We got a lot of food from this place and service was excellent on Halloween night when they all dressed up in silly little costumes. I think the soup base is good but if you prefer more flavorful broth, then Little Sheep in San Mateo would be a better choice for you. The flavor here is lighter but I also like not smelling like garlic at the end of the night :)
(4)
Pikachu P.
It would be good if they know what's ponzu sauce; since they serve shabu-shabu. Their ponzu sauce is actually soy sauce..OMG...need to fix that!
(3)
Gordon G.
went to fire pot 2 weeks ago . Better experiences ! maybe because we went in there fairly early (around 5:30pm) , the serving of food was fast . I felt bad to keep the waitress busy all the time lol , so I tipped them well . Did not go for the $5 upgrade but we ate well ! differet style of cutting the meat than they do in little sheep , but I like it as well . Will go back again some other days !
(4)
Mallory G.
This review is for their take-out dim sum and bakery counter. I live very close to this place, and it's always such a treat to wake up in the morning and crave sesame ball dim sum, and just trot right over to Little Fire Pot for some extremely cheap and delicious amazingness. A friend of mine found this place by accident when he was visiting me, and ever since then i've been hooked. I haven't tried their shabu-shabu restaurant yet, as it's a bit pricy for me, but their bakery is always stocked full of fresh potstickers and pastries. VERY GOOD STUFF! i always leave with a ton of tasty food for very little money. Usually i get all the things I want for under 4 bucks!
(5)
Sandra L.
I had a good overall experience. It's good to know that there are restaurants out there that strive to please their customers and keep the prices manageable. The venue is tastefully decorated. There are two private rooms in this place and if you have a large party, it's definitely a great place to host your event here. The food was fresh and nicely presented. You could really go crazy and customize it to your taste if you want. But to make it easy for you, you can pick a pre-assembled theme hot pot for $20. And to finish off this wonderful experience is an all you can eat dessert buffet! Btw - street parking or free garage parking right above.
(5)
A1822 L.
I really like this place. After coming here a few times I've gotten to know how the people are, and the food. For a hot pot place especially in Daly City, you can't ask for too much. $17.99-$19.99 per person, also on top of that, they have little side dishes you can order if you don't want hot pot. The service is pretty good and for anyone who lives in Daly City, you know a place like this can be very good year round with the weather always being foggy. They have different types of hot pot for you to choose from too. Most places you go to are only chinese or only japanese, with 1-2 soup bases. You have 5 different soup bases here you can choose from and each one is pretty different, but you get a whole bowl of veggies that come with it too. Overall pretty good. We'd come back. :)
(4)
foo d.
I work nearby so one day a coworker and I decided to try this place out. I am now a regular. The food is consistently great and wonderful service. I HATE ME JOB, but look forward for lunch :)
(5)
Kevin K.
This is a good value for your money and the restaurant is pleasant and not ugly like some shabu shabu places. The dishes are $19 and includes free dessert at a dessert bar, which are very well done. I also prefer the sauce to other sauce The mix of meat and veggies are good and plenty, unlike some places where they serve meat only. It may not be the best but the overall quality fits the price range, and so I give it 5 stars.
(5)
Stalone H.
all i have to say is f*ck this place.
(1)
Jim H.
I am normally not a fan of hot pot but after going to this place with some friends last weekend, I am sold. My favorite thing about this restaurant is that you get your own hot pot. All your food is also separated nicely in a bowl. The portion is just right, you don't feel like you have to over eat because is a buffet and you want to get your money's worth. You also get to choose different types of soup base, hot or no heat, whatever you want, mix and match whatever you like. I also like the decor, modern yet still intimate. Although you get your own pot, but the table is set up so you can still share food with your friends and family. This is a great place to go during a cold night, which is usually the case in Westlake. Will definately go back. ps, there is all your can eat desserts.
(5)
Mona C.
[M]ona: 4 Stars [W]ayne: 3.5 Stars Average: 3.75 Stars + Accepts Credit Cards + Happy Hour Specials + Early Bird and Night Owl Specials + Good Service + Self Serve Desserts - Slow Service - Bland [W] So I've tried a couple of their "themed" hot pot choices and this play doesn't really impress me much. Mona seems to love this place so I just keep trying it again to see if I like any of their other dishes but it's kind of the same flavors to me....bland. [M] There are a total of 6 "themed" hot pot choices: Hong Kong: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… Shabu Shabu: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… Taipei: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… Mongolian: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… Sichuan: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… Vegetarian: Have yet to try Each themed hot pot comes with a side of meat yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… and choice of rice or noodles yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… . Prices range from $18 - $20. Each themed hot pot is good enough for 2 people to share. But if you're a big eater like Wayne, you may prolly need one all to yourself :P [W] I guess they've improved their menu a little bit by adding a side menu such as their dollar menu like McDonalds haha. I enjoyed their $1 oysters on a half shell yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… and their $1 eggrolls yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… . Other than that, the food is kind of bland to me again and it doesn't really fill me up neither. Mona LOVES their cuttlefish paste yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… and she always gets an extra order of it everytime. The only thing that is pretty good in my opinion is this one dessert that they had. Don't really know what it's called but this is how it looks like: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… If anyone happens to know what its call, please let us know :) I would give them a little better rating but the last time we went, the hostess was such a punk and was kind of giving up lip. I remember it was quite funny because I ordered ONE eggroll off of the dollar menu just to try it and the hostess had the nerve to ask me "you only want one?!?" I was like yea, I just want to try it. The funny part was that when she put the order in, she came back around and asked me again "You sure you only want one???" I was thinking to myself "yea, did i stutter?" lol. Then she just yelled behind the table "Jose, he just wants one!" That cook was probably all thinking like "Man you're really going to make me fry up ONE stinkin eggroll" lol. Man, if I wanted 2 then I would've said two right? haha. Anyways if I DID like the eggroll, maybe I would've ordered another one haha. But then again I would just look like an ass haha. That was pretty much just the highlight of the day. Other than that, the multiple times that we came here, service was quite slow after you order which is not a good thing because now we feel like we're neglected. I always give the eagle eye stare to the hostess and she never seems to look around the restaurant to see who needs help. I think if I were to come again, I'd just take advantage of their dollar menu and their oysters on the half shell, YUM.
(4)
Linda C.
Came here with the family since we wanted hot pot. Although this place is not the best for hot pot, having your own personal pot was the driving force behind our choice to come here for father's day. The all-in-one options are the easiest since all you have to do is pick what region of food you want and it comes with a variety of veggies, dumplings, seafood, and your choice of meat. The quality has gone down a bit. The food was not as fresh as before and the seafood was skimpier than before. However, you still get more than enough food and it's a decent deal at $25 per person. On weekday nights, they have an all you can eat special for $30 and all you can drink & eat for $40. That's a pretty good deal.
(3)
Karen W.
It's been nearly a week since my last visit to LFP and it makes be mad recalling that night. Came to Little Fire Pot on 3 occasions all on Tuesday for their $20 AYCE special within the past 2 months. Sadly, with each visit, the service became worst & after this last visit, I will not be returning again. I really like this place because of the individual pots. On my first visit, we were a party of 2 and there was only another 3-4 tables of patrons. The service was attentive and they gave us every dish we ordered on the list. We were very happy and couldn't wait to return. On my second visit, we were a party of 4 and came with friends who were regulars there. Service was a little lacking and they do not make eye contact when they run back and forth between the kitchen and tables. They don't regularly check on you or refill drinks. You basically have to wave them down and by that time, hope that you remember the list of things you want to order. However, food wise, they gave you what you ordered. On my last visit, we were a party of 9 and reserved the private room with its own TV. We ordered 9 plates of beef and only 1 plate was brought out. Between the 9 of us, we sat there for over 30 mins wondering where the other 8 plates were. Nobody came to check on us and nobody bothered to ask if we needed anything else. The restaurant basically picked and chose what we ate because we never saw half the items we checked off. After waiting for service for so long, I walked outside to the counter to ask for order more food 3 times. One time, I specifically asked for 3 plates of beef, and again we only received 1 plate. All in all, the bill came to $200+ including a 15% service fee (which I thought I should've deserved a part of it) and all we had was 4 plates of beef and 2 plates of lamb, 2 huge plates of veggies, 2 large bowls of rice, 2 plates of shrimp and beef tripe, 3 bowls of noodles, 4 orders of beef balls and 3 plates of mushrooms. After a very frustrating night, I am not returning and not recommending LFP to anyone. I'd rather pay an extra $6 and go to Hot Pot Garden or more for Shabuway. A note for large parties, order the few items that you want them to bring. Then they won't only bring those filler items.
(2)
David H.
My first impression upon walking into Little Fire Pot was not a good one. All I heard was Brittney Spears singing "Oops I did it again," and my heart dropped into my stomach. Yet, despite my fears about the food based upon the music selection, me and my girlfriend braved the ambiance to give Little Fire Pot a try. We got the Mongolian Hot Pot with short ribs, and some assorted dim sum. Here's why it has three stars. The Dim Sum was pretty good, and well priced, but more than that, they served it to us at 7pm at night! Do you know how hard it is to get a dim sum craving fixed at 7pm at night on a weekday? And actually have it be halfway decent? The hot pot itself was disappointing, and nothing too memorable. You tend to get a ton of veggies, but not enough really of the stuff you truly want (fish balls, good tofu that doesn't seem dry, and other goodies). This was going to be a 2 star review when we started hot potting and all I saw was a small scoop of meat, but after ten minutes they FINALLY brought out a plate of thinly sliced short rib, which was a slight redemption. But really, I think you're better off getting some friends together and throwing your own hot pot! Pros: Decent price, good dim sum, open late! Cons: Forgettable broth flavors, less than ideal service, bad music selection (is that even a criteria? it is now!)
(3)
Ev L.
Good place for shabu- shabu. I like the fact that each person get his own pot. Worth coming back!
(4)
Vivian V.
3.5 stars My love for hot pot is endless. Been frequenting this spot a lot recently because it's convenient, offers daily specials and does the job whenever I'm in the mood to quickly satisfy my craving. $20 all you can eat before 6pm everyday including weekends and $20 all day Tuesdays which I usually take advantage of. They offer your typical basic hot pot food selections of meats, seafood, noodles and veggies. They have a few broth selections off the regular menu and I always get the spicy miso because I find it to have more flavor than others. The individual pots are a huge plus for all you germaphobes and also you don't have to fish for your food in a shared pot. They even include a free dessert bar where you can help yourself to watermelon, jello and sweet soup. The meats are decent, but not always consistent in quality. Veggies are fresh and I personally like their fresh shrimp paste which I always get a few orders of. For its location in Daly City it does the job.
(3)
Jerica J.
It all started when my parents came here for their wedding anniversary dinner.. the word got spread to my whole family and we come here ever since. Sometimes it's a little hard to venture out to new places when you have one place that you really like, but i am really glad we did! Everything here is fresh and delicious! The quality of the meat is also very good. I had the vegetarian platter this time, since I gave up meat for lent and boy was it delicious! They got some sort of vegan spam too.. (pic posted) My fav has to be the dumplings with the eggs inside. We got a side order of them and we were fighting over the last one. The coconut jello is yum and the "tong suy". I put the jello in my "tong suy" and ate it together! Steve and Joanne are awesome and Kristine is a great waitress. I don't even have to tell you that, I WILL BE BACK. =)
(5)
kevin h.
BAM. WiGGiTY. WHAM WHAM. 2 reasons. 1.) 20% off bill ... read on to find out! 2.) Desert Bar. Just like every other meateater in SF. i yelp'd myself into a Shabu Shabu Craze. LA Shabu, SF Shabu, Reno Shabu, and what? DC Shabu! All you can eat and all the eating can brought myself here. the decor. is thoughtful and easy on the eyes. the music. ohhh the MUSIC. I love 90's Gangster Rap and Ludacris bass beat. and this is the only restaurant that plays that kinda music. Where else can you Dunk your meat to "I'm in Miami TRICCCC" come between 5pm-6pm. for the 20% off. i ordered 1 combo and a side of meat came out to 15$.
(5)
Dennis W.
Steve and Johanna are always nice to me. They cook delicious food and serve it to their valued customers. Go there before 6:00 PM and you will get 20% discount on your food. I always order 2 Siu Mai and 1 street ramen with wonton. LoL.
(5)
Karen L.
This is a pretty good hot pot place with reasonable prices. You get your own pot, and there's a lot of hot pot styles, broth, and meat options. The broth is flavorful and the food is pretty good. However, there was a bit too much vegetables and not enough meat slices.
(3)
Julie F.
So just to be fair, I am NOT a fan of this type of hot pot. I'd describe it as herbal-y or something. So Little Fire pot, no offense. (I don't prefer Little Sheep either - give me Shabu House anyday!). Came here with the family to celebrate the boyfriend's dad's bday. Here, everyone gets their own little pot and you choose from 4 different types of broths. I picked the Sichuan soup base and that comes with an assortment of meats and veggies plus a rice or noodle on the side. I pretty much gave away the meats that came in the bowl and ate the veggies and my beef platter. It was okay, the sauce that came with it for dipping didn't really have any flavor or add anything to my cooked food. Overall, the service was fast and they came by to clear plates etc. They do have a dessert bar with fruit and jello or something. With that I will not be back as described in my opening above. But if you do like this type of hot pot , I think its a great deal for the set menus!
(3)
Tony C.
This place is a little annoying. First, it's AYCE, but you have to ask for everything. We filled out a sheet with all the stuff we want, and STILL had to ask for everything. How hard can it be to bring the stuff that we checked on a piece of paper? That, and the fact that dinner for 3 was effectively $100, makes this a place I won't willingly return to. Their "dessert bar" was also a bit of a joke (it's basically a counter with tapioca, melon, and some weird jello thing). Not impressed in the least.
(2)
Theresa W.
My brother brought me here because I've been missing my hot pot every Tues @ Hot Pot Garden. I've been to other places and they were ok. He told me to give it a try and I had nothing to lose. The dining room area was dark but not so you can't see the food. There was tape on the bench seats and the floor was a little slippery. Since I wasn't expecting much, I wasn't that disappointed. The 1st thing I liked about this place was that it had only 1 television. The 2nd thing was that everyone gets their own hot pot. Great idea. I now wish every Hot Pot place will do the same. The service was prompt and the owner/mgr came by to check in on us to see if everything was good. The meat selection is about the same as every other Hot pot place . I really liked the rice noodle which is not avail at other places. The veggie selection has the Tong Ho, Watercress and Enoki mushroom(my 3 must haves) so I'm a happy girl. Overall, the food and service made this definitely a place I'm coming back to. BTW, Baskin Robbins ice cream is around the corner, nothing like a scoop of ice cream in a waffle cone to complete a good meal
(4)
Lilian R.
I love this place. I have been coming here since before it's grand opening. The owners are very sweet. The decor is great and the atmosphere is relaxing. The music is different but when you are enjoying your meal and with great company you can hardly notice the music variations. I typically like to come when it's not busy during the week. Either when they first open or the best time is is late at night. That's when the party gets started with sake bombs. I mainly enjoy this place because they have lots to choose from depending on the mood. I enjoy the pokkie roll and seafood curry. The best part is the dessert station. That's my first stop. Love it!
(5)
Kelly L.
I came here with my family and we had three orders off the hot pot menu- the Hong Kong, Sichuan and Tokyo. I thought we had a choice of broth according to the menu, but apparently each entree already has a set broth. We also ordered two of the minced pork over rice with stewed egg and a dish of the mongolian beef. I got to try a little from each of the hot pots. The chicken and pork broth is bland, definitely did not give my food enough flavor. The Miso broth, not my taste. The Sichuan broth decent, but I had a majority of this and am quite sure it led to my runs. Yes, I'm not afraid to say that the food here gave me serious stomach pains and the second to worst runs of my life. The food was just decent while eating it, but I knew from the get-go that it wasn't fresh. Seriously, we're paying $20 for each hot pot entree and you can't even give us fresh vegetables worth $1? There were pieces of napa cabbage turned black.... on the verge of molding. If you wouldn't eat it, what makes you think your customers will? Disgusting.. Also, the waiter was nice enough to refill our hot pots mid-way, but please next time don't mix and match the broths. There is an obvious difference in color between the Miso and Chicken broths. Oh yeah, we found a live fly in our side noodle dish. NASTY.
(1)
Susan Y.
If I could give 4.5 stars, I would. But I can't, so I'll just round it down 'cause it hasn't WOWED me that much. I definitely love their Taipei and Tokyo hotpot selections. They give you your own little pot to cook your own food with vegetables, meat, seafood and all the dessert you want. Haha. My family loves coming here on cold nights 'cause it makes you feel stuffed and warm afterwards. You can share a themed meal with someone else and order an extra broth while you two share the food. It can get kind of crowded depending on the night and time, so make reservations if you have a party of more than 5?
(4)
Marti L.
Like every other smart....and frugal Asian, my friends and I decided to take advantage of their 50% off Grand Opening dinner special. We arrived at 5:15pm to find at least 40 other Asians already waiting. Doors don't open until 5:30, so the line reached all the way past the entrance/exit of the new parking structure. Given the numerous 1 and 2 star reviews, we weren't convinced. So after waiting approximately 4.5 minutes, off to happy hour we went!!
(1)
Lindsay C.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! I have been going here since they opened, the owner even recognizes me. She is super nice. Siu mai is the best I have ever had, cheap and they even sell it frozen to go. Hot pot is awesome, and now much more affordable. Tuesdays they even have $20 all you can eat (usually $26.) I really like the crab won ton soup, siu mai, bbq pork buns, and the hot pot. Definitely try the shrimp paste and the heart shaped fish balls, mongolian broth, and get the sesame and ponzu dipping sauces. I have bought friends and they always rave about it. Bonus points for the dim sum and hot pot not making me feel sick like other places. I think its probably from a lack of MSG and fresh ingredients. My favorite hot pot and dim sum restaurant!
(5)
Derrek O.
It is often said that one cannot really appreciate something unless they have some basis of comparison. The same could be said about when comparing hot pot places. I had the pleasure recently to have my first hot pot experience at Little Sheep in San Mateo and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. So I'm in Daly City today with my mom and gf when I get the hot pot hunger pangs. I've read some positive reviews here about Little Fire Pot so I decide to go check it out. First and foremost, this place is not at all like Little Sheep, and dat's in a bad way. The soup broth is really lacking flavor and the meat platters are really skimpy. I asked for some shrimp balls, something they serve at Little Sheep, and what I got here instead was some ground shrimp mush in a bamboo stalk. I tried the dim sum here as well and that was also mediocre. This place only gets 2 stars because of the service. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly from start to finish.
(2)
Annie M.
I really like coming here for hot pot. It's fun to be able to have your own individual hot pot as well as to choose a pre-fix setting just for yourself. I usually order the Sichuan soup base with udon noodles and seafood platter. The variety that this setting offers is just enough to satisfy all of my taste buds. The dessert are ranges from fresh fruits, coconut almond jello, and taro with tapioca. They are all delicious and best of all, it is free with your meal!
(4)
Noah R.
We just moved to the area and started trying out local places, so we got some takeout from this one. It was... disappointing to say the least. The Pot Stickers were burnt on the bottom and yet still somehow soggy. The Udon Noodle Chow Fun (which I'm not sure even makes sense... my girlfriend tried to order Chow Fun and got this) was likewise soggy. In fact, "soggy" was the best description we had for most of the food. And I'm pretty sure the Pork Buns were just purchased from a supermarket whole and served as restaurant food. They were certainly terrible. Nothing about this was redeeming.
(1)
Kay Y.
I would give NO STARS for this place what so ever. I made a reservation to be seated at 8:30, yet the short-haired Asian lady running the front was the most rudest person ever. Every party that showed up and tried to put themselves on the wait list, she did not acknowledge, and if she did she was shaking her head saying "no" with her hand up in the air (talk to the hand gesture) and a facial expression demonstrating "don't bother me I'm busy." Any other employee who was approached by new guests did not know how to even entertain the party and get them on the wait list to be seated. Those employees were also getting yelled at by the big boss in the front also. There was no point in making a reservation if other parties who showed up after my reservation was made was entertained before my party. I ditched this place the moment I couldn't take that lady's behavior any longer. No customer service at all. If you are up for an adventure and want to develop high blood pressure, you are more than welcome to enter this disastrous restaurant. Can't rate the food because I didn't get to that point. Go to SHABU instead. You may as well pay for higher quality service and food, than a bad experience and a cheaper taste of the real shabu! This restaurant makes a good candidate for #RestaurantImpossible on Food Network.
(1)
Melinda C.
A little hot pot/shabu shabu restaurant in the heart of the Daly City/Westlake region. The decor is your typical Asian hodgepodge of items: cheesy water fountain feature, lots of dragon statues, & Chinese character posters...your usual Chinatown kitsch. The food selection is amazing...but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. A complete mishmash of Szechuan, Cantonese, Taiwanese, & Dim Sum snacks... It's actually pretty decent. You don't necessarily have to choose a hot pot dish. I'm sort of impressed. But.....I must say that the service is absolutely impeccable!! I love the wait staff!! Everyone is so friendly, enthusiastic & always carries a bright smile. I cannot say more positive things about the wait staff & the service!! Bravo!
(3)
rich n.
If I could give a negative I would. I could make this an essay of all the reasons I would never go back again and would why you shouldn't. But I'll try to make it short and sweet. 1.Service was terrible. We had ayce but we had to go to them to order food. Not attentive at all 2.There was a cockroach in our vegetables. 3.We ordered food and they never brought it to us. 4.Our server said 25% off beer even though happy hour clearly says 50% off 5.They gave us the bill and tip was on happy hour price. Then after already running our credit card they said the tip should be charged on regular prices so they reverse our credit card they already charged and charged us more. WHO HAS EVER HEARD OF CHARGING TIP ON A DIFF PRICE THEN WHAT YOU PAY??? Ridiculous. Obviously we will never go back again.. .. .
(1)
Wendy H.
We actually came here for dim sum so this isn't a hot pot review. Dim sum prices are on par with the Dim Sum King's. However their stuff certainly doesn't taste like DSK's! We had: 1) Pork bun - why is the pork dry inside? There is absolutely no gravy inside that bun. I usually like my pork to be laced with oyster sauce etc. This was just too dry. 2) Shrimp rice crepe - this sucker fell apart when you picked it up w/ your chopsticks. Meaning you got goopy noodle and some shrimp 3) Chicken tamale - DH said this was the weirdest version he ever had 4) Shrimp and Chive ball - this plate came out cold. Really cold as in not cooked. I boxed it up and reheated at home. 5) Ribs & Rice - this was actually a ginormous plate. Worth the $5 6) Ramen noodles - not much ramen there. A big bowl of soup. Dim sum isn't that good. Service is scattered. We asked for a spoon for our ramen noodle soup. Both times the waitress goes yeah yeah but she never bothers to bring the spoons! One note, their bathrooms are small with the exception of the handicapped stall. However, they used the handicap stall as a quasi closet because there was this big iron rack inside the stall and some other junk. I'm sure that is not ADA compliant!
(2)
Edna L.
Been to tons of hot pot places and gotta say this one stands out the most because each individual gets their own pot so there won't be any debate about what the base soup would be. Another things is that it's not jus a hot pot place but u can order food too and cocktail soju! Would go again
(4)
Judy P.
This is a darling place! The food is fresh, healthy and yummy! It's hot pot with a modern twist. Each person gets their own hot pot so you don't have to dip in the same pot as everyone else. You choose from a variety of items from meat, seafood and tofu to vegetables, noodles, and sauces and cook it your way in your own individual hot pot! It's a great solution to that age old problem of having to dip in the 'community hot pot.' I went with two friends and to start we each picked our own soup base. I chose the kelp/seaweed base while my friends chose the chicken and pork broth. We ordered thinly sliced meat, scallops, shrimp, clams, tofu, watercress, cilantro, mushrooms, udon noodles and Chinese donut. All items were great except they forgot our noodles, which we ended up canceling since we were getting so full. One thing to note: while the service is fast and courteous, they forget to bring al the dishes so you have to keep reminding them :( To end the meal, you also get complimentary dessert at the dessert bar. The desserts are healthy too! We went back for seconds, thirds and fourths of the sweet, cold watermelon wedges, succulent cubes of cantaloupe and warm divine taro tapioca dessert! I also loved the decor of this place. It has a very trendy modern design especially when it came to lighting -- light fixtures resembling umbrellas juxtaposed against dark earthy tones of wall decor set a soft and relaxing mood. For hot pot with a modern twist, you simply must go here!
(4)
linda L.
Not to my liking! My girlfriend really like this place and wanted us to try it out here. As we arrived i've noticed that it was very steamy inside... as if it's a sauna? First thought was "dammit, i'm gonna stink when i leave" since i planned on going out after. There's no ventilation in there whatsoever. My experience I just didnt like it period. Here's why.. The menu is very overwhelming, the dipping sauce was very thick, and the broth sucked. The only thing that was good was the paste thing as well as the meat over rice! oh cant forget our beer and their complimentary dessert ( watermelon and coconut jello) :) The concept is cool though.. everyone gets their own hot pot, wide selection of meat, seafood, broth, and other side dishes.. but i feel that bc there is such a huge selection, their quality on food is totally lacking! not my cup of tea! :/
(1)
Malong L.
I will Never come here again. The food is too less in the plate and it was not that fresh. Also, they didn't offer exchange! Shit!
(1)
Pj A.
Giving a 4 because their soju actually messes you up... if doesn't mess around... The service: 3/5 The food: 5/5 The location: 4/5 Parking: 5/5
(4)
Kayla F.
this place is great for ayce for around $26 dollars! they have wifi & free desserts as well. they usually have watermelon and it's always the sweetest every time I go! the best part of this place is that you get your own soup pot! the only downside I have about this place is that it makes me feel really sticky while eatting here. I'm not sure if it's cause the steam or the tables & walls are sticky.
(4)
Angelina W.
Omg! This is my second time eating here! Bad experience ever! The meat looks so weird with the red color on the side no matter how long we boil it! And the service is awful and rude when we are trying to approach to the servers! They told me they couldn't color the meat! What the fxxk! I didn't say the meat was colored! Once they said so, I was very scared to eat more lamb and beef! Btw, the guy who is dealing with the meat cutting is very nice to us! Wer Chinese and the servers are Chinese too! But they are rude and uneducated! Don't come and dine in here if ur not ready for the rude Chinese servers!
(1)
Joann L.
DO NOT EAT HERE!! First of all this place has terrible service if you are not a friend to the staff you will be waiting forever! If you are a friend then good for you because they will let you cut the non existing waiting line. I asked a server how do I put my name down for a table and the girl said "I don't know" how do you not know when you work here? Hence we ended up loosing our table to people that came later than us. Second the vegetable were not fresh at all a lot of the things they served were already yellowing and going bad. Third and the worst was as I ate i would feel my teeth grinding on sand and after a while i started seeing sand on my plate and after i finished my food I decided to empty out my pot to see what was there and I found so much sand! When I told the server she said it's the "spices" for the soup. Umm i grew up around spices and what I saw in that post was definitely not a food seasoning!! Therefore, i dug my finger into the bottom of the pot and took out some of the sand and showed it to her. It was then she took me seriously and took the pot away. They really don't give a crap about you, and I felt very unwelcomed here. I was just trying to get a good meal and they gave me such bad service and attitude. It is safe to say I am never coming back here again and I will not recommend this place for any of my friends. If you are brave enough to eat here be my guest but be prepared to tuck your tail between your legs and say goodbye to your pride!
(1)
Amy T.
My friends and I were craving hot pot on a cold day in the city after supporting our college dragon boat team's last race of the season. We decided to check out Little Fire Pot upon a friend's recommendation of what he liked and because it was really close by to where we were at (which was Lake Merced). It wasn't packed at all when we rolled in around 6pm on a Sunday night. For about $22 you can have All You Can Eat with your own individual hot pot. Honestly, my friends and I were so confused as to how the menu worked but we asked the server to explain it to us since he didn't in the first place. Service here is a bit eh. They don't really check up on you at all. We all had to ask for more water, order more meat/veggies, etc. Onto the food...meat was alright, veggies were veggies, and the other stuff was good too. Usually AYCE Hot Pot for dinner would be around $25-$30 but that's because the food is pretty damn good. Little Fire Pot satisfied my tummy but didn't really satisfy my taste buds. If I was around the area I would probably look for a better hot pot place if it means paying a little more. On the bright side you get Annin tofu (almond jello) and Coconut Sago as complimentary desserts! :P And I like how you get your own hot pot!
(3)
Gary L.
I love the Chinese satay sauce they serve here. If I lived closer to here this would probably be my go to spot for Hot Pot or Shabu. The service here is definitely hit or miss, but the food will get you to come back.I'm a fan of their prime grade ribeye AYCED and their homemade pork meatballs are so good. They have many other good selections. You just need to go there and try.
(4)
Jess N.
Solid 3.5 stars. First off, I need to give some mad props to my new iPhone 6+. The photos turned out fantastic in low lighting. (See my photos) Was on my way to grab some Tani's tamago to find that there is a huge line outside the tiny shop. Short on time I decided to try a a new place and opted for Little Fire Pot. You walk inside and find ample space for large parties and a bar wall for those who are eating alone. Service: Decently paced and very nice. Friendly smiles and helpful when letting the server know it was my first time. Though with only one guy working during the afternoon, I can imagine service become much slower if a huge crowd comes in. Food: Mainly advertised as an AYCE place, they also offer a full a la carte menu and a bar at the entrance. The extensive menu for AYCE was offered in very generous portions up front. They also had many sauces to choose from. The Order: - Meat Rice - A bowl of rice with piled with delicious fatty, oily pork meat and we loved it! So four orders were requested - Ribeye - Generous portion for starters - Jumbo Shrimp- Five pieces per order - Crunchy Fishball- A handful of fishball - Pork Skin- 6+ pieces - Fresh Beef Dumpling- Good - Fresh Shrimp Paste Dumpling- I enjoyed the shrimp paste balls more than the beef. Both tasted fresh - Napa Cabbage - Spinach - Large bundle - Enoki mushroom - Large bundle - Corn Ear - Two pieces - Tomato - Four wedges - Daikon Radish - A big handful - Chicken Pork Broth - Spicy Sichuan- Good spices with slices of garlic and herbs I was barely able to finish this round. No way for me to ask for a second round, even though I had originally considered it. While you would think I would want to rush and return, a few fruit flies swarming around were a huge turn off. I also noticed other reviews mentioning about them two years ago. So if they didn't fix the problem then, I think this will be an ongoing experience. You have been warned. I may still return in the future. Everything else was solid. What you need to know: - You can easily control your cooking temperature using a dial that is at the front of where you are sitting - Individual mini pots are offered at all tables - There's one private room for a large party, located in the back near the restrooms - $22 AYCE EVERYDAY BEFORE 6:00PM (REG. $26) - 20% off the Premium AYCE before 6:00PM (REG $29.95) - Additional 5% Discount will Apply if pay By Cash! (Min. $25+) - Check board for other specials including adding AYCD beer/beverages
(3)
Kaitlyn K.
All you can eat hot pot. We got the miso broth and chicken&pork broth. The miso broth was probably one of the better ones because it gave more flavor to the meat. They provide a lot of food for all you can eat. So don't worry about being hungry. We did not like how they barely explained anything or barely came to check on us. We had to go up to the kitchen several times to ask them questions. The food was overall very satisfying just make sure to come before 3pm so that the meal comes out to be $22 per person.
(3)
Elena N.
I've been going to Little Fire Pot for about five years. When I first went, they didn't offer all you can eat. I'm glad they do now, since I love having an AYCE option. Not to mention all you can eat and drink! At LFP, everyone gets their own pot of soup. If you're in a big group and everyone likes different levels of spice, that is great! I normally like getting the herbal broth and then adding a bunch of mala sauce to spice it up! This combination seems to have more levels of flavor than just the straight Sichuan spicy mala broth: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… . They offer the standard hot pot options. I always get a variety of things: From January 2012: *Prime rib: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Short rib: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Tripe, mussels, pork blood, shrimp: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Corn, mushrooms, variety of balls: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Spinach, napa cabbage, tomato, cabbage: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… From June 2013: *Fish & Shrimp, Meat and Mushrooms: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Meat, Mushrooms and Tripe & Mussels: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Fish, Shrimp & Beef balls: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Meat, Mushrooms, Tripe & Mussels, Balls, Fish & Shrimp and Veggies & Fungus: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Veggies & Fungus: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… If you're in a huge group, LFP has a private room with two huge round tables and a karaoke machine. Great for birthday dinners and other celebrations. For a great hot pot place, Little Fire Pot is one of my favorites!
(5)
Michelle W.
Terrible service and extremely bad attitude. They don't give two shits about their customers. We sat waiting in the cold for such a long time and when the table was ready and set, they ignored us. When we asked about that table the server completely ignored us and when she finally sat us she threw the menu down on the table. The menu is a laminated piece of paper that comes with a marker. We asked for an extra marker to make the selection process faster but the server said no you only get 1 marker. We were asking nicely too! Fuck this place. We are never coming here again. Congrats to them deserving my first review ever - a bad one at that. Bravo, bravo. Now I know never to come back. I don't need to take your shit in all honesty. Bye.
(1)
Azamat S.
Good place! Really enjoyed food. They are always open till late night, so they're kinda saves us. Very convenient for us, we live close by and we always try to come once in a while. And i like the interior too.
(4)
Lauren S.
Maybe it's the night but their service is terrible they are NOT nice AT ALL and We had to get up and ask for more water. Fuck this place and their shitty attitude. When she finally did bring water I said thankyou and got no response
(1)
Sonata B.
Second time here so I'm a fan of the food,portions, service etc. Only problem is their leaking ceiling :( I got dripped on so much I had to move. By the time we left my seat was under a puddle of water. Not sure if it was the steam from all the broths but either way... Beware!
(2)
Wes S.
My first hot pot experience in the Bay and I can honestly say, it was a good experience. It was a bit different than that what I'm used to in Southern California. Every place I've gone to down south, uses one pot for the entire party. This spot, uses individual pots (with each person having their own heating element as well) which I find better if you have people who are picky or can't decide on the broth (some will like mild, some hot, etc.) We chose the $26/person all you can eat as we were starving. You have a choice from 7 broths (Bonito & Kelp, Chicken & Pork, Sichaun (per their website) Spicy, Mongolian herbal, Miso broth, Spicy Miso, and mushroom broth) We chose the Mongolian herbal for all of us as we wanted something hot and something that'll clear our sinuses. There are 20 meats/seafood to choose from (additional choices for $1-$3 more, depending on what you all you can eat selection you choose). 19 choices for vegetables and 9 choices for noodles/rice. Here's the listing with the additional "premium" choices if you choose. littlefirepot.com/all-yo… They also serve dim sum, which we ordered an order of the chicken feet. I would stick to the hot pot. The meat was just right and the seasoning of the broth was nicely refreshing and warmed us up nicely to combat the weather. I would highly recommend this place to nicely stuff your stomachs, and there is also ALL YOU CAN DRINK for an additional $12/person. Maybe I'll invite my other buddies here and just go to town with the all you can eat and drink. Thank you Little Fire Pot for being my go to for hot pot in the Bay.
(4)
Elaine Y.
AYCE typically comes with a few caveats. Between price, quality, and quantity you can usually only pick two and you have to just deal with that. At little fire pot, the biggest downfall is probably the quantity of choices. Now, some people might find me crazy because AYCE comes with your choice of soup base (6 choices) and then a pretty hefty selection of meats and veggies (50 choices)...but if you take the time to really look, you'll see that the majority of the selection is so standard that if you drive down to ranch 99, you can literally get everything including the broth. As for the service, it was a little off. Despite clearly marking up their menu, we found that several platters never actually made it onto the table - but others that we didn't order did come. Meat was also placed on one side of the table and not on the lazy susan. And when we wanted to add more items, it was pretty much impossible to find a waiter. They also failed to mention that desserts were freely available right outside our "private" room but luckily a friend who had been here before knew of that tidbit. I guess overall it wasn't that bad....but "meh. I've experienced better" is very true to my feelings about my hot pot experience here.
(2)
Dojisuon E.
Dont come here. Owner is very rude and service is really bad . I will never come here again. Waste of money. Its not even worth one star. Eat hotpot at home
(1)
Alyce l.
my daughters and I love this place. we mainly order the different kinds of hot pot. my daughters love their minced beef over rice and/or ramen. owners were smart having 2 rooms for parties and they have a karaoke in each room. the owners are very nice and accommodating. I booked a last minute fathers day dinner here cuz my dad likes to sing and hotpot. so this was perfect for him. i havent tried other food on the menu yet but so far, I enjoy their hotpots, especially when you get your own pot!
(5)
Ralph N.
