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Hotpot Bay

4.9 (121 reviews)
Closed • 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Hotpot Bay Photos

Business Info

HOTPOT BAY ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Good for groups
Dogs allowed

Recommended Reviews - Hotpot Bay

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Reviews With Photos

Coconut Pudding
Marlena S.

10/10 ahhhhh - if you loved Supreme Pot in Daly City (now closed) this should be your new spot! Tom Yum is super flavorful, large meat serving, and veggies fresh af! They also have a super clean sauce bar which is a big thing for me since it's touched throughout the day. Def recommend getting dessert at the end. Eames has served us twice and is so hospitable/quick.

Fried crispy pork
Allena C.

The 4 of us decided to check this spot out because of the high rating, and it did not disappoint! We believe the owner welcomed us in for our first visit. Clean, bright, and spacious dining area--perfect for hot pot! *** OUR PICKS *** FRIED CRISPY PORK ~ this was like popcorn chicken, but made with pork. The seasoning wasn't at all spicy, but flavorful. Nice starter though with our meat combo for 4, we probably didn't need it. We had so much food! 4/5 2 PERSON MEAT COMBO (2X) ~ this is what was chosen and included with our meal: *** B R O T H *** ~ House Spicy Soup ~ A light chili oil broth with fragrant heat and mild numbing spice. ~ Tom Yum ~ inspired by Tom Yum Flavors, offering a bold sour and spicy taste. (Actually was a bit spicy, though NOT noted on the menu) ~ Miso (2x) ~ savory Japanese miso broth with smooth, comforting taste. *** M E A T *** ~ Australian Wagyu Beef Shoulder Clod ~ Prime Beef Top Blade (2) ~ Wagyu Beef Short Roll ~ Wagyu Chuck Eye Roll ~ Wagyu Beef Boneless Short ribs *** V E G E T A B L E S *** ~ Broccoli ~ Corn ~ Enoki mushrooms ~ Cabbage ~ King oyster mushrooms ~ Frozen tofu ~ Spinach ~ Bamboo shoots ~ Taro slices ~ Seafood mushrooms ~ Fried tofu balls ~ Pumpkin slices ~ Winter melon ~ Fried bean curd skin ~ Thinly shredded potatoes *** N O O D L E S & R I C E *** ~ Flat Noodles (2x) ~ Rice ~ Rice Cakes *** D E S S E R T S *** ~ Coconut Pudding (served in a coconut) (2x) ($4 per combo set) Light, refreshing & delicious! 5/5 ~ Rice cakes with brown sugar (comp for birthday celebration). Yummy! 4/5 Everything we were served was top-notch! The vegetables were fresh and meats were high-quality, tender, and beautifully marbled. There was also a complimentary sauce bar, much like many other hot pot spots to elevate your hot pot experience. We were already stuffed, but really wanted to try the coconut pudding in a whole coconut, so we had a little and packed up the rest. We couldn't finish two trays of meat, so they provided take home containers for us to enjoy hot pot later! For a non-AYCE hot pot spot, I found the prices to be reasonable, especially considering the quality of the food. If you like having hot pot and haven't tried Hotpot Bay, I'd highly recommend it!

Michelle Y.

I still love Hotpot Bay and I'm so glad to see that they're getting more business now (well-deserved)! Jacky is super amazing and has a great attention to detail. He always remembers us and what we like! Even though he's typically the only person waiting the tables, every table receives stellar service. FYI their lunch deal is ending this month so go try it before it's gone! Their beef tallow broth is delicious and I can't wait to come back with my friends to try out the karaoke room in the back :)

Tiffany C.

Was craving for some non AYCE Hot Pot and stumbled upon this place. We were greeted by a friendly server and since it was our first time, he walked us through the whole menu. He was super detailed and very helpful. We took forever to decide on what we wanted to order and he was super patient with us and even offered us suggestions. We started off with some appetizers (?) from the sauce bar. If I remember correctly, there was edamame, chicken feet, cucumbers, and a few other things! I got the Spicy Beef Tallow Soup and oh my, it was a fantastic choice! The Beef Tongue was so good and I cannot say enough good things about the Coconut Pudding. SUPER REFRESHING! Great way to end the meal!

