Lotus Hot Pot & Grill

I've been to Lotus times before, always adoring the quality of their weight staff and food. Every innovation they've made to the restaurant has been a huge improvement. The most recent of which is the All You Can Eat change in the menu. The implementation is seamless and remarkably well-thought. The hostess eagerly demonstrated how to use their new tablet ordering menu (rather than the old paper-and-pen) and very proud of the work they've put into their bespoke app. Pride well-deserved, since it's more responsive than any chain's like K-Pot's. I've brought vegetarian family to the restaurant before and was relieved to see they now denote which items are vegan-friendly (and/or gluten-free), which really helps when it comes to the broths. Speaking of K-Pot, now that Lotus has entered the AYCE scene, Lotus is the clear winner. The variety in food options cannot be understated, including more traditional fair. At K-Pot, the actual hot pot portion seems to be an afterthought whereas at Lotus their BBQ and hot pot are both stars. This time we got the usual szechuan spicy as well as the pho. I cannot overstate how delicious the pho is. Even the cook told us how much time she puts into it, adding a level of love to the taste. I genuinely appreciate the hospitality and friendliness of all the weight staff. As corny as it may sound, it felt like I was just welcomed into a home. Which is why I'm almost hesitant to put such a glowing review out there--I loved the attention. We went on an off-hour on an off-day, which may also explain that. It was also the reason why the appetizers were not left out but we were told if there's anything we want, she would make it right away--a sentiment I greatly appreciated. There was also a fridge for cold side items, mostly pickled such as daikon or seaweed salad (which I wish I noticed before the end) and small desserts. Desserts included legitimately sweet and fresh fruit cups, a cute coconut custard, and coconut-pandan jelly. All were the perfect size to cap off a hot pot, being not overly sweet and well portioned after being stuffed. And, of course, the spice bar. I'm thankful they've returned it since the COVID days, and it has all your staples. It's not quite as big as others out there but has everything you need for a good sauce. I remember specifically green onions, minced garlic, chili oil, worcestershire sauce, hoison sauce, sacha sauce, sesame sauce, fermented tofu sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and, the best: fish sauce. Along with cabbage and cucumber kimchi. This wasn't all the sauces but all I need. Or, rather, more than I needed, because the soup base is so good that it almost felt like a waste to dip into sauce as well. The pho is excellent for thin-sliced meats, meatballs, mushrooms, veggies, and noodles. The szechuan is particularly fantastic for seafood and my taro. Speaking of seafood, there is a must-have that has a small up-charge ($3) but it's worth it: the shrimp paste. Not only is it kinda fun to portion out into the soup, but was all the sweetness of shrimp you need with a slightly-bouncing but not overly-chewing texture. I'm sometimes put off by too dense meaty foods like meatballs or fishballs, but these were perfect. Overall, all portions were perfect. Before when it was ala cart purchases, the food would be insurmountable if you weren't careful. This was appreciated given you were paying by plate, but hard to condense into one meal. They've reduced that size greatly, allowing you to not become overwhelmed nor over-order. But, when you do need more, those orders come quickly! While I do not remember if the old system had a time limit, AYCE has a generous 2 hour limit that's helpfully tracked on the tablet (also doubling as a clock for watching cooking times). I believe we had 45~ minutes left by the time we threw in the towel. And to end it all off, there was a vivid sunset in a gradient of pinks, purples, and oranges across the sky. Maybe that wasn't on the menu, but I like to think it was served all the same.

We always love this place! Even tho it's a 45 minute drive it's totally worth it for authentic hot pot! Delicious soup! Great sauces in a little strip mall. And best of all they have a gluten free menu!