Alex C.
Yelp
1/26
Hot pot is the quintessential comfort one pot meal just as dim sum is the obligatory brunch that not only the Chinese but beloved by all cultures near and far. More and more hot pot spots cater to the ultra modern experience and very few still offer a true all you can eat experience. iPot is among the few that does all you can very well.
Location: Irving remains a sprawling Chinese community akin to Chinatown but on a smaller scale. You can find Sheng Kee, San Tung, and Kingdom of Dumpling just to name a few all in the same vicinity.
The what: you come here for hot pot or when your group can't decide on Italian, tapas or French. None of the aforementioned are AYCE (all you can eat), but that each on its own are worthy contenders. I ultimately wanted hot pot and specifically one where individual pots are an option. Not only did we each get a soup pot, but cook your own barbecue plate is also provided.
The how: after being seated, a member of wait staff will provide instructions on how to order. A QR code can be scanned and shared amongst the party and all items in the cart can be edited in real time. There's no cap on how many items can be ordered, but that there is a 15 minute window between each order.
The food: we were just simply too excited that none of us remembered to order a soup base and began a journey of a carnivores heaven. I chose the tomato broth, two of my friends went with the bone broth, and the other went with herbal. The soup bases smelled wonderful. There is a sauce and condiment/sides station at the back. I made sure I utilized the sauce station, with my usual go to: a combination of sesame, peanut, and soy sauce as my dip. For added flavor, I loaded some green onions into my tomato broth and waited for it to simmer. There is a plethora of meats to choose from, and we chose wagyu, lamb, pork belly, cow belly, brisket, and tenderloin. Veggies, we opted for enoki, shiitake, Napa cabbage, tofu curd, winter melon, squash, sugar pea sprouts, bok choy and spinach. We also ordered fresh ramen noodles, instant noodles and hand pulled noodles, which pair well with the flavorful broths. Alcoholic beverages aren't included with the AYCE menu but that soju pairs well with hot pot, and we ordered green grape and coconut.
The service: several members of wait staff circled our table to clear any finished plates and to fill our pots with additional broth. We were given ice cream at the very end, which was a refreshing treat after a filling meal.
Expect to not only leave smelling delicious but also extremely full. One pot meals are simply easy and delicious.