I've been seeing HotPot Bay all over my social media feed and wanted to give it a try! I came with my sisters for dinner and we did the combo meal for two, along with a few extra orders of meat/carbs à la carte. This was definitely more than enough food for three girls. The sauce bar also has a good number of options that you can mix and customize. There are also other finger food items like chicken feet and pickled cucumbers that you can try, but we didn't want to fill ourselves up on sides. Taste and quality-wise, the food reminded me a lot of Mumu Hot Pot. I wasn't overly impressed by anything in particular, but overall, this is a solid option if you're looking for quality hot pot in the area. There's a decent amount of seating, the servers are super nice, and the meat comes out relatively quickly. Overall, a good spot to keep in mind if you're craving hot pot!

Green Pepper
Devina D.

This place recently opened, and I would definitely come back again! I love green pepper soup, and there aren't many places that offer it, so I was excited to try this spot. They have a good variety of soup bases. The tom yum is definitely more on the tomato-based side, but the green pepper soup was so good and definitely my favorite. They also have a sauce bar with a few side dishes, including chicken feet. This is not AYCE, but they offer some great combo options that are reasonably priced. I also appreciated that they had a weekend lunch combo price when I visited on Sunday, which is pretty rare since most places only offer lunch specials on weekdays. They had a $20 combo that included a drink and a single set, which is a great deal for the Bay Area. We came for an early Mother's Day lunch, and there were only about four other parties inside, so it wasn't too crowded. They were running a promo where spending $80 gets you a voucher for a chance to win a free item or Labubu. They were also giving roses to moms, which was a really nice touch. My husband and I shared one of their larger sets ($62), and it was definitely filling enough for both of us. I would 100% come back for the green pepper soup base! Note: we called to make a reservation but definitely don't think you need to unless you have a large party.

Coconut gel dessert
Larry B.

OMG where do I start? Amazing selection of ingredients and delicious quality meats (tiger prawns, wagyu beef, pork, etc.). I've never done hotpot like this. The coconut gelatin dessert was delicious! I was overwhelmed at all the ingredients and ways to prepare your food. I'll have to do this several times before I can feel comfortable and know what I'm doing. Great service, nicely decorated and fun interesting music playing. Definitely a treat! Just fantastic!

Meat quality, service, vibes all 5 stars! What a great addition to the neighborhood. Food was amazing. No frills family friendly ambiance. Really think this is a great place for people of all ages. Probably some of the best service we've gotten in San Francisco. The server Eames really made a difference. Will definitely be back!

Trina D.

This is one of my favorite hot pot restaurants. A single serving costs $78, and I ordered two. The meat and vegetables were very fresh, and the restaurant was spotless; even though it was packed with customers, the service was fast and attentive. The price is very reasonable considering the generous portion size. If you're ever in SF, you should definitely come here and give it a try. I just wish they used a little less MSG--then it would be absolutely perfect

Anna T.

Food 4/5 We came on a Sunday around 1pm and there was no wait. They currently have a happy hour menu where you can get a set meal for $20! Comes with one meat, veggies, plum juice, and sauce bar. The mala broth was spicy and very fragrant. Service 5/5 The waiter/owner? was very nice in explaining everything and letting us know the diff options. Ambiance 4/5 I like that the tables are spaced far enough so you're not squished right next to each other. Bright, white colors in the restaurant and overall very clean an organized.

Vanessa F.

