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    Kanpai

    4.5 (265 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Kanpai Reservations

    Kanpai Photos

    KANPAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy

    Recommended Reviews - Kanpai

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    Reviews With Photos

    Min Z.

    It's one of the best buffet restaurants I have ever been to because of the choices they offered. There were cooked dishes just like any other buffet restaurants, but in addition there were choices of barbecue and hot pot. For an affordable price, you can have it all. Or favorites are soft shell crabs, steamed fish, all barbecue meats and Thai desserts. The service was excellent, very attentive and efficient. It is a huge place but the noise level is unnoticeable. It's a super deal in town!

    Whitney L.

    An updated review on Kanpai since I've gone recently. Reservations are crucial if you want to be seated here in a timely manner. Celebrated my twin cousins birthday here and we had a nice booth with individual hot pots to choose from. The buffet was really demolished so I wish they could have restocked it for dinner. Otherwise, very good options to choose from. Beverages are good, food came out quickly and our servers celebrated with singing to my cousins on their birthday. Let it be known, the whole restaurant knew haha.

    Korean brisket, shirt ribs, and squid from the BBQ. ,
    Shane G.

    The ambience was relaxed until the birthday song rang out accompanied by a large crowd, flashing lights, and 80s style boom box eliciting immediate PTSD followed by memories of an overpriced pizza establishment of days of old. I half expected the conjuring of a 6-foot out of work and struggling stuffed rodent donned in a bright colored costume and crooked smile to appear. It nearly caused me to rush for the exit. The saving grace was the ever helpful, Joanna, she not only came to my rescue but made my experience complete, packed with smiles and great tasting food. Spectacular service! Food: Ample selection and various options offered and available once the ordering system is established. If you are looking for a spot to try something new I highly recommend the Kanpai.

    Jenny M.

    We had visited this place 2x, once during lunch and once during dinner. Of course dinner is pretty busy than lunch. But the service never changed. Always welcomed with a smile and the staff were really helpful. And also with mr robot server. The place is quite huge they can cater small to big groups. Unfortunately you have to be at least 5 pax to reserve but so far the wait they have is at least 30mins the longest, the one we experienced. It's probably depends on what time you will visit. They have parking shared with other strips which is in the front and at the back and a shared garage too. About the food, they offered buffet from appetizers, main course, fruits, sauce, to desserts. In my opinion you really get what you paid for. Now lunch and dinner have different pricing, lunch is much affordable but the menu is quite limited. Now by default you will get bbq and hotpot in one price so it is really good deal. The meat is so good and quality. Also one thing here is after the eating your clothes doesn't smell like smoke. Overall this is one of the top bbq and hotpot place.

    Hot pot
    Khanh-Chau M.

    This place is honestly one of my favourite hotpot places in the DMV area! I've only had it for hotpot and have yet to try the Korean BBQ here, but I don't mind missing out on that part. Waitlist can get somewhat long but doesn't hurt checking out the other spots around this strip while waiting. I've been here for lunch and dinner and the all you can eat options for hotpot have been great with their meats, noodles, and veggies. I also love their buffet in the back with their selections of items, especially their seafood options like crab, shrimp... I feel like I end up eating half hotpot and half buffet here. Love their refills of green thai iced tea during the meal too. The staff have always been nice, although it's been hard to get their attention at times, so I'd sit around waiting until they came over for refills or the check. The vibe is fun, especially with people's birthdays and the music here. Definitely recommend this place for a fun and tasty hotpot experience!

    Brad R.

