Ben Ben Hot Pot

Absolutely incredible and delicious hot pot. For those of you that don’t know how hot pot works, it’s all you can eat. Each person selects a soup base, and what ingredients they want to put in their soup (meats, veggies, noodles, etc) on the menu with a little marker. Then you go to the sauce bar and get additional sauces for your base if you want. Things like sesame oil, chili oil, sou sauce and others. They also have extra garnishes like garlic, cilantro, scallions, etc. Next they bring you the soup base and everything you ordered, and you cook it on the table in front of you! It’s a really cool experience and always delicious since you get to pick exactly how you want it :) Be mindful not to order everything on the menu because it’s a LOT of food. I skipped lunch and still couldn’t finish everything they gave me. Also for the plant-based crowd, there are vegan friendly soup bases and it’s very easy to get all vegetables + tofu (if you don’t eat meat like me). Lots of different mushroom options which is my personal preference. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Very reasonable prices as well. If you come, you better come hungry!!!

Good service. Best hot pot ingredients I have had at any hot pot place. Big shrimp. Good selection of items. Loved the broth. Great condiment bar. Friendly owners. Sadly no special Naan. Will be back.

This is a completely new concept for Berkeley. In this place, dinner can turn into a creative ritual. You cook your own food, adding any ingredients you like to the base rich stock, which simmers in a pot right on your table. All the food is of the highest quality, from the organic chicken used to make the stock to the delicious Chilean shrimp. You pay a flat rate and can eat an unlimited amount of food - they will add broth to your pot and bring you all the ingredients from the menu as much as you ask. The service is excellent - all the staff are very friendly and always ready to answer questions. Thanks for the great experience! P.S. Their naan is mind blowing!

We had a great experience at Ben Ben! All of the food was really fresh and you will have A LOT of it. The staff was very kind, welcoming, and patient with patrons who may be newer to a hot pot experience. It is a fun opportunity to try new things and really personalize your meal. I am definitely planning to come back with a larger group, I feel like that would be a lot of fun! Each broth option comes with some stuff already in it. For example, my spicy broth came with a prawn, some daikon, quail eggs, tofu skin, etc. It's not very clear on the menu, so I would recommend asking about that especially if you have any food restrictions. I think it would be helpful to add more information on the menu about the broth flavors and base ingredients.

A new hot pot spot in Berkeley featuring individual mini hot pot, Qing dynasty “Pork Tripes & Chicken soup” base, all-you-can-eat menu with vast variety, a spacious round-table party room with karaoke, and ample free parking right at the door. Good for groups small or big, or by yourself, or with kids. Friendly staffs keep you feel home and cozy, besides already feeling warm & joyous behind the steam of those mini hot pot ☺️

Mini personal hotpot comes with freshly made savory soup base. All you can eat menu features a decent selection. Complementary black iced tea and water, as well as condiment bar is to be self served.

Thoughts on owner’s reply: they are basically saying that they will continue charging the full price despite 90% of the items on the menu being unavailable for an AYCE experience. Mind blowing. ——————————————————————- We went to this place tonight. They had a severe shortage of food: people are lining up in front of the fridge to get a few items they were able to offer, which is only enough for 2-3 tables each time they refill the fridge. If you order any food, it will take 1 hour+. Yes, you heard it right, and that’s the fastest item to arrive from the server except for the soup itself. We immediately told the server we’ve had enough and don’t want the beef tripe anymore. The server apologized and said this situation is extremely rare. We are not buying it: if you have a severe shortage of food supply for an AYCE place, you should at least warn your customers before they come it. They chose to not disclose the obvious food shortage and let customers in anyway and still had the audacity to charge the full price. Eye opening.

The chicken soup is very traditional and good! The service is warm and the price is not something you expected in the Bay Area. Highly recommended this place.

A cool hot pot spot in Berkeley featuring individual mini hot pot, Qing dynasty "Pork Tripes & Chicken soup" base, all-you-can-eat menu with vast variety, a spacious round-table party room with karaoke, and ample free parking right at the door. Good for groups small or big, or by yourself, or with kids. Friendly staffs keep you feel home and cozy, besides already feeling warm & joyous behind the steam of those mini hot pot

We were here this Saturday and they had severe shortage of food. More than a dozen customers had to line up in front of the fridge multiple times to compete for the portions that are only enough for 3-5 people WHEN THEY DO REPLENISH FOOD(more than 50% of the time the fridge was basically empty). For any "fancy" (beef tripes etc) items you ordered, you had to wait for an hour plus to get THE EARLIEST ITEM (yes, just 1 item) that arrives. They replied to my review on Google basically saying that they are ENTITLED to charge customers the full price (for an AYCE experience) despite the severe food shortage and the ridiculous long wait. You can eat nothing when we serve you nothing but sorry customers, you still have to pay the full price!

Decided to do date night with the hubby and have passed by this place a few times and decided to stop. The food is very good. The service was good as well. The cuts of meat are fresh and tender and once you add in things from the condiment bar you can really make your hot pot as flavorful as you'd like.