I went to this hotpot place for lunch with a friend and it was so great. I would love to recommend this place to others! They have a variety of combos for lunch and dinner also including a complementary plum drink or soda with meal. Their sauce bar also includes edamame and a great cucumber salad I could eat a whole bowl of. My lunch combo came with one plate of veggies, one protein, and I decided to choose ramen noodles. The establishment was very well kept and the bathrooms were very clean. They were playing basketball when I arrived which was nice. I spoke with the owner at the end of our meal and was informed there's even a karaoke room! Jacky is a great guy and deserves to be recognized for great work. Thank you for the sample of a fabulous coconut pudding and the excellent service. Please go support this business, you won't be disappointed!

Menu as of March 2026
Belinda C.

Hotpot Bay recently opened this year in the old Fiery Hotpot location on Taraval and has now become my favorite hot pot place in the Bay Area. From the outside, the place looks small, but as soon as you walk in, it's actually pretty spacious. They have tables for both large and small parties. I like how each table has an additional cart for you to use to put more food on, which makes the table feel less crowded. This is not an AYCE hot pot place, but more of a set menu or à la carte spot. They have a really good deal for their set menus, with two options for a 2-person combo. Option one is the Build-A-Bay Combo, which gives you a choice of two soups, two meats, two sides, and two noodle/rice options. Option two is the Meat-a-Bay Combo, which includes two soups, three meats, and two noodle/rice options. In my opinion, Option 2 (the Meat-a-Bay) is the best bang for your buck. They also have a sauce bar with a variety of sauces and snacks, like chicken feet, edamame, cucumber salad, and aiyu jelly. Each combo also comes with a veggie plate, which includes cabbage, corn, winter melon, pumpkin, two different mushrooms, spinach, bamboo, broccoli, and tofu puffs. Their beancurd skin was actually our favorite because it was so silky, so I highly recommend it. When it comes to the meat, we ended up getting the Wagyu beef boneless short ribs, the Australian Wagyu beef shoulder, and the lamb shoulder. All three were extremely tender and literally melt in your mouth. The cuts weren't too thick, so they cooked in seconds. The portions for each plate of meat were huge--like double the size compared to other places. Even though we got three plates of meat, we still weren't able to finish it. We spoke to the owner, Jacky, and he said he did a lot of research on the meats before offering them. It sounded like it took him months to find the right meat and perfect the cuts. He also mentioned that the beancurd skin is one of the most popular veggie options and sometimes sells out. Overall, you can tell that the owner put a lot of dedication into this restaurant. For dessert, we ordered the coconut pudding, which came in a real coconut. The pudding was very good, and I would recommend it if you're a coconut fan. It was also perfect to have at the end of the meal since it helped cool us off. I love that they are open for both lunch and dinner, and during lunchtime, the combos are available at a cheaper price. They also came by with a raffle box where you have a chance to win something with a scratcher--Jacky told me that someone once won a Labubu! I would have to say this is one of the best hot pot places in the Bay Area. The quality of the food was excellent, and the service was top-notch. I'll definitely be back with more family and friends.

Michele T.

Made reservations for 6:30pm on a Saturday and glad we did because it was busy. Friendly service, explained the menu options and provided recommendations. Since there were 3 of us, we ordered the Meat-a-bay combo and the My-bay combo. Hubs ordered the Tom Yum soup and I ordered the mushroom soup - good. Kiddo ordered the House Spicy soup but had to change it as it was way too spicy for him. Forgot to take pictures of the meats we ordered - quite a bit of meat. Not sure what was what, but they all tasted fresh. In my opinion, this hotpot was much more flavorful than others I've had. Dinner ended with a coconut pudding for us to share. Kiddo's fave so he was happy.

Tofu skin roll

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Hotpot Bay Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Hotpot Bay

My birthday is coming soon . I am wondering if you are ioffering birthday deals for one's birthday?

I went for my birthday a few days ago and asked the wait staff if they had any birthday specials. He said they did not have a specific deal or offer but went to ask the chef/manager who came out and offered me an extra portion of meat! It was the… 

Is there an all you can eat option? Seems like it's comparable in price to the AYCE places.

