Boiling Pot Restaurant

I had Salmon, it’s oily. My son had NY Steak it’s rubbery, my son is not enjoying it while having it. Pork BBQ ribs seems ok.

Came in for lunch. It was pretty good. I had the Taiwanese Hot Pot without pig heart. The broth was amazing! The fire, however, never allows the pot/​broth to boil.
The waiter recommended some drinks, the Thai Tea and the Orange Pineapple Strawberry drink which tasted like starbursts. They were also good and worth the try.
Most of the drinks were $ 2.50 or less which is worth it!
THEY CHARGE FOR WATER .75, it’s not a lot, but still a charge.

So, the first time I came here, our server was wonderful. She gave us suggestions, was prompt, and often came back to ensure we were satisfied. And the food and drinks were delicious! I was observant of other servers, and they were not as meticulous or caring.
I recently came back here, and I was upset with the service! Once my father and I arrived, we waited to be seated by the staff, as we waited, I observed that almost all the booths were unclean, dirty utensils and bowls on the booths table, and the waiters and waitress attended to current customers or were wiping dishes but did not seat awaiting customers until 5 – 10 minutes later.
I asked the server between two different type of drinks because I was indecisive and did not know which one to choose from. After hearing her advice, I decided to go with one of it. Once our drinks came out, it was NOTHING like what I ordered. I waived down the waitress, and told her. However, she told me I was wrong, and did not order the green drink, but the fruity drink. –_​_​– Why would I order something that I did not ask for in advice? EH.
I had was that they never came and checked up on us. We had to waive them down so they could refill our pot with hot water about 2 times. Lastly, our bill was incorrect as well. Once I told her, she just crossed it off but did not bother to alter the price of the bill. Yet again, I had to waive her again, and ask her to change the bill.
Overall, it was just an unpleasant experience…

Okay so I decided to try this place albeit the 2 star rating. Turns out it’s actually good. I think the main problem is the wait and customer service. Also, they charge $ 0.75 for water! What the heck? I got the beef hot pot, no tripe. The flavor was good, and a lot of meat too! The downside to the Thai hot pot was the shrimp wasn’t peeled or cleaned. Overall, I enjoyed it. I will go back.

I think hot pots are alright and its some what healthy. This spot is the most disgusting hot pot place ever. I got the miso soup hot pot. The rice here is like old rice that was left out. I didnt even touch it after I took a bite of it once. It took forever to cook and the taste was not miso soup. I’m kind of grossed out because that’s not how it’s supposed to taste! I had to pretend that it was good because someone bought me lunch. I just picked the meat and only ate the vegetables. I waited for my hot pot and then waited another 20 minutes to cook. The fire was on, but it took so long to cook. Never ever again. Some may read the reviews and ask,” Really? Its that bad?” YES, it’s really bad. Maybe, other things on the menu is better like their stir fry foods. Idk. I took my to go food and threw it away.

I wasn’t particularly impressed. Boiling Point is like two blocks away and it’s much better hot pot than this.

When the food is slow but the check is fast. Seriously if you are in a rush, go eat at the little food court in Hmart.
Pros: good broth.
Cons: be prepared to wait at least 45 minutes. It was slow, the beef ratio for the beef hot pot was off– mine had like three slices of beef and a few of the ribeye.
I wish their food preparation would be as fast as how they give the patron’s their checks.

Done with this place. Waited 45 min for our food while people who came in after us got theirs first. Not one to complain about getting charged for water, but they brought it to us when we asked them not to. Loved their food, but I’m tired of the crappy service

Ok, so now I get what all the other reviewers are saying about this place’s horrible customer service. My first experience was actually decent because I was helped by a different waitress.
This week, I decided to bring a few friends over to try it out and everyone agrees that the food was actually very good, but the service we had was unbelievably unacceptable.
My soup wasn’t burning, so I told this little girl and she looked at me like I was speaking Alien to her. Ok, so I was thinking, uh, maybe she doesn’t speak English, so I described it to her how my food is not cooking. She now stared at me like I was insane. I was so aggravated, I told her nevermind, all of a sudden she understood me perfectly and acknowledged «ok» to me sarcastically. Wtf?
I was so hungry I ate it anyway, but it was gross, I felt like I was eating raw meats and vegetables. I usually order everything well done, even my steaks, so you can imagine how gross out I was.
Furthermore, the booth that we were asked to sit at had oils all over. So my friend asked the same little girl to see if she can wipe it for him, she looked at him like he belonged in the nut house Lol. Now I don’t feel too bad, rather than cleaning it, she moved us. Are you serious? What about the next customer? I kept my eye on it just in case another customer walks in and didn’t see it. Yes, you can say I was doing her job by keeping an eye on it because I was concerned that someone may sit on it.
Last but not least, you serious? $.75 cents for a cup of water (non bottled)? If I remember correctly, I believe a restaurant has to serve water upon request without a charge, unless it’s bottled water, not filtered ones (I hope they’re filtered anyway). So to me, this is ludicrous and peculiar.
I am so sad to update my review to a one star, because I truly believe they have good food and pricing. This visit was definitely a lot slower than my first time, especially during lunch time.
Tips to the owner: You spend way too much money to put this place together. Please, listen to your customers. Your business is in dire need to modify some things. Start with hiring harder and be more picky with your employees. Your people will be key to your success. Hire people who cares, your place is not very clean for being brand new, including the condiments. You guys got a lot right that many businesses don’t. For example, your food taste and pricing. Two of the most essential subjects to a business success. I really want you guys to do well. Most importantly, being charged for filter water is definitely the first I’ve experienced. It’s not the $.75 cents, more of a principal, I am certain your customers who complains about this feels the same. If you fix some of these hick ups, I am sure your customers will enjoy your place much more. In return, you will get repeat business and word of mouth. Good luck and I wish you the best. Perception is a reflection to everything!
Customer Service: ⁰⁄₅
Cleanliness: ²⁄₅
Atmosphere: ³⁄₅
Quality: ⁵⁄₅
Price: ⁵⁄₅

