"The robots do not function yet, but the food is ready at X Pot, the new hot pot restaurant now open at the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Palazzo. The restaurant opened its lounge area, with the dining room with robot servers debuting later. Once completely open, the restaurant promises an entertainment experience with 360-degree projections in high-def, interactive light shows, and themed sounds to accompany the thousand-year-old Sichuan hot-pot tradition. Founders Haibin Yang and David Zhao of Chubby Cattle fame in Chinatown bring the restaurant with its Asian fusion dishes, complete with A5 Wagyu beef and certified Kobe beef dry-aged for 100 days in a case in the dining room. Customers then can select the quality and level of meat, based on how long the beef has been aged. Diners also choose and cook their own ingredients, ranging from meat and seafood to vegetables, and cook them at communal tables. For now, the lounge offers a tight menu of oyster shooters, wagyu beef sushi, seafood platters, and marinated cherry tomatoes. When the dining room opens, X Pot will feature performances that include ancient Chinese face-changing ceremonies, noodle dances, and table animation shows, each paired with its smart-robot technology." - Susan Stapleton
