1500 Old Country Road #102B-2, Westbury, NY 11590
Lunch special Monday to Friday, 12-4 p.m., $19.99
After 4 p.m.weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday, $30.99
Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting one of the only hot pot restaurants in Nassau County. Hot pot is essentially raw ingredients of your choice that you, the customer, cook in boiling broth. This process of cooking your own food at the table has been something rising in popularity on social media and it intrigued me to research. It led me to the newly opened restaurant called KPOT in Westbury, NY.
Upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately greeted and sat by the hostess. She informed me that unfortunately, there was no choice of Korean BBQ that night because of electrical issues. I had no problem with this, especially because they offered 20% off the hot pot price because of the inconvenience.
The waiter thoughtfully explained the menu and the process of ordering, as well as took my drink order. I received my classic mojito shortly after, which was $10. It was delicious and had the fresh flavor you look for with mint and lime being the main ingredients. While this may seem a little pricey for raw ingredients that you cook, it is all you can eat for two hours. Diners can choose to order a few things at a time to ensure food is not wasted if you get full.
My choice of broth for cooking my ingredients was the Japanese miso, which was brought out first. My waiter turned on the hot plate for my broth and it began boiling. Shortly after, the first round of food arrived at my table. The menu has a wide variety for people of all dietary restrictions including sliced meats, other types of meats and sides (such as dumplings), seafood, soybean products, vegetables, and noodles.
I ordered sliced pork, shrimp dumplings, tempura, broccoli, bok choy, potato slices, and a couple more ingredients to cook in my broth. Every ingredient was fresh and the broth in my pot was continuously filled by my attentive waiter. The broth itself was flavorful and also added flavor to the vegetables. Since the meat is so thinly sliced, it cooks in seconds and does not retain much flavor from the broth. I suggest going to the sauce bar to add an extra bite of spice or salt.
Overall, KPOT is not just for good food, but also an experience. Being able to decide exactly how you want your food cooked is satisfying to say the least. I will definitely be returning with hopes I can try the Korean BBQ experience, as well. Because the restaurant opened in January, the staff is looking to improve and are very eager to help newcomers to hot pot.