I never give one star reviews. I'm not that harsh. But this restaurant provided that level of service to our party tonight. Absolutely unacceptable. First off, prices are high for their quality of food. Secondly, I've never received such low service at a restaurant. The waitresses were repeatedly rushing us to choose our entrees. Appalled by the high prices and confusing nature of the shabu options, we finally decided to order individual soups instead of the hot pot dishes. When the staff found out we weren't ordering the shabu shabu, they neglected us. Our water glasses were never refilled. Our food took EXTREMELY long to come out (literally like 25 minutes). No one checked up on us. My brother's beef stew came out cold with the wrong type of noodles. My wonton soup (which I requested with noodles) came out with NONE! And the fried porkchops were so salty and far from crispy. The waiter was very misleading while taking our orders. He kept rejecting our small requests and he told us certain options could not be made (which we later found out was possible). He couldn't even give us thorough answers to our questions regarding the menu items. I should've listened to the 3 star average rating. I'm very disappointed with the service at this establishment. Absolutely absurd.
(1)
Stella J.
I came here the other night with my boyfriend and his friends. We had a 8pm reservation but we didn't get seated until 830 which kind of sucked because we were all hungry! We were given menus to order from and we ordered quickly but the broth didn't come out until 930ish. The food slowly came out. The meat that we ordered came out really slowly in the beginning then at the end of our meal that's when all the plates of beef came out. Even though we were a group of 14, the amount of beef that came out was way too much. The fish balls and all that were all standard there was nothing that stood out about it. The broth was a bit disappointing. It was a coconut curry broth and it wasn't as flavorful as I would like. The curry flavor wasn't very strong, compared to the pots curry broth it was subpar. The best part about the meal is honestly that everyone gets their own pot of broth so there's no need to worry about getting a broth everyone will like. This place isn't bad but it would not be my go to ayce hot pot place. But it's worth another visit when I'm not with such a large group. Total for 2: $68
(3)
Tony S.
So far the best AYCE hotpot place hands down!!! Everybody gets their own pot with choice of broth. So no more worrying about eating something you don't want or somebody stealing your food, lol
(5)
Philana C.
AYCE hotpot for $26! Came here with two other friends on a Saturday night. We were all very hungry and were ready to dig in. There are variety of broths to pick from, where each person gets their own individual hot pot. I had the Mongolian Herbal broth, which I thought was pretty flavorful and healthyish. Their AYCE menu consists of various meats, seafood, vegetables, tofu, noodles, and rice. For three girls, we ordered so much food, we were so stuffed and bloated! PLUS, they also have a variety of self-served free desserts! :) Service was not too bad that night (compared to all the other reviews). We got what we wanted without waiting too long. It really wasn't a bad experience for us and I think I'll be back for more! :)
(4)
Nick N.
This place is really close to me so I decided to give this place a try ( walking distance). Also this place is really good for like a birthday party or for a big group of people. The service here is not that great but I understand cuz its extremely busy aroudn dinner time but the food makes up for it. The pricing for the AYCE is pretty good. Its 26 before 2PM everyday I think but on tuesday its straight 22 bucks all day. The thing that I like about this place is that you can order your own broth and you get your own stove and you can control the temperature. Also the menu is extensive and has a pretty good selection of meats, noodles and sauces too. Also for dessert they have a small selection of bakery goods and fruit. Overall I like this place. The food makes up for the lack of service they provide. I would recommend to give this place a try.
(3)
Sara T.
I don't usually go out for hot pot, but with friends, I would. I came in with a group of eight, and the lady at the front asked if we made a reservation, but we didn't... however, we didn't wait too long for a table that one Tuesday night. We waited perhaps 20-30 minutes, and she notified us of a big party leaving, and so we got one of the big tables in the back room. I like that they have a separated area for bigger parties. Their service that night was also pretty good, especially because we were in the back where we would most likely need to go out to flag someone down, if no one came in to check on us. I was surprised because I usually don't expect much. I think everything was good (the two kinds of beef, lamb, veggies, noodles). I would not recommend getting chicken though, because we never actually managed to eat it because it still looked like it wasn't cooked when we left. Maybe it was cooked and we didn't know... Would recommend if you want to do hot pot but too lazy to buy all the ingredients at home.
(3)
Lupe G.
My partner and I were a Lil ehhh about trying it since we read all the BAD reviews on here. Anywho we were a party of 3 including a baby at 6:30pm on a Saturday we got seated with no wait. The employees were super friendly . We got the spicy miso soup base it was delicious! !! All the food came fast. I will definitely go back again! Price is fair and I absolutely love the fact you get your OWN hot pot! I think these other reviews came from hard to please customers. I give them 5 Starts I really liked going there and the main boss had a awesome attitude!
(5)
Kat C.
I'll start with the good things first. The food: it was pretty tasty, you get a small pot of individual soup and the meats are pretty ok. Frozen slices. The vegetables were quite decent, and the selection was abundant. Though, if you think that ordering a dish of meat for a big group would give you several plates, you are wrong. You get one plate. The drinks: this is probably the thing that can't go wrong. The flavored soju were quite nice. The sakes were decent and drinkable. Beers were bottled and can be in pitchers if asked for. The service: this is where the one star came from. If I could, I would give them a 0. Out of the three waiters/waitresses, one was the one that swayed me towards that. I called for her attention and I got the eye catch, and completely got the head swipe and ignored me. I had to call for the other waitress, who was making up for the slack, was working so hard that she was frantic on keeping running back and forth. Felt bad for her. Because of the lack of attention that was given to us as customers, they forgot a few of the ordered items until reminded several times. A simple soda was given halfway through the meal, while other tables got theirs. (I think they just didn't like us because we were a big group and were eaters. We believed that they intentionally ignored us and hoped that we would eat and leave. ) That disappointed me greatly. I'm usually all for these hot pot places and I should have listened to the OTHER yelpers on their bad experiences. Now for the kicker. In what I thought was the law, you do not tax on the gratuity. They stated that it is part of the law and it's on the wall. So included in the tip, there would be a picture of the law, with the handwritten note on the bottom that says that they tax the gratuity. Overall: I will never ever come back here and I will follow the other yelpers' reviews. I hope they don't pay to delete this review. I am in no way being bias towards anyone, but when you receive such service, you would be jaded and utterly disappointed as well.
(1)
Tam D.
Pretty good! I love the all-you-can-eat section! You can order as much food (especially types of meat and veggies) within your two hours of eating :) I'm definately a fan~
(4)
Winnie T.
Came here for AYCE and left completely stuffed to the max. Come hungry. Meat is frozen and the quality is okay. Fish balls are low quality. Veggies are all great. Mongolian broth was flavorful. Didn't have any problems with service and there were many servers coming by to check on my friend and I throughout the meal. Would probably not come back. I still prefer Little Sheep!
(3)
Cynthia N.
YAY finally a place that serves hot pot AND IS VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY. *Let the hallelujahs ring!* Not only an assortment of just vegetables either but they also offer veggie meat (not on the menu... Gotta ask for it.) as well as veggie satay sauce. Also a big plus that each person gets their own hot pot! Your own hot pot= no mixing, no double dipping and most importantly you can put exactly what YOU want. I'm almost never let down here, I just wish more hot pot/ shabu joints offered better vegetarian options than the usual.... Vegetables. Boiled. And rice.
(5)
Tao Tao W.
went here today with 3 of my friends for lunch for the AYCE. Props to this place for taking reservations which is pretty nice but at lunch they actually weren't that busy. before 6PM, its $22 which is one of the lower AYCEs Food wise -2.5/4 as options are decent but this place is no hot pot garden or little sheep. Personal pots are the bomb.com though. There are a lot of meat options but some of them you have to pay more for better meat and also $1 for other soup bases such as egg and cilantro. The base menu includes a good amount of meats and seafood though. Limited on the fish balls and what not. A lot of veggies to pick from as well. Meat and seafood were pretty fresh and they give you a lot of veggies. Service - 2.5/4 as well because we were seated at the same table as another group but against the wall and with a table in between so tehy seemed to forget about us so there were a number of times where we had to flag people down. My friend who came with us has been there a few times said that they were slow to serve too but I'm not sure if its because I spoke Chinese to them but they were decent to getting everything out. However, I know I ordered a couple of other items and def did not get them. Also they give a pretty good amount of meat per order too. I really do like the personal pots though. ideal for veggie and meat lovers
(3)
Danae L.
Cheapest AYCE hot pot. If you're in the area and crave hot pot, I would say come here because other places charge roughly $30. Tuesday nights they have a cheaper deal and if you pay in cash they give you a few percent discount, which is not much it pretty much just cancels task. The service could be better. Most of the time when I need a waitress's attention she has a pile of dishes on her tray so I feel bad requesting for refills and such. I like their miso and chicken broth. I go with my bf and we switch off because miso just gets too salty. Not my first choice of hot pot, but if you just want AYCE despite quality I'd recommend this place.
(3)
Kara Y.
Individual hot pots. Pretty accommodating staff. Nothing to complain about! we were there on Tuesday so got their AYCE for just $22!
(4)
Philip W.
I enjoy hot pot. It's a time for friends and family to sit around a simmering pot of broth and share in the joy of watching food be cooked. I definitely find it a bonding experience- there's nothing like huddling around a boiling pot on a cold day watching that lamb shoulder get cooked. Sometimes though, I just want my own broth so that I can simmer, cook, boil, or cool at my own pace and in my own personal choice of broth flavor. For moments like that, Little Fire Pot shines. Everybody here gets their own pot, with several flavors to choose from. I ALWAYS choose Mongolian- it's delicious! I've tried my friends chicken broth and it was good, but just didn't contain the herbal goodness Mongolian had. It's an AYCE style and as long as you finish what you ordered, you can keep it coming. They have a wide variety of meat, veggies, and other dishes like udon noodles- you'll find all the typical hot pot dishes here. However, being AYCE means you are pretty dependent on good service and the service here just doesn't measure up to other AYCE hot pot restaurants like Little Dipper or Hot Pot Garden. The waiters are difficult to flag down and the food doesn't come out very quickly. Small price to pay for delicious AYCE hot pot though.
(3)
Lorie N.
2 stars for all you can drink and all you can eat for one price. Since I don't drink, I can't comment on the alcohol. But I can comment on the interior of the restaurant and the food. I'll start off with the negatives first: *Our benches were covered in brown duct tape to match the brown "pleather" bench style seating. I think it's time for some new furniture or re-upholstery. It just looked tasteless and dirty. *The place looked like it was in sore need of an update. Dirty everywhere. *Broth had a funny taste which I can't quite describe. I realize that this is just personal preference but I've eaten at other Shabu places before and remember loving the broth. Even with all the seasonings that I poured in, I couldn't help but just try and strain the meat and veggies out so I didn't have to taste the broth. *I had to flag the server down both times just to get my water refilled. *Rib eye meat had a lot of fat that I had to trim out before eating. I like my meat lean, thank you very much. The positives: *All you can drink alcohol for everyone else seated at the table. *Lots of ventilation (high ceilings and huge fans) so we didn't come out smelling like food.
(2)
Karl C.
I never thought an all you can eat place would impress me so much. For 26/person you can pretty much eat to your hearts content. Be sure to get the fish(i think it's flounder) the flakiness of it was surprising, it was really good! Usually for all you can eat places service drops quite a bit, I usually gauge a place on whether my glass of water hits empty without me asking for a refill. Now I did have to request it once but I was there for 2 hours so I gotta sat very impressive. Best part was this rice bowl with these assorted meats in it, holy smokes how can something so simple taste so good!? Do yourself a favor and try them out!
(5)
Elyse M.
If I could give this place zero stars, I would. Not only was service HORRENDOUS, but they tried to overcharge us as well. I came with a party of nine, and they paid us little attention. But now to the real reason they are awful... They ADD gratuity, and then tax it and add it to your bill. COMPLETELY ILLEGAL. They are to pay their own taxes on the gratuity they receive, NOT US. They showed us some handwritten sign trying to pass it off as the law. DO NOT GO HERE. They should be reported.
(1)
Mike K.
I have been here many times and overall experience was okay until last night. The service was very poor. The owner was very rude seating us. The exact conversation below. Me - May I get a table for 3. Owner - we got bar seating. (Grabs menu and tosses on the bar and left us hanging) Me - (After left standing for 5 minutes of waiting and I asked) May we wait for a table. Owner - Don't look at me, I got no table for u. The experience after that just got worst. It took 25 min before we got our food. Also the owner moved our food due to seating new customers without asking us at all. This is by far the most unacceptable restaurant service that I have ever received. They have officially lost me and all of my friend's business. I rather drive 20 min further to hot pot garden from now on.
(1)
Cuc N.
I fell in love with this place!! Why doesn't it have better reviews?! :0 $26 AYCE and Tuesdays is $20!! And very good service! Owner and waitresses were kinda cute and jokes with us throughout our meal :) I like the interaction with customers You order your own soup base (personal fave is the spicy miso! I literally drank all of it throughout the meal and the server refilled my pot twice hehe :D) -sichuan spicy was not spicy at all You also order your own mixture of sauces, which they pre-mix for you and bring it out with a mini tray of green onions, cilantro, and ginger/garlic for you to add in your sauce as you please. Each person gets their own pot!! But I LOVE how it's buried within the table in front of you unlike other places so you don't have to reach over to look over your pot to look for your food items. Also, each person can be in charge of the temperature to boil their own pot which is super nice because at times I just want it to simmer or boil like cray cray so I can cook my meat faster Meats: rib eye is a personal fave! Very juicy, thick slices! I are tons of it. The lamb was a bit disappointing here Seafood: FISH PASTE!!!! So soft, flavorful and velvety!!!! Love, love it. Must order it okay?! Noodles: variety of noodles to pick your carbs from..egg noodles, thick/thin vermicelli, flat rice noodles, brown ride for all you health freaks (no extra charge like other restaurants), etc Veggies: big variety of veggies! Personal fave is enoki mushrooms everywhere! FREE dessert! There's a side table of a variety of free desserts for you to help yourself like buffet style! Watermelon, coconut Asian based soup, etc Pros: -very good friendly service -huge variety of meats, veggies, carbs -pick your own variety of sauce mixes -like 6+ types of soup bases?! -fish paste!!!!!! First place I've seen it -serves complimentary hot tea (who doesn't love free stuff?) -free self-serve dessert!! Yum yum watermelon was refreshing! Thin and evenly cut slices for all you princesses like mee -has brown rice hehe -$20 on Tuesdays! -cute decorations all around and creative seating -everything served in cute bowls and plates! Like shell plates and strawberry bowls -they have chocolate! My nickname for pork blood! And Delishhhh tooooo drools* Cons: -if you leave a lot leftover - extra fee charge -lamb was a bit dry -the bar we sat at had kind of dim lighting so hard to see food and oh, to take better pictures :D
(5)
Kailey S.
Foods here are great. Plenty of vegetable and meat. The 2 stars got knock off because of the service. Waiters and waitresses did not come around a lot to ask if we need any thing. Better service will be high recommend restaurant.
(3)
Eddie H.
Worst service ever. I just want my damn check so I can enjoy the rest of my day. They made me walk to the counter to pay eventually,and the tip I gave was all for the Mexican guy who do the meat cutting.
(1)
Brittany B.
This place is dirty. The booth was covered in tape, the walls, tables and dishware looked so gross and filthy. We ate anyway to give it a fair shot. The service was horrible and practically non-existent. We were not checked on and had to constantly ask for the things we ordered because it never showed up to our table. The quality of food was poor and the broths were not good. I suggest you pay the extra $6 and go to Shabu House on Ocean. It's much better quality.
(1)
Kat C.
Service is bad and the all you can eat is not worth it. The food is mediocre and the soup sucks. Came on Christmas with a reservation. It was $22 for all you can eat for a max of 2 hours. Usually 2 hours is enough but only if the service is good and the food comes out promptly. I say usually. I don't know if this place does this deliberately but they were quick to bring out all the cheap stuff like veggies, noodles, and fish balls. Even stuff we never even ordered as if they were hoping to stuff us. Te good stuff like the rib eye and lamb came at a snail's space if at all. We sat here for an hour and a half and our first order of lamb never came. Someone could've roasted a rack of lamb in that time. We asked 5 different people and basically got dismissive answers of it's coming soon or not even worded answers at all. If you want a good hot pot deal, go somewhere else. This place sounds like a good deal but they cheat you out of it by not giving you the food you want. Final thing. They offered several different soup bases. For hot pot, soup base is king. My table of 8 ordered 4 different soup bases and they all were flavorless and tasted the same. Their ponzu sauce is basically soy sauce with vinegar. Cheap asses. Never coming back. Thanks for a crappy Christmas, Little Fire Pot. I'm taking my business elsewhere.
(1)
Jennifer T.
Fresh variety of veggies and proteins. Love the individual hot pots. Early bird before 6 pm only $22 and extra 5% when you pay cash. That's s deal Fresh fruits for desert along w coconut jello cubes and hot tapioca. Must try !!
(5)
Cuong T.
If you are thinking about the hotpot "All you can eat", go somewhere else. Service is bad and the "All you can eat" is totally not worth it. We went there with a group of 10 people, reserved the big table inside, and ordered "All you can eat". Not only they took forever to get our order, they also brought the food to our table very little by little. After finishing the first round of our order, we had to go to talk to them 6-7 more times and asked for more food. What is the sense of paying over $400 for all you can eat and got treated as a "beggar"? We ended up seating there for nothing for like 30 mins and by the times they brought us some more food, noone really wanted to eat anymore. The lady who usually takes orders and may be the owner of the business really show us that she cares nothing but her $$$. Never go back here again! If you want a good hotpot deal, make sure you get your business to somewhere else.
(1)
Donna D.
Tuesday night must go if you like hot pot. They have a $20 / person, all you can eat. Make sure you order a few items at a time, remember it's all you can eat :) The place gets packed easily so we usually get there around 6. When we finally got up at 7:30 - my husband was hungry - Again! - there was a line formed outside the restaurant. The guys seated next to us at the bar, were asked pilit key to leave after they paid. Luckily the guys understood the hostess request. This visit we sat by the bar, and it was interesting to see the guy in charge slicing all the meat. He stood there slicing all the orders from the moment we sat and left. Poor guy ... He probably hates Tuesday's :) Yes I would go here again, on a cold day and when I had nothing to eat substantially the whole day, or when my husband is hungry :) Enjoy!!!
(4)
Stephanie F.
Service has definitely improved (in terms of being seen upon entry and actually getting a table). The lady with the short hair who always works the front is awesome! She always treats me like VIP and gets my tables reserved/ my party seated in no time! The meat/veggies/ seafood/ broth choices are pretty good! Nice wide selection to accommodate for any type of taste. (Ive been to other shabu shabu places where there are only 3 meat choices- this places has at least 10-15). Menu is simple: its laminated so you just check off/ write out the number of each item you want. Only complaint is getting the servers attention once you need to re order. Ive been having to get out of my seat to flag them down. But when they do notice you, they're very attentive and quick to get what you need!
(4)
Traci L.
Do not trust your wait staff, they brought me an opened bottle of wine when I ordered a glass. Then refused to let Me just order a glass charged me for entire bottle. I will not be back, horrible customer service in my opinion, never been treated like that before.
(1)
Ryan R.
The idea of paying money to cook your food has boggled my mind for quite some time now. On the plus side you get to customize your meal any way you like and eat as much as you like. In reality, you can customize of your food at most restaurants and you probably won't get your moneys worth in food since they cut their meat like prosciutto. One thing that always prevails at these types of places is that its kinda fun... The guy that doesn't know how to cook can feel like he is actually making something or people that like the control without all the clean up. Overall i still had a good time. We had one of the private rooms which came with karaoke and a disco ball. The meat was scarce and the service was slow, but it was really busy that night. They offer soju and other oriental drinks, so the time passes by fast. If I came here by myself I would be left with a subpar meal, paying more than I should be paying for soup based food. Atleaset the b-day boy paid for everyone!
(3)
Maile W.
One of my new favorite places tom go to! Came here a few times with my friends and boyfriend and we loved it! We usually come here for the weekday special before 6pm since it's a great deal. $22 all you can eat and you get your own individual hot pot! Had order the Tom Yum and Herbal base soup and I was definitely go with the Tom Yum broth. It had just the right amount of seasoning in it. We usually order the ribeye, beef, pork belly, lamb, shrimp fish ball, lots of enoki mushrooms, udon, egg noodles, flat vermicelli, spinach, watercress, and lots more! The deserts are a hit and miss for this place because I absolutely love it when they serve the coconut sago and almond jello. Sometimes the coconut sago isn't as sweet as I like it to be so I add one piece of almond jello to it and it is delightful! Only downside (thus the -1 star) is service tends to be iffy sometimes because there is a center divider that splits up the room in half so all the waitress are on that side whereas the customers are on the other side. So getting their attention is a little tough. The place itself is a little small despite it have a closed off back room as well. If they were to open the floor more by taking the divider out or make the divider see through and take the back wall out for a more open space i think it wouldn't look as crowded/tiny. Other than that, will definitely be coming back here more often!
(4)
Jin C.
i dont have any idea about this restaurant. The BOSS is FUCK ! Food is not fresh. poor service made me speechless. Im so frustrated about their service right now cuz they dont care about the customer. My pot stove area doesnt work so i couldnt eat anything, i asked to move the table for our 4 of us but they said that the table already full and they also said just share with friends. It doesnt make sense they didnt cancle that for me. What the fuck their poor service?! I couldnt eat my own pot and my friends as well. even though we complained a lot, they didnt even answer that. The boss dosent have any responsibility about the customer and she just said this is electrical problem so i cant do anything but if you already touch the food you need to pay for your pot. What the hell she said about it? the all of the servers didnt care about any thing for our table. EVEN THEY NEVER SAY SORRY.
(1)
Derick N.
Thursday night, said its open till midnight...went there for my bday(today) at 10. Lady kicked me and four others out saying they are closed and said check the sign. Even the sign says 4pm-12am so idk why they kicked us out. It's kinda bs so I think they should fix their time listing.
(1)
Min C.
I would give 0 star if I can do it. This is what just happened to us. First, we got our broths and one of the hot plates(my sister's hot plate) didn't work at that time. We asked the servers to take an action for it like 4 or 5 times but they didn't do anything. And a woman who represented herself as a boss was super rude. She didn't even say "sorry" in advance. She just said very impolitely "This is an eletronic issue, so we cannot do anything for you guys." So we just wanted to cancel an order for one person and said that " we wanna cancel one of the orders." Then she said " Right, I can cancel, but your sister has to stop eating cuz this is not our fault." Do you guys think this is really make sense? This is just crazy. My sister didn't eat anything but has to stop eating? Today's service that I received at this restaurant was the worst thing ever that I have received in United States. I AM NOT GONNA GO THERE AGAIN. Please don't go to this restaurant. +After this, the woman was mumbling something in their language(I guess it was Chinese), it sounded like curse words or complaining to us.
(1)
Winnie G.
The worst fire pot in the Bay Area ,everything are not fresh and tastes so bad,I can't wait to brush teeth when home!
(1)
Maggie F.
I can't remember much about this place, except that I didn't like it and it was expensive. For 2 people we ordered a fairly decent amount, but it came up to about $75 each before tips. The restaurant itself is very nice and quiet, a good spot in at the back of the shops at Westlake. It is nice if you want a quiet night out. The food wasn't outstanding, pretty ordinary. For the price of the meal we had, I'd rather go to Little Sheep in San Mateo or Shabu House in Burlingame. Sorry.
(2)
Crystal G.
Yum yum it gets the job done! Shabu craving satisfied . Service could've been better. We got all you can eat and had to keep waving our server down to get more meat. Upside of location we got seated right away and parking is easy to find
(3)
S P.
This place does not have dipping sauces for you during lunch. They have dipping sauces for you during dinner. For the lunch hot pot, you only get a small dish of meat, about 8" x 3". The vegetables and noodles are good. But the service is eye-popping-in the bad way. The waitress was cleaning up the table as we were getting our bill and actually dropped food on the floor near my friend as she was stacking the plates. I watched the piece of food get pushed by antother plate as she was stacking them and come within inches of my friend's shoulder. I've never seen a waitress come so close to messing up a patron's clothes when cleaning up. This hot pot is not designed to share. The waitress did not bring enough chopsticks to for the side dishes and the hot pot, so you ended up using the raw hot pot chopsticks to pick up the cooked side dishes if you shared with your party. The porridge was good, with enough flavor. However the dim sum is not freshly made there. And the ramen has no flavor at all. I have had much better hot pots in my lifetime where they offer premade dipping sauces and have altogether better service. What I do like is the form of heating the hot-pot. They do not use an actual flame, but some form of electric heating for the hot pot. That would be good for people with kids. But if you were worried about bringing your kid to a hot pot place, you still run the risk of them touching the hot "hot pot". It's decent, but it would not be my first choice for hot pot.
(3)
Belle W.
We had a party of 10 for my friends bday's so they seated us in the private room in the back - it's nice and cozy, comes furnished with a television and best of all you get privacy. They offer a wide selection of food with several different styles of spices, Mongolian hot pot, Japanese, Sichuan - each pot costing only $20 and coming with a HUGE bowl of different types of vegetables, hand made shrimp balls and other sides and a big plate of meat...again did I say all for only $20? They also had Hot Soju and beer. I definitely would recommend this place!
(4)
Chowmein P.
Been here 3 times already... I like it! I like having my own pot of soup although I do agree that it is is not very tasty at first but AFTER you add all your stuff in and drink it in the END it is quite yummy. I had the Tokyo, Taipai, and Hong Kong combos. All very good with a good variety of stuff that represent each of the cities! The service is fair and friendly. No complaints but no jaw dropping things to write about either.
(3)
Liana C.
First time at Little Fire Pot. Positive: everyone gets their own pot instead of everyone sharing. The portion of food in each combo is enough for 1-2 people, the food is fresh, self served fruit buffet Negative: Customer service is lacking, maybe caused by language barrier, soup base does not have strong favor I would recommend trying to get new experience.
(3)
andy s.
It was actually better than I thought. Pros: The dishes for fire pot was nicely designed, a lot of food but not too stuffy. The service is fantastic. Cons: Quality of meat is ok but can sure use an upgrade. The location is really hard to find. It's on the right side of the mall.
(4)
T L.
Me and my friends decided to go out and eat one day and found this place. When we first got there we looked at the menu which was confusing are first but after we asked the waiters how you order everything cleared up. The staff is really nice and the owner is great, everyone should get to know him. As for the food, i think that the quality of it was at its best, i had the Tokyo hot pot and the Seafood platter. When all the food came out it was a very unique experience. All the seafood was fresh and had no smell to it. Everything was extremely good, especially their MOCHI FISHBALLS! everyone who is going here should try it. Its the only place around this area that offers them. At first i thought the concept of it was strange, a sweet desert food mixed with a savory item, but everything was not as i thought. The texture and the taste was extremely good, making me want to order more! We also tried almost all the appetizers and i would say the popcorn chicken with basil is extremely good also. I think all the ratings previous aren't as bad as they seem, the food is great and the service is even better. I say ignore the 1 star ratings and visit this place, the experience is AWESOME!!
(5)
Clarence H.
Terrible customer service, with the bad attitude. Definitely, no second try for me and my friends. They claim we didn't make reservation and management didn't work it out for us. Guess they don't appreciate our business so not going there from now on; spend our money elsewhere. Those want a taste of their attitude and spend money on them, go ahead!!
(1)
Stephen S.
Fresh, authentic hot pot. My wife and I went with our 3 young children and were warmly received and not rushed on a busy Saturday night. Service was attentive and friendly. We have had first-rate hot pot in Taipei and Toronto and this compares favorably. Ingredients, especially seafood, are very fresh. Broths are very flavorful and home-made. Some other reviewers have complained about prices being too high and portions too small. Well, you get what you pay for. If you want cheap, all-you-can-eat crap, there are myriad other places to eat. If you want high-quality hot pot, look no farther than Little Fire Pot.
(4)
Rose C.
First the location because you have to be able to find it! If you're coming around Lake Merced on Lake Merced Blvd, just continue past Joe's of Westlake, but keep an eye on your left side. You will see the Little Fire Pot and then see the entrance of the parking structure. I would suggest parking in the structure since it's free. I think nearby parking is limited to 1 or 2 hours. We went today, Saturday, at 11:30, and there were only 1 other table. The menu is a little confusing. You can order other stuff but also the hot pots. "Other stuff" includes appetizers, noodles, dim sum, general a la carte dishes. In the middle of the menu is the hot pot. There are 4 things to decide. The type, which will dictate what's in your non-meat bowl of stuff; the soup base; the meat; and the starch/side dish. The hot pot order is individual size, but keep in mind you don't have to order 1 per person. You can share or order a few less and order other items on the menu, so it's up to you. There were six of us. We ordered three hot pots and two orders of dim sum combinations. Our three types were sichuan, mongolian, and tokyo; again, this dictates what stuff we get in the veggie bowl; our soup base were sichuan, mushroom, and another one that I can't remember (had a difficult name). For meat, we ordered lamb, beef, and pork. These were thin slices of frozen meat. For side dishes, we ordered yam noodles, udon, and a bowl of beef on rice. That veggie bowl has a combination of mushrooms, green leafy veggie and then a bunch of other variety of non-meats - kinda hard to describe. It was difficult to figure out which bowl belonged with which order anyway. Each dim sum combination was $5.50 and contained about 10 dim sum items served to us in a steamer for presentation. We got A and B but don't remember what was in each. We also got an order of popcorn chicken. About 5 minutes after we ordered, they brought us small bowls of dipping sauce; I think it was satay sauce, a little spicy, a little salty. Soon afterwards, they brought us our 3 bowls of soup, then our bowls of veggies, our meat, and we started cooking. Their heating element is quite powerful, so the soup soon boiled, and we dumped a lot of food in there, followed by the raw slices of meat, and eventually the uncooked noodles. Everything was very good. There wasn't a lot of meat, but the prices are between $11-$13 and you do get a lot of food other than the meat. As we removed the cooked foods into our own plates, we dipped it in the sauce before eating, and everything was quite yummy. The beef over rice was especially good but of course is eaten separately, not having anything to do with the hot pot. The "balls" like fish balls, lobster balls had some yummy stuff oozing out of it, so everytime it was like a surprise each time I bit in. I also liked the fact that it encouraged me to eat more veggies. The restaurant didn't fill up at all. There were probably no more than 4 separate tables of customers, so service was pretty quick. They always came with more hot water for the tea and ice water for the rest of us without us asking. We asked for extra serving utensils and didn't have to wait more than a couple of minutes. All the servers were very nice and efficient. They add tips to our bill. The total bill after tax and tips was $65, which was a very good price. We were all very filled and didn't feel hungry soon afterwards. It looks like they do have an all-you-can-eat price point, but I didn't really pay attention. I know it's not as good as some other places, but sometimes all I want is a less expensive (and less quantity) version of the all-you-can-eat version, and this is it. It's a place where I'd feel comfortable coming with my immediate family for no special reason and feel justified money-wise. I can think of at least two group meal opportunities between now and the end of the year. Can't wait to come back!
(4)
El C.
This is my husband's favorite place. Love the ambience - we are always greeted warmly by the hostess (owner???) and the servers while very young are very attentive. The hot pot set dinner can be a little pricey, but go between 5-6 PM and they knock 20% off so I still consider it a very good value. Hubby always goes for their hotpot, a set dinner is more than enough food for himself. I on the other hand LOVE their garlic noodle (they serve it with a generous portion of garlic shrimp scampi). There's discount on this dish as well if order is placed between 5-7 PM. I enjoy their dessert bar most of all - limited selection but very tasty. Overall, our favorite place to have an enjoyable dinner locally.
(4)
Shirley Z.
I like how this place opens till hella late. It's great for a late night dinner. I am a big fan of hot pot and have been craving it since forever, so when I heard that we were hotpotting I got so excited. I love the fact that we get our own little stove and order whatever we want. I had the spicy szechuan broth with beef short ribs, house meatballs, and napa cabbage. It was late at night so I didn't order much. I shared with my boyfriend so he had the house meatballs. He wasn't so fond of it cuz it wasn't the meatballs that was rolled up for you. You have to round it up yourself from the tube it's in. Also when I was cooking the cabbage there were sand-like texture and it was not appetizing. My friend actually had some in her meat and veggies too. We assume that since it was 11:30 already, it was just the leftovers from the bottom of the pot. Other than that it was fine. The service was great. The lady was really friendly. Also the desserts were delicious. I like the jelly and the Mochi.
(3)
Eileen L.
I came a few days ago with my friend . We got the Spicy Sichuan soup base and the Mongolian soup base . The Spicy Sichuan soup base was pretty good but the Mongolian soup base was too sweet . The udon , squid , ribeye beef , and the vegetable we ordered ( I forgot what it was ) was pretty good . The luncheon meat was pretty good too . Because they cut the luncheon meat in nice perfectly small thick pieces , it made it taste better . The fried tofu , shrimp , and oyster were all pretty decent . I thought the seafood platter was a rip off .. $12.95 for like 2 small oysters , 2 shrimps , and a few pieces of squid . The plum juice was alright . Their curry fish balls were very interesting .. they were filled with curry in the middle . I really liked the curry sauce . I didn't really like the curry in the middle .. I found that after eating a few , the filling in the middle got very tiring - it was too sweet . The curry fish balls were very well worth the price .. $3.25 for a plate-full . What really impressed me was their mochi tempura !! It doesn't sound too appetizing and doesn't sound like something you would hot pot .. but it was very good !! It tasted very interesting .. kind of salty and the mochi was very good - very stringy . It actually sounds kind of good if you think of this way .. it's fried salty flour balls . If you're Chinese , I'm sure you've had salty flour balls or rice cake balls ( whichever you prefer to call it ) before for special occasions . I know I had them before .. it tastes good in soup . I just never had tempura ones . It actaully makes more sense if you think of it that way . Overall , the food here is not bad . My only complaint is that it's kind of pricey and the pots are kind of small ..
(3)
jonathan h.
i like the fact that everyone has there own pot and every can have different things to eat and share, the location is good alot of parking but it's can be crowded during the 6-8pm hours on the weekend
(4)
Jen T.
Came on a Sunday night, hostess said we will be up next to be seated. It took 20 mins for a party of 4, and let other party of 4 before us. Not sure if they had a reservation but I will definitely not come back. I may have been already bias at that point but the food wasnt that good.
(2)
Lauren R.
I only like the dim sum here but forget about calling in your order. It's too tough to place your order over the phone. The only worker who could speak english is the owner who's too busy cleaning and stretching the place up instead of catering to customers. Anyway, I came in one morning and grabbed one of their dim sum menus and checked the stuff I wanted. I then handed my order to the owner who quickly added the whole thing up and grabbed my money. She told me that it would take 20 minutes. Okay, so 20 minutes had passed so then I attempted to get the owner's attention several times to see if my order was ready. Finally, she came over, and I asked if my order was ready. She came back smiling and told me that she forgot to put in my order to the kitchen, and that it would 20 more minutes. I decided to wait since I already paid, and my friends are waiting for the food. During the wait, I overheard the lady next to me talking to the owner - IT ALSO HAPPENED TO HER! THEY FORGOT TO PUT IN HER ORDER! The only comfort I got was that the lady and I started talking crap about the place while the owner cleaned and stretched the counter in front of us and could totally hear us. When the owner handed my order she had some nerve to say, "Next time, call okay?"
(1)
Norman L.
I wasn't going to post a review, but what's up with all the bad ones? Why all the comparisons with the more expensive Little Sheep down in San Mateo? I came here for dinner and I thought Little Fire Pot was really good at a good price point too. I didn't think it was bland and found it very delightful. For those who find it bland, maybe you need to check your cholesterol and blood pressure. For those who thought the portions were small, maybe you would rather go to an all you can eat place instead. I had the Taipei with Ribeye and although I devoured everything, I felt completely satisfied in the end. My only complaint would be that I wished I had more dipping sauce readily available at the table, but the staff was pretty good at bringing more. I'm sure they're still working on improving things, but posting extreme negative feedback is not helpful to Yelpers. I'm giving them a 5 to bump them up, though I think a 4 would be more appropriate.
(5)
Christie R.
Ordered dim sum to-go (potstickers, sio mai, shrimp dumpling). I waited 30-45 mins ... for 3 dimsum items?!? I initially ordered the sesame balls and 20 min later, they tell me they were out (ugggh). I'm sure I can find dim sum somewhere else nearby ...
(2)
Tiff W.
brother took the family here. did not really like it but gave it an extra star because little brother took us. sause was blah..i much prefer japanese shabu shabu because I enjoy the ponzu sauce more. nothing special about this place but my parents were really excited. =/
(3)
Michael N.