Good shit brother I love the way you have the hot pot and the effort is phenomenal to the food and I could have given me hivs or aids. Gg man

Great food, great and easy service. Staff were friendly! (though there was slight language barrier)

So I am torn between a three and a four, on one hand, I do like the fact that the hotpot is very homey, like how we used to do it when I was a kid. But on the other hand, some things should not be put in the hotpot. Pro: Self-service Sauce Bar Quality of sliced meat (beef, lamb and pork belly) Personal pots that heat up quickly. Con: Everything is self-served (bowls, water, etc). Some cuts and veggies are not hot pot choices (cubbed steak, iceberg lettuce) Limited choices and no description in the app for phone ordering. For the price ($28 for AYCE) and service, it is nice but there isn't any interior redo from the previous restaurant. The tables (6 top) are a little weird, as some have 6 burners but only 4 chairs. I wish there were other veggies like bok choy, chrysanthemum leaves (crown daisy/tong hao), more mushroom choices, and fishballs with roe. Also, some apps would be nice. I did like the sliced Beef #1, lamb, and pork belly, but there were cuts like cubed beef that were tough after cooking. The veggie plate had thinly sliced lotus root which I liked but I can't stand cooked iceberg lettuce. It is a very Chinese thing, but I rather have many other cooked veggies.

Great service !! The waiter was super nice. Food was some of the best I've had. 10/10

I came back and was disappointed to see some changes I felt were negative about my experience. I was sad to see there was no improvement in the meat selection and quality, but also that the oxtail broth changed from a more tomato like broth to a standard beef broth. This is also a very calm restaurant, so if you are looking for a lively atmosphere, this is not it. There was a piano tune on repeat for hours.

workers were actually so sweet and nice, and kept checking in on the customers. they kept asking if I wanted more meat which was very good. nice atmosphere, enough room for my party of 40 people. someone also did not pay by accident but they waived the fee which was very cool

Not a local so don't come after me! At first I was hesitant but WOW AM I GLAD I ATE HERE! All you can eat! All the toppings minus the red meat is self serve! You order the broth and what meats you want, then you go on and grab all the toppings you'd like. From noodles, to sea food, to veggies. They also had a hot area with chow mien and Chinese bbq (defs recommend) we had a large group so we were at a private area. Staff was so friendly! Such a fun hot pot experience.

This is Chinese hot pot, food is pretty good , that is all you can eat meats and vegetables .that includes beef, Lamp, pork, chicken, fish, shrimp and different kind the vegetables ......

This place is really tasty. But not the typical hot pot base most would be used to, like the spicy hot pot broth. It's more unique, like super milky rich chicken broth, pork tripe broth, oxtail, etc... I love the chicken one.. I could just drink the whole thing. They do have all the usual hot pot ingredients though. This shop reminds me of very traditional local hot pot joints in China.

I recently tried a new hot pot place in Berkeley called Ben Ben, which has received high reviews. They offer free parking right next to the restaurant, which is super convenient. I went there on a Sunday at 1:30 PM and got seated immediately. Although they advertise as all-you-can-eat, the food we ordered never arrived and the quality of the meat is very poor. The meat fell apart or too tough to eat. The only plus is both featured broth pretty tasty but they don't have any spicy broth. Ambiance is ok, old fashion. Will not return.

Today Nina and I met again for lunch here. Last week I noticed a sign outside that they were offering 50% off for seniors 65+ so I suggested it to Nina. They have changed the layout of the restaurant somewhat. Instead of being upstairs where we sat last time, the table w/ the condiments is closer to the front door. Nina was already seated w/ menus when I arrived. This time I made a point of bringing my reading glasses so I could see the menu. As was the case last time, the 50% off offer applied only to the original soup and that was what Nina ordered. I ordered the beef rib soup and added to it an assortment of meats, seafood and vegetables, as well as traditional noodles. Helen helped us as before. In addition to the hotpot there were appetizers and a variety of other possible additions at no additional cost. Though my meal wasn't 50% off, it was less expensive than I remembered it being 4 months ago. When the hotpots were delivered we dumped in the condiments then added the noodles, meats and vegetables. Helen set the burner under the hotpot to 5. After it had been cooking for a while a man Helen identified as her husband offered to take our hotpots back to the kitchen to heat them faster. We were up for that and soon he returned them to us, piping hot. I lowered the setting on my burner to 2, as did Nina. The food was delicious and plentiful. I finished pretty much everything. It will serve as my dinner as well; I can't imagine eating much more tonight. We were both very happy w/ our meals and will return w/o question. Portions are very generous. Service was very kind and helpful.

Too pricy for a lunchtime meal. Was charged over $100 for two people and we didn't even order the more expensive broth

Just checked this place out for the first time as we live nearby. It was pretty different than any AYCE hot pot I've been to before because of the soup choices. Really interesting new twists. I got the beef short rib soup, and it was awesome having two giant ribs to chew on in between meat and veg platters. The food was all good and well presented if in smaller portions than some other places I've been to. The service was really attentive and good. The sauce bar has lots of dry things to add to soy and vinegar. There are a few crockpots with noodles, dumplings, and such.