I got the Korean hot pot. The hot pot wasn’t that great, but they have a bunch of other foods on the menu. However, I’ll give the restaurant and chance and hope that the next time I come back there other hot pot are better.

This place absolutely sucks. My aunt decided to have my grad dinner here (of all places, I know) because I think she got like a discount of some sort. We drove all the way from LA to here on a Friday afternoon. WORST DECISION EVER.
When I went, I was already feeling a little crabby. This place tries to copy like Boiling Point with their soup dishes concept but they have extra other kinds of food food like Vietnamese food as well.
For a large group, we waited like 30+ minutes for our meals to come out, which was really weird in my opinion. I thought that they should have the soups prepared already and ready to go (but this wasn’t the case). It came out bland and uninspired and I didn’t even want to finish my meal at all. It made me want to go to Boiling Point instead. My aunt told me that she even regretted coming here in the first place. We even went to Vegas Buffet the next day to redeem ourselves haha.
Won’t come back. Service sucks. Quality sucks. Have a nice day.

New place in the garden grove area. They have lunch specials for $ 5.99, which is slightly cheaper than other places in this area. The hot pot is similar to boiling point in Irvine, where you get your individual pot for about $ 10. They are decent size and comes with a variety of flavor broths.
The food is comparable to other Vietnamese places. But they do have these tasty and refreshing juices. The orange, pineapple and strawberry is a must try!
The restaurant is a bit harder to find if you come in from the garden grove side. It faces magnolia side where there are fewer restaurants. Parking is plenty so no worries there.

First time here.. .
Food: We got the beef hot pot. There are other food and I’m sure that it’s not so bad. Our hot pot wasn’t that great. Flavor was bland.
Service: Definitely family own restaurants. Our waitress speaks only Vietnamese, good thing BF ordered with her. She wore short… Short short during the winter… Working in a hot pot restaurants :/​, just hope nothing spills. She seem nice but inexperience as a waitress.
Note: water will cost you .75 cents.
Overall, I am bummed out that this place is 5 mins walking distance from my house; and I love Hot pot; However, I won’t be coming back here.

I previously gave it a 5star for the food only, only until tonight I realize being the last customer caught the waitress rolling her eyes. And that is just one waitress.
By the body language, I won’t be coming back. I am done.

This place is right around the corner of my house, everything that I’ve tried is pretty good. I don’t know why they only have 2 stars. maybe not a lot of people know about it yet. I’ve tried their oxtail, Thai and beef hotpot and all were really good. Whatever is in their sauce is so bomb. Be careful when you order the level or spiciness because it’s pretty spicy. The service is really good too. I will definitely be back.

This place opened earlier this year. The setup and menu is very much like The Boiling Point, but not as good. I tried the Taiwanese Hotpot (which is usually my favorite at The Boiling Point) because I wanted to be able to make a fair comparison…
First off, the ingredients are a little different and they don’t automatically add ramen to the soup. I asked for «spicy» and the spice level was just ok for me. I was hoping it was a little spicier. The broth was flavorful, but different. I also ordered fresh watermelon juice and it tasted a little watered down, compared to other places I’ve had watermelon juice. Overall, food, beverage, and service was just OK.
My meal came to $ 13 and some change, which is a reasonable price (cheaper than The Boiling Point). But when I tried to pay by credit card, they said they only accept credit cards for charges over $ 20. Bleh! So I had to pay in cash.

Beware!!! Water is $.75/​person!!!
First time here. The pork was old and had a mild sour taste. The staff was nice but did not know customer satisfaction and service. Hot pot didn’t feel satisfying. Tasteless and not proportion of item in the pot.
The only dish I enjoyed was the macaroni stir fried beef.