Ahh Little Fire Pot. Having seen this place many times as I drive to my fav Quickly's spot, I've always wanted to try it. It being a cold and foggy day in Daly City ( no surprise there....) my parents and I stop by. The wait was about 15 mins but it was worth it. I ordered the Tokyo hot pot with beef and udon noodles. In comes this steel pot of brown broth ready for my personal warmer ( each person has their own warmer). As I watched my broth boil in comes my food, a giant bowl filled with various fish cakes, imitation crab, squid balls, mushooms, noodles, and tofu. Then a plate of raw sliced rolls of beef. Being the shabu shabu guru I am, I quickly and courageously chomp down the fire hot seafood and veggies. Yum! Also IMO they give you these two dipping sauces, go for the more soy sauce looking one. Dip everything into it!. Don't forget about the small buffet dessert table! Tonight's dessert was honey dew, watermelon, tapioca with taro (soup?), and this weird among tasting milk thingy that was divine! So if your feeling chilly, head on over to the little fire pot! I suggest the Tokyo pot with beef for first timers. Next time I'm shooting for the special sea and land upgrade with lobster! Total price for two hot pots $41.35 not bad. Enjoy food enthusiasts!
(4)
Aileen T.
Average in every way, except that they have a private banquet room with KARAOKE! Broths were kind of meh and bland, except the spicy Sichuan one which tasted bland but numbed the inside of your mouth in a weird way. Did I mention the unlimited karaoke though?? Servers were nice.
(3)
BB K.
i come here for hot pot only, enjoy the dinning experience very much each time. love the early bird special 20% off before 6pm daily and the free dessert afterward. like the idea of individual pot, so i can enjoy it all to myself. pretty good soup broth i have tried for hot pot restaurants, plenty and different varity meat, seafood, and vegetables. friendly wait staff. i get to take the time enjoying the food rather than rushing when i eat here.
(4)
Alex H.
we thought this place was pretty good overall. we had pretty good service surprisingly for a chinese restaurant. the menu is a little complicated at first because you choose the type of hot pot you want and theres so many items listed on the menu. the portion was also great and not bad for the price. it is also pretty nice that everyone gets their own bowl. its not all you can eat, but theres plenty of food in each portion. theres also an all you can eat dessert bar. we have been to numerous chinese hot pot places and japanese shabu places and this place is definitely recommended. they have a tokyo style which is basically shabu shabu and it was pretty good.
(4)
Doris S.
although it's hard to find, i still went there twice to try both their lunch and dinner. unfortunately, both were bad experiences. at lunch time, they serve dim sum, and it's my worst dim sum ever. another day, i went there again with friends to try the hot pot. sigh...disappointment again. the soup base is tasteless. And services were slow and impolite during their busy dinner time. i will not go back again.
(1)
Linda Y.
came here last sunday night at 7PM.. they told us the wait would be 15 min..what a big liar! we ended up waiting for one hour! and it wasn't just us that were waiting..you could see plenty of ppl just as upset.. I guess you could say it's the mad rush of dinnertime, but they should be straight with you on the estimation of wait! so, we got our table.. the service was quick..food coming out was fast..then again, all they need to do is cut/chop.. I had the shabu-shabu.. that was satisfying.. they also have free desert in the back near the bathrooms.. overall.. I would've given them 4 stars, but the wait cost them a star.. tip - go early (6PM or earlier) or go late (8pm or later) to avoid wait.
(3)
Mac S.
My husband and I had lunch here today for the first time. We had their Dim Sum Combination Lunch Special ( from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm). For $4.99 per person, you get 7 pieces of dim sum of your choice (I chose one of each: eggroll, pot sticker, shrimp dumpling, sesame ball, chives dumpling, steamed bbq pork bun, baked bbq pork bun). In addition, the special came with a cup of hot & sour soup and one wrapped sticky rice! You can't beat this deal!! The dim sum pieces were very fresh and not greasy. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Blanca W.
This place is close to my house and there's lots of parking. I go there with my boyfriend and we both love the sichuan pot. The price is reasonable and the amount of food is just right for one person's appetite.
(4)
Cindy N.
I don't know how these things happen to me, but once again, this is a restaurant where both my friends found hair in their food. A long hair in their Garlic Noodles that was good until hair was found and a short hair in the soup my friend got that was also good. The All You Can Eat price is ridiculous. $30! I would much rather go else where and save close to $10. First walking in, the decoration is pretty nice, and once I saw the menu and saw they had hot pot, I got excited. I was pretty happy with my selection considering how I pretty much get to cook my own food and I didn't find any hair in my food. My boyfriend got Mongolian Beef with rice and it was not good. The beef was cold and really salty and the rice was hard so we suspected it was a couple days old. My other friend got Salt and Pepper Short Ribs with rice and the short ribs were salty with no touch of pepper. It's a shame. The hot pot was good, too bad I won't be going back there, but if I ever did go back, I will always stick to the hot pot.
(2)
AM V.
sorry but this has the worst customer service- the two of us checked in at 8:30pm weeknight- mostly empty- gave name and were told to wait, watched while three other small parties (2- 3 people) were sat- then we were called up- and told we would have to share a table- meanwhile there were at least five tables empty and evryone just stared at us.My husband and I declined and went to Hana's (good!) we were well dressed-wait a minute was it because we are not asian? I hope not racism is so passe- will not try this place again- bathrooms filthy even though this place is new- too bad I have not been treated so rudely in a long time anywhere in San Francisco - and this is Daly City!!!!!
(1)
Glenn H.
11 hungry dragon boaters headed off to brunch and possibly some dim sum after their morning practice. King Wah is closed for expansion and renovation until further notice, so we decided this place might do. They promptly lead us into a private room that accommodated all of us easily. we thought we were going to do the hot pot but also found that they did dim sum (which we did not know beforehand). So we did both. The lunch menus are not quite 1/2 the dinner prices--the difference being less meat served with it. Prices ranged from $11 for the Tokyo hot pot to $13. Dinner was like $18-21 by comparison. Their dim sum was decent. Not a huge selection but good for basic dim sum. Some felt that certain dim sum were on the oily side but I did not have an issue with any. Certainly everyone agreed that the menu was very confusing. They presented the large dinner menus which had large color pictures of the variouse styles of the broth and ingredients but it took a while to grasp the various options. The lunch menus were far smaller and plainer (3-fold single sheet menus). but did not explain what each choice was like the dinner menus so you needed to understand dinner to order lunch. Most broths come in mild, medium and spicy versions, but not the Tokyo, which should have warned us why it was the least expensive hot pot. My wife and I chose to split a Tokyo and add the Land and Sea option (Beef/Rib-eye/Pork/Lamb + a seafood combo of squid, 1 shrimp, fish, 1 scallop, 1 large oyster) for an extra $4. We were offered rice or some other noodles and chose the Udon noodles. There were others who tried the Taipei and Mongolian options as well. The presentation was impressive: a largish white slanted bowl filled with sliced Napa Cabbage, Spinach, jicama, an odd small noodle bundle, seafood (sliced fish/crab cakes mostly). The Tokyo broth was a plain clear broth with not much flavor, while the others clearly were better looking and smelling. The rather skimpy portion of Udon noodles were probably just OK for one person, but not for two. The Land and Sea option was worth the $4 extra for lunch--especially if you are splitting a hot pot. Most of the bowl was really the leafy greens and there was minimal flavor for almost everything in the Tokyo--I would not recommend it again. But the Mongolian hot pot looked and smelled fragrant as did the spicy Taipei . Everyone agreed that this might be 2.5-3 stars at the most and gave it points off for the paucity of rice or noodles served with the hot pots. The impression was that they filled these impressive looking bowls mostly with filler bulky veggies. They love the room (it had a 42" TV in one corner) and the service but were unimpressed with the value of what we got, but not necessarily the quality of the food. I mean $15 for lunch is on the high side, even for relatively healthy fare. Total before tip for 11 people was $133 which included about $30 of dim sum. We will return here again and choose another hot pot and update this review.
(3)
Eva L.
We normally go to the Little Sheep in San Mateo but since we didn't want to drive so far we thought we'd give this place a try. There were many choices for the hot pot soup, all the ingredients for the soup were pretty similar so the main difference was the soup. the ingredients were okay, you do get quite a lot so you will leave full. I mean, for $19.99, you get a lot of food and a selection for the meat (which was ok too). The service was not great, i raised my hand for about 30 seconds until i finally got the attention of someone to get the check, so it's obviously not great service. Overall, not great, but an okay experience.
(3)
Robert J.
We frequently go to Westlake Shopping Center to visit Trader Joe's, Beverley's, Home Depot, Ross, TJ Max, etc. It is better to park in the above ground, multi-story, parking lot, as the main lot is frequently jammed. We've eaten at several places in this shopping center and most are not memorable. The Little Fire Pot is slightly more memorable. It is located on the west side facing Lake Merced Blvd. Thus, there is not much foot traffic in the area. On a Friday, we decided to try it for lunch. It is only open for lunch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1130 to 3 PM. Dinner time starts at 5 PM. We arrived about 2 PM and it wasn't very busy. The interior is dark. The tables have round cutouts that can be removed for those that want fire pot type meals. We saw that it had some deem sum lunch specials for $5.50 and decided to try it. I ordered the steam dim-sum (also spelled deem sum) which consisted of 2 shrimp balls, spinach ball, chiu-zhou (can't remember what that was), shanghai dumplings, shiu mai (meat dumplings), and a bbq pork bun. My companion ordered the crispy deim sum combo with 2 potstickers, 2 eggrolls, sesame ball, a meat puff, a daikon bun (white radish), and a bbq bun. We were able to finish the specials as they were quite filling. The quality was average, not as good as the to go orders from SF Chinatown, but then it is a hassle to drive to Chinatown. The service was good and we'll probably return and try something else
(3)
Christina L.
Pretty expensive for what they give. The food was decent, but the service I experienced was horrible. They sat me and my friend away from everyone, so that we were just two lonely college students in the corner. I don't know if they thought we were going to make a mess or scene or what. But since they sat us in the corner with no other customer around they barely gave us any service. I had to get up to find someone so she can take our order. And I noticed that every other customer that came in after us was sat in the room with everyone else. The food was decent, but you can find them cheaper at other better places. The soup all taste the same, tasteless. Might as well given me beef broth. 2 stars because when we were serve the servers were friendly and smiled. That's about it.
(2)
Ryan M.
Come here if you don't care about the quality or cleanliness of the meat you eat. The meat cutter dropped rib eye meat on the floor and then put it back in the fridge after looking around to make sure nobody saw it. I saw him do it. And then I told the manager and she did nothing about it other than go into the fridge and toss that piece of meat out. What a joke. This hunk of meat was on the floor!!!!!!! Go talk to your butcher. Not acceptable.
(1)
Ed E.
Worst place to spend your dollars ever. Here is the jizz, my girlfriend purchased a certificate from restaurant.com and we decided to have hot pot for dinner so we came here. Not sure why we pick this place when we could have had a wonderful experience at Mongolian hotpot or hotpot garden. Anyways that is not really the point here. The snotty waitress seated us and we order the all you can eat meal after some deliberation. The waitress' attitude was not friendly at all and her tone makes me want to slap her in the face. After she gave us the menu, I notice they charge you extra if you order the common stuff like shrimp paste dumpling and heart-filled fish ball. For thirty dollars, these common items should be included. The food came fast but you can see and smell the food was not fresh. The beef paste for the dumpling had changed color already when they brought it out to us. The edges of the oyster mushroom were completely black and brown. The vegetable was wilted and you have to tear off sections before you can throw it into the pot. The service was horrible because these knuckle heads have no clue how to run a restaurant just like they don't know their head from their ass. We sat there for less than 40 minutes and my pot of water boiled away till the broth were in a thick consistency and it was down to a salty MSG laced soup base at the bottom. Not once did they even care to even ask if I needed some more soup on my pot. I skip the dessert bar all together if you even call that a dessert bar with just one type of Jello, cantaloupe, and a pot of sweet porridge. They expected me to just sit down, eat a little bit, and pay my thirty bucks then leave. When we ask for the check after the disappointing meal, she stood there waiting for us to hand over the check. I notice her standing at the corner starring at our bill, so I told my girlfriend to bust out the certificate number. The waitress took the certificate over to the owner or manager which later I learned her name was Joanne. After seconds, she came back saying they don't accept certificates for their all you can eat meals. WTF... So I went up to the counter to ask the owner why they don't accept it and she started arguing with me about it being written on the policy. I ask her where it says that you can use certificates for all you can eat, and she started to panic and pointed to a paragraph of rules on the back of the menu. I told her to point it out the sentence and she started bickering in Chinese about some guy name Jerry changing her menu. Just because I spoke English to her, she thinks I don't understand Chinese. She ran to the back and started yelling at this guy Jerry probably her husband. After she came back, she started screaming at me saying that I was wrong, and I should have given her the certificate number before ordering. This is some ghetto establishment that doesn't care a bit least about their customer's experience except for their money. This is the first restaurant I have ever experience that actually yells at their customer. They've just lost business from me and everyone I know. Take my word for it, don't go here. Nothing good will come out of it. You will end up with a horrible experience or worst yet food poisoned. Your choice.
(1)
Bayarea Reviewer B.
It was my fourth time here. And I do not think I will be going again. Service has been deteriorated very much. When come to paying bill, please make sure that the total amount and the number of people charged is correct. They have the tendency to charge kids for adults and there is no concrete charging guidelines such as based on height, age etc. Food is not as good as the previous visits. Some selected desserts are not even available. Reason they gave... chef is too busy and cannot cook it. I am sure there will be other good hot pot places worth visiting for the price we paid and the number of groups we bring.
(1)
Samantha H.
My boyfriend and I came here yesterday (Tuesday) for their AYCE hot pot for $20. It was our first time and we loved it! I really liked how we each got our own pot because I like spicier soup bases while my boyfriend doesn't. My spicy miso soup was really good, it had lots of garlic and chili peppers in it, perfect for the cold weather. My boyfriend had the chicken & beef stock which he said he enjoyed as well. Between the two of us we went through 6 plates of meat, tons of veggies, and two bowls of rice each. I'd say we ate our $20 worth. For the meat choices we had 3 plates of ribeye (our favorite), beef tripe, short ribs, and pork shoulder. Our top two favorites were the rib eye and short ribs. As for vegetables, I chose the napa cabbage, corn, enoki mushroom, and spinach. As for dipping sauces I really enjoyed the sesame sauce and the ponzu sauce which I felt paired well with my selection of meats and vegetables. The customer service was a bit spacey but our server was very accommodating and friendly. We were basically sitting in the room alone since we had gotten there right as they opened. We will definitely be back again for the $20 AYCE Tuesdays!
(4)
Shaun H.
I dont usually write reviews on yelp, but the service is here is ridiculous. This place does not even deserve 1 star.
(1)
Cindy M.
This place was good. However the man cooking the meat was cross contaminating! Cutting the watermelon after touching the meet. Using the same meat knife on the watermelon. Using a dirty towel he used to wipe meat to cut the watermelon. HOW GROSS! If I have food poisoning tomorrow, It's them. Teach your employees proper service or don't run a business!
(1)
Leon A.
We've been there several times and on our last visit, we were happy to see good crowd. It went downhill from there. To begin with, we were hit with the pungent odor of incense as we entered the door and they tried to put us up front, were the incense was at its worse. We asked to moved further in and away from the intense smell. The waitress, who we've seen there several times and may even be the owner, was quite rude and unresponsive. Enough was enough and we left after 5 or so minutes. I seriously doubt it we will ever darken their doorways again.
(1)
Crystal C.
Keeping it short and cute. AYCE any day, $26.00, your own little pot and own broth choice. Meat is good. Tofu is old. Broth is delicious. It can go all ways, i think it's personal preferance. I like Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot better.
(4)
M T.
If you want to be royally frustrated, please come here. Sat down and automatically dissappointed. Why? Our 1st server explains to us the Tuesday all-you-can-eat special for $20.00 is not valid because Christmas Eve is a holiday. Can someone explain to me when did Xmas eve become an official holiday? All good it was $6 difference - probably because we spoke English fluently. What really pissed me off next is that they moved us after we were settled and ordered to another table to seat a larger party. We didn't asked to be moved!!! BTW We didn't even want the $26.00 all you can eat, but a regular dinner costs $23.00 - come the f$ck on. Who wouldn't spend the extra $3.00??? The money thing dropped instantly to 3 stars. Onto why the 1 star rating. The f#cking service. You got to be sh!tting me. We get 4 different women who comes and "serves" us. I stayed polite until they kept walking around us to serve other tables. I asked for our 2nd plate of meat - 15 minutes later I ask again and this nappy hair b!tch tells me I need to be patient. Hey, F you, why those 3 taiwanese dudes flirting with you got their sh!t faster? Guess what happened after to an all-you-can-eat service? We sat their waiting for their attention. Why didn't they come? Too busy flirting with those dudes! We get the bill - $130 for 2 couples. I've never left a restaurant without leaving at least 15% tip but DAMN I was pissed. After some urging from my friends we left some for one of the girls who filled our broth. The nappy hair girl that told me to wait stood by us watching me sign the check; I guess she was trying to pressure us for more tip. To the nappy hair girl, here's the rest of your tip: serving IS NOT your profession.
(1)
Tina T.
Broth is just ok. Use the sauces and it taste better. I rate it so low because the waitress was setting up a table and dropped the ladle and strainer on the floor and still set it on the cleaned table. Wheres the health inspector when you need them?
(1)
Iris M.
Food was good but service was poor, we had to constantly ask for the things we ordered.
(3)
Hailee P.
Although I love the idea of having your own hot pot with the endless amount it definitely sells itself short. They give you a paper where you can customize everything that goes in your pot including the broth. I chose the tum yum which was okay. A little bland. The quality of the meat was HORRIBLE. And if you are not Chinese then don't count on getting good service. Our server literally filled the tables water next to us and just walked passed us with empty cups. It's probably be a great place to go with a large group when your too occupied to pay attention to everything this place lacks. Needless to say, I would rather go elsewhere. Not to mention when I got home, I actually got extremely sick from the food. It had been my first meal of the day.... And my last.
(1)
JustinE Y.
Speaking of Hotpot, here is not my first choice in SF. But when the first choice is way too busy and packed. I guess here is another place as alternative. Each person has his/ her own small pot to mess up. Nice selection of meat, seafood, balls, veggies... Quality meat? Definitely not the best but acceptable. I had the spicy Chinese herbal soup base which is just an okay for me. I can eat spicy. This soup base means nothing to me. Service is nice and friendly. The biggest plus of here, they offer free desserts and fruits. A small dessert/ fruit bar with very limited selections at a side, all you can eat. What a nice touch after all the crazy earring. This time I had some coconut jello, taro tapioca, and cantaloupe
(3)
Christine Y.
Place is OK for shabu shabu, but... I prefer Shabu House or Shabuway where it's cheaper for a more reasonable amount of food. I came on Tuesday and didn't want the AYCE, but price-wise, it was just a better deal. So of course, I eat too much then walk out sick. Ordering is kind of confusing too because you put a number under the "quantity" column by each item for everyone in your party but.. you don't really know how much you're getting. And it was just too much. What a waste of food. Even if the meat isn't super high quality. We came pretty late so I didn't see much of this dessert buffet I read in other reviews, but the staff was nice and service was quick (although, we did have to ask for water refills and they forgot our rice).
(2)
Tiffany T.
Service is ok here. I usually keep coming back because you get your own pot. They are very inconsistent with their soup. Sometimes it tastes really good and flavorful and sometimes it just tastes like water. They have a good variety of food to choose from and I think their ponzu is really good too! There's nothing too special about this place other than the fact that you get your own pot. The waiter with the glasses is extremely rude though. Seems pissed off or he doesn't like his job all the time. And also when they brought out my soup I was taking the bones and herbs out of my soup because I didn't want it in there and the lady working there said I was wasting. Excuse me? I'm paying for this, and I just didn't want that stuff in my pot when the rest of my food came. They always forget stuff too. I had to ask for tea multiple times before they brought it out. And my meat took forever! I would need to remind them multiple times. Also this one time the girl brought out the soup and I asked her if this was the lamb soup and she said I don't know I think so. Well is it or is it not? You work here, I would like to know that you're giving me what I ordered.
(3)
Lita T.
Little Fire Pot is awesome. Good value for the price. I'd just avoid going on Tuesday nights.... sure you save a few $, but service suffers and it gets pretty crowded. The last few times I've gone on any night, they always "forget" to bring out what I checked off on the list. I'm not sure if it's intentional, but it has happened more than once and twice.... Once my tofu never arrived, next time, my water cress didn't arrive. Another time, my dumplings never made it. Since I have an abundant amount of food, it's kinda embarrassing to ask for my missing item.... but I was really looking forward to my tofu :) And I don't know if I'm just messy or what, but one napkin is not enough for me. Be sure to stock up on napkins. The staff is great otherwise. The owner/manager lady is very nice. So friendly and always smiling. We will be back.
(4)
Su T.
service . . . sucks. - Nobody gave a f*** when we came in even though the place wasn't packed and there were many servers. - They didn't want to give us the menu again. Should I memorize all the stuffs on that sheet? When my bf asked for the paper, the waitress with short bob hair gave us an attitude. - No one came and asked "is everything okay?" - There was no refills for water and broths. - They don't even look at us. broths . . . too light. My bf had to add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to his sichuan broth. The place is too smelly and windy (my bf had a running nose after eating there). Music is so loud that they can pretend not to hear you. I am not going back to that shitty place.
This is my very first Yelp review and I felt it necessary because this place is GROSS! My complaint about this restaurant is not so much the food but the cleaniliness and the ignorance of the staff. Came here on a weekday for the all you can eat shabu. Being that I'm a vegetarian it's not really worth it to pay $23.99 for veggies but I like the variety and the fact that you get your own pot of broth. When our waitress was taking our order I noticed she was wearing latex gloves. Didn't think too much of it until she brought out our broths with her latex gloves all up on the edges of the pot. Ummm....ok? As we are eating I see that she is clearing dirty plates that are covered in blood and juice from all the raw meat, again wearing these gloves. I tell myself "she's changing them....she has to be". When she starts bringing out our food I nicely ask her if she changes her gloves and she giggles and says no. WHAAAAAT???? Are you joking? That is absolutely disgusting! I don't think English is her first language but she knew exactly what I was asking. As I slowly start to lose my appetite I see her, still wearing the nasty gloves, serving people glasses of water, cleaning more tables, wiping them with a dirty rag, running people's credit cards.......the list goes on. I used to like this place but after seeing this complete disregard for peoples safety I can never eat here again. Tables and menus are sticky, chairs are covered in grime and on a good night there are a whole bunch of fruit flies in your face. If you don't want to get amoebic dysentary I would steer clear of this place.
(1)
David H.
The service here is horrible. They offer all you can eat, but purposely ignore your requests to try to make you full and not order more. On two separate occasions, we waited over 30 minutes for a meat refill. Either serve ayce or take it off the menu. This is ridiculous.
(1)
Leslie Y.
We decided on last minute to cross the Bay to Daly City to do hot pot......what a great choice....... As you walk in, you will notice the place is very clean.......which is a plus for hotpot spots, usually after awhile, they get kind of grimey..... 20 bucks before 6pm, all you can eat, but that pertains to the regular menu.....for the red ink menu, add an extra 5 bucks.....we stuck to the regular menu......and we still didn't get to try lots of food cause we were full to the T...... Service was pretty good, considering they were packed.....even the rooms were packed.....so it took awhile to get stuff here and there..... Well worth it to bring your fellow friends for a private party or just a family dinner .... The one thing I really liked about this place was the hotpot itself, they are individual hotpots in front of each person, which makes things much easier, to cook your own, no fighting over food and much cleaner.............
(4)
Brenda K.
THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE. I bet NONE of the servers even have a serv safe certificate even though they have gloves on. The food was pretty okay but the service is HORRIBLE. Everything was going good until I ordered another round of food and the veggies came with the pork blood on separate plates. THEY ARE ON SEPARATE PLATES FOR A REASON. I don't think these dumb servers even know or understand the difference. The short and thin waitress held the veggies and pork blood in both hands and asked if she can put them together inside the big bowl. Before we even said anything, she POURED THEM BOTH inside. I could've moved the bowl for her but she already poured it in. She could've moved the bowl because it was empty, but no, her lazy ass decided to pour the raw pork blood into the vegetables. As I saw what she was doing, I said, "NO not together" and she stopped and didn't even apologize. Like I couldn't understand her ignorance? I was going to ask for another new plate of veggies but they're going to come back with the same infected veggies and act like it is brand new. I was so irritated and it completely ruined my mood, but I wasn't going to waste the money I was paying for this meal. Then when we asked for the bill the first time, it NEVER came and it wasn't even busy. We asked again 10 minutes later and the stubby one THREW the bill on the table, the same one we originally asked to get the bill. The service is completely unacceptable and the health department should really investigate into this restaurant because I'm sure they are breaking so many codes. The $5 tip was only for the girl with the glasses because she was actually helpful and really nice. Maybe the other two should learn from her. Also, do not order the flavored soju. I ordered mango and passion fruit on different visits and NONE of them are even good. How dare them call it soju cocktail and price it at $14?! RIDICULOUS. Like I said before, the food is actually decent but I am sure the handling of it is quite questionable. This is one of those Chinese owned restaurants where they lack the knowledge of serving and do not really care how they treat you because they know that they are still going to get tipped. The servers NEED training and also need to learn how to respect customers.
(1)
Kristie C.
The service was slow, took forever for our food to come, we were ignored half the time. Basically we sat their starving. Apparently, our ticket order was lost somehow. But, they did nothing to compensate us. We just kept waiting while the soup in the pot boiled.
(3)
Julian T.
little spot hidden behind the shopping center. One of the latest(hours-wise) AYCE hotpot place i've been to, and I do tend to crave hotpot late at nights;). Even though this place closes 12am except for Monday at 10pm, if you were to come in an hour before closing you can see the grimace on the chef and the waiters' face. But who cares I'm here to eat. The variety isn't bad but there are the premiums items that i never order, because I came here for cheap late hotpot haha. The portions they bring out are pretty small so you would have to constantly order while you eat, which I don't mind. But they don't always tell you its last call for food so beware. Service: Average Food: Not bad just order alot of the sauce Ambiance/Decor: Lights are pretty Dim Overall: Late & Cheap Hotpot (Even Cheaper on Tuesdays!)
(3)
Candy C.
I love hot pot and when we heard from a friend that this was a fantastic place, we were beyond thrilled to have somewhere convenient and close. Boy were we disappointed. Anyone who enjoys hot pot or shabu shabu knows first-hand this is not the what you want in a meal. * Broth had very little flavor to it (we ordered a spicy miso base and an herb base) * Meats were of very poor quality - fatty cuts that were not fresh Those two items are the basis of your entire meal. Even worse, the prices are well above what we would typically spend for shabu shabu or at Little Sheep. They do have an all you can eat dessert bar, but even the sweet desert soup was watery and tasteless. If you have never had hot pot before, you're likely to love it. If you want to experience good quality hot pot, my advice would be to save your money and make the drive somewhere else.
(2)
Karah S.
Just ok... Service was slow and we barely got acknowledged. Price is kind of a rip off compared to other hot pot places that offer appetizers also... My husbands pork and chicken broth was really bland and he had to add tons of soy sauce. But my miso broth was ok without adding too much seasoning to it... Overall, I wouldn't come back, but added another star because we were hungry late and they open til midnight even though they close their kitchen at 11pm
(2)
Diep N.
Broth was very bland. Service wasn't great. We came in with a group of 5 people and everyone had a stomach ache the next morning....
(2)
Jenny G.
I've came here twice within the same week and was disappointed with the 2nd time... I liked the fact i get my own soup because I never really like the common pot idea where everyone's chopsticks are dipping inside. They have a wide variety of meat and veggie to choose from which can be a bit too much. They do have combo meals to choose from which comes with meat, veggie, and a side dish. The soup base was very bland, I honestly have a better tasting soup base hot potting at home than coming here. There weren't anything special in it to make it stand out from the rest. This place isn't too big, they have a bar seating area when you walk in and another one inside. Just a handful of tables and 2 rooms towards the back. The service here isn't all that great either.. My 1st time here, our server was very friendly and nice. The 2nd time coming here.. oh man... I am not coming back again. Our server was super rude and takes FOREVER & A DAY to get us things. We waited 15 minutes for our check to and we decide to just walk up to pay ourselves instead of waiting..
(2)
Lou E.
I will never eat here!!!! I was doing some work today at Fitness 19 ! I was walking out of their fitness club and witnessed a woman literally dragging a white medium sized dog with no collar, by a rope into the rear kitchen entrance of Little Fire Pot!! It is illegal to have any pets of any kind in a food establishment! My immediate thought was WTF!!! I immediately went to their rear service kitchen door and started knocking, but no one would open the door! I went to front of restaurant , no answer! So I leave it to you the consumer to make your assumptions and decide for yourself! I know of a great reputable Asian, Korean, Italian, Indian, Mandarin, Filipino, Vietnamese, German, Latin restaurants! But one thing, I will not accept is a live animal ( dig) hanging around in a commercial kitchen , where the food you are eating is being prepared!! Follow the law and you won't get in trouble! I plan to call San Mateo County to investigate! Disgusted , I will never patronize this place!!! Food poisoning and God knows what else is not a favorite menu item of mine!! You take you risks with this place if you like! Not me!!
(1)
George F.
We made reservations earlier in the week for a party of 12 for hot pot anticipating the turn in the weather. When we arrived at 7:00 pm the line was out the door. The reservations put us in a private room with a TV. The entire restaurant was packed, I was surprised with electrical system held up with so many induction hot plates going full blast at the same time. After getting seated we switched the TV channel to the Notre Dame v Boston College game. Luckily we had the TV to keep our minds off of the slow service. We choose Little Fire Pot for its AYCE $26 per person and the additional $12 AYCD beer, sake and soju. We ordered drinks and food but, it took for ever. The first two pitchers of Kirin beer were gone in about 5 min. The soju didn't ever start getting to our table until we were half way into dinner. I understand that they were slammed late night but what was to be a 90 min dinner turned out to be a 3 1/2 hour affair. The kitchen couldn't get the food out fast enough and the bar could not fill the pitchers of beer fast enough. Every time they would bring 6-7 plates of meat they were gone and we had to wait another 15- 20 min. Each carafes of soju would go around the table once and it would be done. The food was good when it finally came but Little Fire Pot is victim of their own success and the cold weather. They are lucky that we had the AYCE and the AYCD because there was no way they could keep track of all the plates, pitchers and bottles our group had last night. I don't think we will try to have as many people go to Little Fire Pot anymore.
(2)
Mabel B.
It was a friend's birthday a few weeks ago and we selected Little Fire Pot as our dinner venue. My boyfriend and I were the last of our party to arrive and the table was still not set. After about 5 minutes, we finally got our seat. After a quick look at the menu, we decided on a pitcher beer, passionfruit soju, an array of meats and veggies and sauces. It took quite a while for our broth to come out, our *uncooked* meats to come out, and even longer for our sauces to come out. Finally we got all our items, the food was okay, I guess... We also had 20% off our AYCE and there was a dessert table. The service was nice but it was a bit laggy.
(2)
Johanah I.
Next to Shabu House this is one of my new favorite places for hot pot. It may sound too generous but everything about this place is the best. The food, the service, the quality, the place definitely has gotten my attention since the first time I came here. Today I came here with a few friends (us being a party of 4) got sat down in a corner rectangular table. What I love about this place is you have your own pot to cook your food in, instead of having one big pot in the middle like other restaurants and share. They give you a piece of paper (like dim sum restaurants) and you write down how many plates of veggies, sauces, meat, etc. that you want and play the 'waiting game' The food is fresh and delicious. After the 'waiting game' most of our dishes were already on our table. The rest is mouth heaven history. Come here during Happy Hour, which is anytime before 6pm and come with a empty stomach. I say this because the price is worth it considering you can order as much as you want and also they charge you if you waste ANY food. Think before you order! I can`t wait to come back soon. By the way, I LOVE the music they play in here! It`s a mix of 90`s music and some old school hits! They don`t play any mainstream music so that`s why I like I coming here for the music! I hear songs I totally forget about too.
(5)
Elaine Y.
Really like the local little fire pot because of the cheap Shabus from $10.99. Perfect for me who has a small appetite and even have food left to go. However, expected the same today and was disappointed that the menu had changed to 'all you can eat' during the weekends costing $20/person. My boys were excited, they love their meats and carbs. Anyway here's my views... Pluses Love individual pots Delicious dipping sauces, sesame is my favorite Cozy atmosphere pork belly, ribeye, short-ribs and lamb were all delicious and cut thinly The house made paste was also delicious and comes in beef, fish & shrimp Boys ordered only the vegetables they enjoyed Minus They don't allow food to go, not even the soup base unlike before We ate everything. However, watch out because they will charge you if you have unfinished food. so order only what you can eat and don't be overly greedy. Lol! Actually should be plus to prevent wastage of food. Overall, it was more expensive than I expected for a Sunday lunch $100 for family of 4, but I enjoyed watching my boys eat till their hearts content. A nice clean little place. service was good and met our needs. Definitely will go back. Wanted to give 4.5 stars but was unable to on yelp.
(4)
Frankie L.
The "best" customer service I ever have. I don't even want to give any star!!!!! Also, all the food has no taste!!!!!
(1)
Eva H.
Food: 3.5/5 Price: $$ Service: 3/5 Portion: 5/5 Appearance of place: 3.5/5 Presentation of food: 3.5/5 OVERALL: 3/5 I come here just because of the convenience honestly. Plus one of my homegirls' love coming here since we BOTH live near by. The service is a hit and miss, sometimes they're on point and quick but other times they don't come around and check if you need anything else. Food is decent, but I've had better hot pot (for sure!). $26 for all you can eat isn't too bad, depending on how you look at it. I love their Shrimp paste and Rib Eye most. They open til late which is really convenient.
(3)
Mr G.
The nearest hot pot close to where we live and I must say that it was worth trying out for the first time. I am not a virgin to hot pit and have had a handful of great experiences at other hot pot restaurants. I like that the there were a variety of different selections of broth choices. Had the the chicken broth and it was great. Next time I will have to try the miso broth. Ended up choosing to do the AYCE for $26 and it was not too shabby. The lady who runs the place is really cool and she was also fun to talk to. Very hospitable and made sure we has a great time. Although they did not bring out the Udon noodles that we checked off the menu it was ok because we did not need to eat anymore. I did love the fact that we were able to order brown rice instead of white rice. Perfect for those who are trying to eat on the healthier side. The music the great part of the experience. I asked the lady what the station was and she said it was pandora and I was like oh cool. Took a friend here who was new to the hot pot experience and he enjoyed it as well. Over all great experience due to the cool lady running the place. Try the watermelon juice! It was quite refreshing. Will be returning here again. Especially during this cold winter that I deem is going to happen.
(5)
Kenneth T.
We rolled in after visiting the cemetery. We asked for a table for 14. Reservations? nope. [quick discussion among the people in the front] No problem. We were led to the private room. Cool I thought. After we sat down, I pulled up the yelp for the place and became concerned, as many of the reviews listed slow service, or the staff being skimpy with the food. No worries, though as I was soon to find out. It was our first time here, and after some confusion about the menu, understood that the early bird special was the way to go. We got the $20 all you can eat special, Sunday night, because we started before 5:00 (I think we got in at 4:30'ish)... Ordered a bunch of stuff, it came out quickly and no hesitation on the part of staff. Anything we wanted, more lamb, more rib eye, more anything and we got it. Amongst the 14 of us, we probably ordered all of the soups. I ordered the Mongolian Herb soup (to be healthy!) and was pretty pleased with it. More eggs, no problem. More meat, no problem. The only thing we had to ask for twice was the chicken and I think they just honestly missed it. Service was good and we were asked if we had enough or wanted anything else every ten minutes or less. Dessert was a selection of Mango Mochi, red bean over clear jelly, fruit, and warm tapioca soup. Great experience for a hot pot place and the food was certainly good enough and service was good. The only one complaint I have is that they had a bunch of little fat bodied fruit flies... Not sure if it came in with a crate of veggies that day or if it's a persistent problem, but I guess a dozen or so bothered us through dinner. It was down to three by the time we left but hopefully it was a fluke. Flies ... even tiny flies.... not pleasant. They did try to turn up the air con to move the air around and dissuade them from our room, but it didn't help too much. I'm going to be optimistic and figure they came in with a crate of fresh veggies, but I'm hoping another reviewer can confirm or deny if it's a persistent problem. (just 1 star off for that)... Good job on the whole, and I'll be back with friends.
(4)
King L.
