the heat, which is a plus to always have the choice. I came here on a Friday night with my fiancé for date night dinner. Made reservations having read that it was a small place and I didn't want to wait in the cold. The server was very friendly and accommodating both on the phone and in person when we arrived. Upon entering you'll see that the entire hot pot restaurant is very small. A total of 14 seats inside and what seemed like 4 outdoor seats in the front. Needless to say it's not a huge place but great things don't have to be big. We were seated promptly and ordered the Hakata Motsu Nabe Hot Pot in a white soup for two (minimum two per order). The dish is described from their menu as a specialty of Hakata japan, collagen broth, beef motsu (intestine), cabbage, Chinese chive, gyoza skin, garlic and chili pepper. They forgot to mention that there were also some tofu cubes in the soup, not that it was ever a problem to have tofu. The soup was flavorful from all the fresh beef intestine and the chives. It's surprising how well the two ingredients brought out a pleasant aroma from the pot. Once cooked down the soup stock had a creamy texture from the collagen and a beefy flavor that was not overpowering from the intestines. Even though we ordered the white soup which is not spicy, there were diced up chili peppers which gave the soup a little kick. A wonderful meal choice for a cold December night. Near the end of the meal you can add on ramen or rice to the hotpot. We opted to go for the ramen which included champon ramen noodles, two gyoza and more Chinese chives. The ramen soaked up the rest of the broth and helped fill up the belly at the end of the meal. The food was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed my first Hakata hotpot experience. It's been noted by other diners that the food takes a while to come out. It's true the food took a bit of time before it arrives onto our table for the ten minute cooking before we can eat it. Having to watch the food cook is never fun especially when you're starving. Additional delay comes from the fact that the one or two servers who does everything from stirring the hotpot and serving, turning on and off of each table top stove, taking orders, seating people, clearing tables and getting checks are also serving the restaurant next door. That's right, this hotpot joint is connected through the kitchen to the next door sushi lounge. Standing outside and looking at the next door restaurant, the size seems to be the same as the hotpot restaurant. I don't know why they have two restaurants under one roof (more like one kitchen). Whatever the reason, their food tastes awesome and I'll be back for my next hotpot fix.
(5)Christy K.
Worst service ever. Not only did I have to ask for drinks, water, and food 2-3 times each, in order to get water, drinks, and the rest of my food I had to go into the kitchen and tell them midway through my dinner that they needed to bring everything. I've never had to do that in a restaurant. Not to mention the attitude I got from the moment that I sat down. It took 15 minutes for a woman to acknowledge that I was sitting at a table. Come on, there are 5 tables in the entire restaurant and there were only 3 tables being used when I got there. The kimchi hot pot is great but I'm never coming back here again. Also, CASH ONLY. So if you're planning on going, be sure to have that ready because their ATM outside of the restaurant didn't work yesterday.
(1)Yi W.
I really wanted to give 5 stars. I dropped one star because the food comes out really slow. I have no idea whether this one is affiliated with the other hakata. They both have the same style hot pot. The hot pot is very good!! The base soup is rich, the meat is tender. The waitress even helps you put the food into your bowl. The sushi is ok. I ordered a spider roll which has soft crab in it. I guess I won't order it again. It's kind of tasteless. They also have ramen burger!! It's good but the ramen is a bit greasy. We waited about 30 mins for the sushi and Another 10 mins for the burger than another 15 minutes for the hotpot. That's where the one star get deducted. The plus is they have almost everything in the restroom!! Tooth pick, sanitary napkin, mouth wash, q-tip, even skincare stuff!! If you are not in a rush, definitely give it a try.
(4)Mihoon C.
Hot pot and their house sake was the perfect meal on a winter day. Make reservations as the place is a bit small and it seems they prefer cash but took my card anyway. Okinomiyaki was also good but I think I'd do without ordering sushi next time. Add in ramen to the hotpot, it was fresh and delicious.
(4)Nina K.
It is just ok. I, for some reason, thought that this is a new branch for the very popular Hakata Tonton- but realize now that it is not. I made a reservation and when I walked in, the waitress said go next door which is "Sushi Lounge" - they are doing business together serving both menus. The service is slow which I didn't mind. The food is just ok-nothing fantastic. When you go to the bathroom which you have to go through the tiny kitchen area, it just makes you lose appetite.... as the area seems so dirty. Also they are NOT CASH ONLY! I know it says that on the bill they bring you but it is not. The ATM machine next door was broke, so we just gave them our credit card which they processed right away. So if you don't have cash or don't feel like paying cash, BY ALL MEANS, PAY WITH CREDIT CARD- THEY WILL ACCEPT IT!