    TLDR: A fun and impressive all you can eat experience combining hotpot, Korean BBQ, and a strong Chinese buffet. Fresh ingredients, fast service, great variety, and a surprisingly smooth system for such a packed restaurant. Kanpai is an all you can eat powerhouse offering endless hotpot, Korean BBQ, and a Chinese buffet all rolled into one experience and I am fully on board with it. My group of four arrived on a Friday night around seven to a packed dining room, yet we only waited a few minutes for a table. That alone speaks to how efficient and well organized their front of house operation is. The restaurant is nicely decorated and clearly a new build or renovation with a polished feel that shows someone invested heavily into the space. Once seated, the system is simple. You pay a flat rate and get full access to both the hotpot and Korean BBQ stations at your table along with free range at the Chinese buffet in the back. For hotpot, each table selects two broths which arrive in a split basin set on a built in table burner. From there you order as many meats, seafood, and vegetables as you want. The Korean BBQ operates the same way with a selection of meats and seafood ready to be grilled by you at your own pace. Servers will sometimes help with grilling but during busy times it is easier to handle it yourself. The hotpot is entirely self managed. The buffet is a fantastic addition that more all you can eat places should embrace. It features a nice range of appetizers like potstickers and spring rolls along with more interesting items such as spare ribs, fried soft shell crab, and pineapple fried rice. The sauce bar nearby is loaded with every topping and condiment you could possibly want. As for the proteins, everything we tried for both hotpot and KBBQ was fresh and portioned generously. A small tip for newcomers. Table space becomes very limited when juggling both hotpot and KBBQ, so pace your ordering. Everything is done through a tablet at the table and once you submit your items a robot runs your meats straight to you which was a fun touch. Our highlights included the laksa broth paired with various seafood for hotpot and on the KBBQ side the thin sliced beef and pork belly which were simple but excellent because of how good the meat quality was. Overall, Kanpai delivers a great all you can eat experience and is absolutely worth a visit if you want variety, freshness, and a lively crowd.

    The food was good, the ambiance was great, The staff are even better! They were very accommodating to my group! Would recommend!

    The food was good, the ambiance was great, the staff were even better! Very accommodating to my group, much appreciated, would recommend!

    Short Rib (on Grill)
    Chelsea C.

    This is one of best ayce-buffet style restaurants I've ever eaten at. Kanpai delivers ayce hot pot and kbbq AND a buffet (broken down into a hot bar, cold bar, sauce bar, and dessert bar)! Unlike other places with this type of package, their point of elevation draws on Southeast Asian flavors, so their selection is curated where some offerings can stand as an entire restaurant dish in themselves. Options range from soft shell crab, papaya salad, and a house "kanpai sauce," tell me that there is a lot of thought into making sure that this restaurant has a distinct food identity despite being ayce. That being said, a lot of popular food items still lean towards Japan, Korea, and China, so I do wish that there was more SEA regional specificity in their dishes as they evolve their menu. For me, I would love to see a SEA restaurant thrive, so it feels a bit misleading to name it "Kanpai," when they have the food and experience to really nail that SEA identity and ownership in their name and brand. The renovation of this restaurant is new and clean, so the experience is just amazing and very streamlined. We even met the robot that gives you your hot pot ingredients! It can be very overwhelming to have all of these factors in your eating experience, but you can just embrace the abundance and variety this restaurant offers. Our wait staff were quick, efficient, and very attentive to our needs. Because there is so much being offered, we saw a lot of customers come in for celebrations and holidays, even the staff even join in to hype them up. You can engage at most levels of proficiency and improve on all fronts when it comes to table side self-cooking.

    Give the soft shell crabs some love
    Tim H.

    2nd time visiting. Daughter felt like having kbbq and hotpot, and Kanpai offers both and much more. I love the food, good service and a clean and comfortable (we had a big table with grill and hot pot). I ate enough for all three of us. Lol. Highly recommend.

    Dessert
    Ahra J.

    Came by for dinner with some friends and I highly recommend this place. On a sidenote, I will mention that if you're not familiar with this area parking at the shopping center can be quite hectic so if you can't find something in front, I highly recommend just going straight to the back lot and finding a parking space there it will save you a lot of time and stress. Upon walking in kanpai it's a mix of modern and elegant while encompassing a very fun vibe. We saw many birthdays, taking place and they come out with these huge signs and glow sticks and really make it into a spectacle which I love and a special shout out to Camille, the hostess, who bared with us through all of the photo opportunities she was amazing. Food wise for the price you pay it's beyond amazing at the hot bar. You have option such as pad Thai with chicken and shrimp glass noodles with various seafood dumplings, softshell crabs, and so much more the options are almost endless. Then you have various fruits salad available as well as a great variety of desserts for at the end of the meal. At the table, you also then have the option of both hot pot and Korean barbecue and the meat options are also very amazing considering the price . Ordering is made super easy as each table gets a tablet so you can put in your orders without having to wait for a waiter or waitress. Additionally, the food comes out in one of those robotic trays so again wait time is very limited as as soon as it comes out someone or something will deliver it for you. The only thing that was inconvenient was the way that the tables are set up for smaller parties as they have a side-by-side set up of the Korean barbecue and the hot pot so it's not easily accessible for everyone sitting there so there is some assistance that will be needed throughout your dinner. Other than that, I highly recommend as they have great food great service and all-around great vibes!