OK so I just left this place and I will hold back on my usual rant about a restaurant I had a bad experience in. Also i think some friends of mine know the owner so Ill try to be civil. So the 3 stars is for the food. Meat could have been better quality and everything else was ok. Good choices of broths. Not one of the better Hot Pot places around. I really wanted to like this place. If I could rate the service separately I would give that a 1 star. I would give it NO stars but the lady saw me trying to look at the Football scores so she changed the channel on the TV near me. I was very happy, BUT when it can to getting our food now that was a different question. There was a few items on our check off list that did not come and we had to ask several times before it finally came. The big one was we ordered just one more plate of meat from 1 person. Waited about 10 minutes and nothing came, so i asked another lady and gave it 5 more minutes and nothing again. Now we didn't even want the meat anymore. Told one more lady and she pointed and said that is meat right there on our table. I said it was pork and we have been waiting over 15 minutes for a plate of Ribeye and just to forget it and give us the check. No apologies or anything just dropped the check off to the table. I usually would had not left a tip but like i said earlier i think some friends of mine know the owners............ I have to pat myself on the back for not using one swear word.......
(3)
Georgette E.
Highly recommended for a delicious dinner :D! Came here for the first time earlier this week and it was yummy! My friend and I ordered the All-You-Can-Eat hot pot! Great deal - I think it was $24 each + drinks. We ordered two different broths - one spicy (yummy) and the other one was a mushroom broth (it was okay). We also ordered beef and lamb and it was fresh and delicious, some type of dumpling which I also enjoyed, some lobster balls? (wasn't that great), spinach, long mushrooms, some more lamb, and a few other items (I can't remember their names!). The service was good, friendly staff that checked up on us frequently making sure everything was good and refilling our hot pots. The only reason I can't rate this pace five stars is because even though the dessert was complimentary, I wouldn't recommend it :) I think it had been sitting out for awhile. I'll see you soon Little Fire Pot!
(4)
Amy Y.
They're offering Happy Hour on Saturdays before 6pm for $20 all you can eat hot pot. My boyfriend and I rushed in before 6pm, probably about 10 mins before 6pm. We were instructed to sit at a table near the entrance right away since there weren't too many customers. At the time, only two waitresses and an older mid age lady (i think she's the owner) were working. Ok, going fast forward, we finished eating around 8ish pm. We asked for tab and realized we were charged for full price. We asked why? The owner said that we came in after 6pm so the discount wouldn't apply. I tried to explain that we went in and sat down before 6pm and she kept saying that's not possible. I felt very disrespectful being accused a liar. Even though later she reversed the charge, I can tell by her attitude that she thinks we were a couple of scammers. I have never felt so insulted in my life. I will never go back to this place, and I will tell all my friends and family not to go!
(1)
Annie P.
I really like this place. I usually choose to come here because you get your own individual pot. I also love that you can have shabu shabu or the Chinese hot pot. Recently they have the all you can eat option and it was amazing. I was so full and my family was also very happy.
(4)
Vincent T.
The business hour on the door does say close at 12am, we got there at 10pm and it was closed. So why would this business say closes at 12am when it closes at it's own will? This is a false advertising hour and it is bad when customer are trying to get in a eat
(1)
Yumi C.
This place doesn't have better reviews because customer service sometimes sucks. I mean really really suck. When you're just the few patrons in the restaurant then they're friendly. When the place is packed, they want you out in an effin hurry. Like "could you hurry up I have other customers". Yes, owner said that to us. Partner and I have enjoyed the place because it's all you can eat and it's not bad eating. We load up on lots of veggies... And thin meats that isn't bad, right? So yes, owner is a Biatch for saying that to us. I was really offended. We've enjoyed our visits and eating experience here. Tipped very well in past, but we will not go here again. I am not horrible customer. I don't take my time eating and yes I understand that there are other patrons, but I would never ask people to hurry up so that I can service other people. Yes. And I would feel incline to say it again. She who said those rude things. You. Are. A. Biatch.
(2)
Shelley L.
I've been here many times. Service is hit or miss. Parking is plentiful. My picture recently got removed from Yelp. It was a picture of their ribeye and the plate was half fat. My mother got the same result. It seems like their service has gone down a lot since they first opened. I used the restaurant.com certificates to make it more worth it. My family loves the all you can eat dessert area, but be aware there is only about 2-3 items you can choose from. My favorite is the coconut/almond jello. The good part is that on the weekdays, if you arrive before 6pm, you get 20% off you entire bill. Your whole party has to be there to order. One time I order 5 mins after 6 and paid full price. Only one TV to look at. It's interesting to hear 90's Korean music playing sometimes.
(2)
Christina K.
My cousins and I stop by this place because we wanted to hot pot. This place isn't the greatest but it was alright for 26$ all you can eat. This place is different from others since they give you each individual pots (more sanitizing) and unlimited alcohol if you add 12$. The meat isn't as good as SHABU HOUSE or MUMS, but it was decent enough that I could eat it. Though I would rather go to hot pot garden for their meat. The nice thing they had was another little bar section with fruits and dessert. It wasn't much desserts or anything, but nice to have. Oh ya, be sure to check your bill because we only had 5 people and they charged us for 6.
(3)
Lil A.
Ok food. Not as flavorful as other hotpot restaurants I've been to. But if you are in Daly City and want hotpot, it is decent...
(2)
Jade L.
dont go there if u are expecting treat be fair , we wait an hour more and they just keep giving the seat to the people who they know and sneaky for that! disgusting service!
(1)
Elliott N.
Accessibility (Parking / Wait Time) 1/1 Star: plenty of street parking and parking lot parking. No wait time. _____ Service (Waiter / Cleanness / Ambiance) 0/1 Star: I was at one of only two parties there and it takes forever to get more food. It looks like they want you to pretty much finish off everything on the table before try serve you more. The floors are very sticky and disgusting. Everyone gets their own hot pot with their own flavor broth which is nice, but when they come around to refill the pots they just fill everyone's pot with the same liquid that kills the flavor of your broth. _____ Taste (0=Not Edible / 1=Edible / 2=Good (average) / 3=Must Try!) 2/3 Stars: This place is not bad when it comes to taste. Their selection is pretty good. DON'T order "pork belly" it's straight up just strips of bacon like the kind you eat at breakfast and it's the super low quality fatty ones. The lamb was pretty gamey. More than half of my party that went there before all got miso flavor. I got the chicken and pork broth and it was good until they refilled it with mystery liquid. _____ Overall Experience 3/5 Stars _____ Pictures _____ Last Words DON'T order "pork belly"
(3)
Pam S.
This is a good shabu shabu place in Daly City. They sit you at tables where you have your own stove with temperature regulators on the side. So you basically can adjust how high or low your fire is gonna get. What goes into the pot is pretty much the same for whatever Hot Pot Special is you order. The variation is with the noodle or the meat of choice, spicy or not. I like how all the ingredients were of large servings. Although I ordered just for myself, it could very well feed 2 people. I am not a fan of sake but I thought theirs tasted okay. They even had oysters the day we went for a visit. This place is great for kids too as the tables are roomy enough. You should come check it out and hopefully you have the same good experience as we did.
(5)
Jonathan C.
This is a Hong Kong style hot pot place. Everyone gets their own pot. They have AYCE or AYCEAD. The price is very reasonable.
(4)
Karolyn S.
I must say that this was more of a great experience than great food. I went here with four other friends and it was fun. First off it was all you can eat hot pots for $20 (since it was happy hour) and $12 all you can drink (beer, sake, soju). The all you can drink is a steal with the fact that a pitcher of soju alone was $14, with an all you can drink you could have multiple and just be charged $12 flat! First off their soju flavors are all delicious, watermelon was the favorite. The soup alone was a bit bland no matter what I put into it, but it was awesome cooking it ourselves. There's a variety of ingredients you can put into the hot pot, but warning the crispy tofu wasn't a good. Will come back for sure for a second shot
(3)
Tiff C.
Honestly speaking... this place isn't that great.. it's not HORRIBLE.. but Little sheep is A LOT better. It's also a bit on the high side.. came out to be about $40 p/p and thats all you can eat. For hot pot... theres only so much you can eat.. and only so much on the menu that you'd wanna eat.. the meat is pretty low quality, but that's probably the best thing to order.. I had the spicy soup base and it's pretty darn spicy.. and I got medium.. my lips were on fire by the end of the night. The service was spotty.. we had a private room but the waiter seemed overwhelmed most of the time and I had to hunt him down to take my order.
(2)
Philip K.
Love the individual pots and their selection of meats and vegetables are fresh and clean. Best part is the dessert cart which normally serves fruit and their delicious almond jello.
(3)
C L.
Well, you sure don't come here expecting any good service. That's the first thing I learned when I came here. Started ordering take out from them since. Funny thing is I'm not much for shabu shabu so that's not what I order when I come here. They used to serve a sea bass dish that I really liked. My family likes their minced pork rice with egg and their garlic noodles.
(3)
Jenn Y.
This is another one of those moments when I think Yelp really needs those .5 star ratings. Park upstairs in the lot and just take the elevator down (: Unless you get lucky and get parking right out front. Shabu style hot pot, so everyone gets their own bowl. Great if you're coming with those finicky eaters who want a bland soup base or won't eat certain items. Better yet, your company is neither of those but you guys always inadvertently steal each others food in the communal pots. You have the option of ordering each dish individually or picking the pre-fixe combos. Mix and match the broths with the ingredients. If you like spicy but don't want to die, ask for a medium or low spicy with the Mongolian HotPot and fish out the peppers. The meat is sliced when you order so you know it hasn't been sitting out. You can control the heat levels on your own and come by every so often to check if you guys need more food. Deductions: I love hot pot and usually can beast through a lot of food but I still have not yet been able to finish a combo. I partially blame this on the fact that all the combos come with a hearty serving of veggies, they give you more vegetables than meats & all the other good stuff. Also, compared to some other places or just DIY hotpot, it is a bit more pricey. - jenn
(3)
Jim R.
We stumbled in to this great little restaurant in an unassuming mall. What an unexpected surprise! The service was efficient and very sweet. They even gave me a moon cake with a candle for my birthday. We didn't get the house specialty hot pot, though they looked very fresh. We enjoyed our dim sum and ramen very much, and the small plate crab won tons with enoki-garlic sauce was a standout. There's even a complimentary dessert bar, which had a few things that I've never had before and were very fun to try. (Yes, I'm a white boy.) They also have two banquet rooms in the back, and I believe that you can use their karaoke machine for your party there.
(5)
Chris E.
7/18/2012 (me)You got to watch out on your tab...when they say its "on the house" its not on the house..they will be sneaky and put it on your tab..so double check your bill before you pay for it. Comment from Steven C. of Little Fire Pot 7/24/2012 Dear Chris, sorry for your confusion... the bill you paid is to our Promoter Netties, and she is not the owner of LFP... and after we found out too much drama from this Lounge business, we've decided to discontinued with our business relationship with her...again, thanks for your support! steve, you know i am NOT confused. stop making up stuff, you need to own up! nettie & her lounge was SUPER chill, cool, and fun!! it was AMY (waitress of LFP! not lounge) who put extra items on my tab saying "oh, it's on the house". she also 1) ordered drinks for herself when i don't even know her and 2) helped herself to my soju bottle on the table. WTH? good thing i double checked my tab and knew how much i was gonna pay for too. she goes around doing that to a bunch of other people. i heard complaints. that is NO way to do business. LFP's shady ways!!!! who can put up with that? nettie & her crew LEFT! you guys actually ruined a good thing... amy also tried to pass for nettie's angelz saying that her name was "beautiful". AMY IS NOT ANGEL MATERIAL FOR BEING A DECEIVER, A BAD SERVER AND A LIAR. *** another thing, LFP's beef carpaccio is not fresh...GAVE ME THE RUNS! and i love eating carpaccio. ***
(1)
Isaac L.
Not bad for a starter hot pot eater. If you get the pre-fixe menu - you get a variety and no brainer decision making - choose the broth, choose the cuisine (HK, Taiwan, Mongolian, etc.) choose your meat, and noodles. The cuisine will dictate what comes inside - taro, duck feet, fish balls, veggies, all sorts of items. They boast 16+ items per cuisine but it's really just one piece. For example, you get ONE fish ball. Or ONE taro root chunk. ONE wonton. So yes, 16+ items but one each. So you can't really get down and dirty with your favorite item. It's more of a variety play here. Be careful of the veggies - some were a bit on the dirty side. I mean, c'mon they go through tons of veggies a service so just be smart about it. Overall, the food was good - good selection and the meat was decent. It's nice having the individual pot but if you're with family or good friends, I enjoy the community aspect of the shared pot. There was good amount of servings - just too bad if you like fish balls, you need to really savor the ONE fish ball you get. I broke my little 1X1 inch taro cube into about 7 servings. Sad. But overall, good experience. The dessert sucked - basically watermelon and almond jello. But for the new hot pot eater, it's a great place to start.
(3)
Steven B.
Little Fire Pot makes some interesting types of hot pots on their menu. Everything is a set menu so it comes with whatever you ordered. The amount they give is pretty small for what they charge, but their coupons and stuff lure you in. However, this place is really stingy when it comes to their own coupons or promos. Service is alright since there isn't much for the servers to do except bring the pot and bowl then disappear. Quality of the broth and ingredients are so so.
(1)
Lily C.
It's nice place. Good tasty food and service. But chili sauce is not good. I highly suggest change to chili oil.
(4)
Erica B.
Shady Math! Our group of 6 did the AYCE that supposedly has the 25% discount. If you are going to give a discount than do it, but don't try to nickle & dime me to make more. You got to love that there is a paragraph of rules governing charges behind the menu. The Good: Meat & Vegetable was fresh. The Bad: Heavy Msg Spotty service. Asked for menu to re order item. Waiter never appeared again, we had to chase down people to get refill for food items. Smart to extend time 'cause on the menu it says 2 hr limit if over than $5 per 15 minutes over. THE UGLY $4 extra per person for common "popular" items such as shrimp paste & fish tofu. Mandatory 15% tip, but the kicker is that the tip is based off the regular price not discount price. On top of that the tax is also based off the regular price not the discounted price. Note: Being Asian, I couldn't resist calculating and can report you that by doing that they made an extra 5%.
(2)
Lawrence L.
Pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Little Fire Pot... Was in the mood for something hot and spicy on a cold Friday night (I meant something hot and spicy to eat...). This place hit the spot... Individual pre-fixe hot pots are a pretty cool concept altogether. Everything is so convenient... Order up a an appetizer (we got the beef tendon stew (Yummmm), and then walk through the hot pot menu in easy steps- (1) pick your individual pre-fixe bowl of goodies: shabu-shabu, mongolian, HK, vegetarian, sichuan... We got the Mongolian (beef tendon balls, fish balls, tripe, napa cabbage, beef paste, and more), (2) Then a broth to match (we picked Sichuan - SPICY!), (3) a side of meat: wagyu (add $47!!), ribeye (add $10), short ribs, lamb (we got the short ribs), (4) add a side of noodles (we got the thin bean vermicelli). We decided to just order one pre-fixe and another a la carte dish (seafood platter) and we were glad we did (a lot of food for two people). The individual hot pot came and had tiny little red peppers, bay leaf, and green onion floating on top of the red chili oil and broth concoction. As the broth started to heat up the pot o' goodness, we started to place our goodies into the little cauldron to cook up our meal. I must say the sichuan broth made the entire meal. We ordered it medium spicy which had a nice little kick. Next time I think I will turn it up a notch and go for the HOT spicy! They give you a satay dipping sauce to mix up with crushed ginger, green onions, and cilantro. All good... For dessert they had a self serve buffet table: watermelon wedges, almond jello (nice), some type of banana flavored mochi topped with shaved coconut (my fave), and taro soup with tapioca (bland). The service was super friendly, and very attentive. We rolled out of there with warm bellies, and a great experience... Will definitely be back!
(4)
Fanny Z.
Service is great! We enjoyed our time there very much. Large variety of options, just like what I had in China! Complimentary desert!
(4)
Mei C.
Sat at the bar. I enjoyed this place because I liked the ambiance and the variety of vegetables to dip in the broth. The mushroom broth was bland though. The lychee martini must not have had alcohol in it because I did NOT feel any effects.
(4)
Liana L.
Sneaky, snakey people run this hotpot place. First, it's expensive at $29.50 per person for AYCE. This doesn't include the good "premium" cuts of meat that is usually standard at other hotpot places such as fatty beef, pork belly, kurobota pork, etc. No, only for $4 more can you request those items. For the regular AYCE, you only get pork or lamb shoulder, and dry, lean beef. Second, service is non existent. Our small cups of tea and water were never refilled. We were fooled into AYCE by their 3 year anniversary promo (25% off everything until the end of February) only to be slapped by an automatic 15% gratuity for a FOUR person party at the end! We ended up paying $30pp... some promo THAT is! We didn't fight it but I really didn't appreciate that the tip was HANDWRITTEN into my charge slip after they swiped my credit card. Alright, I know how to add and you already charged my card to include the gratuity... so if you're worried about your customers being shady and stiffing you on tip, then maybe you shouldn't be shady yourselves! The only redeeming factor was that it was a relatively clean place with large flat screens and each person gets their own hot pot. We were given full reign of the TV too since we were sitting right in front of it at the bar. Ugh, shame on me for being too lazy to drive out to the Pots or Hot Pot Garden in the Sunset for cheaper, better eats.
(1)
Stan C.
Came here awhile ago and liked it and decided to come back. *FAIL - Came back last week to celebrate my bday and friend's day. Made reservations, but still put us on 2 separate tables. Not a good start... It took them OVER an hour JUST to tell our other table that they ran out of Miso Soup... REALLY?!?! Ran out on a Friday Night? Did they not anticipate it to be busy?? So basically had 7:30pm reservations and didn't start to eat until 9:30pm. Had to re-order everything!!! Other negatives.. slow service and got attitude everything we needed something. Water dripping from the vents from condensation onto the table and floors were wet walking through the restaurant. Doesn't look like I'll be coming back here.
(1)
Robert Y.
3.25 The neat thing about this place is that you get your own personal hot pot vs a communal one. Other than that, this place isnt too special. They do offer 20% off orders and other discounts on drinks during happy hour (5pm-6pm) so I recommend taking advantage of that. The food itself was quite plain but they do give you a lot of vegetables so its a sneaky way of getting kids (and adults) to eat more veggies. The hot pot plates vary from $17-20 for dinner and the portions are enough to satisfy an average eater (although I was a bit hungry afterward s). They do serve unlimited dessert which featured watermelon, coconut jello, a mango jello coconut mini pastry, and some taro milk mini tapioca soup. The unlimited dessert was above average and helped salvage what was a very dissatisfying meal. Bottom line: They do have a 2 private tables which are good for large parties (up to 14) and even have karaoke, but besides the dessert, the food was very simple and lacked a more variety of sauces compared to other places. I might give this place a second chance.
(3)
Connie H.
It's a pity that this place could not hold up on the service end... That's the reason for the 2 star review. Food wise, I think their beef was excellent. Selection of sides was quite abundant (fish balls, lobster balls, veggies, etc).. Shrimp was very fresh! The price for all you can eat of $26 is very reasonable. Unfortunately, the service wad soooooo slow. We had to wait for at least 20 minutes in between each time we ordered something! The other saving grace was that although the service so slow, the servers were very hospitable and gracious, keeping their calm and friendliness through the evening. Hopefully, they either add more meat slicers, staff, or get more organized... Or SOMETHING!
(2)
Chanel L.
After eating at Little Sheep and craving hot pot all the time,. i decided to yelp a closer hot pot place near my house. Little Fire Pot showed up and the pictures looked pretty decent for me to try. They have seating's around the bar and also tables in the back room. We were able to be seated in the table area and I didn't have to share a pot. I got my own pot and my own combo meal. They tried duplicating the soup base like Little Sheep, but it didn't cut it. The hotpot soup was bland and I still had to dip my meat and vegetables in soy sauce for flavor. I didn't have the urgency to drink/try the soup, like I do at other hot pot places. The combo meal was like $20 a person, you get vegetables and meat. They also have an all you can eat dessert bar, which was the highlight of the whole restaurant. They have desserts like coconut sago and kumquat soup,. and a variety of fruits from melons to oranges etc. Def a place to just try out once,. but *Meh. I've experienced better.*
(2)
Lorraine G.
This place is pricey for the small portions. I ordered from their pre fixe menu (enough for one person or you can share and order more sides). It's a 4 step ordering process: pick your soup base, variety bowl of veggies/fish balls/seafood (they listed 17+ items, but I completely disagree) meat and noodle. It sounds like a lot of food, but it really isn't considering that everything shrinks once it's cooked. The side of udon noodles that I ordered was a joke. It was served on a really small saucer and wouldn't have made my 2 year old cousin full. They also over stuff the bowl with cheap napa cabbage. For dessert, it was buffet style and consisted of fruit, hot taro tapioca soup and almond jello. We had to ask several times for them to replenish the tapioca soup. Service was poor. The only time they came by was to bring us our food and check. We had to flag them down every time we needed something. They never came to refill our teapot or add more soup base to our hotpot. By the time I was done cooking, only 1/3 of the soup base remained. I wouldn't recommend this place. For the same price, Little Sheep serves bigger portions and a better selection of food items.
(2)
Anita C.
3.5 stars Friday night wait was about half an hour just as they predicted. the place was packed. even as we got there ate 8pm. If you don't like making choices this may not be a good place for you. But with your order you get to choose the follow: 1. soup base (Mongolian, Mala AKA spicy, Hong Kong style, taipei shabu shabu, tokyo shabu shabu) - the last 3 kinds all have the same pork and chicken soup base. - with your soup base option comes with different veggies depending on the base 2. meat i.e. beef, lamb shoulder... 3. side ie rice, udon, yam noodles... then they all come with all you can eat dessert, which is fruit, coconut jello (those white cubes), and tong sui (the soupy desserts) they close at 9:30, but we were the last ones there and ate till 10:45 and they didnt kick us out. and the service got better, the less people there. you also get your own pot, so you don't have to share pots of water, not that i mind X, E, and R. my beef was good. the variety of veggies that came with the orders was good. also had dumplings. some with surprisings. one had cooked fish roe inside. i had like 5 kinds of fish things, like fish balls, fish balls stuffed with stuff...price was ok. about 18.99 and 17.99 for the vegetarian ones. i got the taipei shabu shabu with the pork and chicken broth. was good, and when i tried it after by itself realized it was really salty, but it worked with my food. o and rice with mine, perfect! my friend E then came up with a good sauce combo (make sure u ask for extra sauces, they will bring u 3 more kinds of sauce) sauce=soy sauce+sauce they give you+soup base+sesame sauce+hot sauce YUM!! there is also a vege version of the sauce they first give you! you can also order additional sides and meat, etc. i would come back again. portion is a good size for me, too! will need to give it more chances to see if rating could increase, but there is def potential. and something new and different for me too.
(3)
Tiffany W.
i'm not much of a hot pot fan to begin with, but this place is decent. i would just order the soup alone if i could because the soup is scrumptious (: well, actually, i don't know if you can do that or not. my awesome friends insisted that we go here because of how much they love this place. the place is unique and what i imagined what the hotspots in Asia would be like, LOL. the decor is lovely, and everything fits. what i found liking to was the celling fans shaped like flowers. the interesting thing is that everyone gets their own little heater thing in front of them. we ordered a beef tray which is about 30 slices of beef and a seafood tray. we also ordered three soups; miso, the spiciest miso and the mongolian. the soup is flavorful, and the food is good too. its just the portions that make me give it an "A-OK." it was enough to fill me up, but not enough to make me fullzzz. there's also a dessert bar with watermelons, taro tapioca soup and a quite tasty coconut jello. haha, i could see myself here when i'm older, balling and living the life of an asian ballerrr, muhaha.
(3)
Janice V.
For me and my boyfriend's monthsary (not anniversary), I really wanted to go to a shabu resturant. I wanted to go to Shabu House where my boyfriend and I had our Valentine's dinner at this year but it was to far from us. Obviously I used Yelp to see if they had one closer to us and who knew they had one in Daly City. I've passed by this place so many times while driving to Safeway and always thought this was a sushi restaurant. Anyways, we were greeted by the owner I believe and got seated pretty fast. We saw the sign for an all you can eat type of deal for $28 I believe. There was a lot of stuff on the menu but for sure we wanted to get the fire pot. We first asked if we could get the all you can eat and share it with each other but the owner said it's only for one person. We ended up getting the Taipei along with the beef which we shared. The Taipei had so much stuff like corn, fish balls, tripe, lettuce, and etc. For our broth I chose the miso soup (spicy) only because it reminded me of the one from Shabu House. I guess it was a wrong idea since I almost burnt my throat. I was eating a tripe and then drank some of the spicy miso soup and for some reason, the hot tripe was stuck in my throat. My throat started burning and my boyfriend thought i was joking around. We didn't get our water and hot tea wasn't gonna make it better. I guess the waiter saw me struggling so he gave us our waters. I drank all my water right after he walked away from our table and looked at me again cause I was trying to get some ice with my chopsticks loll. He immediately refilled my water and had to wait till my throat stopped burning. Other than that, it was alright. Because we shared a fire pot, we thought weren't gonna get full but we actually started to get full when we were half way done with our Taipei bowl. You can also add more things to it but I'll cost a little more like for extra meat or something. The owner even mentioned there is a complimentary dessert bar in the back which only consisted of 3 things: Soup, watermelon, and coconut jello. We pretty much spent only $22 which wasn't even bad since we shared.
(3)
Jackie W.
Love this place!! Nice atmosphere, and mostly street parking. Located in the Westlake Plaza near Banana Island. Personal Hot Pot per person, and so much fun cooking your own meal, with the addition of sharing the experience with your family and friends. Highly recommend this place anytime you are in the mood for Hot Pot!! Yum!! :)
(5)
jade t.
I love love love this place! I ate so much here I got sick of it for a while because too much of something good is baaaaad! I love the dim sum, It seems so fresh all the time. The service is good I never feel rushed here. And I love the free dessert they always have! The place is nice, and the owners are nice as well always smiling. THREE words...I LOVE IT
(5)
Kim C.
Great concept--interesting decor and the place has a cool, hip, Asian feel to it. Pros: Open late on weekends Each individual has their own hot pot Drinks were tasty (a little on the too sweet side) and had a good amount of alcohol in them Cons: Cheap quality hot pot burners Veggies were that fresh Broth was flavorless Waitress was rude I'd still go here if I were desperate but I don't forsee a trip anytime soon.
(2)
Amy C.
The ultimate hot pot experience in Daly City. Unlike other Shabu Shabu places, you get your own individual stove at your table so you can choose any menu set (or create one) that you like instead of only having to share one stove between two people like in other places. At the Little Fire Pot, they always seem to give more food than I can finish, and everything is delicious. I highly recommend going during the Early Bird Special between 5:00 & 6:00P.M. to get the 20% discount off your meal -- you have to place the order before 6P.M. to qualify -- but do take heed that there may be many birds flocking to the restaurant on some days during that time just as a heads up. They also have dim sum, but I have never eaten their teahouse items here so I cannot say much about it. I have visited this place mainly for the hot pot, because you really do get the bang for your buck eating the fondue sets. I would not recommend bringing really small children, because the stoves are right there in front of your seat and it would probably be a bit of a safety concern, though I do believe people have brought their kids with them before. The restaurant has a couple private rooms, therefore you can make a reservation with a large party and enjoy all your special events in there. The interior is pretty stylishly decorated, service is pretty good on most occasions, and the owner is very nice. If you are a hot pot fanatic, you may find this quaint little restaurant to your liking.
(5)
jenny t.
I was at this restaurant twice, because I believed in giving them a second chance. After my second try, I was disappointed and as well as angry. It is just one step away from being a strip club. . it's not a restaurant style at all. services would depends on how they would feel. . I waited just about 40 minute for my re ordered.. no refills water.. and I would walked up to the counter to pay..
(1)
Kristina L.
It's alright. approx. $20 for a hot pot meal, includes: - choice of different styles. ex. Mongolian, Shabu Shabu, Taipei, etc (which is the veggies, balls, tofu, etc) - choice of meat - choice of broth - choice of a side ( noodles, rice, etc) It can probably fill up two people if they order a side dish of something else. Me and my bf shared the Mongolian, with the chicken and pork broth, lamb shoulder and vermicelli noodles, then ordered a curry crispy fish ball dish (which tasted just like those tapioca drink places that give you like 6 fish balls with curry but here, it's just bigger).. this was a decent size filled with potatoes and fish balls... on a different note. they do have a dessert buffet of watermelon, tapioca soup ( I don't know the Chinese translation), and a few other little things, nothing amazing. And they do have two private rooms for dinner and karaoke. (if you're going to have a big group)... I don't think i'll be disappointed if I never come here again.. i'd rather drive farther and go to Little Sheep in San Mateo. :P
(3)
Lynn T.
My friend loves this spot! I'm not a huge fan but there are other places where you can get more for your money. . Unfortunately, they don't serve buffet style hot pot except for the dessert. But they have great Lychee-tini! Delish and refreshing.
(3)
Helen L.
Fri, Sat, & Sun lunch hot pot ranges from $11 to $13. Each person has their own personal pot, which is great if you are not into sharing germs. I had the Tokyo soup-I think the lady said it was a fish soup base or chicken soup base. I can't tell the difference. There's a choice of meat: Beef, Pork, and Lamb (very thinly sliced). You control what cooks first which is kind of fun. There's no mob mentality of "Let's put everything in", you get to decide. There's strange fish balls or meat balls and inside there's strange filling. Interesting! I had tripe, spinach, and lots of cabbage. There's the satay dip, and ginger, etc. We had the corner table away from the crowd, so it was quiet and private. Service was okay. You have to flag them down. For the price, I thought it was worth it. If you have a big party, they give you a private room.
(3)
Yun C.
They were on restaurant.com . We had a gift certificate. We came, ate, left. I never really understand why it's such a trend to pay $15-20 for a place to provide you with a stove, pot, raw food, broth, and you cook your own meal. I can do that at home, I just need to go to the grocery. I digress. My family and I ordered from the regular menu some dim sum dishes, noodle, and curry. All dishes were good size, the dim sum is fairly large too, not skimpy little things. We ordered chicken curry and it was pretty good, except it was yellow curry and we couldn't really tell the potato and chicken apart. My daughter felt she ate a lot of potatos which she thought were chicken. It was ok.
(2)
Mimi L.
MY FAVORITE HOT POT PLACE TO GO TO on A COLD DAY!! EVEN HOT DAY! I love spicy food and man was their soup spicy! great service! great food! GREAT DRINKS!
(5)
Ben H.
This place is fantastic, its a whole new kind of hot pot experience. The veggies and meat are fresh and are of the highest quality. I got the Mongolian broth with the rib-eye slice and it was delicious. The atmosphere is inviting, and higher end so it would be an appropriate area for a date, or a group outing with friends. Dishes average about 20ish, but the experience if fun and priceless. Desserts are great also! Cant wait to come back again!
(5)
Ray Y.
So so Dim sum and individual Hot Pots. Had the Tokyo and HK hot pots. My daughter loves it here but it's ok in my opinion!
(3)
Mary H.
I'm a huge fan of Hot Pot (Shabu shabu), we got a coupon for buy one and get one free in the mail so we decided to give it a try! For the price that we paid, two for one, it's definitely a great deal! I love my spicy "mala" hot pot while my husband enjoyed a more mellow pot of "Tokyo" style. The portions of veggies and meat are really generous, they gave us a lot of meat for one person. I wish they had more variety when it comes to sauces. I liked the complimentary fruit, coconut pudding, sweet taro sago soup and mango dessert. Overall, I enjoyed my experience here, the service is actually very prompt for a chinese restuarent and very attentive!
(5)
Chris A.
As it's name alludes to, Little Fire Pot gives you a taste of the fire and brimstone of Hell. Basically you boil cabbage (and a tidbit of meat and other stuff, but mostly cabbage) in water and then dip it in a tablespoon of sauce before consumption. You have to choose one of several styles of hot pot, with their different sets of additives, and each with a different sauce. You only get a choice of ONE dipping sauce. They offer you Food Hell, as you have to slog through your whole meal with only one flavor to everything. I hated my choice of sauce so asked for another one, which they obliged, but it is not normal procedure. Nor is it apparently customary for them to offer you more sauce. It's ridiculous to think that a customer would be able to eat a pound+ of food off just a tablespoon of sauce. Also, the sauce quickly becomes diluted by the 'broth' (read: water). Also, I don't get why they can't give everyone a selection of all the sauces, for variety. It's not like this place is cheap, either. They could afford to... I dunno, what is the word for when you're not splurging? Adequate. They could afford to be adequate.
(2)
hime s.
Pretty average good food. Nothing special. Maybe would of added another star if I ate some free dessert that was good. 1 star for decent service, no problems 1 star for pretty and comfortable environment, clean 1 star for big portions of food pro: everyone gets their own hot pot cooker, free dessert (pudding do not know what else did not have any), our 20% off coupon :) con: broth was not that flavorful (vegetable combo & tokyo combo) price: $70 something for 4 with 20% off coupon not including tip. Each order was $20 on the menu.
(3)
jason g.
I think I came at a very good time. I guess the 7 months wait to try this restaurant has paid off. I saw most of the bad reviews and I agree with philip w. some of the reviews were not based on visiting this establishment at all. The decor is like your typical shanghainese/taiwanese type restaurants in China. For those who haven't been to Shanghai. The inside is very modern with an asian theme. High ceiling with nice ceiling lamps. I believe their furniture was all from China. It has a very nice decor. Yes, the menu is very confusing. For this restaurant less information would be more beneficial. I ndividual pots which I like. Extensive menu which I don't like. 4 different types of broths. 4 different types of combinations. You can order everything ala carte. It's not all you can eat and yes the free dessert is good. They have dim sum as well Upgrade the beef for a few dollars more.
(4)
Joe Z.
I've only been to this place twice and both times was mediocre, bordering on bad. But: Grand opening March 13 @ noon. Plus they have a 50% off (edit: dinner only) special supposedly during that week (13th to 19th). That would be quite the steal. I'll make sure to check out this place, pass final judgment and write a detail review then.
(3)
Fontane L.
I was initially excited about Little Fire Pot, but some of the reviews from fellow Yelpers made me a bit wary (regarding freshness). I have to say that I'll go back if necessary (i.e. one of my friends want to go) but I can't say I'm a big fan. The place looks clean enough, with lots of food options. I like that they have hot pot combo meals - with different types of broth and veggie ingredients according to the regional hot pot traditions (e.g., Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Szechuan, etc.). I think it's a great idea! However, I think execution could to be better. I would have preferred higher quality ingredients but less quantity. I ordered the Hong Kong, and the non-veggie items accompanying my lamb was a bit stale-looking (i.e. hard and unappetizing). Admittedly, they were fine once I boiled them for a long while, but I would have liked to see better quality. The lamb was okay, but a bit tough. I think the place has potential, but they're perhaps trying to provide too much variety at the expense of quality. They would do much better if they just stuck to one or two styles and did it really well, stocking the freshest ingredients.
(2)
uncle m.
Love the idea of everyone gets their own pot. The Mongolian and sichuan soup base are my favorites. A bit pricy that's why I eat there once or twice a month. Owner and waitress are friendly and the restaurant is super clean. Private room with two tables that can host around 20 people.
(4)
B B.
Came here for my friend's birthday. We sat in one of their private rooms. The rooms were pretty cool and everyone had their own pot. But it seemed like everyone was so far away from each other. I wish they also had on of those rotating tables in the center. It got pretty annoying passing food around. They also had a nice flat screen with digital cable. I really enjoyed their appetizers. I believe they stop serving appetizers around 7pm or 7:30. I think it might have been their happy hour menu. But they were nice enough to let us order after 8pm. We ordered their popcorn chicken, edamame with garlic & peppers, onion pancake and curry, french fries with nori, and some dim sum. My favorite was the popcorn chicken. It was very addicting. Their dim sum was really good too! I enjoyed their shrimp hargow (my favorite) and would definitely order it again. Oh I forgot about their shabu shabu. It was okay. I think its actually better to order from the a la carte menu. I ordered 2 types of meat ($9.99), a soup base (starting at $2.99), fresh tofu (around $2-$3), and fried taro (around $2-3) and a side order of rice. My bill was around $22 (including tax). 3.5 stars. I'll probably be back for their appetizers and dim sum.
(4)
Maggie U.
So my bf and I decided to give this place a try, and we were not really impressed. First, customer service is not up to par. Our waitress was not friendly, and I felt rushed when ordering. The food was ok. I liked the fact that they had numerous broths to choose from, and there were different variety of veggies, but was disappointed to see that they didn't give enough slices of meat. I also find it hard to wave down a waitress because they seem to be over the place, so it took us a while to get our check.
(2)
Belinda C.
i'm ok with this place,, i just long over due with this review. i came here with a bunch of friends a while ago and we made reservations.. which i would recommend on a weekend. you can order the set menu based on what you feel like. Hong Kong style, taiwanese or shabu shabu and much more. and you can add adddtional things to your order if you want. if you don't like the set menu you can order individual things off the list and create your own dish.. i got the taiwanese style and the potions are SUPER big.. there was not way i was able to finish it. the best part about this place is all you can eat desserts.. they have the tapioca sweet water dessert and pudding. overall, it's a cool place to chill with your friends. but honestly.. i really hate cooking even if it's just adding something into hot water =)
(3)
Amy N.