No , they don't have an all you can eat option. However, I feel the quality of their meat options are better than ayce places. And for the Meat -a-bay combo for two , it was pretty big already. We didn't even finish it

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Matsuyama Shabu House

Matsuyama Shabu House

4.0(176 reviews)
4.2 mi•Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights

don't even know where to start. This place completely blew me away…read more First, the service. Irene made this entire experience unforgettable. She was so warm, friendly, and genuinely helpful. It honestly felt like we were ordering with a friend who just happens to know the entire menu inside and out. She gave amazing recommendations and even told us she makes the hot sauce from scratch (which... you can taste the difference). That level of care really set the tone for the whole night. Now the food... not a single miss. Seriously, not one thing we didn't like. We went with the Ultra menu ($108), which includes lobster, and it was 100% worth it. For broths, we chose the Tom Yum and Tonkotsu. Both were rich, flavorful, and perfect in completely different ways. The meat selection was incredible, especially the wagyu options, they literally melt in your mouth. You can tell the quality is top tier. The flame-torched wagyu nigiri was absolutely out of this world--perfectly balanced and paired with a wasabi powder that elevated every bite. We also had the hamachi cloud, which was so fresh, flavorful, and had the perfect crunch--such a standout dish. And the spicy clams? Easily one of our favorites. Super fresh, super tasty, and packed with flavor. Beyond the food, the entire staff made us feel genuinely welcomed, which made the experience even better. The location is perfect. It's right in the center of Japantown. Inside they have a bar where you can sit and talk with the servers face-to-face. And it's a great spot to people watch while you eat. I truly cannot recommend this place enough. Between the incredible quality, the variety, and the next-level service. This is a spot I'll be coming back to again and again (and yes, I'll absolutely be asking for Irene).

Had a really nice, spontaneous lunch at Matsuyama Shabu House in Japantown. We stopped by on a whim…read moreand were pleasantly surprised they had a lunch special, so we grabbed seats at the bar and went with the set meal. It was an easy, comfortable way to enjoy shabu shabu without overthinking it. I didn't go in with high expectations for the fatty beef, and the meat quality itself was just okay, but it actually worked well with their sauces. Everything came together nicely, and it made me curious to come back and try their more premium cuts. I'm sure those would be a noticeable step up. Service was kind and attentive. We left feeling satisfied and relaxed, and overall it was a solid lunch experience, especially for a casual stop in Japantown.

Photos
Matsuyama Shabu House
Matsuyama Shabu House - How beautiful this looks your mouth is already watering by just looking at this fresh seafood Japanese wow

How beautiful this looks your mouth is already watering by just looking at this fresh seafood Japanese wow

Matsuyama Shabu House - Tuna wagyu seaweed wraps

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Tuna wagyu seaweed wraps

Happy Shabu Shabu

Happy Shabu Shabu

3.8(531 reviews)
3.9 mi•Western Addition
•$$

Delicious AYCE spot near Japantown. They have high quality Wagyu, they literally cook in seconds…read moreand melts in your mouth. I love their sesame sauce with ponzu sauce, it pairs the meat very well. The staff is very attentive and made sure we were good :) Highly recommend this spot!!

Casual shabu spot on Filmore with variety of meats. 4.75 stars…read more Food: 5. Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4 Cost to worth it rating: 3 Opentableable: no Return worthiness: yes Highlights: - Multiple quality versions of beef. 4 diff wagyus and others as well. - Wagyu sampler for 2: plenty of meat with 4 diff versions. Some had more fat and meat flavors that others but all were great and thin slices. - All you can eat version with variety of different meats outside of the Wagyu - Liked the soy based sauce and adding the chopped fresh garlic - Can add seafood like large prawns or fish - Each person can get their own burner - Lots of different broth options from the simple seaweed to a spicy miso. - Sake options are great - Veggie platter comes with bok choy, napa cabbage, 2 types of mushrooms, tofu, and noodles (glass and udon-like). - Atmosphere: simple no frills with few individual tables and others with paper dividers available to segment areas along with bar height like area towards the front - Nice owner who is the passionate about what she does Lowlights: - Need to call to reserve and I'm an online reserver - Wanted more but the over ordered but was so good got super full

Photos
Happy Shabu Shabu - Our group got a lesson on what shabu shabu is and how to cook and enjoy the meal.