(2)B ..
Delicious broth and ingredients..so perfect for a cold brisk day! I just wish that they included more meat in the pot. Excellent service!
(4)Luna A.
Wow. I really never expected this place to be good but everything I had was so delicious and perfect. I had a Okonomiyaki and the Hakata Collagen Hot Pot ( two orders minumum!) and guess what.. It was the best okonomiyaki I've had in the city! The hot pot had a really generous portion and the combination of veges and pork collagen was perfect. What was more amazing about this place was the complimentary dessert and the plum wine. Order any hot pot here and get complimentary cute little plum wine in a long shot glass. It will definitely make you appetite more while waiting for the hot pot to be cooked. So, the total for seafood okonomiyaki, two orders of collagen hot pot, and two glasses of kirin draft beer was about $55. We were full and happy! I don't think I can ever go back to Hakata Ton Ton in the West Village: the long line, slow service and small portion of the food. Instead, dine in this new place: Hakata Hot Pot!
(5)Monica K.
I must say we were totally disappointed with the service. We saw no manager available to handle the situation. Here is the story. We've made a reservation for four people at 7pm and when we got there at 7pm, there were no table available. One of the waitstaff told us it's because two group of people came in at the same time about 15 min ago and took two remaining tables. So!? The same waitstaff kept telling us that one table would be available in 15 min but it actually took one hour for us to finally seat at a table. There is no bar in this restaurant, so we waited at a bar across the street leaving one of our phone#. It was the busiest time and day of the week, we decided to wait rather than walking around. Here is my suggestion. When you take a reservation, you reserve a table. Yet, it's on St Marks, who expect good quality service and food? I prefer spending little more money and go to Hakata TonTon. Is this authentic Japanese place? I'm not sure.
(1)Jerry C.
If you think Hakata Ton Ton is tiny, then Hakata Hot Pot is super tiny. I think any more than 12-14 people will max Hakata Hot Pot out. The restaurants are not related, but they do focus on the same essential ingredient: Japanese hot pots based on long-simmering pig feet/pig toe broth. That may sound off-putting, but collagen is the secret ingredient for having soft silky skin. Pig feet and pig toe are cooked and eaten by many cultures, but I seem to like the Japanese Hakata style the best. For appetizers, we selected Seafood Okonomiyaki which was good but a bit overcooked. The Takoyaki, which are minced octopus meat balls, tasted bland to me. We had better luck with the Collagen hot pot. It came piled high with vegetables that soon cooked down into the broth. The pork belly was delicious, and the broth excellent. This is definitely a place to return to, especially in the winter when your stomach is craving for hot soup. Just be prepared for a super tiny restaurant with not much ambience.
(4)Vivian S.
nah... we ordered the pork feet hot pot and apparently their computer system had some problem so our order didn't go through to the kitchen. It was not until after 20 minutes I had asked the waitress if our order was ready, they found out the order was not processed. Then another 15 minute wait. The waitress and the lady who looks like manager were not professional. We were starving and showing impatience on our face and they did not explain the situation. Again, nothing was explained to us or apologize until I asked why it took so long.
(3)Cindy T.
TLDR: Hakata Hot Pot in St Marks is a lot better than Hakata Tonton in West Village. I brought one girlfriend. We ordered only two essential things. After consuming the modern okonomiyaki and the classic pork belly hot pot with added ramen noodles, I was the most full I HAVE EVER BEEN. Which is saying a lot because I am a champion eater and, one could say, a hot pot aficionado. On this visit, I was actually worried I was doing irreparable damage to my stomach lining so distended it was from the delicious food. But it was SO WORTH IT. Hakata Hot Pot was amazing. Great portions, great prices, attentive service (though a bit slow). The only confusing thing was the two separate entrances/restaurant sides. You'll see. Go here! I promise you'll love it as long as you stick to hot pot. (I can't vouch for the sushi, etc).
(4)Joyce L.
Not sure why this place isn't rated higher. We ordered the motsu hotpot to share and it was a lot of food. Wish there was more beef intestine in it but it was still very tasty and filling. We also got some edamame and plum wine for free with the hotpot. Service was good and attentive. We also got some rice after we finished our hotpot and I didn't realize that they actually make it into a porridge for you. It was more than what we could finish and if I knew it was porridge like I would have opted for noodles instead. I would come back again for the hotpot.