Me & my boyfriend decided to eat here for dinner since it was near our home & I was really disappointed! Service was really bad, the waitress wasn't all that friendly nor did she know what she was talking about or presenting to us! Food was alright, there are way better hotpot restaurants to go to!
(1)
Iris M.
This is my second time coming to little fire pot and judging from the last time the service was much better. This time around the servers didn't bother to check if we needed anything, constantly had to wave a waiter/waitress down. Plus there wasn't really any friendly welcome, it was just come in, get seated, and "so what's it going to be." lastly, most of the servers mainly attends to other customers...most of them Asian. I probably would only come back here for happy hour but other than that I wouldn't come back here again.
(2)
Cindy L.
great soup base! kind of pricy though. paid 42 bucks for one person!
(4)
Nit C.
Overall, the food is alright. You do get your own pot to cook the food. We had the hot pot selection for ~$20: I had the Mongolian style which I recommend. It includes a variety of vegetables, fish balls, choice of meat and a choice of side. It was definitely filling. Everything about the meal was alright. None of the ingredients stood out though. They did have dessert buffet of watermelon which was super sweet. The taro soup and and coconut jello was pretty good as well.
(3)
Lisa M.
It's what you get for being too lazy to drive out to San Mateo to Little Sheep or too impatient to look for parking in the Richmond for Shabu House. This place is A-Okay for the price. Soup is nothing that will blow you away here because it's pretty bland. 19.99 for your choice of Mongolian Soup Base, Super Spicy,Hong Kong Style, Taiwan Style, Japanese , Vegetarian. Comes with a HUGE bowl of veggies, mushrooms and varieties stuff you normally eat for hot pot... and big platter of meat. Oh yeah, they won't refill your soup unless you request it. Nope, not even with it's down to one millimeter .... just gotta ask. Dessert here is self service. Taro sago. Bland just like their soup. Just skip and go for the fruits.
(3)
phillip w.
Wow, I came here like a month ago and I see so many 1 star reviews lol..but whats this!??! One person gave this place one star for having to wait in line for 4.5 minutes?? ARE YOU SERIOUS? please don't review a place just for the sake of it, how stupid.. Anyways, fire pot has a pretty good concept going but like all new things, it doesn't always appeal to everyone. Thats fine...Anyhow you have two options here, either get a combo and eat what they serve you in the combo or just order your own dishes like the usual hotpot. They have about 4 different types of broths for you to cook your food in and that's pretty much it. I personally think its cheaper to order your own instead of the combo. I wasn't too fond of the combo. This place can do better and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Their service was very very accommodating, nice and helpful. Was always around if we needed anything so I don't see what everyone was talking about how service was so downright horrible. But yes of course great service cant make up for food that doesn't appeal.
(3)
Cecile S.
The experience there wasn't bad. The food was fairly fresh and shabu stations worked perfectly. However, the mix of food in each shabu shabu order was not very well put together. They have shabu shabu mix plates from different regions of asia such as japan, china, taiwan etc. However, there wasn't a real taste difference between the different mixes. I felt there as not enough food for one person in each order. I like my dinners with a lot of meat so this is not a meat lovers place, even with the additional cost for ordering extra meat. The sauces that they provide are also not very good. The wait staff was also very nice and professional. They even explained shabu shabu to individuals who do not know what it is. I believe they answered every question very well when asked. Chinese and english speakers welcome. Overall, you can try this place once and will be happy, but it is not good enough to keep you comming back. Ever.
(3)
Phil D.
Shabu-shabu, dim sum and a non-chain restaurant in Daly City!? How can you go wrong!? Whatever time of day you desire to stroll into Little Fire Pot, you will not be disappointed. They have a slew of assorted flavors for your boiling water of choice. Personal favorites? Try the Sichuan broth if you like your meat spicy, or go Mongolian if you prefer it a little bit more salty and just a hint of spiciness. In the mood for dim sum? At a shabu house!? This place has it all! They have the traditional har gow (shrimp dumplings) and shui mai (pork dumplings), but have you tried deep-fried lobster balls!? With some savory salty powder, even!? Yeah, it's an option. In addition, they're open late for the adventuring stragglers or before dinner for happy hour specials, so you can try their fare at discounted rates. Super clean bathrooms, 2010-style decor and attentive service round out a wonderful San Francisco-like dining experience -- in the cesspool known as Daly City to boot! If you want the full experience, they've got two private rooms, customized with karaoke. You can't go more Asian than that! Oh, and there's FREE dessert with any purchase of a meal. Did I mention that this place is in Daly City!? The land of Elephant Bar and In-N-Out!? In a world of anything-goes Zoning and cookie-cutter chain restaurants, Little Fire Pot is a breath of fresh air.
(5)
Jenny H.
Regardless of all the bad reviews for this place, I still wanted to try it out for myself. I mean with Daly City being foggy and cold 80% of the year, this place has to work right? Who doesn't want hot pot on a cold day. Walking in I was very impressed with the decor. Everything was lovely and I absolutely adored the idea of individual hot pots. I've never experienced that since all the hot places I've gone to, everybody shares one communial pot. Another plus was that they had five preset menus or a la cart style from different Asian areas. I liked this idea but when I actually read what was served, it made me think twice. Lots of intestines, tripe, and porks blood was included in each preset menu. With that said, I decided to go with the preset menu from Tokyo which consisted of meat and mainly all vegetables. Nothing too crazy. But this is where it all started going downhill. The first disappointment started with the broth since it was pretty flavorless. Second the meat it came out with was on the skimpy side. I swear I could have had two of those plates and still be hungry. I was not a happy camper forking over $20 for hot pot and not even getting full. On the bright side, I gave them an extra star for giving free dessert and fruits. Probably the best part of the meal that day. I really wished I could have liked this place since it's the perfect city to have hot pot!
(2)
Alex A.
Happy & Satisfied: I circled around looking for this place. It's not easy to find because it's actually on Lake Merced Blvd. I normally don't wear my glasses, but today I was hoping to look smarter, but I didn't look very smart with fogged up glasses when I first walked into Little Fire Pot. With my fogged up glasses, the paper menu (they should make it nicer) was hard to read. Ordering food is different compared to other hot pot restaurants. We got an explanation from the nice waitress of how to order. You basically choose different styles and you can add more side orders to it. LFP gives everyone their own little pot and hole in the table to keep the pot boiling. They kept bringing out the pots and sticking it in the hole, but forgot to turn on the electric stove thing. You basically push one button to turn the stove on and turn the dial clockwise to increase the temp. The food came quickly, but some instructions would have been nice. I guess if they give you things to put in your food you should use it. So I stuck everything in and it ended up tasting good anyway =D All the waitresses must have asked us how everything was going like a dozen times. They were super attentive and nice. So I asked one of them how she was doing. =P All of them seem pretty nice. One of them explained to us that they also have karaoke and they're planning to also serve dim sum in the future. hmmm... Sounds interesting. While I was eating, I thought I would only give 3 stars, but by the time I got home i was smiling and was thinking about wanting to go back and try it again, so 4 stars for Little Fire Pot. Keep up the good work =D
(4)
Natalie G.
Looking for hot pot but don't wanna trek all the way out to San Mateo? Come to Little Fire Pot in Daly City and I dare say that it's wayyyyyyyyy better than Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot =]. For starters, you won't have to dish out $4 for soup per person and you can't beat having your own personal mini pot! Yes, you read me and you probably read all the other reviews, you get YOUR OWN mini pot with a great portion of soup. At the same time you can still enjoy a good convo face to face with your party (if you're not sitting at the bar). Soup ranges from $2.50 to $3.xx, from plain dashi to broth to super spicy to cater to each person's taste in your party. I can say to the BF, "HA! I don't have to take your spicy soup anymore!!!" I'm sure he's also happy that he doesn't have to share his soup with me and can order all the spicyness he wants. The meat is super fresh. When I say super fresh, I mean they slice your meat AFTER you order it so you don't get no pre-cut/pre-frozen meat, you get meat straight off the slicer and meat that isn't brittle so you can pick it up with your chopsticks and drop it straight in the pot. In fact, they make all their ingredients freshly cut. None of that frozen stuff unless you want frozen tofu. Aside from the unique personal pots, if you order the house meat/pork/shrimp/fish balls, it comes fresh in a interesting looking hallow bamboo (haha jook sing joke) and you get this nifty tool to break the meat into whatever portion or size you want. For the BF, it became 3 meat balls. Tastewise, the BF loved the meatballs, it tastes like FRESH Siu Mai (minus the wonton skin)!!! If you're going to with a couple or 2 pairs, I'd suggest to order each pair to order a combo and maybe an extra side of meat and tofu. You can even just order specific items that you want if you don't want whats in the combo meals. Oh, if you do decide to order a combo, you're not absolutely stuck with the choices, you can ask them to switch/replace some items with others. When your food arrives, it may look like what?! why is there so little, but in reality, it totally filled me and the BF up, and trust me, the BF is a BIG eater. Service-wise, the servers are very accommodating and very on top of things. At first, I was wondering why our food was taking so long to come to us but then I realized that they make their food fresh, even the meatballs. Be patient and you will be rewarded with great taste. We did chat with the owner after our meal and found out that they will be having a 50% off special between March 13 - 19, 2009 from 11am to 2pm for their Grand Opening week. The owner was also very nice and showed us around the private room where you can have private parties of 10/table or 14/table respectively. She also told us that they're planning to have a full bar as well as karaoke in the future, so keep your eyes and ears open lol. Ohh, we also found out that everything they use is custom-made from Taiwan from the pots to the bowls that hold your food. Really awesome. Oneeee more unique thing about this place is that they also serve dimsum. No more dirty Dim Sum King for us, we're definitely gonna hit this place up again to yum cha during the weekends. We found out that they make FRESH dim sum for your order if you order in. They also have a dim sum part that's opened for take out. The owner also mentioned that they will be having hot pot take out in the future where you can order the soup and ingredients and bring it home to your own pot. Overall, I'd say our experience here was pretty great, we still love our shabu shabu at Kufuya, but this place is great for Chinese and multiple styles of hot pot. We will definitely be coming back here again.
(5)
Mark W.
Not an all you can eat hot pot place but they give a bunch of food that should definitely be enough for you. It seems like the trend for the newer hot pot places is towards more of these non all you can eat spots. The way it works is you order one of their packages. They are priced around 18.99 to 19.99 per package. Each package will include a bunch of things and then you pick one of the meats and one of the noodles they have on the list. I think there are a pick of 3 from each list. And then if you want to upgrade to Ribeye, then it's $2 more. Upgrading to Seafood I think was $4 more. I believe there was 5 or 6 different packages: Sichuan (spicy), Mongolian, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taiwan, Vegetarian... There is slightly different broths for each and the items are just slightly different from each other. Everyone gets their own hot pot in front of their seat so that's one of the differences from most other hot pot places as most of the others, there is one bigger pot that everyone shares. All the items were fresh and the broth was very tasty. What I liked about this spot specifically is that they came around and refilled the broth pretty consistently and they filled it with the broth that you had ordered, not hot water like alot of other places. That's cool cause at alot of other spots, after they've refilled your hotpot with hot water a few times, there is no longer any taste in the broth. So that's probably my favorite thing about this place. They also had a fruit and desserts table near the back. The almond jello was really good and the soupy dessert they had was pretty good too. Fruitwise, they had cantaloupes and watermelons. It is a bit pricey since it is not an all you can eat place but they did seem to give more than enough food. Maybe next time i come, some of us can order the package and some can order ala carte. Other money saving tips below: Happy Hour Discount: 5p - 6p Daily 20% off (All Diners must be seated by 6:15p) Happy Hour Deals: 5p - 7p Daily $1 off beer $2 off wine and sake $5 cocktails
(4)
Helen L.
This place looks pretty grungy from the outside but I was surprised to find that it's actually pretty big inside with modern decor. My girlfriends and I came here for dinner and we thought this place was adorable. We went with the dinner sets and for under $20, you get your pick of meat (over 15 pieces), a huge bowl of assorted hot pot dippies (15-20 pieces), a side (rice/noodles/etc), and unlimited dessert; pretty affordable if you ask me! (Especially if you like variety.) Each one of their dinner sets is themed according to different places in Asia (Mongolia, Tokyo, Hong Kong, TaiPei, etc) and comes with corresponding ingredients and flavors. I also appreciate how each person gets his/her own pot..great for territorial people and nobody ends up wondering who ate his/her shrimp ball. All of the workers were also very attentive to refilling our waters, adjusting the strength of the hot plate, refilling our soup, etc. They offer a small dessert buffet of mango mochi, coconut jello, "tong sui", and fresh fruits. The mango mochi was delicious!! Too bad I stuffed myself before I could stomach so much as one piece of mochi =\ Definitely worth a try!
(4)
Brian V.
This will the the final shabu/hot pot review of the very much maligned cooking meat trilogy. My half-bra along with the little younglings clamored about this hot pot place place in Westlake and I did not have the heart to tell them that I had eaten some variation of it 2 days in a row already, this being the third. With a heavy heart yet a face displaying a plastered on fake smile, I awaited my destiny. We came around 6 pm on a Sunday and it was pretty empty. We were cheerily greeted by a wait staff still in high school and led to our table. My bra's wife, who happens to be Chinese, recommended the Taipei broth and I ordered a large plate of ribeye. A 3/4 dome of vegetables that resembled a nearly completed death star arrived quickly followed by the broth. Taking one whiff of the broth, I knew I should have opted for my bread n butter miso broth. It was brackish green and smelt like nothing more than boiled water. The ribeye was not so plentiful as all shabu places and I pretty much scarfed it up within 5 minutes. The controls to heat your shabu is hidden underneath you and takes some thumbing around. Unlike Shabu places where they give you a peanut sesame dipping sauce, Little Fire Pot gave some other type of dark sauce. In addition, there was no magical ponzu sauce, only soy sauce. As a result, the meat cooked from the broth was plain and I could not guise the taste with any third party flavorings. Bah humbug! The vegetables were aplenty however, the food just did not look appealing and I began to pick and play with my food like a little kid. I manipulated the temperature controls much to the delight of my nephew, turning my broth into a bubbling cauldron, then a calm green sea. After I finished my plate of meat, I playfully threatened to cook his third grade fingers into chicken tenders, much to his dismay. They don't have much selection for dessert. They have some cut watermelons and tapioca. Forget this place bra.
(2)
Tadaa T.
brand new establishment attracted plenty of people. As a frugal Chinese, I'm always on the look out for cheap deals, so there I was. After putting my name down on the waitlist, I was told by one of the guests that he's been waiting for 4 hours. Yes 4 hours. Some people actually left their numbers so that the restaurant could call them back when their table became available. We finally got seated after hour and half wait time. but after we sat, we waited for another 30 minutes for them to bring out the soup. I just don't understand why took them so long to bring out a pot of boiled water, with a few red dates and green unions and then they call it soup base. The food came, and to my suprise, there's only a couple pieces of each item arranged in a cereamic bowl. Yes there's variety, but just not enough of each to even tell what they taste like. We had the Szhechuan hot pot and the Mongolian hot pot. The Szechuan base was pretty good, but falied to give that numbing effect of Szechuan hot pot I've tried elsewhere in the past. My Mongolian soup base didn't have any flavor it in, I think it's due to the fact that the ingredients for the soup are added in just minutes before they bring the pot out. So the bottle of soy sauce and hot sauce and i became inseparable for the rest of the meal. One of the side orders that we ordered never showed up; we end up cancelling it since we were pretty much done with waiting. Don't know what all the hype is about, i guess the grand opening 50% off -your-bill special did indeed attracted many curious foodies. But as for myself, I think I'll exercise my frugality elsewhere next time.
(2)
Jiajia C.
I really wish this place could be good. A hot pot restaurant with 6 different broths, including the spicy Sichuan style? NIIICE! Problems: 1. The beef was horrendous. I suppose by adding more money I could've upgraded to the premium beef. But I wasn't aware the "regular" beef would be this low in grade and poorly thawed. 2. The vegetables/fish balls/other animal parts basket looked good when it arrived. But the tripe and duck feet skin were so, so smelly. Proper preparation for these items requires thorough cleaning and boiling. When your customer can taste the animal smell, you've failed! (and keep in mind that I had the spicy Sichuan broth. not even that could mask the stink) 3. The broth was no good either. So bland that I had to use other sauce for my beef. NOT your Little Sheep broth for sure. 4. They don't offer the double pots. 5. I was encouraged to get the combo for 20 bucks. I didn't feel like I received the value of $20. Two stars are given for the service and taro tapioca dessert at the end. Not a good place for hot pot.
(2)
Jack T.
The young management staff have a lot to learn about customer service. My mom made a reservation three days in advance. We showed up about 3 minutes late. Apparently the table we wanted was given to someone else. 3 minutes? Seemed like they were actually there for more than 3 minutes. Anyways, we were given the blame, citing store policy of being more than 15 minutes late (wth!?). Then, they tried to place us with another group of people at a bigger table. By that time I had had enough and just walked out. Judging from the rest of the reviews, the food's pedestrian for hot pot. Given their treatment of customers, they will have to kick it up many more notches before that kind of service is even remotely acceptable. Service FAIL.
(1)
Willa L.
I really really like the fact that you get your own pot. I got the mongolian soup base and it was pretty good. I added few dollars for the ribeye and was pretty full from it. In my bowl of goodies, I ended up eating most of the veggie. I seriously don't know what most of the stuff in my bowl were. Dessert was yummy but i was way too full to eat everything. My boyfriend ordered the sichuan soup base and WOW it was spicy!! and i can eat really spicy too. he got medium. I think a mild would be just perfect.
(4)
Jen R B.
I ate here with a friend and her family. We went one night on a short trip up to the bay area. I hadn't been here before and thought the place looked great on the inside. We had a table that you pull out circles of wood on the table and the pot goes in and cooks from there. They turn on the hot pots at our tables and we get a huge bowl of mixed veggies and whatever meat we pick. I forgot which one I picked. I think it was the Mongolian Mix. You cook the food yourself to your taste and I really enjoyed it. It was a TON of food though, so you'll want to go hungry!
(4)
Mike D.
Barffff...I just threw up in my mouth...exquease me... I went here Friday night with the fams to see what this place was all about... We saw the huge line of Asians waiting to get in... Usually that means it's pretty good...It was the Grand Opening as well... So we decided to wait a few days for it to die down a little... For me, they should have put Grand Closing... We went in and it was kinda packed, we were seated with other people, since there were no other tables available...I think that's what everyone else did, for the tables were quite big... So...onto the menu...WTF?!?! How the hell do you order?! We took like 20 minutes trying to figure it out...Brain surgery was a requirement... We were ready to leave, but decided to stay...In the words of Napolean Dynamite, "IDIOTS!!! GOSHHHH!!!" We observed the other patrons order their soups and watched them like hawks on how they prepared their meal...I knew they thought we were dumbasses...screw them!! LOL! So, we finally ordered our crap... I had the Sichuan style with $4.00 extra seafood combo... The broth was very spicy and to my disappointment, had no flavor... Beef inerts and and other interesting items didn't look appetizing... The tripe was hard and chewy...and there were interesting unknown alien pieces that looked like sea cucumbers...is that hole the anus portion? BARFF My bro asked me what those bunched up mushrooms were...I knew what it was, but failed to tell him...heh, heh, heh!!! I told him, "It's was good, try it!"....As he was chomping away, I told him that he was eating sea anemonies...he spit it out...it was hilarious... Anyways, the only thing I liked were the Shrimps, Scallops, some select pieces of fish, Taro, Cabbage, Spinach, Fishballs and some of the thinly sliced beef and ribeye my fams let me try... Pretty pricey, I'd rather get Pho a block away!!!! This place should get 0.5 Stars...Hey, at least the service was good!!
(1)
Jerome W.
The fact that there's usually a line means most people are ignoring the one star ratings, and I suggest you do too. But there are pluses and minuses to this place, Like, I'd like to see a better dessert bar. This one gave a choice of melon or one other item. Also, I'd rather have my choice of unlimited food, even though I'd probably just eat the same amount they serve here. In fact, been here three times and never finished all my veggies. On the plus side, there's a parking structiure nearby and elevators to ground level. Go at a slow time and not much waiting. And even though the broth is bland, you can add your own spices which the waitress will bring to you. There are standard dishes you can order and then for small extra charges you can upgrade or add items. I'll just post a scan of the take out menu and you can check the pictures and see for yourself.
(3)
sHoo o.
I sent back my water class, my soup bowl, my soup plate and the ladle because they were all DIRTY. That was unsettling. But I braved it out and it was alright all in all but I hear my tummy grumbling right now..... this won't be pretty.
(2)
Allan M.
I had to come here 4 times before I was ready to write a review for Little Fire Pot. The fact that I actually came back over and over again means that I really enjoy coming here. Basically, for about $20, you get a set based on the style you want. You can choose either Hong Kong, Japan, Mongolian, Szechuan, or Vegetarian. Once you choose that, you pick either beef, pork, lamb, or seafood (couple dollars extra) as well as your side (rice, udon, etc). You then get your pot of broth on your own stove, a plate of meat or seafood, and a BIG bowl of stuff, which varies based on the style you selected. The bowl looks overwhelming at first, but its stuffed with veggies on the bottom...so don't be deceived. After you get all that, you're ready to go! I honestly can't describe what you get in your bowl. 75% of the time, I have no idea what I'm eating. But it tastes good...so I don't care. The BEST part about this place is the DESSERT!! The watermelon is ALWAYS sweet!! The cantaloupe and honeydew are very ripe as well. And of course, I can't forget about the warm Taro sago dessert! YUM! This place is getting pretty popular. I came on a Saturday at 7:30pm and there was a pretty good wait. Luckily, there was a table for 6 that my party of 3 shared with a very nice family of 3! I think the quality is better at a place like Shabu House, but I have a lot more fun at this place! The decor is nice, staff is friendly, and the dessert puts it over the top!
(4)
Miya F.
I honestly feel guilty about giving a one star review, and part of me wants to go back to give it another chance but I just can't bring myself to do it. Here's the deal. Me and my boyfriend decided to check this place out as I had a 50% off dim sum coupon. I really should have listened to him when he said "you don't want to eat discount dim sum" but I never learn. We ordered both dim sum and a hot pot. Like others said, walking in, the place looked cute . It was decorated nicely and seemed clean. The waitress who sat us was nice as well. But then came the food.... We ordered shanghai dumplings and after biting into it my boyfriend spit it into his napkin. The pork inside of it was RAW. We let the waitress know (because this is something that can really make people sick) and she just took the plate back. Didn't apologize or anything. The rest of the dim sum was mediocre until I got to the shu mai where I found a hair steamed into my dumpling!!!! Gross. We didn't even bother telling the waitress. Our server then appeared with another order of shanghai dumpling to make up for the raw one. We told her we didn't want it and she seemed angry. The icing on the cake. As we had pretty much abandoned our dim sum we were eating our hot pot and dipping the meat in the sauce on the side when I found a fly in the sauce. 3 strikes and your out. Throughout the meal we had to ask for things that should have been provided such as spoons or plates and some things were never brought. Bottom line: I would not recommend this place to anyone. At least any one I liked.
(1)
Joanna W.
I received a coupon in the mail for a get one entree free when you buy one entree and two beverages so I decided to try this place. First mistake: instead of ordering two cheap beverages (ie soda for $3 each), we ordered a pitcher for $14. Second mistake: eating almost everything. After looking over the menu, we ordered the Deluxe Sichuan mala entree with lamb, Deluxe Mongolian entree with beef, 4 raw oysters, and a pitcher of beer. The entrees come with your choice of meat (lamb, beef short-rib, pork, seafood, or rib-eye), big bowl of veggies and more meat (beef balls, etc), soup base, choice of side (rice, noodles, etc), and dessert. For the choice of side, they'll ask if you want rice, but you can choose other sides such as udon, vermicelli, noodles. Raw oysters came sauce and tasted good. Desserts are against the wall between the restroom and banquet room. It's basically all you can eat. On the night I was there, they had red bean tapioca, coconut pudding, watermelon, and some mango juice with some stuff in it. Being not-so-big eaters, I should have stopped eating when I was 3/4 done with the meal but it tasted so darn good, I couldn't help myself. We went out feeling pregnant. Instead of ordering the entrees which is prix-fixed with a variety of veggies and balls, you can also separate plates - like Little Sheep or the pots. Nice decor; each person gets their own pot; roomy; hk pop music playing. Waitress and boss lady (or the person who I'm assuming is the boss lady) were very friendly and helpful. Bill came out to $45ish after coupon and tips.
(4)
Freckles H.
I was so excited to try this place since you get your own pot! My fiance always swoops in on the food I throw in there, sick of it. I thought this place would solve my problem, but it does and it doesn't. Yes, you get your own pot, loved it. However, the broth and the "package" meals were a total rip-off. I got the Mongolian set and it says it comes with 18 items. It sounded pretty good so I went with that. So, basically I got 1of everything, but 2 of the cheap stuff like tofu. 1 beancurd, 1 shrimp ball, 1 beef ball, 2 tofu, etc. and a whole LOT of vegetables. The noodles were just a small bowl, maybe 2 bites worth. It was $20 for my set menu. The Mongolian broth wasn't very flavorful at all, but luckily my package came with a sauce which I had to use on top of everything. My 2 friends ordered a la carte and they woulda been charged if they wanted sauce as well, shady! There were 4 of us and no one liked their meal. I got full off of the free taro tapioca, had to have like 4 bowls. So sad... I will say the service was excellent, but the food was lacking. I would rather pay $5 more for all you can eat at The Pots, which has better food and broth. I'll just have to continue to watch my food like a hawk when I have hot pot or I can just not bring my fiance. Hmm, who will pay though?
(2)
Hideo Y.
We went there for dinner on Thursday night, I ended up with a severe case of stomach flu at 2AM, the nasty bug lasted 24 hours, not only I could not sleep all night with stomach ache, threw up big time in the morning and a bad case of total diarrhea, complete loss of all energy and desire on Friday, missed work. Now it is Sunday, I am still slowly recovering my strength and drive, so tired to even drive, still have no desire for food and cannot hold much. Only lucky thing was my wife had her own pot, so we did not share the same bad food. Avoid this joint completely.
(1)
Kathleen C.
1 star for service \ 1 star for desert No drinks, 2 hot pot combos (mongolian base w/ ribeye, and Taipei w/ lamb) and an extra side of lamb came to $60 For the quality, not worth it. Taipei base tasted like chicken broth and the soup and vegetables are the majority fillers. We regretted ordering the extra lamb dish becuase the portion and cutting wasn't as pleasing and it was 7.99 . so nah... when you boil your food, the taste of the soup doesn't stick. Surprise in every bowl, garanteed to have 1 item to get you to think "wtf is this??" -not necessarily a bad thing, it was good for a few laughs for the best surprising delicacy, try the ever expanding fish ball that grows larger than an egg the longer u let it cook. If you tried little sheep, don't bother. I don't see a big deal in sharing a hot pot. Those little individual hot pots try to make it special being your own, but not worth it for the overall package after the bill came I would have rather went to shabu shabu all you can eat yummies for under what we paid and got extra veggies, mushrooms and big platters of meat instead of a surprise bowl.
(2)
Vivian L.
Hot pot...lots of people sharing one communal pot...a germaphobe's (not me, my boyfriend) worst nightmare. He is usually against this type of eating but HE'S the one who wanted to go to Little Fire Pot. Love: Individual pots (no one has to share!) Selection of hot pot styles (i.e. Shabu-Shabu, Taiwanese, Sichuan, Hong Kong, etc) Interesting meatballs, fishballs, fishpaste thingys Decent portions Desert station Price Not a fan of: The dippy sauces (Tried to make it better by adding chili and cilantro but just made it worst) Daly City fog My advice: Don't drive all the way from SF to dine here. If you're down here for some reason, go but get the Sichuan hot pot.
(3)
Prascilla L.
First of all, Little Sheep Hot Pot Rocks!!! It is remarkably true after trying Little Fire Pot's version of Mongolian hot pot. New restaurant open in Westlake area and after seeing all the commercials on Chinese television, decided to give it a try. Oh well, it is A-Ok! With the price (set dinner is around $20 per person), would rather stay home and enjoy my own hot pot. There are 6 different combos to choose from. While the soup base is more or less the same - either chicken broth or the spicy type; the ingredients are not much of a difference either. Like the Taipei combo, it was actually chicken broth with 2 pieces of scallion floating on top and my Mongolian combo, the soup has a few more Chinese herbs in it for added flavor. Anyway, I would say it is good in the sense of sanity reason since you will have your own pot and don't have to share, especially maybe on your first date :) Otherwise, I will just stay home and hot pot in my jammies.
(3)
Denise B.
I feel like the menu is really confusing here. So hopefully the way I explain it makes it easier for someone else than it was for me. It's a hot pot place. Everyone eating gets their own little hot pot to cook their own food. Everyone orders for themselves. You can order 2 ways: preset or a la cart. Preset, just pick a type of menu and you can narrow down the options from within that menu like the spiciness of the broth or the specifics of the meats. A la cart means you have to pick everything from the broth you cook your foods in to the specific foods you want to cook. Me being a fussy eater that doesn't like veggies, didn't want a combo or predetermined menu because I knew I just wouldn't want all the weird veggies. So I just did the a la cart, picked out a broth, and a ton of meat and maybe 2 veggies I liked. And it was plenty of food and I was a content and happy girl. Unless you get the spicy broth, the other broths are pretty much tasteless fyi. And the veggies are in huge portions if you order a la cart so maybe consider sharing your a la cart portions with other people in your group. The meat is so cheap, that you should not expect the finest cuts. But it is what it is, a fun experience. And they give you a ton of chili sauces and soy sauce and other stuff to dip to make your stuff taste better. Not the cheapest meal I've ever had, but not the worst either, I left pretty full with what I ordered and it was all under $20 and all the prix fix menus were under $20 too. All you can eat dessert bar has fresh fruit and jello. I honestly think the almond jello was the best part of the meal.
(3)
Patrick C.
Hot pot place with individual pots for each person...awesome!! Multiple differ types of broth, differ types of combo, free desert, and all for $19.99 is a good deal. You do have to upgrade the beef for a few bucks more...but well worth it. They also have a all-u-can eat option for $29. Service is good but can get slow at times when the place gets packed.
(4)
Mark S.
We go at least twice a month and always 20% off from 5-6pm M-F (10% on Wknds). We order the hot pot with beef for me and lamb for her. Large bowl of mixed vegitables slowly go into the soup along with your meat. When we are done (completely full) there is still this delicious soup. The desert buffet is the perfect finish to the meal. The staff are terrific, always ready with any request and we don't feel rushed so it is an enjoyable meal for both of us.
(4)
Albert W.
We didn't try the hot pot here but the food was ok. We tried red wine breaded pork chop. This is an interesting dish since it's sorta fusion food with the wine that is made only by the people who came from the same provinces as my parents. The malaysian curry is amazingly good since I will not think this will be good in this type of restaurant (taiwanese?) Anyway, should try the curry if you are there.
(3)
Jenny W.
Oh Little Fire Pot, I would have came back whenever I craved for hot pot and was too lazy to drive. You have lost my business. FOR GOOD. Today was my second time here, I saw they had all-you-can-eat for $28.50 so hey why not? I spent around $23 last time for just a regular pot after adding a coup base and upgrading the meat choice to ribeye. The food is cool, the soup base tries to be like Little Sheep. I mean, everything is ok. The food is 3-3.5 stars. There is not all that much service, I do like how they have watermelon and sweet tofu laying out for you to grab. So we are chomping away, and we were doing pretty good. All that was left over was 2 pieces of corn, some spinach, napa cabbage, and tong ho. I was thinking that they were mighty generous with veggies, since each one was brought out on a huge plate and it was full. When I had corn with the regular pot I ordered there was only one piece. Just like one piece of cauliflower, one meatball, one of anything really and a handful of cabbage & spinach. So you can imagine why I was surprised they were so generous with the all-you-can-eat portions. We did really well on not wasting food, but there was just way too much veggies. There was a total of three giant plates of different veggies. The meat plate was about 2/3 the veggie plates, but the veggies were piled high and mighty and overflowing. So the waitress comes around the second time in my over one hour meal. I let her know she can clean up and I am done. That's when she informed me that whatever I did not finish, I was going to have to pay for it. Well, I have a problem with eating three mountain high piles of veggies. I ate almost half of it, and how come nothing was ever mentioned earlier? Like when I was ordering? How about: Hey we give you gigantic portions of veggies. Or maybe hey you have to pay for what you don't finish. Or how about you should only ask for quarter portions of veggies because it's so cheap that we give you so much so you'll be full and won't eat the meat? I looked at her like WT effffffffers? Seriously? I asked: So you are going to charge me for the vegetables? She was like: yeah it's on the all-you-can-eat menu. I read that menu! I didn't see it. It's probably super NOT obvious to trick poor suckers like me. So I was like fine. I mean, what can I do? I can't finish the vegetables. So my bf asks: how much are we going to get charged? She replied: well it's up to management. But yes we charge for whatever you don't finish. I give her my card to pay. Then she comes back and tells me: Oh you guys didn't get charged this time, but next time you will be charged. Well you know what, there will NOT BE A NEXT TIME. Peaceeeeeeeeeeeeeee! She ruined my dinner. I don't feel thankful. She should have just found out if I was going to get charged in the first place, or warn me I ordered enough vegetables to feed an army, or that I would have to pay for what I don't finish. Their all-you-can-eat menu is just a piece of paper where you check the box next to what you want. Sorry if I was not on the lookout for you have to pay for every bite you can't squeeze into your belly. Caveat emptor. I will never eat here again. So no next time. You can go suck someone else's blood.
(1)
Derrick L.
People who gave this place a good review haven't been to Little Sheep. The broth is bland, the stuff isn't fresh, the meat is TOO fatty (almost looked like bacon), the portions are tiny, and the service sucks! We didn't have any bowls so my mom asked for some and the waitress gave her a bowl. A single bowl. So I had to go to other empty tables to grab bowls. I know they're new, and maybe working out kinks here and there, but service wasn't the important thing. The taste is. I got the Mongolian style, and when my pot came to my table, it TRIED to look like Little Sheep, it really did, but the smell wasn't there, the taste was wayyyyy off. There was almost no flavor to the soup at all. I've never had to use dipping sauces @ L.S. and I wound up drowning my stuff in soy sauce and SaCha sauce just so I can eat it. Granted, it's cheap, a roughly $21 a person, I'd rather shell out another $10 and be happy @ Little Sheep. FAIL.
(1)
Kim H.
This place is a contemporary style hot pot place. They have hot pot foods, but the size and placement of the pots appear to cater more to individual dining. It is still possible to share pots, but maybe 2 per person is the max. 3 people sharing made it awkward because of the pot position. They have a pre-fixed menu that includes the broth, noodles, meat, and vegetables from $17-20. It makes choosing everything easier and they come out nicely presented. However, it's enough for 1 person. There's a minimum of $10 order per pot. With the prefixed order, you get to grab their dessert from their cute dessert bar. They have assortment of fruits, tapioca, and sweet jelly. Might give an extra half star for this if I could. The food itself was nothing really spectacular. The bowls were particularly small and that made for grabbing food little by little more often than i liked. The decor is nice and the atmosphere is definitely nicer than traditional hot pot places. They even have a little zen garden by the entrance. the people were overwhelmingly helpful. We were often asked the same question multiple times by different servers. If you feel like eating hot pot alone, this is the place to be. With a group... maybe. It's pricier than what I would like for the amount of food. Overall... A-ok.
(3)
David L.
I thought the idea for paying $20 ($25 w/ tax & tip) for a bowl of soup is excessive. Especially for a bowl of soup that you have to make yourself. Didn't housewives in China served hotpot to their families because they were busy, and didn't want to spend the time to slave hours over the stove to feed family and guests??? Since this crap is so easy to prepare (raw vegetables and meats) why is it so friggen expensive??? But if you enjoy blowing your money away on food that had no preparation at all, and you have to cook yourself.. enjoy this place... I'd rather spend $50 (dinner for two) on a real dinner at any other restaurant in the area.
(1)
Cat T.
I like this place bc of the options! To have hot pot, chinese food, or DIMSUM (even AT NIGHT). Sometimes the service can be off but just be sure to tell the host. Tons of parking! They even offer good shabu package deals (good deal but not recommended for picky eaters! But still good enough for 2 less than $20-$25) and they also have eat all you can. + free fruits and desserts (taro soup, almond pudding, etc)
(5)
Sydney L.
Good atmosphere, food is okay.
(3)
Wes C.