Our group got a lesson on what shabu shabu is and how to cook and enjoy the meal.

Happy Shabu Shabu
Happy Shabu Shabu - Dassai 39 sake

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Dassai 39 sake

Hotpot Champ - Tomato beef pot and noodles, lunch menu

Hotpot Champ

3.7(222 reviews)
5.6 mi•Chinatown
•$$$

Solid hotpot spot in Chinatown that offers AYCE. I came here after a show on a Sunday close to them…read moreclosing so there wasn't a wait at all! There are 2 tiers to the AYCE and we just stuck with the cheaper option since we weren't that hungry. They have a variety of meat and veggie options so you don't really need to order the more expensive tier and you'll be satisfied. As for the veggies, you can grab them yourself in a nearby fridge. Overall, although nothing stood out I thought the atmosphere and quick service was great and I would come back here if I was in the area!

We are visiting from LA and after a long day of walking, we were starving and wanted some delicious…read moreall you can eat. Unfortunately, this place was a huge disappointment. Food: 4/5 We got the all you can for $39.99 that includes the soup base, unlimited meats, some appetizers, veggie bar, and sauce bar. The meat selections were really limited and everything that came out was just the same cut of lamb and beef in different plates. Many of their items were on the menu but not offered on their ordering iPad. The quality of meats was pretty good and I did like their hotpot flavors. The wheel of meat was gimmicky, but good for pictures. Service: 4/5 This place was pretty slow in their service. It took us about 15 minutes before our soups came out and another twenty for the meats to come. Our server explained that they were short staffed so we gave them some grace for their slow service. Ambiance: 2/5 The reason why I ranked this place so poorly was because of their health code violations. There were multiple dogs in the restaurants. They were leashed and clearly not service animals. One of the dogs was long haired and I was afraid they would be shedding everywhere. Overall, I would not recommend this place. As someone who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, it is not easy to mess up hotpot, but I am afraid because of the dogs on this premise with the open veggie and sauce bar that I will never be back here.

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Hotpot Champ - Ferris Wheel Set-up

Ferris Wheel Set-up

Hotpot Champ - Beef combo

Beef combo

Hotpot Champ - Tomato beef pot with noodles, 5th serving

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Tomato beef pot with noodles, 5th serving

Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup - Squid Kalbijjim

Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup

4.5(2.4k reviews)
4.2 mi•Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights
•$$$

We thankfully didn't have to wait that long on a Friday evening -- I think our table was ready in…read moreabout 15-20 minutes at most which was surprising. Beware, they do close off the waitlist signup and will also completely close off the front entrance when they think they have enough guests to be done for the night. You can sign up via Yelp Waitlist online although this is not always guaranteed (we found that sometimes the system glitches and doesn't let you sign up because it doesn't believe that there is enough current wait?) The soups are super high quality and I think I will be coming back on the regular for the tendon seolleongtang in the future. As someone who is super involved in athletic pursuits, I gotta get my collagen fix in to prevent injuries and keep those tendons strong, and this is probably one of the best spots to do it. My GF had the spicy kalbi soup and also really liked it.

Really good Korean spot in Japan town ironically enough!…read more The meat was super tender and the dish overall felt very nutritious and hearty almost healthy in a way that I liked since it didn't make you feel super fatty or heavy. Service was great once you're seated. It's a bit loud. Minus one star because the waitlist likes to string you along. They will tell you there's on a few minutes left and then make you wait another 30 mins in front of the door.

