THE BEST ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT CHINESE HOT POT RESTAURANTS IN SF

Have you guys ever heard of The Pots or Ipot in San Francisco?

If not, you’re seriously missing out.

Why?

Lemme tell yah.

Both of these places offer one of the BEST all-you-can-eat Chinese hot pot in the city.

Everything is prepped fresh from the kitchen and you order as you go… as much as you want…whenever you want. They each have about ~100 items that you can choose from ranging from veggies, kobe beef, lamb, dumplings, shrimp, fish, noodles, and more.

If you’re a hot pot newbie, get ready for something delicious and FUN. Here’s what to expect:

1. You begin by choosing a broth.

2. Next, you get to choose your mains & sides. They give you a piece of paper listed with all the items where you then mark anything you want to try in each category.

3. Come here with a group of friends… this is a fun and interactive experience! (Another reason to make it a group outing: you get to try more food! duh!)

4. Read this post on “How to Hot Pot.”

Now let’s talk about The Pots and Ipot.

Both of these places are very comparable. The meat is of similar quality, the veggies are pretty much the same, and you will leave both places extremely full and happy. They are both located in the same area. So here’s a tip: if one place has a crazy wait time… go hit up the other one!

The Pots:

Address: 2652 Judah St. San Francisco, CA 94122 (Outer Sunset)

For meat… I always start off with kobe beef, lamb, pork. All are great choices.

For seafood…you’re pretty much in heaven. You can get everything from mussels, fish, prawns, lobsterballs, and even dumplings filled with crab, spinach, and shrimp.

For veggies…there’s so many fresh options to choose from! Take your pick from watercress, bok choy, eggplant, mushrooms, yam, taro, tofu, spinach, bamboo, cabbage, and so much more.

For noodles…there’s about 6-8 different types. My two of faves are the udon & thin rice noodles. You just can’t go wrong with either of those two.

For sauce: They provide a sauce base that tastes like a sweetened soy sauce. Then you get to mix anything else you want in it: fresh garlic, scallions, cilantro and chili. I also like to add an egg in mine. Do it. Trust me, it’s heaven.

IPOT:

Address: 1420 Irving St. San Francisco, CA 94122

Instead of sharing a communal broth, you get your own individual pot. You also have the option of getting a hybrid- BBQ/HotPot. In the picture above, you have the option of grilling your meat instead of cooking it in the broth.

They have a sauce bar which is pretty damn cool.

Tip: make sure to fully cook your meat. And keep your chopsticks under the broth long enough before eating off them.

Do you guys have any FAV hot pot places? Let me know!

(Foodie articles also available on The Violet Fog)

Share it--->