KPOT KBBQ And Hotpot Austin Review

KPOT KBBQ and Hotpot Austin finally opened their doors. Unlike Dallas and Houston, Austin lacks diverse options for the famous Korean BBQ and even Hotpot. As an Austin local, I am always appreciative when more Asian restaurants open up! With the latest additions to Asian Restaurants like Soupleaf and Honey Pig, I can fill my Korean BBQ and Hotpot cravings; But if I want to fulfill both simultaneously? I can with KPOT in Austin.

What is KBBQ?

Korean barbeque is a staple in Korean culture. Many restaurants provide a wide selection of various proteins and cuts. It is common for Korean barbeque restaurants to provide you with your marinated and unmarinated meats to grill for yourself with a grill they provide you at your table. This personal table grill allows you to cook your food to your preferred doneness. Like many other Korean restaurants, you can expect there will be Banchan to snack on along with your meats. Banchan are side dishes typically provided to the customers free of charge and are to be shared amongst the table. You will usually see kimchi as a banchan and if you’re a kimchi monster like me; don’t be afraid to ask for seconds!

What is Hotpot?

Hotpot is an all-encompassing term for thinly sliced proteins, vegetables, and an assortment of items to be cooked in a delicious soup broth. Typically, when eating hotpot there is a big bowl of broth in the middle shared amongst the table or smaller individual-sized bowls of broth to cook your food in. There are different soup broth flavors ranging from Miso Soup to Szechuan Mala Soup. Once you place an order for your soup broths and ingredients, you have to make your sauce! Hotpot is most enjoyed with a personalized dipping sauce (recommend a sauce to make). Some places will provide you with a sauce bar to concoct your own, but to play it safe you can ask for the restaurant’s recipe/suggestion. Hotpot is one of my favorite foods because cooking your ingredients in the broth takes a few seconds to a few minutes! The thinly sliced meats usually cook within 15-45 seconds!

KPOT KBBQ And Hotpot Austin Rating

Price: ($): This is the cheapest spot for Korean BBQ and hotpot in Austin.

Ambiance: Casual, great for families

KPOT KBBQ and Hotpot is a great entry to try both Hotpot and Korean BBQ if you have never had it before. However, if you want the full Korean BBQ experience, they do not serve you the many banchan dishes that you typically get at a Korean BBQ spot—which is understandable because of the price point. Also, there are no Korean appetizer options like corn cheese, japchae, seafood pancakes, etc.

Overall, for the price point, the meat and veggie options were worth it. The meat quality was decent and the veggies were fresh but the Tom Yum broth did not stand out to me. The dessert bar barely had any dessert options—just honeydew, oranges, and a small pastry item. The hot bar was random and had items like french fries and chicken nuggets which aren’t exactly authentic.