Walked out and shrugged my shoulders…
This place’s designer must have been on crack or they hired 5 different designers and used all of their ideas… But this place aesthetically looked confused.
Ordered 3 hot pots (Thai, seafood and oxtail), a few sea snail plates and a beef salad. Snails and beef salad was great! Hot pots all tasted the same, bland and not impressive. Served over a fire that lasted 10 minutes and went out, leaving your pot cold.
Service was decent, even though they got one of our orders wrong. Then again, it was dead this night. Prices were reasonable, but quality was poor, thus negating the price.
Likely won’t be returning.

My girlfriend and I made the mistake of coming here before checking Unilocal.Bad mistake…
I usually don’t remember food experiences to even write reviews about them, but my experiences here was so disappointing that I have to post this review. Also, I wrote on the check a tip to the owner (s) «Check Unilocal for improvements» so here it is. (I left a tip for the servers, so everybody relax).
Pros: Drinks were good, servers were nice and respectful.
Other that, everything else was below average.
We ordered the korean kimchi soup and wings with butter (can ga chien bo). The food was absolutely flavorless. Considering this is a hotpot place, a hotpot without flavor is horrible. My girlfriend and I was discussing if they just use water, seeing that about every other review says the same thing. I thought the wings were edible, although they tasted mostly like oil.
My biggest irks when it comes to eating out is feeling like I’ve been ripped off. The portions were tiny. For a plate of wings for $ 5.99, I counted maybe 3 wings, if I put together all the chopped up pieces correctly. Tip: when people order wings, they expect them to come out as wings, not chopped up and bunched together to give an impression that there’s a lot. We’re Americans and we gauge portions very well. I voiced my disappointment in the portions to a server (maybe I was just angry about feeling ripped off) and he says something about the place being cheap so their portions are smaller. Not true at all. Most places charge 1.00 — 1.50 a wing. I count from what you gave me, they’re about 2.00 each. Oh wells, my bad for not knowing what I ordered.
For a hotpot of 10.99, there was barely any meat. I think I counted 5 slices, and the rest were vegetables. Regardless of portion size, because the whole thing wasn’t even good, there was just no point in eating anyways. I left the place still hungry.
Tip to the owner, for a new business, you should try making the food good and cheap, if you want to compete with places like Boiling Point, which I’m sure is what you model by. If you can’t do one, then do the other. Don’t make food bad, expensive, and small portions. As American consumers, we see through what you can offer, and in the long long run, your business won’t last. People may come once to try but they won’t be coming back. And with review sites like Unilocal,eventually less and less people will want to even come to try first time. I know I wouldn’t have if i had read Unilocal first.
Overall, the food was not good, and the price was expensive for the portions. Not worth it at all. I will not be coming back.
PS. They only serve bottled water, which is why I got the orange juice in the first place.

Dear Business Owner,
I feel that there’s a huge family owned business vibe that you give off. With that said, here are the changes you need to fix in order to be successful. Small businesses rely heavily on Unilocal for traffic, so do please try to fix all that is about to be said.
1.First thing first, you have to fix your employees. Micro manage if you have to. Lots of times the servers will walk by without ever even looking at a table. This tells me that they are new to serving and are very very shy. This is easily shown by when I have the check and bill standing up so that they can pick it up.
2. Tell your employees to get non slip shoes and wear all black or something. Should not be wearing shorts with boiling pots splashing around.
3. The pot stands, REMOVE IT, its UGLY as hell, it looks like a highschool workshop project with a crap paint job. Furthermore your servers are not using it correctly. On the side there are holes where you can light the pot, instead your servers are lighting the box before placing the pot on it. HUGE HUGE HUGE RISK, I can definitely see a lawsuit coming soon because of the possibility of dropping the pot or burning your employees hands. I hope you guys have an employee handbook that explains all of this, you do not want to be in a law suit by your own employees.
4. Hire better staff, i notice the staff could either speak Vietnamese well or just english. There’s plenty of Vietnamese out there who can do both. its orange county.
5. Train your staff, there’s about 8 servers for 14 tables. Your employees are the BIGGEST cost and you need to effectively train them. 10 dollars an hour, 40 hours a week is a 20,000 cost PER year PER employee x 8 employees thats 160,000 a year. This does not include the grandpa standing outside or the Pa as the cashier.
6. Where the hell are the quail eggs? add that item for one dollar. Have temporary menues instead of wasting money on real menus until you have a good menu list. Thats when you can go for the fancy menues once you know what items on your menu does well. Your servers have the right attitude but no experience «What would you like to order» «Beef hot pot» «Is that all?» «yes» «So one hot pot for two people» «no»
Being a server myself, after one patron gives an order you’re suppose to ask the other person for their order not just assume that one person will be giving the orders for everyone.
7. Get free water ASAP, boiling point started building their restaurant after you started yours and they finished first. You have to fix that.
Things you did do right, Having a menu outside so people can look at without going in.
The pot doesnt look like the picture, less meat, but thats okay. Some of the hotpot says something about a fried rolled egg, none of the pots we ordered had that in there.
Good Luck on your venture