    Nico Samneil S.

    Their buffet foods are all tasty! The service is proactive and quick! Interior design is pleasing. High chair and koala kare seen. Restroom is clean and smells good. Their bbq meats are good quality. Hotpot broths are oh soooo goood!! Lunch and dinner pricing are different. Parking is quite challenging due to other tenants in the area but they have more at the back. See images for reference.

    Buffet
    Ashley L.

    This review is a long time coming. Have been here a few times now and it's my husband and I's favorite restaurant. Definitely crowded especially on the weekends, reservations are a must for large groups. This place is a huge standout from the typical korean/japanese shabu shabu restaurants and I love southeast asian food. Papaya salad, snow crab legs, pineapple rice, mango sticky rice are just a few of my favorites from the buffet selection. Laksa is my go to broth for the shabu shabu. I always suggest this place to my friends for lunch and dinner dates!

    Kathy C.

    We came here with a reservation for a party of 5 on a saturday afternoon. The service was great! Our server was very attentive and friendly. Drinks were brought out quickly and he explained the ordering process well. We were checked on often. The price was a bit expensive. Since it was a saturday, it was dinner price all day ($45 per person) with a mandatory 20% gratuity for parties of 5 or more. The buffet selection was nothing to write home about but the bbq and hotpot were really good! Meats were fresh and flavorful. Hotpot broths were delicious in combination with rice, bass filet and veggies. Parking can be snug. The lot is usually full as its a busy area. The thai green tea was unique and delicious! Better than the thai tea (very sweet). Overall, a good experience. We had a great time. Just wish the price was better.

    Meats

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    8 days ago

    Kevin has been very attentive and helpful with our party of 10 table. Very nice atmosphere and very helpful staff!

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    1 day ago

    Kelly and Kevin is great, they alway make sure our party is satisfied, it was an incredible experience. 10/10 service for sure.

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    3 days ago

    My family love this place! Excellent service. Food is always very good! It becomes one of our favorite restaurant

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    Page 1 of 7

    Kanpai Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kanpai

    Is parking plentiful and free?

    Yes, the parking lot in front is free.

    Are any of the hotpot bases vegetarian?

    Yes

    Does Kanpai offer lunch pricing on weekends?

    No they don't

    How much is dinner (buffet included)?

    48.99 per person and includes buffet, hot pot and bbq

    Is there a difference between weekday and weekend pricing? for example, is Wed lunch the same as Sun lunch? Thank you!

    Last I went, it was $24.99 for lunch on week days, it's likely dinner pricing all day on weekends.

    How much are lunch prices and dinner prices now?

    I'm not sure about dinner prices but lunch is about $35 per person for shabu shabu, BBQ, and walk up buffet. If you only want to do the buffet, I think its $25pp

    View All 7 Questions

    Gyuzo Japanese BBQ - Eel Avocado Roll

    Gyuzo Japanese BBQ

    4.6(1.3k reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$$

    I went here in celebration for my birthday. Let me just say it was amazing!…read more The server Juan was so nice and helpful explaining the menu to us. The food was so fresh and amazing my kids enjoyed it so much. The flavors and the presentation with all the small dishes is absolutely amazing.. For a busy place, I loved how it was not extremely loud. Everyone was very respectful, which made it so much more enjoyable..