Food really good And service very kind and attentive We had a great dinner here and enjoyed our stay A very relax ambiance

Such an amazing restaurant. I think it's the best place to eat Chinese hot pot !For lunch ,you only have to pay 24 dollars and then you can enjoy the buffet.The pork tripe is especially super delicious !

The soup was amazing. It was made with real ingredients and not overly salty. The service was amazing. The waiters are super nice and even let us take home left over broth. Ingredients were really fresh and well stocked. Would highly recommend.

The beef rib soup is very delicious. Service is also great. Plenty of parking spots are available.

I went in for dinner service and saw they had all you can eat hotpot which I thought would be great. It took 20 minutes to get hot pot pots infront of us, another 15-20 to get servings of vegetable and small portions of meat. We were then told to use the app to order more for the all you can eat so we ordered a drink and more meat. We got the drink within 5 minutes but the meat never came! So we had to bother the staff multiple times before they finally gave us a small portion of meat 40 minutes after our first portion. Basically we had to constantly ask to get more meat to which they just wouldn't serve out more meat. We left about 2 hours after we arrived with less than 2 tiny servings of meat for each person. After tip we ended up splitting about $50 per person. The woman was very kind but having to basically beg for more food and not being served more at an all you can eat sucks! For anyone wondering, if they were overwhelmed. The restaurant was half full.

Had a late lunch here at this restaurant. Avoid them at all cost. $26 per person , all you can eat. It seems a good deal. Nope. We ordered a few things on our first order. Only a very poor quality and small portion beef came. Then ordered again, waited 30 minutes nothing came, ordered again, once again 2 very poor quality beef came. The lamb, beef ball, shrimp paste , etc after 2 hours sat there. Never showed up. They advertised as all you can eat, it is pretty much you eat on the mercy what they want to give you.

Probably the worst restaurant in Berkeley. Price is ridiculous for the trash food and services.

Good raw material and delicious , good flavor in Berkeley university ave and nice boss ,the beef and the chicken soap is delicous

ACYE hotpot from the folks who also run Nash café. Delicious broth, all the trimmings and a one-pot-per-person arrangement that lets everyone customize their own personal flavor.

We tried this place out on opening weekend and loved it! So many options and all you can eat! Our group left very full and happy :)

The one star is for excellent service. However the food was just bad. Bad quality meet, oily flavorless stew, cold appetizers. Some of the meat tasted expired and rancid. We left early and paid full price, will not be coming back. But I must emphasize the service was great, very kind people who helped us out!

Really good food. I enjoyed it and the service was really good as well. The ambience was really nice. Their sauce bar is pretty well stocked and their meat is super good!

Good food good service, definitely coming for the next time. Very connivence place, lots of parking spaces nearby.

Brand new Chinese Hot pot restaurant, with three different soup base, Beef Back Rib Soup, Oxtail Soup and Pork Tripe and Chicken Soup. I highly recommend the Pork Tripe and Chicken soup, a famous recipe from Canton Provenance. What I like is the one-pot-per-person all you can eat.:)

Love the food here! The chicken soup is strongly recommended! It's ~$20-30 per person for all you can eat btw.

Yummy, will come here again! The food is amazing here and the environment is wonderful! Service is good!

my partner and i had lunch here since tasty pot was closed for summer break and we were pleasantly surprised by the good food and service. it was completely empty except for us, likely due to it being summer and the busy berkeley crowd gone. our server fiona was so sweet and attentive the whole time and explained the menu clearly. since it's AYCE, you can't take anything to go, so come with a big appetite! this spot has it all: sauce bar, individual hot pot, self-serve fried rice and noodles, and iced black tea and lemon water! it's such a great concept and i really hope they get more business. i'm taiwanese so i love pork stomach, and they had plenty of it with small pieces of chicken that came with the soup we chose, so i was so happy and got full too quickly to order more from the menu lol. i'd love to come back with a group since it would be a fun experience.

Really great food and even better service. Oxtail soup base is highly recommended. Also they have a robot waiter which plays music.

Fabulous hot pot restaurant that Berkeley so badly needed! The soup bases are great - very well thought out and unique. Will definitely be a regular spot for me!

I love this new restaurant, the environment and service are great! Pork belly chicken hot pot, very delicious! The pork belly and chicken blend perfectly, the soup base is rich and mellow, and the taste is smooth and juicy. Each bite is the ultimate challenge to the taste buds, leaving you with an endless aftertaste. Highly recommended for food lovers! Unfortunately, after the meal was finished, I found that there was no photo sharing

The food and service were excellent. This is not factory line style hot pot. It served with pride and dedication that the proprietors provide their guests. I must visit! I highly recommend the chicken and pork stomach!