One of my main gripes with hot potting is having to share the pot with a bunch of people. Here you get your own little pot to use as you please. There are various soup bases for you to choose from. Looking at other people's pots, I couldn't tell the difference between a hong kong or mongolian soup. I ordered the sichuan soup base with the supreme ribeye. Both were somewhat disappointing. The soup looked pretty good when they brought it out. Despite its initial appearance, it wasn't very spicy at all. The meat wasn't that great either. I'm wondering if they screwed up my order and gave me regular beef instead of ribeye. I noticed that the cuts of meat in general were incredibly inconsistent in quality. We had 3 orders of lamb at our table, each varied greatly in the marble and color of the cuts. Each 20 dollar order comes with your choice of meat, assortment of vegetables and rice/noodle dish. The portions are generous. The prices are very reasonable and it's nice to know that there's at least one hot pot place that doesn't nickel and dime you for every little freakin thing. If you're seated by 6PM, 20% discount off the entire bill (not sure if that includes alcohol). Plenty of parking. Menu for lunch appears to be the same, but much cheaper. I'd probably come here again for lunch only.
(2)
Bunnie L.
Great hotpot/shabu shabu restaurant for the price. I love how they have different set dinners that is accomodating to different customer's preference. I got the herbal soup mongolian set which was alot more food than some other places give. You can also order a la carte if you feel it's not enough. I also like the fact that you each get your individual boiling pot. They have a complimentary fruit/dessert table which is nice but beware of the can milk they put out for you to drizzle over your dessert. My friend ate it before finding out that the milk smelled sour. Other than that my experience was very pleasant and will probably be back if I'm craving hot pot or shabu shabu.
(4)
lucy l.
I was very excited, you get your own pot and own choice of hot pot style! It was definitely a different experience. The reason it is three stars is because they do not vent the steam and if you know hot pot there is a lot of steam! Where I was sitting the steam condensated on the ceiling and starting dripping all over me and my friends. That is gross!!! They knew this happens because when I told them they instantly knew to turn on the vent. Hello?!?! why didn't you do that early?!?! They tried to make up for it by offering better service and giving a 10% discount. But it just grossed me out too much to finish the night in a good note.
(3)
Michael W.
short review: skip it and go to "the pots" in the city (SF). long review: the combo selections they give for the price are not worth it. they bring the items in a large bowl but it's mainly cabbage and spinach. The serving size is for 1 and well everything is blah. The shrimp balls with filling were a miss. Everything on a one for one basis is better at "the pots". The only advantage you have here is the atmosphere, but it's not worth your time.
(1)
Jennifer W.
We have been regulars at the Little Fire Pot because of its authenticity of serving individual serving hot pot, just like the ones I had in Taiwan. Taiwanese love hot pots and they eat them year round even though the weather there is quite warm. Taiwanese love their satay sauce as dipping sauce for the hot pot and the ones served by LFP is the authentic stuff. Some people like the sauce creamy by adding a raw egg yolk. We usually order the Taipei Shabu-shabu with chicken and pork broth but they also have other flavors and styles (Hong Kong, Mongolian, Tokyo, etc). I ordered mine with pork and my husband ordered his with steak. The meat were on the lean side and just a little fat so they stay moist. For starch i picked udon and my husband picked thick vermicelli. There is a proper way to eat individual Taiwanese hot pots. The meal starts with a light broth which can be meat based or vegetable based. The server will bring you the meat, the vegetables, and the starch dishes. The portion of each dish is small but if you eat and cook the whole meal you will be quite full. I love LFP's vegetables selection (consists of green cabbage, spinach, tomato, corn) because they are the kind of vegetables that will give sweetness to the broth and will absorb all the flavor from the cooking so when you eat them they are delicious. The Taipei hot pot also comes with some delectable hot pot goodies like mochi pocket, fish ball with fish egg, fu-jien fish ball, egg dumpling, taro, fish dumpling. They are delicious! As you cook the vegetables, seafood, and meat, the flavor of the soup will intensify. It is only at the end of the meal that you savor the soup because it has all the essence of the food that you cooked. I always serve this soup to my 3 year old daughter with some white rice. She loves it so much she usually licks the bowl clean (she never licks her bowls). Since this is a family owned restaurant where the husband is a Taiwanese chef and the wife is Cantonese, the menu reflects both their background. Besides hotpot, they also serve Taiwanese and Cantonese dishes. I have tried their 3 plate cold cut appetizer as well as rice with meat sauce and both were very authentic. This is an outstanding restaurant that satisfy my hot pot craving at a reasonable price (less than $20/person and I always leave stuffed with leftover soup to take home). I am happy that they stick to the tradition which sometimes are not appreciated by the American audience. This place cannot be compared to Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot since that place serves Mongolian Hot Pot which is very different (their broth is well spiced and thus the food does not need any dipping sauce). The price is also not as steep as Little Sheep since for one price you get everything that you need for the meal so I know how much I will spend. It's a bit of a drive for me since i live in the Peninsula but I almost always stop by after a day in San Francisco because I know my family will have a healthy meal at a reasonable price.
(5)
Ian C.
Unlimited dessert was a plus. The portion for the price was not worth it. It was informational as your food selection came by choosing your choice of cultural hot pots. You're able to see the variations in the styles of each Asian cultural throughout Asian hot pots. I personally would not come back again but do recommend folks to try it at least once. I do also notice the place tend to attract the older groups in their 30s-60s
(3)
Patrick S.
Daily happy hour. As good as anything else in this fairly dismal neighborhood.
(3)
Ronnie L.
So we came here for dinner and ordered the all you can eat menu and ordered what we felt we could eat. We ate majority of the food however we ordered some veggies to go along with our dinner, not expecting to receive a whole napa cabbage and a mountain of veggies as our order. Upon conclusion of eating the waitress came back and said "o you didn't finish all your food we are going to have to charge you for all the wasted food. First off we didn't ask for the mountain of veggies that you gave us, second off a forewarning would have been nice. It's almost like they set you up so that they can charge you and then tell you that it's up to the manager on what the charge is. Upon telling the server to charge us she just came back saying the manager decided to waive the charge, sorry miss you're not doing me a favor, please charge me for the food so that I can report you to the BBB for unethical business practice. They just lost customers, no chance of redemption
(1)
Lily L.
One of the many reasons I really like Little Fire Pot is because you get your own individual hot pot!!--no more sharing germs with anyone else! In addition, you can choose the broth you like, again, don't have stick with what others like. The restaurant is pretty big, nicely remodeled, and can accommodate large parties. I went there for a birthday party and we had our own private room which can fit up to 20 people I think, but we had our own round table that seated 10 people in the private room. The service there was excellent, the owner, Steve, is extremely friendly and courteous. It's a great place for a large party, and shabu shabu is always fun with more people. I ordered the Tokyo Shabu Shabu set dinner which was $17.99 (the price is really decent here), and unlike other japanese shabu shabu I had, in addition to all the veggies, meats, and noodles, I also got two very unique savory mochi! I never had savory mochi before. It was soooo good. Desserts are unlimited, so even better! I will come back here again!
(4)
Jeff W.
induction cooking theinductionsite.com/how… that is the trick here with the individual soup pots so you can have your own pot of cooking liquid for your shabu shabu or asian fondue. it's really the best call on a cold winter's night. we came here a second time with the entire extended family so including kids it was 15 people. the really cool thing is that the large private room table here fit all of us and had room to spare. what also needs to be mentioned this time around is the tasty side dishes or small plates. we ordered and shared friend chicken wings, nori dusted french fries, spring rolls, and basil popcorn chicken. all nicely executed. on our table there were multiple orders of soups from spicy szechuan to mild hong kong style da bin lo. these soup pots were regularly refilled by our courteous waitstaff so we always had plenty to use for the big bowls of raw vegetables and meats that were placed before us. chinese hot pot is a fun family style dining experience. and to make things more fun here, there is a big screen TV and a FREE karaoke set up in the private room. great place to celebrate a birthday (which we did). free dessert consisted of watermelon, cantaloupe and tapioca taro soup. lunch is around $13 per person; dinner is around $20 per person. cool stuff!
(4)
Allido is N.
dont waste your time, drive to the sunset.
(1)
Cartman P.
Bottom line, NEVER GO BACK AGAIN. After reading those countless 1 STAR REVIEWS, we STILL wanted to just give it a try since we saw the HUGE line outside of the restaurant the other day.. (little did we know it was just because of the 50% off).. so today we went... hummm, this place is pretty dead already and this is what they call "grand opening"?!? well anyway, we both ordered Tokyo shabu shabu, one w/ regular, one w/ "Prime rib" for extra $2. HORRIBLE! you are not supposed to serve shabu shabu meat frozen! I eat shabu shabu all the time, and I've never seen this tiny sorry looking cut of meat... All you get it about 10 slices, and the texture, flavor, just everything about the meat is a joke, for what they charge for it - $20!! They serve 1 tea spoon worth of sliced onions and radish on the side which were super dried up.. Must be a left over from yesterday. Oh, and let's not forget to mention the most terrible rice I've had... it was yellow and crunchy... meaning it's more than 4 days old. (I'm a rice whore and I know this stuff). The service was mostly good and friendly, except that they came to offer some extra hot water to add in the pot...when I was all done. Yes, you get your own pot, BFD! and please don't call it a "Tokyo shabu shabu" because there is nothing tokyo about this pot, and you can never find a bad food like this in Tokyo. If you're about quality meat like me, go to Cafe mums near Japan center. or just anywhere else besides this place.
(1)
Fernando D.
It was with lots of excitement that I took my family and another couple to try Little Fire Pot, the concept of individual pots instead of a communal allowing different broths was promising. The atmosphere is inviting and the service is prompt. 2 of us ordered the Tokyo hotpot, and the 2 other adults ordered the Taipei and the Szechuan. All the food appeared as good quality and the selections were adequate for the price, but looks can be deceiving. When I was a little more than half the way done my stomach did not feel well and I was forced to run to the restroom to regurgitate all of the food violently. The staff was made aware of the situation and I received neither an apology, nor a discount on my bill. Later on that evening my friend who also ordered the Tokyo, became ill as well, and her husband (Taipei), had the runs until the next morning. The lack of concern by the staff, combined with what I have to assume is poor hygiene on their food prompts me to advise everyone I know to AVOID THIS PLACE! as it could be hazardous to your health.
(1)
Taylor W.
I love this place. I used to go here once a week. However, I recently became a student and can't come here anymore. I usually get the spicy one with rice with meat and add the hard boiled egg....soooo good. I kid you not! The restaurant is cute and the staff is nice, esp the owner. She's always so happy and welcoming.
(4)
Stanley C.
LITTLE FIRE POT On a cold, rainy, and windy day in Daly City, there is a place called Little Fire Pot, where you can keep yourself warm by dining on hot pot!!! I'd heard rave reviews from a friend of mine for this place, so we decided to check it out during a friend's birthday party. Instead of other hot pot places where you either order buffet-style or order each item individually, everyone here gets to order their very own hot pot! You can choose from up to 6 different hot pot combo packages, including, Mongolian, Hong Kong, Vegetarian, etc. (each package comes with 16-19 items, ranging from meatballs, fishballs, veggies, tripe, taro, etc.) Choose 1 of 6 different types of broth, meats, and noodles, and you have an individual hot pot meal tailored to your culinary tastes! It's genius!!! You can now cook at your own pace. Each pot is fitted into a circular slot in the table for yourself! I had the chicken and pork broth, but it wasn't as tasty as the broth from Little Sheep, for example. The hot pot items come out in a huge bowl, but most of it is vegetables. Good and healthy!!! We also ordered a delicious minced pork and brown egg over rice on the side, which completed the meal!!! Dessert is also included, including coconut pudding and mango mochi! A great place to dine at on a cold day, but there is definitely better-tasting broth out there at other hot pot restaurants. Enjoy!
(3)
Viv L.
I am no Hotpot connoisseur but I eat out a great deal and know this: this place is a rip off considering what you get for the money. I appreciate the fact that they try to be different from some other hot pot restaurants in that they offer a prix-fix menu and an individual pot for each person; however, for around $20 bucks, you get no more than $10 worth of food. There are about 5 or 6 choices of styles to choose from that each of which has a different set of broth and food respectively. Part of the hotpot experience is to cook a variety of different foods that you normally don't eat at home or at a regular restaurant. Well, with this restaurant they basically threw $1 worth of Cabbage in a big bowl which filled the whole bowl, they topped it with a few pieces of tofu that are dry, two pieces of the fake Japanese crab meat, and one measly fish ball along with a plate of meat that has five choices. You can accomplish all of this for around $10 or less by simply going to Safeway and doing it at home. In sum, if you wanted to try a hotpot dinner for the first time or you are taking someone that has never tried the hotpot style, I definitely wouldn't recommend this restaurant. If you are hotpot connoisseur, you will be disappointed and leave hungry.
(1)
Grace O.
We were suppose to have dinner here on a Friday night courtesy of restaurant.com . We showed them the coupon and were told that Friday night is a weekend night and that since its a holiday (Friday is not a holiday but Monday will be) they cannot honor the coupon. BTW, coupon indicates dinner Mon-Friday, and that's Friday. The lady was rude to imply that we should know that. Since we were given that attitude we decided to just bail out of there. Wonder what kind of service we will be getting should we had stayed and ate if we were already treated that way!
(1)
Caroline L.
I guess I shouldn't go somewhere because the yelp reviews are decent. Probably should have done more research. My friends and I were looking for a hot pot place that wasn't in SF, and we figured that since this place had some good reviews that it wasn't going to be bad. This place is located at Westlake, which is a perfect location because it's nearby where we all live. And it seemed like they had good deals with their prefixed menu, as well as their a la carte menu. Going inside, it seemed like a nice and lovely enough place. It was clean, and people seemed to be enjoying their meals. The food was okay... I think we were all kind of hoping to go to a place where they kept bringing you stuff to add to your pot (p.s. I liked that I had my own pot), but that wasn't the case. Everything seemed a bit limited when it came to food quantity, but maybe we're all just big eaters. Long story short, it wasn't something to write home to about. But the main reason why me (especially me) and my friends didn't like this place was the service. It was absolutely horrendous. I'm not exaggerating either. We had to flag down our waitress numerous times. The first time was to get her to answer some questions we had about the menu. And when we did ask a question she laughed at us when we asked if they kept bringing food out (if it was bottomless, basically. It was a valid question.). Also, after we did get our food, vital things like side orders and spoons (!!!) were missing. And we had to keep asking her to bring us stuff because when we would tell her, there would be a lull in between where she never came back with anything. We had to ask for drinks we ordered. We had to ask for a side of rice we ordered. And when we did get our things, she never came back to ask us if we needed anything. And I think that was stupid since we were there when the restaurant was emptying out. By the time they did clear our table out, they all of a sudden randomly started filling up our tea cups with tea. Seriously? We were leaving. By the time it was all over, we were ready to go. And as for our bill, paying that amount of money for a bad experience didn't seem worth it. And if you ever do go, try not to get a table near the kareoke rooms when they're in use. And if you do, be prepared to have a full on blast of bad drunk singing when they open and close the door to get dessert (oh by the way, it's free... which our waitress made a point of telling us) or when the wait staff goes in and out. It was painful. And I'd rather not go here ever again.
(1)
Antone A.
I honestly don't like it here! Came here once & once was enough. I'm a regular customer at Shabuway down in San Mateo & I expected that this place would be better, but I guess not. As for the hot pots, the broths seem as if they just came out right the can, literally. The side sauces weren't doing it for me either. Don't get me wrong they serve plenty, but the broth & sauces just doesn't cut it off for me. I'd rather drive all the way down to Shabuway if you want a better experience.
(2)
Yoshie K.
I do not think i would like to come back here again, i think i can make better chinese food, and i rather make my own hot pot. Addition to that, the service was terrible. The host greeted us nicely, but the server did not to seem that friendly and helpful at all. I had to ask for a glass of water for 3-4 times, when we made our order, we had repeat it 2 - 3 times because they did not seem to pay attention on what we said, or they just could not understand us. When the our order was served, we had to ask for the sauce, which was suppose to come with it. The worse part was, they did not to seem understand English very well, when we asked for the check, the server heard "shot" instead of "check," which i think is ridiculous. I do not think that the food is worth the price, i rather make my own hot pot, or go to an actual hot pot restaurant of the specific cousin. The hot pot can serve to 2 people, i would get one for myself i was really hungry. i think the price was not worth the quality of the food, it was a bit over priced, we ordered the mongolian style hot pot and cashew chicken for 3 people and the bill went up to 35ish, that's including the tip. This place is really not worth it for the price, you can try it but i do not recommend this place, i should have went to Tani's Kitchen or Banana Island instead.
(2)
Judie N.
Little Fire Pot is a decent Shabu/Hot pot restaurant. I provides a variety of soup for the base and each type comes with different side dishes. I'm reading some of the reviews saying that there aren't enough side dishes or they only give you one or two pieces of each item. However, I found that with the variety, the amount was not a problem for me. If they had given me more, I don't think I would be able to finish and that'd be a waste of food (I don't believe in taking Shabu/Hot pot left over home cuz it just doesn't taste right). I thought the amount of food was just right. I tried the mongolian soup when I went and my boyfriend had the taipei soup. Although the mongolian soup isn't as good as the Little Sheep in San Mateo, but it's a good alternative if you don't like your soup so "mediciny" but still want some of that Mongolian flavoring. My boyfriend said he'll try the spicy one next time. I will either get the mongolian again or the Taipei one. One recommendation, spend the extra $2 for the better cut of the beef. I got the regular and my boyfriend got the better one and there was DEFINITELY a difference! Worth the $2 extra.
(4)
Jay Z.
Having your own mini pot was an interesting idea...so we decided to try Little Fire Pot. We ordered the Mongolian and the Si Chuan bowls from the pre-fixed menu. So for the pre-fixed menu, you get to choose the broth, noodle/rice and the meat. We opted for the beef and lamb. The meat wasn't that bad. We chose the spicy broth and the chicken/pork broth. The server got one of our soups mixed up, but he fixed it after we told him it was the wrong one. When the bowls came, it looked very presentable with the goodies stacked on top. On the menu, the pre-fixed menus listed 17+ items.. that sounded really good and worthwhile. Turns out, there's not a lot and there's a bunch of veggies (some spinach and a lot of napa cabbage) and they give you such a small plate of udon noodles! Broth had no flavor and we had to use everything in the sauce they gave us...eh The dessert bar was ok. There was cantaloupe, sago, watermelon and mochi in the beginning. They stopped refilling it around 9 something and only had coconut/almond jelly left... Service was below average I would rather spend my money at Little Sheep instead...
(2)
Anna F.
Too bad we missed the 50% off special, because at $20 per order, it is way over priced. We came around 530 - no wait and had no trouble getting a table. But thats where it ends. How it took 1 hour to bring out our order is beyond me. They don't even need to cook it! The broth and ingredients should be ready. Everyone around us had steaming pots of goodness in front of them - even people who arrived after us. After asking 2 waitresses and the manager, we finanlly get our pots brought with attitude by the waitress. Each order consists of a meat order, veggie platter bowl and a noodle/rice side. They bring out this huge bowl full of veggies and misc items, but its filled with mostly lettuce or cabbage. And the items were very skimpy. You can spare an extra fish ball (they only gave one). My tiny plate of udon noodles was like 5 strands of noodle. Ok, maybe 8. The broth was fine to me, although my bro thought it was very bland in comparison to Little Sheep. When we left, the crowd at the door was insane. Definitely not worth any wait for such mediocre food.
(1)
Kin K.
Came on Sunday with restaurant.com coupon. The owner said the coupon was not accepted on Sunday. I looked at the wordings on the coupon which states Friday, Saturday and holidays excluded. It did not say Sunday is also excluded. Since we already came, we decided just go ahead. The owner said we will get early bird special. Outside the window, it was posted, Early bird special DAILY 20% off. When we got our bill, they only took 10% off. The owner said the weekend discount is 10%, not 20%. Did she know what the word "DAILY" mean? We did not want to argue and just paid the bill. I really don't like the way they do business.
(1)
Yamileth O.
Worse meal ever! I went to little sheep the other day and thought it would be the same, but NOT even close! The place looks nice, but horrible food! the service was great, but horrible food! not coming back! because they have horrible food!
(1)
Hen A.
sunday dinner...chinese style hot pot variety...one japanese-style tokyo shabu-shabu...roughly $twenty per personal pot with select set themed items...spicy sichuan adding numbing hot oil heat to broth dip experience...taipei and other bringing richer pork and chicken broth hot pot dining...tokyo shabu-shabu being most basic, bland and plain....giving options to broth the only appeal...set pot simmering menu priced high and not recommended per person order....suggest ordering one set pot for two people and adding an extra pot, meat or item a la carte if needed...
(3)
B B.
from 3/13 to 3/19, they have grand opening special...50% off!!!!! tonight i went there with my friends. one person one pot....i like that~ the price is acceptable. I like it so far....if you go there during lunch time, you can also order dim sum. the food is not bad, and they are clean. a lot of beef~
(4)
Jennifer H.
this place is awesome!! i went there as a group of 4 and we also each got different pot/soup base (personal pot), medium spicy, extreme spicy, taipei flavor, japan flavor.. men, those are some GOOD soup base. it was about $20/person not including tips and tax. they gave us a lot of food/pot. the desserts were sooo delious too and they were free, ie. mochi, watermelon, cocout jello and taro soup. would i go back again? FOR SURE even though we will have to drive about 40 min to get there!! highly recommended. i also want to note that the customer service was EXCELLENT!! never had better in hot pot places!! they looked out to make sure we had enough soup all the time, as well as water. we were there for 3 hr just talking after we finished eating and they didn't even ask us to leave.. so nice!!! love it!! one of the BEST hot pot place ever! btw, they also have dim sum, etc dishes too if you want to order them separately. delicious, excellent service!! can't ask for more!
(5)
Gee L.
Good at lunch time but nasty at dinner time idk why but the soup taste better at lunch
(3)
Adam C.
LFP opened three days ago. This place has some potential to add a unique dining experience to a rather bland area. As the name suggests, Little Fire Pot, is a hot pot house -- with a menu drawing from the reaches of Mongolia to the more Shabu Shabu-esque. I don't really know how to classify it, it definitely isn't traditional Chinese and Asian Fusion didn't seem right either. There are 6 packages that make it easier for a first timer to order. So between the Mongolian, Szechuan, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo and Vegan options, I went with the Mongolian, the GF went with the Szechuan. The packages go for about 20 dollars and include your choice of meat, various veggies, and about 8 or 10 types of stuff for you to put in your own personal stew. These ingredients were fresh and the amount they give you is a good amount. However, I didn't really know what I was doing, it is a little more complicated than straight up shabu shabu, you add a lot of your own seasonings, and I didn't know exactly how to maximize the taste of my meal. In the back of the menu, you can completely create your own pot experience with a la carte prices. I will probably do this next time. The wait staff was a little too attentive but there weren't many other people there so I can understand that, especially since they are new. The nice thing is that they are also eager to improve, and asked us our suggestions for their new establishment at the end of our meal. I gave what advice I could: The platter includes a fruit dessert, this should be more than just oranges, I was kind of looking forward to some melons or peaches or something....just more than oranges, or at least peeled oranges, I felt like I was at soccer practice in high school with these wedges in my mouth. And maybe a little more instruction with the ingredients (at least for first timers), because I wasn't sure what everything was, and after the initial boiling, how low should I put the burner. Most Hot Pot places have an all you can eat option as well, for about the same price, that might be something to look into also. But, I do not hold any of this against them, I will go back in a month or two, once they have started to develop who they are as a restaurant, which they are clearly interested in doing. I hope they do well.
(4)
Rose P.
had lunch here yesterday with my gfs, and i was not impressed at all! now i understand why this place only gets 3 stars! i ordered the sichuan spicy broth with rice and beef. the broth did not have any flavor; i got a small plate of beef, 2 stuffed fish balls, tripe, some other weird looking things,one meatball that i had to form myself, and hella veggies that i did not touch other than the mushrooms. they give you a huge bowl to make it look theres a lot of goods in there, but the bowl is just stuffed with veggies. their veggies were frozen! thats how you know theyre not fresh! they also included this hard cubicle thing that i left in the bowling pot and i though that it would be edible before i left the restaurant, but no...it was still hard.WTH?!? i paid 17...not worth it. i PREFER LITTLE SHEEP! they only get uno star because the location is convenient. never again!
(1)
Ronald L.
My first time here, the food was great. The customer service was excellent as well. The hot pots had a few different soup bases, such as Hong Kong, Taipei, Japan, etc... Each patron would have a personal hot pot which is like a a Shabu Shabu. The dish size might look small, but don't let that fool you. Its actually a good size. Parking garage is nearby and convenient.
(4)
Marco L.
25%off promotion but ~20% tips (mandatory 15% tips on original price) I wonder if it is legal. And they also charge tax on total w/tips. I don't think tips are taxable.
(1)
JessePanda C.
well it was my first time here, we got seat quickly and no problem at all... so we placed our order, pick out one of there $20 special... so we wait for our stuff to cook, we went to the front and there was FREE watermelon and dessert, so we pick up some and ate it while we wait... the stuff finally came... in big bowl with all your veg and plate with your meat... i cook everything in bowl and meat, paying about $20+ and still feeling hungry... that mean there a problem but over all its ok, noting really special... rather go one them typical asian dirty hot pots instead :)
(2)
Peter M.
eat here! Get the mongolian soup if you likes it hot! It good, yo! Get a couple of pitchers of kirin to help you wash it down! Excellent individual hotpot! Word! Make sure you also get the "special beef"
(5)
Christin A.
At first glance, it's a pretty cool looking place. Second glance, and it's all thse types of styled hot pots. Third glance, and the food is well... I ordered the Szechuan style hot pot, and I didn't know they would black peppered the soup to death. Putting in chilli peppers, I would understand, but my soup seemed to be full of more black pepper than I can handle. Every piece of food I boil in that soup, was covered in pepper, so I was crunching my way through. Should've order the Hong Kong style, if I had known. And now for the dessert. I was told it was all you can eat, with a large variety. What I got was slices of watermelon, some kind of a drink, and some kind of a pastry thing. Where's my ice cream?
(3)
Yik W.
Very good restaurant! My boyfriend and I went by it the other day and saw the 10% off, so we decided to give it a try. We pick the Si Chuan (spicy) pot and the Hong Kong pot (as suggested by the waitress). I LOVE the spicy pot soup base, and the Hong Kong pot was great, too. The spicy soup base was very flavorful and you can also choose the spiciness. The Hong Kong soup base taste better than the soup of the day that you get in a regular chinese resturant. I also like their combo plates better than the regular Shabu Shabu because it has a great variaty. I was suprised that the rating was that low. Frankly, the service was OK. Since it's a new restuarant I think it will be improved on when the waitresses get more fimilar with the settings, so I definately dont' mind that.
(5)
Anthony A.
Rude as hell. Tried calling for a reservation and they wouldn't pick up. Drove over there and the lady just said "if you don't have a reservation get out"
(1)
M M.
Food is fresh and taste good. Although I don't like the fact that when you order something quantity of 2 or 3, they give you quantity of 1 portion because it is an expensive item like shrimp. But when you order some vegetable quantity of 1, they give you like quantity of 5 portion, i think it's because they want to fill you up.
(3)
Cat L.
If I could give this place zero stars I would but since the gal taking my order was very nice and willing to answer some of my questions regarding the menu I'll give this place 1 star...but it goes down hill from there. One Sunday afternoon I decided to order some take-out since I knew this place offers a nice variety of items ranging from hotpot to street ramen and even dim sum...I went ahead and ordered their fried rice w/ basil and I had them add duck for an extra charge. I've ordered this dish before elsewhere so I thought I knew what I would be expecting...I was very wrong. As soon as I arrived home I opened my container only to find plain fried rice w/ tiny bits of duck meat in it...I guess they took one small piece of duck meat and chopped it up and mixed it into my rice...for about $2.00 extra that is a total rip-off. As soon as I started to eat it I had found bits of duck bone mixed in as well. I just lost my appetite and I will not be returning here!
(1)
Kristina L.
I think for the price of this place, it's decent. All you can eat hot pot sounds really good. They've even got televisions for sports and news. During their happy hour from 4-6pm, AYCE is only $20, soju is 25% off, cocktails are $3 off, and more. What a deal. I recently went and ordered the herbal soup for my soup base. After waiting for my soup to boil (by the way you turn the stove too on yourself! Press the key button and then adjust the heat) I threw in some mushrooms. Once the meat came I was ready to get into my groove. I'm a purely meat kind of girl at these kinds of all you can eats. That's how I get my money's worth. Well, I probably ate four pieces of meat and by now my soup was really coming to a boil. I saw something strange floating around in my soup. I grabbed the scoop and fished it out. I was DISGUSTED. It was a moldy piece of a garlic.... I know this is a Chinese place but seriously? When ingredients go bad, it's not okay to still try and use them. I wasn't as upset about it because I caught it really early on in my meal. But if I had gone through multiple rounds of food and then found that, I would have raised hell. I showed my waitress and she took the moldy garlic in my napkin away. It took her about 5 minutes to bring a new soup base and I thoroughly examined it before I started eating again. They didn't do much after the incident. The owner or main woman in charge never came to my table to apologize. Nothing was comped. The incident was basically slid under the rug. I hope that this doesn't happen to other people because unless someone makes a big deal about these things, people will never change. Anyway! It was one experience and this wasn't my first time so I'll be as fair as I can. But aside from that, the service is subpar. During happy hour times on the weekday there aren't a lot of people sitting around to eat. So the attention the wait staff gives you is incredibly different. They're refilling water. Taking plates away. Bringing more drinks. But the moment the room has a decent amount, the service starts to fall apart. They have tunnel vision where they don't notice anyone else but what is in front of them. When we order more rounds of food, we are always missing a few plates. Or new orders just never come. So overall this place is okay. If you don't want to spend much, come here and take the risk of mold or maybe mishandled food (I wouldn't put it past them) but if that is a deal breaker, spend a few more dollars and go somewhere else. There are plenty of hot pot places. Don't settle!
(2)
Monica E.
Sooo, I just got done eating here with a couple of my friends for a birthday dinner. Can I just say, an hour and a half wait for our food??? And THEY GOT OUR ORDERS WRONG!? And THEY DIDNT BRING OUT THE FOOD ALL TOGETHER?? And THEY WERE SUPER RUDE?? No Bueno. Food was average, and prices were fair. BUT service definitely sucks. Don't think I'll be coming back.
(2)
Andy L.
ok. That's as high as I'll rate this place. I have been to Shabu Shabu and hot pot, This place did not impress me. Starters, confusing menu, and this was our first time there, confused yes, did they help....NO. Only one menu per table to order on...what's that about? Afraid to use a second paper. Food ordered...ok. Had to ask for extra sauce 3 times. Sorry to the waitress, I guess I was bothering her. Actual food provided, ok. Nothing here worth coming back for. I've had fresher. Also, greasy floors. Felt like I was ice skating. Lastly, there was a group 6+ of us, could we get a table....nope, although there were plenty available that they could have put together, had to sit at "the bar". Customer service....NO Satisfied.....NO Will we be back......NO
(1)
Dabin L.
I Love this place.... Why.. cause its individual vs all the competitors are general pots. This place for 20.00ish AYCE before 6pm and 25ish regular price. Service is excellent the food is brought to you and its prompt, clean and good. Your pot of soup is individual so you can spice it up as much or little as you wish. If you are a drinker, add an additional 12ish and All you can drink... wow....only negatives... it gets crowded... so come early and eat lots.
(4)
Katrina L.
If you speak chinese you will get better service there. I called and asked for a reservation for 6 people for the same night and lady rudely told me on the phone that they don't take reservations the same night. So I asked if the restaurant was busy tonight and if we came in 30 mins how long it would be. She abruptly said "I don't know" and hung up. My mom calls 5 mins later and speaks to the same lady in mandarin and said she was able to get a reservation for 6 in 30 mins. What the hell?!
(2)
Trevor D.
Found this place by accident one Sunday afternoon when a friend and I were looking for a place with all you can eat as well as watch some football. We were a little hesitant at first after reading some of the yelp reviews but decided that we were going to give it a try. As soon as we walked in it has a nice ambiance, and the layout is a little awkward but comfortable all the same. We decided to post up at the front bar right in front of the big screen. Now most hot pot or shabu places just do one large cooking pot shared by the whole table... Not here! Each person gets their own cooking pot so everyone can decide what broth they want. The food selection is pretty standard for most hot pot places with nothing to "OMG you have to try this" What i do like is that they have a standard pre fixe menu as well just in case you aren't feeling the "all you can eat challenge" One of the best parts is that they do have the add on of the all you can drink as well that includes the standard beer and house sake........... BUT it also includes all you can drink soju cocktail! Whhaaaaaaaat!?! I know right! All in all this is my go to spot for hot pot as it is convenient, good food, great drinks, and I have never waited more than a couple minutes for a seat.
(5)
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Address :215 Lake Merced Blvd
Daly City, CA, 94015
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Garage, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
R A.
We got a lot of food from this place and service was excellent on Halloween night when they all dressed up in silly little costumes. I think the soup base is good but if you prefer more flavorful broth, then Little Sheep in San Mateo would be a better choice for you. The flavor here is lighter but I also like not smelling like garlic at the end of the night :)
(4)Pikachu P.
It would be good if they know what's ponzu sauce; since they serve shabu-shabu. Their ponzu sauce is actually soy sauce..OMG...need to fix that!
(3)Gordon G.
went to fire pot 2 weeks ago . Better experiences ! maybe because we went in there fairly early (around 5:30pm) , the serving of food was fast . I felt bad to keep the waitress busy all the time lol , so I tipped them well . Did not go for the $5 upgrade but we ate well ! differet style of cutting the meat than they do in little sheep , but I like it as well . Will go back again some other days !
(4)Mallory G.
This review is for their take-out dim sum and bakery counter. I live very close to this place, and it's always such a treat to wake up in the morning and crave sesame ball dim sum, and just trot right over to Little Fire Pot for some extremely cheap and delicious amazingness. A friend of mine found this place by accident when he was visiting me, and ever since then i've been hooked. I haven't tried their shabu-shabu restaurant yet, as it's a bit pricy for me, but their bakery is always stocked full of fresh potstickers and pastries. VERY GOOD STUFF! i always leave with a ton of tasty food for very little money. Usually i get all the things I want for under 4 bucks!
(5)Sandra L.
I had a good overall experience. It's good to know that there are restaurants out there that strive to please their customers and keep the prices manageable. The venue is tastefully decorated. There are two private rooms in this place and if you have a large party, it's definitely a great place to host your event here. The food was fresh and nicely presented. You could really go crazy and customize it to your taste if you want. But to make it easy for you, you can pick a pre-assembled theme hot pot for $20. And to finish off this wonderful experience is an all you can eat dessert buffet! Btw - street parking or free garage parking right above.
(5)A1822 L.
I really like this place. After coming here a few times I've gotten to know how the people are, and the food. For a hot pot place especially in Daly City, you can't ask for too much. $17.99-$19.99 per person, also on top of that, they have little side dishes you can order if you don't want hot pot. The service is pretty good and for anyone who lives in Daly City, you know a place like this can be very good year round with the weather always being foggy. They have different types of hot pot for you to choose from too. Most places you go to are only chinese or only japanese, with 1-2 soup bases. You have 5 different soup bases here you can choose from and each one is pretty different, but you get a whole bowl of veggies that come with it too. Overall pretty good. We'd come back. :)
(4)foo d.
I work nearby so one day a coworker and I decided to try this place out. I am now a regular. The food is consistently great and wonderful service. I HATE ME JOB, but look forward for lunch :)
(5)Kevin K.
This is a good value for your money and the restaurant is pleasant and not ugly like some shabu shabu places. The dishes are $19 and includes free dessert at a dessert bar, which are very well done. I also prefer the sauce to other sauce The mix of meat and veggies are good and plenty, unlike some places where they serve meat only. It may not be the best but the overall quality fits the price range, and so I give it 5 stars.
(5)Stalone H.
all i have to say is f*ck this place.
(1)Jim H.
I am normally not a fan of hot pot but after going to this place with some friends last weekend, I am sold. My favorite thing about this restaurant is that you get your own hot pot. All your food is also separated nicely in a bowl. The portion is just right, you don't feel like you have to over eat because is a buffet and you want to get your money's worth. You also get to choose different types of soup base, hot or no heat, whatever you want, mix and match whatever you like. I also like the decor, modern yet still intimate. Although you get your own pot, but the table is set up so you can still share food with your friends and family. This is a great place to go during a cold night, which is usually the case in Westlake. Will definately go back. ps, there is all your can eat desserts.
(5)Mona C.