    Went for Mother's Day with a reservation. Arrived and were seated quickly. We had ordered drinks…read moreand the one thing that nobody wants is a waiter that has cologne on them, especially heavy. Some patrons have serious reactions that can be life threatening and that's the last thing I needed. Almost just got up and left. Fortunately we didn't see him again after asking to stay far away. Masks do nothing for fragrance. Ordered food and appetizers were ok. We did a 4 person grill set for 3 of use the food arrived far earlier than the drinks did. The water we had was tap water and wasn't good at all. Would have got a soda but with bad water not gonna try. Out of the beer I wanted but had something that worked. Ladies got drinks. Small and expensive and mostly ice. Tasted fine. The meat came and was displayed well with names of cuts to see what it was. Some dipping sauces were provided but small portions. Refilled after asking. Those were good. Meats were enough and the. Some for the three of us. The price...stupid pricing. Way stupid pricing. Meger amount of veggies to grill, all just left there. Overall, a good experience but the price is not having us back, ever. Third time ever there. It's a glam price and good for one time and done. I do better at home at 1/4 the price here....NYC style prices...did I mention stupid prices. Yeah...nah.

    Photos
    Gyuzo Japanese BBQ - Selection

    Selection

    Gyuzo Japanese BBQ - Dynamite Shrimp

    Dynamite Shrimp

    Gyuzo Japanese BBQ - Miyazaki A5 Prime Rib Wagyu

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    Miyazaki A5 Prime Rib Wagyu

    Chadol Korean BBQ

    Chadol Korean BBQ

    4.5(434 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$$
    Casual dining
    Large group friendly

    Went to Chadol Korean BBQ and had a great experience. The food was fire--meat was fresh, especially…read morethe brisket and spicy pork, and the banchan kept coming. But shoutout to our server Khaul--he really made the experience. Super attentive, quick with everything, and just had good energy the whole time. Didn't have to ask for anything twice. 10/10, definitely coming back.

    We've been coming to this AYCE kbbq spot for a while now and it's already a favorite, but I had to…read morewrite a review after being served by Andrew twice. Andrew is genuinely one of the best servers I've had anywhere. Super professional without feeling stiff, really easy to talk to, and just completely on top of everything. He managed the grill perfectly the whole time, paced the meat so nothing felt rushed or slow, and kept the heat just right without us ever having to ask. Our table never sat empty either. Banchan refills came out fast, drinks stayed full, and everything just flowed. What stood out the most was how seamless the entire experience felt. You don't realize how much that matters until you have someone who does it this well. It made the whole meal way more enjoyable. On top of that, the food here is already great and for $45 AYCE it's honestly a steal. But having Andrew take care of us twice now is what really made me want to leave this review. If you come here, definitely ask for Andrew if you can. He elevates the whole experience.

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    Chadol Korean BBQ
    Chadol Korean BBQ
    Chadol Korean BBQ - Chadol Premium

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    Chadol Premium

    Silver and Sons BBQ

    Silver and Sons BBQ

    4.2(71 reviews)
    6.9 mi

    Good Folks I ran into a no pork barbecue spot on my timeline. I love beef ribs, so i decided to…read morecheck them out!! Let me tell you, I'm sooo glad that I pulled up!! This quaint spot is a must have...LET'S GO!! . Where I am: @silverandaonsbbq . Location Reviewed: 5362 Westbard Ave, Bethesda M.D. . Items Reviewed: STAMP!! Their Beef Ribs ($32 with half a rack of beef ribs, a challah roll, pickles, & a spiced vinegar bbq sauce). Well seasoned, meaty, tender, & a tasty bbq sauce!! STAMP!! Their 2 for 2 Platter ($25 with a 1/4 Freebird Farms smoked chicken, pickles, bbq sauce, shredded lamb shoulder, mac n cheese, challah bread, & lemon schmaltz potatoes). The lamb shoulder was juicy, & well seasoned, STAMP that challah bread, STAMP the potatoes, the chicken was definitely LIKE THAT, & the mac was DELICIOUS!! STAMP!! Their Jalapeno Cheddar Beef Sausage ($7 with Baharat mustard, & pickles). Well spiced, it snapped, with that curry flavored mustard!! STAMP!! Their Lamb & Beef Merguez Smash Burger ($15 a double beef & lamb patty with paprika aioli, lamb bacon, onions, & tzatziki sauce). A nice smoky blend of lamb & beef, a flavorful aioli, crunchy bacon that I couldn't tell was lamb, & creamy sauce. STAMP!! Their Brisket Steak n Cheese ($19 with brisket, Gruyere cheese, fried chicken skin, & aioli on a sourdough baguette). My new favorite cheesesteak!! Well seasoned, a smoky cheese, crispy chicken skin, & superbly flavorful!! STAMP!! Their S'mores Rice Krispy Treat ($5). Crispy, chewy, sweet, & tasty!! . Customer Service: On Point . Parking: Decent. . Recommendations: Get that Cheesesteak!! . Accessibility: It's wheelchair friendly, & it's differently abled persons friendly.