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Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup - Beef rib with cheese and rice cake

Beef rib with cheese and rice cake

Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup - Su Yuk-Boiled Beef Slices

Su Yuk-Boiled Beef Slices

Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup - Regular Galbijimm

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Regular Galbijimm

Kui Shin Bo - D7. Unagi Don and H3. Volcano Roll

Kui Shin Bo

3.8(1.1k reviews)
4.2 mi•Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights
•$$

This was an excellent place for lunch. They have numerous bento box lunch options starting at…read more$15.99. I got the saba shio and shrimp tempura which were delicious. The staff was friendly and welcoming. Also helpful. Simple Japanese decor. Will be back!

TLDR: When you're at the heart of Japan town, you have to embody the nation in all the good ways…read more Kui Shin Bo, embodied the nation's backbone of being average to above average in multiple things. This place covers many of the basics (rolls, ramen, tempura, yakisoba, teriyaki, unagi). I really only see it as a jack of all trades, but a master of none. It doesn't mean that this restaurant has no place in Japantown, but it doesn't inspire confidence when it's located in an isolated region of the mall with less foot traffic, while its competition on the other wing has lines longer than the location's capacity. Black Garlic Ramen: It's always a mystery to me how black garlic improves a bowl of ramen. My expectations, however, remain the same. How thick is the broth? How clean is the broth when consumed? What is the quality of the chashu? Do I get enough noodles? I think the best part of this meal was the amount of soup they give, and the chashu was very good. It sucks that the chashu is tiny, but they did very well. I feel that the noodles were those wholesale ramen noodles that were portioned, and the garnish was fine. The broth was okay, 3.5-ish stars in terms of taste. Dynamite Roll and Volcano Roll: I think it's a problem if I have trouble identifying which is which. I can tell you that both are good enough to try, and the Volcano Roll comes with raw fish. Both come with a good crunch and a good sauce, but like most Japanese places that lean heavily into the rolls, good luck finding out what you ordered and what you just ate. Ambiance: Very classic Japanese. They're really at their best to convince you that you're in Japan. It may get tight during a busy day though. Service: Standard. You order, your water gets refilled, you pay, you leave.

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Kui Shin Bo - Inside

Inside

Kui Shin Bo - Lunch plate: salmon teriyaki, salad, miso

Lunch plate: salmon teriyaki, salad, miso

Kui Shin Bo - Chicken Katsu Donburi

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Chicken Katsu Donburi

IPOT - Beef rib eye

IPOT

4.0(1.6k reviews)
1.6 mi•Inner Sunset
•$$$
Family-owned & operated
Discounts available

Food selection is great for a one price all you can eat hot pot (at the time of writing is was…read morenearly $40 per person. You can have individual hotpots and a shared grill. Meat selection is perfect! They do have an unnecessary overage charge of $20 if you order more than you can eat, so order by pacing yourself. You can order as many times as you would like. There is an item limit per order but even amongst four people, it was more than enough to get started. If you going with a group, please note that the plate portions are scaled to your table. For example, one person ordered two kinds of pork belly, but the plate provided was more pork belly than this person could eat in one sitting. The rest of the table had to help. There are some items that are only one order per table - like the cooked spareribs (only three pieces too). So look for that notation on the specialty dishes area. Service was attentive at the beginning and got more sparse as the restaurant got busier. Busy times seem to be at around 7-8 pm, which is normal. Take advantage of their sauce bar and dessert bar (featured fresh fruit - watermelon, oranges). Of course, they had kim chi available as well. The ambiance was good. House music was playing so it felt like you were a club. Flat screen TV's along the top walls and open spaces between tables gave an airy open touch. Parking may be difficult given the residential area you are in so allot time to find a spot. Otherwise, the N Judah or 17 is a block away. All in all, I'd recommend! Next time, I wanna try the shared grill as we went in for hot pot only. We had the option of the grill but the team decided against it and stuck to hot pot.