[M]ona: 4 Stars [W]ayne: 3.5 Stars Average: 3.75 Stars + Accepts Credit Cards + Happy Hour Specials + Early Bird and Night Owl Specials + Good Service + Self Serve Desserts - Slow Service - Bland [W] So I've tried a couple of their "themed" hot pot choices and this play doesn't really impress me much. Mona seems to love this place so I just keep trying it again to see if I like any of their other dishes but it's kind of the same flavors to me....bland. [M] There are a total of 6 "themed" hot pot choices: Hong Kong: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… Shabu Shabu: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… Taipei: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… Mongolian: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… Sichuan: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… Vegetarian: Have yet to try Each themed hot pot comes with a side of meat yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… and choice of rice or noodles yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… . Prices range from $18 - $20. Each themed hot pot is good enough for 2 people to share. But if you're a big eater like Wayne, you may prolly need one all to yourself :P [W] I guess they've improved their menu a little bit by adding a side menu such as their dollar menu like McDonalds haha. I enjoyed their $1 oysters on a half shell yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… and their $1 eggrolls yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… . Other than that, the food is kind of bland to me again and it doesn't really fill me up neither. Mona LOVES their cuttlefish paste yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… and she always gets an extra order of it everytime. The only thing that is pretty good in my opinion is this one dessert that they had. Don't really know what it's called but this is how it looks like: yelp.com/biz_photos/l-gE… If anyone happens to know what its call, please let us know :) I would give them a little better rating but the last time we went, the hostess was such a punk and was kind of giving up lip. I remember it was quite funny because I ordered ONE eggroll off of the dollar menu just to try it and the hostess had the nerve to ask me "you only want one?!?" I was like yea, I just want to try it. The funny part was that when she put the order in, she came back around and asked me again "You sure you only want one???" I was thinking to myself "yea, did i stutter?" lol. Then she just yelled behind the table "Jose, he just wants one!" That cook was probably all thinking like "Man you're really going to make me fry up ONE stinkin eggroll" lol. Man, if I wanted 2 then I would've said two right? haha. Anyways if I DID like the eggroll, maybe I would've ordered another one haha. But then again I would just look like an ass haha. That was pretty much just the highlight of the day. Other than that, the multiple times that we came here, service was quite slow after you order which is not a good thing because now we feel like we're neglected. I always give the eagle eye stare to the hostess and she never seems to look around the restaurant to see who needs help. I think if I were to come again, I'd just take advantage of their dollar menu and their oysters on the half shell, YUM.
(4)Linda C.
Came here with the family since we wanted hot pot. Although this place is not the best for hot pot, having your own personal pot was the driving force behind our choice to come here for father's day. The all-in-one options are the easiest since all you have to do is pick what region of food you want and it comes with a variety of veggies, dumplings, seafood, and your choice of meat. The quality has gone down a bit. The food was not as fresh as before and the seafood was skimpier than before. However, you still get more than enough food and it's a decent deal at $25 per person. On weekday nights, they have an all you can eat special for $30 and all you can drink & eat for $40. That's a pretty good deal.
(3)Karen W.
It's been nearly a week since my last visit to LFP and it makes be mad recalling that night. Came to Little Fire Pot on 3 occasions all on Tuesday for their $20 AYCE special within the past 2 months. Sadly, with each visit, the service became worst & after this last visit, I will not be returning again. I really like this place because of the individual pots. On my first visit, we were a party of 2 and there was only another 3-4 tables of patrons. The service was attentive and they gave us every dish we ordered on the list. We were very happy and couldn't wait to return. On my second visit, we were a party of 4 and came with friends who were regulars there. Service was a little lacking and they do not make eye contact when they run back and forth between the kitchen and tables. They don't regularly check on you or refill drinks. You basically have to wave them down and by that time, hope that you remember the list of things you want to order. However, food wise, they gave you what you ordered. On my last visit, we were a party of 9 and reserved the private room with its own TV. We ordered 9 plates of beef and only 1 plate was brought out. Between the 9 of us, we sat there for over 30 mins wondering where the other 8 plates were. Nobody came to check on us and nobody bothered to ask if we needed anything else. The restaurant basically picked and chose what we ate because we never saw half the items we checked off. After waiting for service for so long, I walked outside to the counter to ask for order more food 3 times. One time, I specifically asked for 3 plates of beef, and again we only received 1 plate. All in all, the bill came to $200+ including a 15% service fee (which I thought I should've deserved a part of it) and all we had was 4 plates of beef and 2 plates of lamb, 2 huge plates of veggies, 2 large bowls of rice, 2 plates of shrimp and beef tripe, 3 bowls of noodles, 4 orders of beef balls and 3 plates of mushrooms. After a very frustrating night, I am not returning and not recommending LFP to anyone. I'd rather pay an extra $6 and go to Hot Pot Garden or more for Shabuway. A note for large parties, order the few items that you want them to bring. Then they won't only bring those filler items.
(2)David H.
My first impression upon walking into Little Fire Pot was not a good one. All I heard was Brittney Spears singing "Oops I did it again," and my heart dropped into my stomach. Yet, despite my fears about the food based upon the music selection, me and my girlfriend braved the ambiance to give Little Fire Pot a try. We got the Mongolian Hot Pot with short ribs, and some assorted dim sum. Here's why it has three stars. The Dim Sum was pretty good, and well priced, but more than that, they served it to us at 7pm at night! Do you know how hard it is to get a dim sum craving fixed at 7pm at night on a weekday? And actually have it be halfway decent? The hot pot itself was disappointing, and nothing too memorable. You tend to get a ton of veggies, but not enough really of the stuff you truly want (fish balls, good tofu that doesn't seem dry, and other goodies). This was going to be a 2 star review when we started hot potting and all I saw was a small scoop of meat, but after ten minutes they FINALLY brought out a plate of thinly sliced short rib, which was a slight redemption. But really, I think you're better off getting some friends together and throwing your own hot pot! Pros: Decent price, good dim sum, open late! Cons: Forgettable broth flavors, less than ideal service, bad music selection (is that even a criteria? it is now!)
(3)Ev L.
Good place for shabu- shabu. I like the fact that each person get his own pot. Worth coming back!
(4)Vivian V.
3.5 stars My love for hot pot is endless. Been frequenting this spot a lot recently because it's convenient, offers daily specials and does the job whenever I'm in the mood to quickly satisfy my craving. $20 all you can eat before 6pm everyday including weekends and $20 all day Tuesdays which I usually take advantage of. They offer your typical basic hot pot food selections of meats, seafood, noodles and veggies. They have a few broth selections off the regular menu and I always get the spicy miso because I find it to have more flavor than others. The individual pots are a huge plus for all you germaphobes and also you don't have to fish for your food in a shared pot. They even include a free dessert bar where you can help yourself to watermelon, jello and sweet soup. The meats are decent, but not always consistent in quality. Veggies are fresh and I personally like their fresh shrimp paste which I always get a few orders of. For its location in Daly City it does the job.
(3)Jerica J.
It all started when my parents came here for their wedding anniversary dinner.. the word got spread to my whole family and we come here ever since. Sometimes it's a little hard to venture out to new places when you have one place that you really like, but i am really glad we did! Everything here is fresh and delicious! The quality of the meat is also very good. I had the vegetarian platter this time, since I gave up meat for lent and boy was it delicious! They got some sort of vegan spam too.. (pic posted) My fav has to be the dumplings with the eggs inside. We got a side order of them and we were fighting over the last one. The coconut jello is yum and the "tong suy". I put the jello in my "tong suy" and ate it together! Steve and Joanne are awesome and Kristine is a great waitress. I don't even have to tell you that, I WILL BE BACK. =)
(5)kevin h.
BAM. WiGGiTY. WHAM WHAM. 2 reasons. 1.) 20% off bill ... read on to find out! 2.) Desert Bar. Just like every other meateater in SF. i yelp'd myself into a Shabu Shabu Craze. LA Shabu, SF Shabu, Reno Shabu, and what? DC Shabu! All you can eat and all the eating can brought myself here. the decor. is thoughtful and easy on the eyes. the music. ohhh the MUSIC. I love 90's Gangster Rap and Ludacris bass beat. and this is the only restaurant that plays that kinda music. Where else can you Dunk your meat to "I'm in Miami TRICCCC" come between 5pm-6pm. for the 20% off. i ordered 1 combo and a side of meat came out to 15$.
(5)Dennis W.
Steve and Johanna are always nice to me. They cook delicious food and serve it to their valued customers. Go there before 6:00 PM and you will get 20% discount on your food. I always order 2 Siu Mai and 1 street ramen with wonton. LoL.
(5)Karen L.
This is a pretty good hot pot place with reasonable prices. You get your own pot, and there's a lot of hot pot styles, broth, and meat options. The broth is flavorful and the food is pretty good. However, there was a bit too much vegetables and not enough meat slices.
(3)Julie F.
So just to be fair, I am NOT a fan of this type of hot pot. I'd describe it as herbal-y or something. So Little Fire pot, no offense. (I don't prefer Little Sheep either - give me Shabu House anyday!). Came here with the family to celebrate the boyfriend's dad's bday. Here, everyone gets their own little pot and you choose from 4 different types of broths. I picked the Sichuan soup base and that comes with an assortment of meats and veggies plus a rice or noodle on the side. I pretty much gave away the meats that came in the bowl and ate the veggies and my beef platter. It was okay, the sauce that came with it for dipping didn't really have any flavor or add anything to my cooked food. Overall, the service was fast and they came by to clear plates etc. They do have a dessert bar with fruit and jello or something. With that I will not be back as described in my opening above. But if you do like this type of hot pot , I think its a great deal for the set menus!
(3)Tony C.
This place is a little annoying. First, it's AYCE, but you have to ask for everything. We filled out a sheet with all the stuff we want, and STILL had to ask for everything. How hard can it be to bring the stuff that we checked on a piece of paper? That, and the fact that dinner for 3 was effectively $100, makes this a place I won't willingly return to. Their "dessert bar" was also a bit of a joke (it's basically a counter with tapioca, melon, and some weird jello thing). Not impressed in the least.
(2)Theresa W.
My brother brought me here because I've been missing my hot pot every Tues @ Hot Pot Garden. I've been to other places and they were ok. He told me to give it a try and I had nothing to lose. The dining room area was dark but not so you can't see the food. There was tape on the bench seats and the floor was a little slippery. Since I wasn't expecting much, I wasn't that disappointed. The 1st thing I liked about this place was that it had only 1 television. The 2nd thing was that everyone gets their own hot pot. Great idea. I now wish every Hot Pot place will do the same. The service was prompt and the owner/mgr came by to check in on us to see if everything was good. The meat selection is about the same as every other Hot pot place . I really liked the rice noodle which is not avail at other places. The veggie selection has the Tong Ho, Watercress and Enoki mushroom(my 3 must haves) so I'm a happy girl. Overall, the food and service made this definitely a place I'm coming back to. BTW, Baskin Robbins ice cream is around the corner, nothing like a scoop of ice cream in a waffle cone to complete a good meal
(4)Lilian R.
I love this place. I have been coming here since before it's grand opening. The owners are very sweet. The decor is great and the atmosphere is relaxing. The music is different but when you are enjoying your meal and with great company you can hardly notice the music variations. I typically like to come when it's not busy during the week. Either when they first open or the best time is is late at night. That's when the party gets started with sake bombs. I mainly enjoy this place because they have lots to choose from depending on the mood. I enjoy the pokkie roll and seafood curry. The best part is the dessert station. That's my first stop. Love it!
(5)Kelly L.
I came here with my family and we had three orders off the hot pot menu- the Hong Kong, Sichuan and Tokyo. I thought we had a choice of broth according to the menu, but apparently each entree already has a set broth. We also ordered two of the minced pork over rice with stewed egg and a dish of the mongolian beef. I got to try a little from each of the hot pots. The chicken and pork broth is bland, definitely did not give my food enough flavor. The Miso broth, not my taste. The Sichuan broth decent, but I had a majority of this and am quite sure it led to my runs. Yes, I'm not afraid to say that the food here gave me serious stomach pains and the second to worst runs of my life. The food was just decent while eating it, but I knew from the get-go that it wasn't fresh. Seriously, we're paying $20 for each hot pot entree and you can't even give us fresh vegetables worth $1? There were pieces of napa cabbage turned black.... on the verge of molding. If you wouldn't eat it, what makes you think your customers will? Disgusting.. Also, the waiter was nice enough to refill our hot pots mid-way, but please next time don't mix and match the broths. There is an obvious difference in color between the Miso and Chicken broths. Oh yeah, we found a live fly in our side noodle dish. NASTY.
(1)Susan Y.
If I could give 4.5 stars, I would. But I can't, so I'll just round it down 'cause it hasn't WOWED me that much. I definitely love their Taipei and Tokyo hotpot selections. They give you your own little pot to cook your own food with vegetables, meat, seafood and all the dessert you want. Haha. My family loves coming here on cold nights 'cause it makes you feel stuffed and warm afterwards. You can share a themed meal with someone else and order an extra broth while you two share the food. It can get kind of crowded depending on the night and time, so make reservations if you have a party of more than 5?
(4)Marti L.
Like every other smart....and frugal Asian, my friends and I decided to take advantage of their 50% off Grand Opening dinner special. We arrived at 5:15pm to find at least 40 other Asians already waiting. Doors don't open until 5:30, so the line reached all the way past the entrance/exit of the new parking structure. Given the numerous 1 and 2 star reviews, we weren't convinced. So after waiting approximately 4.5 minutes, off to happy hour we went!!
(1)Lindsay C.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! I have been going here since they opened, the owner even recognizes me. She is super nice. Siu mai is the best I have ever had, cheap and they even sell it frozen to go. Hot pot is awesome, and now much more affordable. Tuesdays they even have $20 all you can eat (usually $26.) I really like the crab won ton soup, siu mai, bbq pork buns, and the hot pot. Definitely try the shrimp paste and the heart shaped fish balls, mongolian broth, and get the sesame and ponzu dipping sauces. I have bought friends and they always rave about it. Bonus points for the dim sum and hot pot not making me feel sick like other places. I think its probably from a lack of MSG and fresh ingredients. My favorite hot pot and dim sum restaurant!
(5)Derrek O.
It is often said that one cannot really appreciate something unless they have some basis of comparison. The same could be said about when comparing hot pot places. I had the pleasure recently to have my first hot pot experience at Little Sheep in San Mateo and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. So I'm in Daly City today with my mom and gf when I get the hot pot hunger pangs. I've read some positive reviews here about Little Fire Pot so I decide to go check it out. First and foremost, this place is not at all like Little Sheep, and dat's in a bad way. The soup broth is really lacking flavor and the meat platters are really skimpy. I asked for some shrimp balls, something they serve at Little Sheep, and what I got here instead was some ground shrimp mush in a bamboo stalk. I tried the dim sum here as well and that was also mediocre. This place only gets 2 stars because of the service. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly from start to finish.
(2)Annie M.
I really like coming here for hot pot. It's fun to be able to have your own individual hot pot as well as to choose a pre-fix setting just for yourself. I usually order the Sichuan soup base with udon noodles and seafood platter. The variety that this setting offers is just enough to satisfy all of my taste buds. The dessert are ranges from fresh fruits, coconut almond jello, and taro with tapioca. They are all delicious and best of all, it is free with your meal!
(4)Noah R.
We just moved to the area and started trying out local places, so we got some takeout from this one. It was... disappointing to say the least. The Pot Stickers were burnt on the bottom and yet still somehow soggy. The Udon Noodle Chow Fun (which I'm not sure even makes sense... my girlfriend tried to order Chow Fun and got this) was likewise soggy. In fact, "soggy" was the best description we had for most of the food. And I'm pretty sure the Pork Buns were just purchased from a supermarket whole and served as restaurant food. They were certainly terrible. Nothing about this was redeeming.
(1)Kay Y.
I would give NO STARS for this place what so ever. I made a reservation to be seated at 8:30, yet the short-haired Asian lady running the front was the most rudest person ever. Every party that showed up and tried to put themselves on the wait list, she did not acknowledge, and if she did she was shaking her head saying "no" with her hand up in the air (talk to the hand gesture) and a facial expression demonstrating "don't bother me I'm busy." Any other employee who was approached by new guests did not know how to even entertain the party and get them on the wait list to be seated. Those employees were also getting yelled at by the big boss in the front also. There was no point in making a reservation if other parties who showed up after my reservation was made was entertained before my party. I ditched this place the moment I couldn't take that lady's behavior any longer. No customer service at all. If you are up for an adventure and want to develop high blood pressure, you are more than welcome to enter this disastrous restaurant. Can't rate the food because I didn't get to that point. Go to SHABU instead. You may as well pay for higher quality service and food, than a bad experience and a cheaper taste of the real shabu! This restaurant makes a good candidate for #RestaurantImpossible on Food Network.
(1)Melinda C.
A little hot pot/shabu shabu restaurant in the heart of the Daly City/Westlake region. The decor is your typical Asian hodgepodge of items: cheesy water fountain feature, lots of dragon statues, & Chinese character posters...your usual Chinatown kitsch. The food selection is amazing...but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. A complete mishmash of Szechuan, Cantonese, Taiwanese, & Dim Sum snacks... It's actually pretty decent. You don't necessarily have to choose a hot pot dish. I'm sort of impressed. But.....I must say that the service is absolutely impeccable!! I love the wait staff!! Everyone is so friendly, enthusiastic & always carries a bright smile. I cannot say more positive things about the wait staff & the service!! Bravo!
(3)rich n.
If I could give a negative I would. I could make this an essay of all the reasons I would never go back again and would why you shouldn't. But I'll try to make it short and sweet. 1.Service was terrible. We had ayce but we had to go to them to order food. Not attentive at all 2.There was a cockroach in our vegetables. 3.We ordered food and they never brought it to us. 4.Our server said 25% off beer even though happy hour clearly says 50% off 5.They gave us the bill and tip was on happy hour price. Then after already running our credit card they said the tip should be charged on regular prices so they reverse our credit card they already charged and charged us more. WHO HAS EVER HEARD OF CHARGING TIP ON A DIFF PRICE THEN WHAT YOU PAY??? Ridiculous. Obviously we will never go back again.. .. .
(1)Wendy H.
We actually came here for dim sum so this isn't a hot pot review. Dim sum prices are on par with the Dim Sum King's. However their stuff certainly doesn't taste like DSK's! We had: 1) Pork bun - why is the pork dry inside? There is absolutely no gravy inside that bun. I usually like my pork to be laced with oyster sauce etc. This was just too dry. 2) Shrimp rice crepe - this sucker fell apart when you picked it up w/ your chopsticks. Meaning you got goopy noodle and some shrimp 3) Chicken tamale - DH said this was the weirdest version he ever had 4) Shrimp and Chive ball - this plate came out cold. Really cold as in not cooked. I boxed it up and reheated at home. 5) Ribs & Rice - this was actually a ginormous plate. Worth the $5 6) Ramen noodles - not much ramen there. A big bowl of soup. Dim sum isn't that good. Service is scattered. We asked for a spoon for our ramen noodle soup. Both times the waitress goes yeah yeah but she never bothers to bring the spoons! One note, their bathrooms are small with the exception of the handicapped stall. However, they used the handicap stall as a quasi closet because there was this big iron rack inside the stall and some other junk. I'm sure that is not ADA compliant!
(2)Edna L.
Been to tons of hot pot places and gotta say this one stands out the most because each individual gets their own pot so there won't be any debate about what the base soup would be. Another things is that it's not jus a hot pot place but u can order food too and cocktail soju! Would go again
(4)Judy P.
This is a darling place! The food is fresh, healthy and yummy! It's hot pot with a modern twist. Each person gets their own hot pot so you don't have to dip in the same pot as everyone else. You choose from a variety of items from meat, seafood and tofu to vegetables, noodles, and sauces and cook it your way in your own individual hot pot! It's a great solution to that age old problem of having to dip in the 'community hot pot.' I went with two friends and to start we each picked our own soup base. I chose the kelp/seaweed base while my friends chose the chicken and pork broth. We ordered thinly sliced meat, scallops, shrimp, clams, tofu, watercress, cilantro, mushrooms, udon noodles and Chinese donut. All items were great except they forgot our noodles, which we ended up canceling since we were getting so full. One thing to note: while the service is fast and courteous, they forget to bring al the dishes so you have to keep reminding them :( To end the meal, you also get complimentary dessert at the dessert bar. The desserts are healthy too! We went back for seconds, thirds and fourths of the sweet, cold watermelon wedges, succulent cubes of cantaloupe and warm divine taro tapioca dessert! I also loved the decor of this place. It has a very trendy modern design especially when it came to lighting -- light fixtures resembling umbrellas juxtaposed against dark earthy tones of wall decor set a soft and relaxing mood. For hot pot with a modern twist, you simply must go here!
(4)linda L.
Not to my liking! My girlfriend really like this place and wanted us to try it out here. As we arrived i've noticed that it was very steamy inside... as if it's a sauna? First thought was "dammit, i'm gonna stink when i leave" since i planned on going out after. There's no ventilation in there whatsoever. My experience I just didnt like it period. Here's why.. The menu is very overwhelming, the dipping sauce was very thick, and the broth sucked. The only thing that was good was the paste thing as well as the meat over rice! oh cant forget our beer and their complimentary dessert ( watermelon and coconut jello) :) The concept is cool though.. everyone gets their own hot pot, wide selection of meat, seafood, broth, and other side dishes.. but i feel that bc there is such a huge selection, their quality on food is totally lacking! not my cup of tea! :/
(1)Malong L.
I will Never come here again. The food is too less in the plate and it was not that fresh. Also, they didn't offer exchange! Shit!
(1)Pj A.
Giving a 4 because their soju actually messes you up... if doesn't mess around... The service: 3/5 The food: 5/5 The location: 4/5 Parking: 5/5
(4)Kayla F.
this place is great for ayce for around $26 dollars! they have wifi & free desserts as well. they usually have watermelon and it's always the sweetest every time I go! the best part of this place is that you get your own soup pot! the only downside I have about this place is that it makes me feel really sticky while eatting here. I'm not sure if it's cause the steam or the tables & walls are sticky.
(4)Angelina W.
Omg! This is my second time eating here! Bad experience ever! The meat looks so weird with the red color on the side no matter how long we boil it! And the service is awful and rude when we are trying to approach to the servers! They told me they couldn't color the meat! What the fxxk! I didn't say the meat was colored! Once they said so, I was very scared to eat more lamb and beef! Btw, the guy who is dealing with the meat cutting is very nice to us! Wer Chinese and the servers are Chinese too! But they are rude and uneducated! Don't come and dine in here if ur not ready for the rude Chinese servers!
(1)Joann L.
DO NOT EAT HERE!! First of all this place has terrible service if you are not a friend to the staff you will be waiting forever! If you are a friend then good for you because they will let you cut the non existing waiting line. I asked a server how do I put my name down for a table and the girl said "I don't know" how do you not know when you work here? Hence we ended up loosing our table to people that came later than us. Second the vegetable were not fresh at all a lot of the things they served were already yellowing and going bad. Third and the worst was as I ate i would feel my teeth grinding on sand and after a while i started seeing sand on my plate and after i finished my food I decided to empty out my pot to see what was there and I found so much sand! When I told the server she said it's the "spices" for the soup. Umm i grew up around spices and what I saw in that post was definitely not a food seasoning!! Therefore, i dug my finger into the bottom of the pot and took out some of the sand and showed it to her. It was then she took me seriously and took the pot away. They really don't give a crap about you, and I felt very unwelcomed here. I was just trying to get a good meal and they gave me such bad service and attitude. It is safe to say I am never coming back here again and I will not recommend this place for any of my friends. If you are brave enough to eat here be my guest but be prepared to tuck your tail between your legs and say goodbye to your pride!
(1)Amy T.
My friends and I were craving hot pot on a cold day in the city after supporting our college dragon boat team's last race of the season. We decided to check out Little Fire Pot upon a friend's recommendation of what he liked and because it was really close by to where we were at (which was Lake Merced). It wasn't packed at all when we rolled in around 6pm on a Sunday night. For about $22 you can have All You Can Eat with your own individual hot pot. Honestly, my friends and I were so confused as to how the menu worked but we asked the server to explain it to us since he didn't in the first place. Service here is a bit eh. They don't really check up on you at all. We all had to ask for more water, order more meat/veggies, etc. Onto the food...meat was alright, veggies were veggies, and the other stuff was good too. Usually AYCE Hot Pot for dinner would be around $25-$30 but that's because the food is pretty damn good. Little Fire Pot satisfied my tummy but didn't really satisfy my taste buds. If I was around the area I would probably look for a better hot pot place if it means paying a little more. On the bright side you get Annin tofu (almond jello) and Coconut Sago as complimentary desserts! :P And I like how you get your own hot pot!
(3)Gary L.
I love the Chinese satay sauce they serve here. If I lived closer to here this would probably be my go to spot for Hot Pot or Shabu. The service here is definitely hit or miss, but the food will get you to come back.I'm a fan of their prime grade ribeye AYCED and their homemade pork meatballs are so good. They have many other good selections. You just need to go there and try.
(4)Jess N.
Solid 3.5 stars. First off, I need to give some mad props to my new iPhone 6+. The photos turned out fantastic in low lighting. (See my photos) Was on my way to grab some Tani's tamago to find that there is a huge line outside the tiny shop. Short on time I decided to try a a new place and opted for Little Fire Pot. You walk inside and find ample space for large parties and a bar wall for those who are eating alone. Service: Decently paced and very nice. Friendly smiles and helpful when letting the server know it was my first time. Though with only one guy working during the afternoon, I can imagine service become much slower if a huge crowd comes in. Food: Mainly advertised as an AYCE place, they also offer a full a la carte menu and a bar at the entrance. The extensive menu for AYCE was offered in very generous portions up front. They also had many sauces to choose from. The Order: - Meat Rice - A bowl of rice with piled with delicious fatty, oily pork meat and we loved it! So four orders were requested - Ribeye - Generous portion for starters - Jumbo Shrimp- Five pieces per order - Crunchy Fishball- A handful of fishball - Pork Skin- 6+ pieces - Fresh Beef Dumpling- Good - Fresh Shrimp Paste Dumpling- I enjoyed the shrimp paste balls more than the beef. Both tasted fresh - Napa Cabbage - Spinach - Large bundle - Enoki mushroom - Large bundle - Corn Ear - Two pieces - Tomato - Four wedges - Daikon Radish - A big handful - Chicken Pork Broth - Spicy Sichuan- Good spices with slices of garlic and herbs I was barely able to finish this round. No way for me to ask for a second round, even though I had originally considered it. While you would think I would want to rush and return, a few fruit flies swarming around were a huge turn off. I also noticed other reviews mentioning about them two years ago. So if they didn't fix the problem then, I think this will be an ongoing experience. You have been warned. I may still return in the future. Everything else was solid. What you need to know: - You can easily control your cooking temperature using a dial that is at the front of where you are sitting - Individual mini pots are offered at all tables - There's one private room for a large party, located in the back near the restrooms - $22 AYCE EVERYDAY BEFORE 6:00PM (REG. $26) - 20% off the Premium AYCE before 6:00PM (REG $29.95) - Additional 5% Discount will Apply if pay By Cash! (Min. $25+) - Check board for other specials including adding AYCD beer/beverages
(3)Kaitlyn K.
All you can eat hot pot. We got the miso broth and chicken&pork broth. The miso broth was probably one of the better ones because it gave more flavor to the meat. They provide a lot of food for all you can eat. So don't worry about being hungry. We did not like how they barely explained anything or barely came to check on us. We had to go up to the kitchen several times to ask them questions. The food was overall very satisfying just make sure to come before 3pm so that the meal comes out to be $22 per person.
(3)Elena N.
I've been going to Little Fire Pot for about five years. When I first went, they didn't offer all you can eat. I'm glad they do now, since I love having an AYCE option. Not to mention all you can eat and drink! At LFP, everyone gets their own pot of soup. If you're in a big group and everyone likes different levels of spice, that is great! I normally like getting the herbal broth and then adding a bunch of mala sauce to spice it up! This combination seems to have more levels of flavor than just the straight Sichuan spicy mala broth: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… . They offer the standard hot pot options. I always get a variety of things: From January 2012: *Prime rib: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Short rib: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Tripe, mussels, pork blood, shrimp: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Corn, mushrooms, variety of balls: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Spinach, napa cabbage, tomato, cabbage: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… From June 2013: *Fish & Shrimp, Meat and Mushrooms: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Meat, Mushrooms and Tripe & Mussels: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Fish, Shrimp & Beef balls: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Meat, Mushrooms, Tripe & Mussels, Balls, Fish & Shrimp and Veggies & Fungus: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… *Veggies & Fungus: yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… If you're in a huge group, LFP has a private room with two huge round tables and a karaoke machine. Great for birthday dinners and other celebrations. For a great hot pot place, Little Fire Pot is one of my favorites!
(5)Michelle W.
Terrible service and extremely bad attitude. They don't give two shits about their customers. We sat waiting in the cold for such a long time and when the table was ready and set, they ignored us. When we asked about that table the server completely ignored us and when she finally sat us she threw the menu down on the table. The menu is a laminated piece of paper that comes with a marker. We asked for an extra marker to make the selection process faster but the server said no you only get 1 marker. We were asking nicely too! Fuck this place. We are never coming here again. Congrats to them deserving my first review ever - a bad one at that. Bravo, bravo. Now I know never to come back. I don't need to take your shit in all honesty. Bye.
(1)Azamat S.
Good place! Really enjoyed food. They are always open till late night, so they're kinda saves us. Very convenient for us, we live close by and we always try to come once in a while. And i like the interior too.
(4)Lauren S.
Maybe it's the night but their service is terrible they are NOT nice AT ALL and We had to get up and ask for more water. Fuck this place and their shitty attitude. When she finally did bring water I said thankyou and got no response
(1)Sonata B.
Second time here so I'm a fan of the food,portions, service etc. Only problem is their leaking ceiling :( I got dripped on so much I had to move. By the time we left my seat was under a puddle of water. Not sure if it was the steam from all the broths but either way... Beware!
(2)Wes S.
My first hot pot experience in the Bay and I can honestly say, it was a good experience. It was a bit different than that what I'm used to in Southern California. Every place I've gone to down south, uses one pot for the entire party. This spot, uses individual pots (with each person having their own heating element as well) which I find better if you have people who are picky or can't decide on the broth (some will like mild, some hot, etc.) We chose the $26/person all you can eat as we were starving. You have a choice from 7 broths (Bonito & Kelp, Chicken & Pork, Sichaun (per their website) Spicy, Mongolian herbal, Miso broth, Spicy Miso, and mushroom broth) We chose the Mongolian herbal for all of us as we wanted something hot and something that'll clear our sinuses. There are 20 meats/seafood to choose from (additional choices for $1-$3 more, depending on what you all you can eat selection you choose). 19 choices for vegetables and 9 choices for noodles/rice. Here's the listing with the additional "premium" choices if you choose. littlefirepot.com/all-yo… They also serve dim sum, which we ordered an order of the chicken feet. I would stick to the hot pot. The meat was just right and the seasoning of the broth was nicely refreshing and warmed us up nicely to combat the weather. I would highly recommend this place to nicely stuff your stomachs, and there is also ALL YOU CAN DRINK for an additional $12/person. Maybe I'll invite my other buddies here and just go to town with the all you can eat and drink. Thank you Little Fire Pot for being my go to for hot pot in the Bay.
(4)Elaine Y.
AYCE typically comes with a few caveats. Between price, quality, and quantity you can usually only pick two and you have to just deal with that. At little fire pot, the biggest downfall is probably the quantity of choices. Now, some people might find me crazy because AYCE comes with your choice of soup base (6 choices) and then a pretty hefty selection of meats and veggies (50 choices)...but if you take the time to really look, you'll see that the majority of the selection is so standard that if you drive down to ranch 99, you can literally get everything including the broth. As for the service, it was a little off. Despite clearly marking up their menu, we found that several platters never actually made it onto the table - but others that we didn't order did come. Meat was also placed on one side of the table and not on the lazy susan. And when we wanted to add more items, it was pretty much impossible to find a waiter. They also failed to mention that desserts were freely available right outside our "private" room but luckily a friend who had been here before knew of that tidbit. I guess overall it wasn't that bad....but "meh. I've experienced better" is very true to my feelings about my hot pot experience here.
(2)Dojisuon E.
Dont come here. Owner is very rude and service is really bad . I will never come here again. Waste of money. Its not even worth one star. Eat hotpot at home
(1)Alyce l.
my daughters and I love this place. we mainly order the different kinds of hot pot. my daughters love their minced beef over rice and/or ramen. owners were smart having 2 rooms for parties and they have a karaoke in each room. the owners are very nice and accommodating. I booked a last minute fathers day dinner here cuz my dad likes to sing and hotpot. so this was perfect for him. i havent tried other food on the menu yet but so far, I enjoy their hotpots, especially when you get your own pot!
(5)Ralph N.
I never give one star reviews. I'm not that harsh. But this restaurant provided that level of service to our party tonight. Absolutely unacceptable. First off, prices are high for their quality of food. Secondly, I've never received such low service at a restaurant. The waitresses were repeatedly rushing us to choose our entrees. Appalled by the high prices and confusing nature of the shabu options, we finally decided to order individual soups instead of the hot pot dishes. When the staff found out we weren't ordering the shabu shabu, they neglected us. Our water glasses were never refilled. Our food took EXTREMELY long to come out (literally like 25 minutes). No one checked up on us. My brother's beef stew came out cold with the wrong type of noodles. My wonton soup (which I requested with noodles) came out with NONE! And the fried porkchops were so salty and far from crispy. The waiter was very misleading while taking our orders. He kept rejecting our small requests and he told us certain options could not be made (which we later found out was possible). He couldn't even give us thorough answers to our questions regarding the menu items. I should've listened to the 3 star average rating. I'm very disappointed with the service at this establishment. Absolutely absurd.
(1)Stella J.
I came here the other night with my boyfriend and his friends. We had a 8pm reservation but we didn't get seated until 830 which kind of sucked because we were all hungry! We were given menus to order from and we ordered quickly but the broth didn't come out until 930ish. The food slowly came out. The meat that we ordered came out really slowly in the beginning then at the end of our meal that's when all the plates of beef came out. Even though we were a group of 14, the amount of beef that came out was way too much. The fish balls and all that were all standard there was nothing that stood out about it. The broth was a bit disappointing. It was a coconut curry broth and it wasn't as flavorful as I would like. The curry flavor wasn't very strong, compared to the pots curry broth it was subpar. The best part about the meal is honestly that everyone gets their own pot of broth so there's no need to worry about getting a broth everyone will like. This place isn't bad but it would not be my go to ayce hot pot place. But it's worth another visit when I'm not with such a large group. Total for 2: $68
(3)Tony S.
So far the best AYCE hotpot place hands down!!! Everybody gets their own pot with choice of broth. So no more worrying about eating something you don't want or somebody stealing your food, lol
(5)Philana C.
AYCE hotpot for $26! Came here with two other friends on a Saturday night. We were all very hungry and were ready to dig in. There are variety of broths to pick from, where each person gets their own individual hot pot. I had the Mongolian Herbal broth, which I thought was pretty flavorful and healthyish. Their AYCE menu consists of various meats, seafood, vegetables, tofu, noodles, and rice. For three girls, we ordered so much food, we were so stuffed and bloated! PLUS, they also have a variety of self-served free desserts! :) Service was not too bad that night (compared to all the other reviews). We got what we wanted without waiting too long. It really wasn't a bad experience for us and I think I'll be back for more! :)
(4)Nick N.
This place is really close to me so I decided to give this place a try ( walking distance). Also this place is really good for like a birthday party or for a big group of people. The service here is not that great but I understand cuz its extremely busy aroudn dinner time but the food makes up for it. The pricing for the AYCE is pretty good. Its 26 before 2PM everyday I think but on tuesday its straight 22 bucks all day. The thing that I like about this place is that you can order your own broth and you get your own stove and you can control the temperature. Also the menu is extensive and has a pretty good selection of meats, noodles and sauces too. Also for dessert they have a small selection of bakery goods and fruit. Overall I like this place. The food makes up for the lack of service they provide. I would recommend to give this place a try.
(3)Sara T.
I don't usually go out for hot pot, but with friends, I would. I came in with a group of eight, and the lady at the front asked if we made a reservation, but we didn't... however, we didn't wait too long for a table that one Tuesday night. We waited perhaps 20-30 minutes, and she notified us of a big party leaving, and so we got one of the big tables in the back room. I like that they have a separated area for bigger parties. Their service that night was also pretty good, especially because we were in the back where we would most likely need to go out to flag someone down, if no one came in to check on us. I was surprised because I usually don't expect much. I think everything was good (the two kinds of beef, lamb, veggies, noodles). I would not recommend getting chicken though, because we never actually managed to eat it because it still looked like it wasn't cooked when we left. Maybe it was cooked and we didn't know... Would recommend if you want to do hot pot but too lazy to buy all the ingredients at home.