    Jewish BBQ joint. I'm not sure what you Yelpers were…read morethinking when y'all referred me to this place with your good reviews, but you all missed. Took my brutha here to celebrate his birthday and it's basically an upscale carryout. A couple sets of (8) chairs outside and a few benches inside - all occupied. Plus, it's too chilly to be eating outside...so we took the food to his place up the street. No worries - food will be good, right?? First the good: That hearty smokiness of summertime barbecue wafted from the front door as I walked up, had me totally turned on. Service was excellent from the guy waiting on us. Now, the rest.... + The (full slab) beef ribs were dry, oversalted and tough. + The pound of lamb shank I ordered didn't taste like lamb. I actually thought they had forgotten to give me my order. Their smoking process shouldn't overwhelm the natural earthiness I was expecting - from lamb. + The fried chicken was moist and juicy with a nice crunch. Decently seasoned too. + The garlic potatoes tasted old. + Assorted sauces we good...enough. + Rolls are tasteless. I could've taken my brother to a thousand other places and spent far less than $89, and we were both disappointed with this one. The bag was heavy too so we were falsely encouraged initially. There's parking right next door but we parked in the gas station across the street and walked over. I won't be returning.

    Photos
    Silver and Sons BBQ - But, oh yeah, makin' BBQ takes time and they are soooo good at it!

    But, oh yeah, makin' BBQ takes time and they are soooo good at it!

    Silver and Sons BBQ
    Silver and Sons BBQ - Pitmaster platter for $75: 4 meat picks, 4 sides (deviled eggs, Cabbage Slaw, harissa carrots, and babaganoush), and 2 dessert

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    Pitmaster platter for $75: 4 meat picks, 4 sides (deviled eggs, Cabbage Slaw, harissa carrots, and babaganoush), and 2 dessert

    bb.q Chicken Rockville

    bb.q Chicken Rockville

    4.1(245 reviews)
    4.8 mi
    $$

    The fried chicken is really good! We got honey garlic and the original. They were delicious! Don't…read moreforget the radish-- it makes each bite flavorful and fresh. I would definitely go again if I'm craving Korean fried chicken :) Love the Korean music playing in the restaurant. It's a nice, chill, yet fun vibe.

    The chicken is great. Don't get me wrong.,…read more (something to take note of before reading this boneless wings cost less than the bone-in wings and you get much more meat from them then you do on the bone-in wings) I got the -wings of fire -cheesling wings (ordered boneless the lady taking the order put in regular) -cheesling fries The wings of fire don't come in boneless for some reason. This is a downside, but they are very good one of my favorite things of them is that they have the perfect amount of spice to get me out of my comfort zone, but not be torture me.(I have an above average spice tolerance.) Cheesling wings. I normally love these things, but I normally get them in boneless. I asked for them boneless to the person taking orders. I got home and realized I hadn't gotten boneless (also bone in wings cost a dollar more. Yes, I was charged for bone-in wings. I looked at the receipt.) Cheesling fries. These were ok, but I don't think the cheese powder added much (it was very sweet. Almost gross but bearable) to them next time. I'll probably just get the regular fries. I will continue to eat from here. But I will be contacting the store tomorrow about my wings not being boneless. The ambience was OK multiple televisions playing multiple different programs and a nice looking bar. Another problem was that Maps app says that this place is open till nine but my friends and I got there at 8:30 and the person working upfront said that we have to order takeout and they don't serve food in front past eight

    Photos
    bb.q Chicken Rockville
    bb.q Chicken Rockville
    bb.q Chicken Rockville

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    Kanpai - asianfusion - Updated May 2026

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