Worst service ever…read more I have never experienced any service as BAD as this. I booked a table, and when I arrived, I literally STOOD at the door for 10 minutes before any server noticed me. After sitting down it took another 10 minutes before I finally decided to literally walk to every server I saw to ask them to please have someone notice me and start my order. After that it took another 15 minutes and another round of "please can you send someone to my table" for some Mr.-busy-as-the-US-president to come to me. And it turns out that Mr.-busy-as-the-US-president does not even know they have more than 4 types of soup base. After I had the soup, it took 40 minutes and ANOTHER 3 rounds of "could you please check if the order went through" for them to throw a plate of poor vegetables at my table. Of course, they missed some items, and I had to enter another round of asking.

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IPOT - Biangbiang noodle

Biangbiang noodle

IPOT - American Wagyu Beef

American Wagyu Beef

IPOT - New Zealand lamb

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New Zealand lamb

Yakiniq

Yakiniq

3.3(1.9k reviews)
4.2 mi•Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights
•$$$

YakiniQ really said "leave hungry? never heard of her."…read more Pulled up with my homie Jun because this man treated me to lobster last time and you already know... Asians keep receipts but in a wholesome way We don't split love, we rotate blessings. For $49.99/person, this AYCE Korean BBQ was straight violating my self-control. The short ribs?? HELLA BUSSIN. Like actually criminal. Every bite had me ascending like a TikTok food review in 4K. Meat so juicy I almost stood up and thanked the cow personally. The grill smoke got us smelling like seasoned warriors walking outta there but honestly worth it. Staff kept the meats coming faster than my auntie asking why I'm still single. And let me put y'all onto some elite Chinese vocabulary real quick: "好吃到舔手指" (hǎo chī dào tiǎn shǒu zhǐ) = "so good you lick your fingers." That's EXACTLY the vibe. Finger-licking good fr fr. YakiniQ got me fighting for my life, unbuttoning my pants in the parking lot, and already planning my return. 10/10. No crumbs left. Their "Red Hot" peanut sauce is the carry here - no doubt. Highly recommend with my utmost respectful regards!

Horrible meat quality and even worse service quality…read more Imagine being first in line with a party of 2 and then watching a party of 3 and another party of 2 getting sat before you. Well we didn't need to imagine because we watched it happen in front of our faces. The party of 3 actually got their food and the other party of 2 got their side dishes before we even got our water. You literally have a Yelp waitlist to help you stay organized and all you have to do is follow it. Somehow they still managed to fuck that up. We got the premium AYCE--expecting some higher quality meat. We were deeply disappointed. The SF Cut Short rib was the saddest short rib I have ever seen. There was little to no meat on the bone. The ribeye was extremely thin. Not even a full minute of cooking on both sides and it was well done. At this point I turned the heat down to the lowest setting. The short rib bites were filled with tendons and ridiculously hard to cut much less chew. The boneless short rib and the ribeye caps were skinnier than a coke addict. 10 seconds on each side and they were basically well done. That was the end of round 1--I thought I was being hangry and grumpy so I tried to let them get their redemption. Hahaha or so I thought. We got the miso pork belly which somehow managed to burn itself on the side of the grill while the center part was still raw. I put two pieces on the grill. Clearly the meat cutter didn't know what they were doing because while one looked like it had cancer causing blackness on it the other one was still more raw than a dog. I guess they just can't cut the meat uniformly even. The beef tongue was also extremely thin and burned immediately when put on the grill. It's Korean BBQ--your restaurant and chefs don't even cook the meat. How can you not know how to cut meat properly? Not to mention paying extra for "premium" meat only to have the exact same quality as the rest of your meat. I would recommend this place to anybody who wants their Korean BBQ experience ruined. Honestly come here for your first or second time at Korean BBQ and then go somewhere else and you will be GLAD that the other place exists. YaqiniQ BBQ is by far the worst KBBQ I have been to.

Photos
Yakiniq - Short ribs

Short ribs

Yakiniq
Yakiniq - Seafood pancake

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Seafood pancake

Hotpot Bay - hotpot - Updated October 2026

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