(4)Reggie M.
Since I love everything Hakata, I gathered my pork feet loving friends to try this place. We found out that they did not have any affiliation to our favorite Japanese restaurant Hakata Tonton in the West Village, which we usually go to for special occasions. The Hakata hot pot restaurant itself is tiny but the adjacent Sushi Lounge serves exactly the same menu. Therefore, booking your reservation online is highly recommended. We started our dinner with Seafood Okonomiyaki, a Japanese grilled pancake; and Takoyaki, a Japanese ball shaped snack filled with diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger and green onions served with takoyaki sauce. Both appetizers were implicitly delicious. We settled on to their signature Hakata collagen hot pot prepared with collagen broth, tofu, vegetables, pork belly and tonsoku (pig feet) with additional ramen noodles that has been added to our broth midway dinner. It was a completely satisfying hot pot experience. Although they lack our usual small plate favorites and pork belly skewer, this place served a decent menu and had great customer service to match.
(5)Elaine H.
Such a small place with only seven tables and cash only, yet everything was worth it. I wish I could rate it five plus star for food and service. As the name indicated, hotpot was their specialty. So we went with their signature course pork belly hotpot. The type of pepper they were using was kinda of spicy, so take a second consideration before pouring their extra hot sauce. Dry garlic was my favorite part, it mixed so well by itself with cabbage. Pancake with egg and pork was also a must if you are a fan of takoyaki. What I wanna emphasize was their service. Before the meal, they served plum wine and appetizer. After three dinner, they had hot tea and green tea dessert offered. I truly enjoyed the place from every single aspect. Paying so much attention to detail was the best part of it. Cash only was their only drawback, yet they have ATM right outside the restaurant and a Chase within one block, so it was not a problem at all.
(5)Veronica R.
Came here to cure my winter blues and celebrate the lunar new year with some hot pot! I was looking for a place that took online reservations. If you go here, reservations are highly recommended, because the place is tiny. I shared the signature collagen broth w/ pork belly hot pot and the chicken & veggie pancake with my boyfriend. The broth was delicious - exactly what I had been craving the whole week. It was the perfect amount of seasoning. We also ordered a side of ramen, which they cooked with the leftover broth at the end. One of the best meals I've had this year so far! We left stuffed and satisfied (and I got to take some leftovers with me, which I'm already excited to eat for lunch tomorrow). Some prior reviews complained about the slow service, but I thought our server was really nice and attentive. She came by several times to check on our hot pot, and I never felt like I had to wait long for anything.
(5)N T.
I guess everyone has a different perception of what Hotpot is, but at this place it's literally a pot of food that is hot. To be more accurate, a pot of food that comes out raw in the pot on top of a portable stove and you slowly see it cook and get hot. Im used to Hotpot places where it's hands-on, where you actually cook the food yourself as you eat it. Presentation wise, the food all came out looking really nice for pictures. But taste wise, the hotpot really failed. We ordered the Hakata Dontaku Hot Pot (steamed pork belly, bean sprout and cabbage with spicy sauce) which really mostly tasted like a bunch of vegetables with not much flavor. By the time the meat cooked, the thin layer of meat became a a few slices of thin pork belly. It is minimum order of at least 2 per hotpot. So even if you come here alone, in order to eat their hotpot you need to order 2 servings, for about $36 and $5 extra per person for ramen, it really wasn't worth it considering how it tasted. If I wanted a tiny pot of bean sprouts and veges with a few slices of meat on top with bland tasting broth, I would've made it myself. On the other hand we also ordered Okonomi-Yaki Pan Cake (pork tonsoku, cabbage, red pickled ginger, scallions & konjak, okonomi sauce) and it was surprisingly good. They were generous with with sauce and bonito flakes and the slightly burnt bottom from the sizzling hotplate was actually delightful. The gyozas that came with the ramen was also delicious. The ramen on the other hand was overly salty. The first few bites were okay, but once you reach the middle part where the soup base is, it starts to become a bit too overwhelming. The taste of the miso broth was kind of weird too. I didn't really enjoy any part of the ramen until I doused it with hot sauce. The place is super small, we made reservations online but it's not because it was busy. It's because they only have 4 tables with about 2-4 seats each on this side and if you didn't there might not be enough seats. The service was okay, they were nice but considerably slow with how many people that were here. Second time here and it still failed to impress.
(2)