(3)Lupe G.
My partner and I were a Lil ehhh about trying it since we read all the BAD reviews on here. Anywho we were a party of 3 including a baby at 6:30pm on a Saturday we got seated with no wait. The employees were super friendly . We got the spicy miso soup base it was delicious! !! All the food came fast. I will definitely go back again! Price is fair and I absolutely love the fact you get your OWN hot pot! I think these other reviews came from hard to please customers. I give them 5 Starts I really liked going there and the main boss had a awesome attitude!
(5)Kat C.
I'll start with the good things first. The food: it was pretty tasty, you get a small pot of individual soup and the meats are pretty ok. Frozen slices. The vegetables were quite decent, and the selection was abundant. Though, if you think that ordering a dish of meat for a big group would give you several plates, you are wrong. You get one plate. The drinks: this is probably the thing that can't go wrong. The flavored soju were quite nice. The sakes were decent and drinkable. Beers were bottled and can be in pitchers if asked for. The service: this is where the one star came from. If I could, I would give them a 0. Out of the three waiters/waitresses, one was the one that swayed me towards that. I called for her attention and I got the eye catch, and completely got the head swipe and ignored me. I had to call for the other waitress, who was making up for the slack, was working so hard that she was frantic on keeping running back and forth. Felt bad for her. Because of the lack of attention that was given to us as customers, they forgot a few of the ordered items until reminded several times. A simple soda was given halfway through the meal, while other tables got theirs. (I think they just didn't like us because we were a big group and were eaters. We believed that they intentionally ignored us and hoped that we would eat and leave. ) That disappointed me greatly. I'm usually all for these hot pot places and I should have listened to the OTHER yelpers on their bad experiences. Now for the kicker. In what I thought was the law, you do not tax on the gratuity. They stated that it is part of the law and it's on the wall. So included in the tip, there would be a picture of the law, with the handwritten note on the bottom that says that they tax the gratuity. Overall: I will never ever come back here and I will follow the other yelpers' reviews. I hope they don't pay to delete this review. I am in no way being bias towards anyone, but when you receive such service, you would be jaded and utterly disappointed as well.
(1)Tam D.
Pretty good! I love the all-you-can-eat section! You can order as much food (especially types of meat and veggies) within your two hours of eating :) I'm definately a fan~
(4)Winnie T.
Came here for AYCE and left completely stuffed to the max. Come hungry. Meat is frozen and the quality is okay. Fish balls are low quality. Veggies are all great. Mongolian broth was flavorful. Didn't have any problems with service and there were many servers coming by to check on my friend and I throughout the meal. Would probably not come back. I still prefer Little Sheep!
(3)Cynthia N.
YAY finally a place that serves hot pot AND IS VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY. *Let the hallelujahs ring!* Not only an assortment of just vegetables either but they also offer veggie meat (not on the menu... Gotta ask for it.) as well as veggie satay sauce. Also a big plus that each person gets their own hot pot! Your own hot pot= no mixing, no double dipping and most importantly you can put exactly what YOU want. I'm almost never let down here, I just wish more hot pot/ shabu joints offered better vegetarian options than the usual.... Vegetables. Boiled. And rice.
(5)Tao Tao W.
went here today with 3 of my friends for lunch for the AYCE. Props to this place for taking reservations which is pretty nice but at lunch they actually weren't that busy. before 6PM, its $22 which is one of the lower AYCEs Food wise -2.5/4 as options are decent but this place is no hot pot garden or little sheep. Personal pots are the bomb.com though. There are a lot of meat options but some of them you have to pay more for better meat and also $1 for other soup bases such as egg and cilantro. The base menu includes a good amount of meats and seafood though. Limited on the fish balls and what not. A lot of veggies to pick from as well. Meat and seafood were pretty fresh and they give you a lot of veggies. Service - 2.5/4 as well because we were seated at the same table as another group but against the wall and with a table in between so tehy seemed to forget about us so there were a number of times where we had to flag people down. My friend who came with us has been there a few times said that they were slow to serve too but I'm not sure if its because I spoke Chinese to them but they were decent to getting everything out. However, I know I ordered a couple of other items and def did not get them. Also they give a pretty good amount of meat per order too. I really do like the personal pots though. ideal for veggie and meat lovers
(3)Danae L.
Cheapest AYCE hot pot. If you're in the area and crave hot pot, I would say come here because other places charge roughly $30. Tuesday nights they have a cheaper deal and if you pay in cash they give you a few percent discount, which is not much it pretty much just cancels task. The service could be better. Most of the time when I need a waitress's attention she has a pile of dishes on her tray so I feel bad requesting for refills and such. I like their miso and chicken broth. I go with my bf and we switch off because miso just gets too salty. Not my first choice of hot pot, but if you just want AYCE despite quality I'd recommend this place.
(3)Kara Y.
Individual hot pots. Pretty accommodating staff. Nothing to complain about! we were there on Tuesday so got their AYCE for just $22!
(4)Philip W.
I enjoy hot pot. It's a time for friends and family to sit around a simmering pot of broth and share in the joy of watching food be cooked. I definitely find it a bonding experience- there's nothing like huddling around a boiling pot on a cold day watching that lamb shoulder get cooked. Sometimes though, I just want my own broth so that I can simmer, cook, boil, or cool at my own pace and in my own personal choice of broth flavor. For moments like that, Little Fire Pot shines. Everybody here gets their own pot, with several flavors to choose from. I ALWAYS choose Mongolian- it's delicious! I've tried my friends chicken broth and it was good, but just didn't contain the herbal goodness Mongolian had. It's an AYCE style and as long as you finish what you ordered, you can keep it coming. They have a wide variety of meat, veggies, and other dishes like udon noodles- you'll find all the typical hot pot dishes here. However, being AYCE means you are pretty dependent on good service and the service here just doesn't measure up to other AYCE hot pot restaurants like Little Dipper or Hot Pot Garden. The waiters are difficult to flag down and the food doesn't come out very quickly. Small price to pay for delicious AYCE hot pot though.
(3)Lorie N.
2 stars for all you can drink and all you can eat for one price. Since I don't drink, I can't comment on the alcohol. But I can comment on the interior of the restaurant and the food. I'll start off with the negatives first: *Our benches were covered in brown duct tape to match the brown "pleather" bench style seating. I think it's time for some new furniture or re-upholstery. It just looked tasteless and dirty. *The place looked like it was in sore need of an update. Dirty everywhere. *Broth had a funny taste which I can't quite describe. I realize that this is just personal preference but I've eaten at other Shabu places before and remember loving the broth. Even with all the seasonings that I poured in, I couldn't help but just try and strain the meat and veggies out so I didn't have to taste the broth. *I had to flag the server down both times just to get my water refilled. *Rib eye meat had a lot of fat that I had to trim out before eating. I like my meat lean, thank you very much. The positives: *All you can drink alcohol for everyone else seated at the table. *Lots of ventilation (high ceilings and huge fans) so we didn't come out smelling like food.
(2)Karl C.
I never thought an all you can eat place would impress me so much. For 26/person you can pretty much eat to your hearts content. Be sure to get the fish(i think it's flounder) the flakiness of it was surprising, it was really good! Usually for all you can eat places service drops quite a bit, I usually gauge a place on whether my glass of water hits empty without me asking for a refill. Now I did have to request it once but I was there for 2 hours so I gotta sat very impressive. Best part was this rice bowl with these assorted meats in it, holy smokes how can something so simple taste so good!? Do yourself a favor and try them out!
(5)Elyse M.
If I could give this place zero stars, I would. Not only was service HORRENDOUS, but they tried to overcharge us as well. I came with a party of nine, and they paid us little attention. But now to the real reason they are awful... They ADD gratuity, and then tax it and add it to your bill. COMPLETELY ILLEGAL. They are to pay their own taxes on the gratuity they receive, NOT US. They showed us some handwritten sign trying to pass it off as the law. DO NOT GO HERE. They should be reported.
(1)Mike K.
I have been here many times and overall experience was okay until last night. The service was very poor. The owner was very rude seating us. The exact conversation below. Me - May I get a table for 3. Owner - we got bar seating. (Grabs menu and tosses on the bar and left us hanging) Me - (After left standing for 5 minutes of waiting and I asked) May we wait for a table. Owner - Don't look at me, I got no table for u. The experience after that just got worst. It took 25 min before we got our food. Also the owner moved our food due to seating new customers without asking us at all. This is by far the most unacceptable restaurant service that I have ever received. They have officially lost me and all of my friend's business. I rather drive 20 min further to hot pot garden from now on.
(1)Cuc N.
I fell in love with this place!! Why doesn't it have better reviews?! :0 $26 AYCE and Tuesdays is $20!! And very good service! Owner and waitresses were kinda cute and jokes with us throughout our meal :) I like the interaction with customers You order your own soup base (personal fave is the spicy miso! I literally drank all of it throughout the meal and the server refilled my pot twice hehe :D) -sichuan spicy was not spicy at all You also order your own mixture of sauces, which they pre-mix for you and bring it out with a mini tray of green onions, cilantro, and ginger/garlic for you to add in your sauce as you please. Each person gets their own pot!! But I LOVE how it's buried within the table in front of you unlike other places so you don't have to reach over to look over your pot to look for your food items. Also, each person can be in charge of the temperature to boil their own pot which is super nice because at times I just want it to simmer or boil like cray cray so I can cook my meat faster Meats: rib eye is a personal fave! Very juicy, thick slices! I are tons of it. The lamb was a bit disappointing here Seafood: FISH PASTE!!!! So soft, flavorful and velvety!!!! Love, love it. Must order it okay?! Noodles: variety of noodles to pick your carbs from..egg noodles, thick/thin vermicelli, flat rice noodles, brown ride for all you health freaks (no extra charge like other restaurants), etc Veggies: big variety of veggies! Personal fave is enoki mushrooms everywhere! FREE dessert! There's a side table of a variety of free desserts for you to help yourself like buffet style! Watermelon, coconut Asian based soup, etc Pros: -very good friendly service -huge variety of meats, veggies, carbs -pick your own variety of sauce mixes -like 6+ types of soup bases?! -fish paste!!!!!! First place I've seen it -serves complimentary hot tea (who doesn't love free stuff?) -free self-serve dessert!! Yum yum watermelon was refreshing! Thin and evenly cut slices for all you princesses like mee -has brown rice hehe -$20 on Tuesdays! -cute decorations all around and creative seating -everything served in cute bowls and plates! Like shell plates and strawberry bowls -they have chocolate! My nickname for pork blood! And Delishhhh tooooo drools* Cons: -if you leave a lot leftover - extra fee charge -lamb was a bit dry -the bar we sat at had kind of dim lighting so hard to see food and oh, to take better pictures :D
(5)Kailey S.
Foods here are great. Plenty of vegetable and meat. The 2 stars got knock off because of the service. Waiters and waitresses did not come around a lot to ask if we need any thing. Better service will be high recommend restaurant.
(3)Eddie H.
Worst service ever. I just want my damn check so I can enjoy the rest of my day. They made me walk to the counter to pay eventually,and the tip I gave was all for the Mexican guy who do the meat cutting.
(1)Brittany B.
This place is dirty. The booth was covered in tape, the walls, tables and dishware looked so gross and filthy. We ate anyway to give it a fair shot. The service was horrible and practically non-existent. We were not checked on and had to constantly ask for the things we ordered because it never showed up to our table. The quality of food was poor and the broths were not good. I suggest you pay the extra $6 and go to Shabu House on Ocean. It's much better quality.
(1)Kat C.
Service is bad and the all you can eat is not worth it. The food is mediocre and the soup sucks. Came on Christmas with a reservation. It was $22 for all you can eat for a max of 2 hours. Usually 2 hours is enough but only if the service is good and the food comes out promptly. I say usually. I don't know if this place does this deliberately but they were quick to bring out all the cheap stuff like veggies, noodles, and fish balls. Even stuff we never even ordered as if they were hoping to stuff us. Te good stuff like the rib eye and lamb came at a snail's space if at all. We sat here for an hour and a half and our first order of lamb never came. Someone could've roasted a rack of lamb in that time. We asked 5 different people and basically got dismissive answers of it's coming soon or not even worded answers at all. If you want a good hot pot deal, go somewhere else. This place sounds like a good deal but they cheat you out of it by not giving you the food you want. Final thing. They offered several different soup bases. For hot pot, soup base is king. My table of 8 ordered 4 different soup bases and they all were flavorless and tasted the same. Their ponzu sauce is basically soy sauce with vinegar. Cheap asses. Never coming back. Thanks for a crappy Christmas, Little Fire Pot. I'm taking my business elsewhere.
(1)Jennifer T.
Fresh variety of veggies and proteins. Love the individual hot pots. Early bird before 6 pm only $22 and extra 5% when you pay cash. That's s deal Fresh fruits for desert along w coconut jello cubes and hot tapioca. Must try !!
(5)Cuong T.
If you are thinking about the hotpot "All you can eat", go somewhere else. Service is bad and the "All you can eat" is totally not worth it. We went there with a group of 10 people, reserved the big table inside, and ordered "All you can eat". Not only they took forever to get our order, they also brought the food to our table very little by little. After finishing the first round of our order, we had to go to talk to them 6-7 more times and asked for more food. What is the sense of paying over $400 for all you can eat and got treated as a "beggar"? We ended up seating there for nothing for like 30 mins and by the times they brought us some more food, noone really wanted to eat anymore. The lady who usually takes orders and may be the owner of the business really show us that she cares nothing but her $$$. Never go back here again! If you want a good hotpot deal, make sure you get your business to somewhere else.
(1)Donna D.
Tuesday night must go if you like hot pot. They have a $20 / person, all you can eat. Make sure you order a few items at a time, remember it's all you can eat :) The place gets packed easily so we usually get there around 6. When we finally got up at 7:30 - my husband was hungry - Again! - there was a line formed outside the restaurant. The guys seated next to us at the bar, were asked pilit key to leave after they paid. Luckily the guys understood the hostess request. This visit we sat by the bar, and it was interesting to see the guy in charge slicing all the meat. He stood there slicing all the orders from the moment we sat and left. Poor guy ... He probably hates Tuesday's :) Yes I would go here again, on a cold day and when I had nothing to eat substantially the whole day, or when my husband is hungry :) Enjoy!!!
(4)Stephanie F.
Service has definitely improved (in terms of being seen upon entry and actually getting a table). The lady with the short hair who always works the front is awesome! She always treats me like VIP and gets my tables reserved/ my party seated in no time! The meat/veggies/ seafood/ broth choices are pretty good! Nice wide selection to accommodate for any type of taste. (Ive been to other shabu shabu places where there are only 3 meat choices- this places has at least 10-15). Menu is simple: its laminated so you just check off/ write out the number of each item you want. Only complaint is getting the servers attention once you need to re order. Ive been having to get out of my seat to flag them down. But when they do notice you, they're very attentive and quick to get what you need!
(4)Traci L.
Do not trust your wait staff, they brought me an opened bottle of wine when I ordered a glass. Then refused to let Me just order a glass charged me for entire bottle. I will not be back, horrible customer service in my opinion, never been treated like that before.
(1)Ryan R.
The idea of paying money to cook your food has boggled my mind for quite some time now. On the plus side you get to customize your meal any way you like and eat as much as you like. In reality, you can customize of your food at most restaurants and you probably won't get your moneys worth in food since they cut their meat like prosciutto. One thing that always prevails at these types of places is that its kinda fun... The guy that doesn't know how to cook can feel like he is actually making something or people that like the control without all the clean up. Overall i still had a good time. We had one of the private rooms which came with karaoke and a disco ball. The meat was scarce and the service was slow, but it was really busy that night. They offer soju and other oriental drinks, so the time passes by fast. If I came here by myself I would be left with a subpar meal, paying more than I should be paying for soup based food. Atleaset the b-day boy paid for everyone!
(3)Maile W.
One of my new favorite places tom go to! Came here a few times with my friends and boyfriend and we loved it! We usually come here for the weekday special before 6pm since it's a great deal. $22 all you can eat and you get your own individual hot pot! Had order the Tom Yum and Herbal base soup and I was definitely go with the Tom Yum broth. It had just the right amount of seasoning in it. We usually order the ribeye, beef, pork belly, lamb, shrimp fish ball, lots of enoki mushrooms, udon, egg noodles, flat vermicelli, spinach, watercress, and lots more! The deserts are a hit and miss for this place because I absolutely love it when they serve the coconut sago and almond jello. Sometimes the coconut sago isn't as sweet as I like it to be so I add one piece of almond jello to it and it is delightful! Only downside (thus the -1 star) is service tends to be iffy sometimes because there is a center divider that splits up the room in half so all the waitress are on that side whereas the customers are on the other side. So getting their attention is a little tough. The place itself is a little small despite it have a closed off back room as well. If they were to open the floor more by taking the divider out or make the divider see through and take the back wall out for a more open space i think it wouldn't look as crowded/tiny. Other than that, will definitely be coming back here more often!
(4)Jin C.
i dont have any idea about this restaurant. The BOSS is FUCK ! Food is not fresh. poor service made me speechless. Im so frustrated about their service right now cuz they dont care about the customer. My pot stove area doesnt work so i couldnt eat anything, i asked to move the table for our 4 of us but they said that the table already full and they also said just share with friends. It doesnt make sense they didnt cancle that for me. What the fuck their poor service?! I couldnt eat my own pot and my friends as well. even though we complained a lot, they didnt even answer that. The boss dosent have any responsibility about the customer and she just said this is electrical problem so i cant do anything but if you already touch the food you need to pay for your pot. What the hell she said about it? the all of the servers didnt care about any thing for our table. EVEN THEY NEVER SAY SORRY.
(1)Derick N.
Thursday night, said its open till midnight...went there for my bday(today) at 10. Lady kicked me and four others out saying they are closed and said check the sign. Even the sign says 4pm-12am so idk why they kicked us out. It's kinda bs so I think they should fix their time listing.
(1)Min C.
I would give 0 star if I can do it. This is what just happened to us. First, we got our broths and one of the hot plates(my sister's hot plate) didn't work at that time. We asked the servers to take an action for it like 4 or 5 times but they didn't do anything. And a woman who represented herself as a boss was super rude. She didn't even say "sorry" in advance. She just said very impolitely "This is an eletronic issue, so we cannot do anything for you guys." So we just wanted to cancel an order for one person and said that " we wanna cancel one of the orders." Then she said " Right, I can cancel, but your sister has to stop eating cuz this is not our fault." Do you guys think this is really make sense? This is just crazy. My sister didn't eat anything but has to stop eating? Today's service that I received at this restaurant was the worst thing ever that I have received in United States. I AM NOT GONNA GO THERE AGAIN. Please don't go to this restaurant. +After this, the woman was mumbling something in their language(I guess it was Chinese), it sounded like curse words or complaining to us.
(1)Winnie G.
The worst fire pot in the Bay Area ,everything are not fresh and tastes so bad,I can't wait to brush teeth when home!
(1)Maggie F.
I can't remember much about this place, except that I didn't like it and it was expensive. For 2 people we ordered a fairly decent amount, but it came up to about $75 each before tips. The restaurant itself is very nice and quiet, a good spot in at the back of the shops at Westlake. It is nice if you want a quiet night out. The food wasn't outstanding, pretty ordinary. For the price of the meal we had, I'd rather go to Little Sheep in San Mateo or Shabu House in Burlingame. Sorry.
(2)Crystal G.
Yum yum it gets the job done! Shabu craving satisfied . Service could've been better. We got all you can eat and had to keep waving our server down to get more meat. Upside of location we got seated right away and parking is easy to find
(3)S P.
This place does not have dipping sauces for you during lunch. They have dipping sauces for you during dinner. For the lunch hot pot, you only get a small dish of meat, about 8" x 3". The vegetables and noodles are good. But the service is eye-popping-in the bad way. The waitress was cleaning up the table as we were getting our bill and actually dropped food on the floor near my friend as she was stacking the plates. I watched the piece of food get pushed by antother plate as she was stacking them and come within inches of my friend's shoulder. I've never seen a waitress come so close to messing up a patron's clothes when cleaning up. This hot pot is not designed to share. The waitress did not bring enough chopsticks to for the side dishes and the hot pot, so you ended up using the raw hot pot chopsticks to pick up the cooked side dishes if you shared with your party. The porridge was good, with enough flavor. However the dim sum is not freshly made there. And the ramen has no flavor at all. I have had much better hot pots in my lifetime where they offer premade dipping sauces and have altogether better service. What I do like is the form of heating the hot-pot. They do not use an actual flame, but some form of electric heating for the hot pot. That would be good for people with kids. But if you were worried about bringing your kid to a hot pot place, you still run the risk of them touching the hot "hot pot". It's decent, but it would not be my first choice for hot pot.
(3)Belle W.
We had a party of 10 for my friends bday's so they seated us in the private room in the back - it's nice and cozy, comes furnished with a television and best of all you get privacy. They offer a wide selection of food with several different styles of spices, Mongolian hot pot, Japanese, Sichuan - each pot costing only $20 and coming with a HUGE bowl of different types of vegetables, hand made shrimp balls and other sides and a big plate of meat...again did I say all for only $20? They also had Hot Soju and beer. I definitely would recommend this place!
(4)Chowmein P.
Been here 3 times already... I like it! I like having my own pot of soup although I do agree that it is is not very tasty at first but AFTER you add all your stuff in and drink it in the END it is quite yummy. I had the Tokyo, Taipai, and Hong Kong combos. All very good with a good variety of stuff that represent each of the cities! The service is fair and friendly. No complaints but no jaw dropping things to write about either.
(3)Liana C.
First time at Little Fire Pot. Positive: everyone gets their own pot instead of everyone sharing. The portion of food in each combo is enough for 1-2 people, the food is fresh, self served fruit buffet Negative: Customer service is lacking, maybe caused by language barrier, soup base does not have strong favor I would recommend trying to get new experience.
(3)andy s.
It was actually better than I thought. Pros: The dishes for fire pot was nicely designed, a lot of food but not too stuffy. The service is fantastic. Cons: Quality of meat is ok but can sure use an upgrade. The location is really hard to find. It's on the right side of the mall.
(4)T L.
Me and my friends decided to go out and eat one day and found this place. When we first got there we looked at the menu which was confusing are first but after we asked the waiters how you order everything cleared up. The staff is really nice and the owner is great, everyone should get to know him. As for the food, i think that the quality of it was at its best, i had the Tokyo hot pot and the Seafood platter. When all the food came out it was a very unique experience. All the seafood was fresh and had no smell to it. Everything was extremely good, especially their MOCHI FISHBALLS! everyone who is going here should try it. Its the only place around this area that offers them. At first i thought the concept of it was strange, a sweet desert food mixed with a savory item, but everything was not as i thought. The texture and the taste was extremely good, making me want to order more! We also tried almost all the appetizers and i would say the popcorn chicken with basil is extremely good also. I think all the ratings previous aren't as bad as they seem, the food is great and the service is even better. I say ignore the 1 star ratings and visit this place, the experience is AWESOME!!
(5)Clarence H.
Terrible customer service, with the bad attitude. Definitely, no second try for me and my friends. They claim we didn't make reservation and management didn't work it out for us. Guess they don't appreciate our business so not going there from now on; spend our money elsewhere. Those want a taste of their attitude and spend money on them, go ahead!!
(1)Stephen S.
Fresh, authentic hot pot. My wife and I went with our 3 young children and were warmly received and not rushed on a busy Saturday night. Service was attentive and friendly. We have had first-rate hot pot in Taipei and Toronto and this compares favorably. Ingredients, especially seafood, are very fresh. Broths are very flavorful and home-made. Some other reviewers have complained about prices being too high and portions too small. Well, you get what you pay for. If you want cheap, all-you-can-eat crap, there are myriad other places to eat. If you want high-quality hot pot, look no farther than Little Fire Pot.
(4)Rose C.
First the location because you have to be able to find it! If you're coming around Lake Merced on Lake Merced Blvd, just continue past Joe's of Westlake, but keep an eye on your left side. You will see the Little Fire Pot and then see the entrance of the parking structure. I would suggest parking in the structure since it's free. I think nearby parking is limited to 1 or 2 hours. We went today, Saturday, at 11:30, and there were only 1 other table. The menu is a little confusing. You can order other stuff but also the hot pots. "Other stuff" includes appetizers, noodles, dim sum, general a la carte dishes. In the middle of the menu is the hot pot. There are 4 things to decide. The type, which will dictate what's in your non-meat bowl of stuff; the soup base; the meat; and the starch/side dish. The hot pot order is individual size, but keep in mind you don't have to order 1 per person. You can share or order a few less and order other items on the menu, so it's up to you. There were six of us. We ordered three hot pots and two orders of dim sum combinations. Our three types were sichuan, mongolian, and tokyo; again, this dictates what stuff we get in the veggie bowl; our soup base were sichuan, mushroom, and another one that I can't remember (had a difficult name). For meat, we ordered lamb, beef, and pork. These were thin slices of frozen meat. For side dishes, we ordered yam noodles, udon, and a bowl of beef on rice. That veggie bowl has a combination of mushrooms, green leafy veggie and then a bunch of other variety of non-meats - kinda hard to describe. It was difficult to figure out which bowl belonged with which order anyway. Each dim sum combination was $5.50 and contained about 10 dim sum items served to us in a steamer for presentation. We got A and B but don't remember what was in each. We also got an order of popcorn chicken. About 5 minutes after we ordered, they brought us small bowls of dipping sauce; I think it was satay sauce, a little spicy, a little salty. Soon afterwards, they brought us our 3 bowls of soup, then our bowls of veggies, our meat, and we started cooking. Their heating element is quite powerful, so the soup soon boiled, and we dumped a lot of food in there, followed by the raw slices of meat, and eventually the uncooked noodles. Everything was very good. There wasn't a lot of meat, but the prices are between $11-$13 and you do get a lot of food other than the meat. As we removed the cooked foods into our own plates, we dipped it in the sauce before eating, and everything was quite yummy. The beef over rice was especially good but of course is eaten separately, not having anything to do with the hot pot. The "balls" like fish balls, lobster balls had some yummy stuff oozing out of it, so everytime it was like a surprise each time I bit in. I also liked the fact that it encouraged me to eat more veggies. The restaurant didn't fill up at all. There were probably no more than 4 separate tables of customers, so service was pretty quick. They always came with more hot water for the tea and ice water for the rest of us without us asking. We asked for extra serving utensils and didn't have to wait more than a couple of minutes. All the servers were very nice and efficient. They add tips to our bill. The total bill after tax and tips was $65, which was a very good price. We were all very filled and didn't feel hungry soon afterwards. It looks like they do have an all-you-can-eat price point, but I didn't really pay attention. I know it's not as good as some other places, but sometimes all I want is a less expensive (and less quantity) version of the all-you-can-eat version, and this is it. It's a place where I'd feel comfortable coming with my immediate family for no special reason and feel justified money-wise. I can think of at least two group meal opportunities between now and the end of the year. Can't wait to come back!
(4)El C.
This is my husband's favorite place. Love the ambience - we are always greeted warmly by the hostess (owner???) and the servers while very young are very attentive. The hot pot set dinner can be a little pricey, but go between 5-6 PM and they knock 20% off so I still consider it a very good value. Hubby always goes for their hotpot, a set dinner is more than enough food for himself. I on the other hand LOVE their garlic noodle (they serve it with a generous portion of garlic shrimp scampi). There's discount on this dish as well if order is placed between 5-7 PM. I enjoy their dessert bar most of all - limited selection but very tasty. Overall, our favorite place to have an enjoyable dinner locally.
(4)Shirley Z.
I like how this place opens till hella late. It's great for a late night dinner. I am a big fan of hot pot and have been craving it since forever, so when I heard that we were hotpotting I got so excited. I love the fact that we get our own little stove and order whatever we want. I had the spicy szechuan broth with beef short ribs, house meatballs, and napa cabbage. It was late at night so I didn't order much. I shared with my boyfriend so he had the house meatballs. He wasn't so fond of it cuz it wasn't the meatballs that was rolled up for you. You have to round it up yourself from the tube it's in. Also when I was cooking the cabbage there were sand-like texture and it was not appetizing. My friend actually had some in her meat and veggies too. We assume that since it was 11:30 already, it was just the leftovers from the bottom of the pot. Other than that it was fine. The service was great. The lady was really friendly. Also the desserts were delicious. I like the jelly and the Mochi.
(3)Eileen L.
I came a few days ago with my friend . We got the Spicy Sichuan soup base and the Mongolian soup base . The Spicy Sichuan soup base was pretty good but the Mongolian soup base was too sweet . The udon , squid , ribeye beef , and the vegetable we ordered ( I forgot what it was ) was pretty good . The luncheon meat was pretty good too . Because they cut the luncheon meat in nice perfectly small thick pieces , it made it taste better . The fried tofu , shrimp , and oyster were all pretty decent . I thought the seafood platter was a rip off .. $12.95 for like 2 small oysters , 2 shrimps , and a few pieces of squid . The plum juice was alright . Their curry fish balls were very interesting .. they were filled with curry in the middle . I really liked the curry sauce . I didn't really like the curry in the middle .. I found that after eating a few , the filling in the middle got very tiring - it was too sweet . The curry fish balls were very well worth the price .. $3.25 for a plate-full . What really impressed me was their mochi tempura !! It doesn't sound too appetizing and doesn't sound like something you would hot pot .. but it was very good !! It tasted very interesting .. kind of salty and the mochi was very good - very stringy . It actually sounds kind of good if you think of this way .. it's fried salty flour balls . If you're Chinese , I'm sure you've had salty flour balls or rice cake balls ( whichever you prefer to call it ) before for special occasions . I know I had them before .. it tastes good in soup . I just never had tempura ones . It actaully makes more sense if you think of it that way . Overall , the food here is not bad . My only complaint is that it's kind of pricey and the pots are kind of small ..
(3)jonathan h.
i like the fact that everyone has there own pot and every can have different things to eat and share, the location is good alot of parking but it's can be crowded during the 6-8pm hours on the weekend
(4)Jen T.
Came on a Sunday night, hostess said we will be up next to be seated. It took 20 mins for a party of 4, and let other party of 4 before us. Not sure if they had a reservation but I will definitely not come back. I may have been already bias at that point but the food wasnt that good.
(2)Lauren R.
I only like the dim sum here but forget about calling in your order. It's too tough to place your order over the phone. The only worker who could speak english is the owner who's too busy cleaning and stretching the place up instead of catering to customers. Anyway, I came in one morning and grabbed one of their dim sum menus and checked the stuff I wanted. I then handed my order to the owner who quickly added the whole thing up and grabbed my money. She told me that it would take 20 minutes. Okay, so 20 minutes had passed so then I attempted to get the owner's attention several times to see if my order was ready. Finally, she came over, and I asked if my order was ready. She came back smiling and told me that she forgot to put in my order to the kitchen, and that it would 20 more minutes. I decided to wait since I already paid, and my friends are waiting for the food. During the wait, I overheard the lady next to me talking to the owner - IT ALSO HAPPENED TO HER! THEY FORGOT TO PUT IN HER ORDER! The only comfort I got was that the lady and I started talking crap about the place while the owner cleaned and stretched the counter in front of us and could totally hear us. When the owner handed my order she had some nerve to say, "Next time, call okay?"
(1)Norman L.
I wasn't going to post a review, but what's up with all the bad ones? Why all the comparisons with the more expensive Little Sheep down in San Mateo? I came here for dinner and I thought Little Fire Pot was really good at a good price point too. I didn't think it was bland and found it very delightful. For those who find it bland, maybe you need to check your cholesterol and blood pressure. For those who thought the portions were small, maybe you would rather go to an all you can eat place instead. I had the Taipei with Ribeye and although I devoured everything, I felt completely satisfied in the end. My only complaint would be that I wished I had more dipping sauce readily available at the table, but the staff was pretty good at bringing more. I'm sure they're still working on improving things, but posting extreme negative feedback is not helpful to Yelpers. I'm giving them a 5 to bump them up, though I think a 4 would be more appropriate.
(5)Christie R.
Ordered dim sum to-go (potstickers, sio mai, shrimp dumpling). I waited 30-45 mins ... for 3 dimsum items?!? I initially ordered the sesame balls and 20 min later, they tell me they were out (ugggh). I'm sure I can find dim sum somewhere else nearby ...
(2)Tiff W.
brother took the family here. did not really like it but gave it an extra star because little brother took us. sause was blah..i much prefer japanese shabu shabu because I enjoy the ponzu sauce more. nothing special about this place but my parents were really excited. =/
(3)Michael N.
Ahh Little Fire Pot. Having seen this place many times as I drive to my fav Quickly's spot, I've always wanted to try it. It being a cold and foggy day in Daly City ( no surprise there....) my parents and I stop by. The wait was about 15 mins but it was worth it. I ordered the Tokyo hot pot with beef and udon noodles. In comes this steel pot of brown broth ready for my personal warmer ( each person has their own warmer). As I watched my broth boil in comes my food, a giant bowl filled with various fish cakes, imitation crab, squid balls, mushooms, noodles, and tofu. Then a plate of raw sliced rolls of beef. Being the shabu shabu guru I am, I quickly and courageously chomp down the fire hot seafood and veggies. Yum! Also IMO they give you these two dipping sauces, go for the more soy sauce looking one. Dip everything into it!. Don't forget about the small buffet dessert table! Tonight's dessert was honey dew, watermelon, tapioca with taro (soup?), and this weird among tasting milk thingy that was divine! So if your feeling chilly, head on over to the little fire pot! I suggest the Tokyo pot with beef for first timers. Next time I'm shooting for the special sea and land upgrade with lobster! Total price for two hot pots $41.35 not bad. Enjoy food enthusiasts!
(4)Aileen T.
Average in every way, except that they have a private banquet room with KARAOKE! Broths were kind of meh and bland, except the spicy Sichuan one which tasted bland but numbed the inside of your mouth in a weird way. Did I mention the unlimited karaoke though?? Servers were nice.
(3)BB K.
i come here for hot pot only, enjoy the dinning experience very much each time. love the early bird special 20% off before 6pm daily and the free dessert afterward. like the idea of individual pot, so i can enjoy it all to myself. pretty good soup broth i have tried for hot pot restaurants, plenty and different varity meat, seafood, and vegetables. friendly wait staff. i get to take the time enjoying the food rather than rushing when i eat here.
(4)Alex H.
we thought this place was pretty good overall. we had pretty good service surprisingly for a chinese restaurant. the menu is a little complicated at first because you choose the type of hot pot you want and theres so many items listed on the menu. the portion was also great and not bad for the price. it is also pretty nice that everyone gets their own bowl. its not all you can eat, but theres plenty of food in each portion. theres also an all you can eat dessert bar. we have been to numerous chinese hot pot places and japanese shabu places and this place is definitely recommended. they have a tokyo style which is basically shabu shabu and it was pretty good.
(4)Doris S.
although it's hard to find, i still went there twice to try both their lunch and dinner. unfortunately, both were bad experiences. at lunch time, they serve dim sum, and it's my worst dim sum ever. another day, i went there again with friends to try the hot pot. sigh...disappointment again. the soup base is tasteless. And services were slow and impolite during their busy dinner time. i will not go back again.
(1)Linda Y.
came here last sunday night at 7PM.. they told us the wait would be 15 min..what a big liar! we ended up waiting for one hour! and it wasn't just us that were waiting..you could see plenty of ppl just as upset.. I guess you could say it's the mad rush of dinnertime, but they should be straight with you on the estimation of wait! so, we got our table.. the service was quick..food coming out was fast..then again, all they need to do is cut/chop.. I had the shabu-shabu.. that was satisfying.. they also have free desert in the back near the bathrooms.. overall.. I would've given them 4 stars, but the wait cost them a star.. tip - go early (6PM or earlier) or go late (8pm or later) to avoid wait.
(3)Mac S.
My husband and I had lunch here today for the first time. We had their Dim Sum Combination Lunch Special ( from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm). For $4.99 per person, you get 7 pieces of dim sum of your choice (I chose one of each: eggroll, pot sticker, shrimp dumpling, sesame ball, chives dumpling, steamed bbq pork bun, baked bbq pork bun). In addition, the special came with a cup of hot & sour soup and one wrapped sticky rice! You can't beat this deal!! The dim sum pieces were very fresh and not greasy. We will definitely be back.
(5)Blanca W.
This place is close to my house and there's lots of parking. I go there with my boyfriend and we both love the sichuan pot. The price is reasonable and the amount of food is just right for one person's appetite.
(4)Cindy N.
I don't know how these things happen to me, but once again, this is a restaurant where both my friends found hair in their food. A long hair in their Garlic Noodles that was good until hair was found and a short hair in the soup my friend got that was also good. The All You Can Eat price is ridiculous. $30! I would much rather go else where and save close to $10. First walking in, the decoration is pretty nice, and once I saw the menu and saw they had hot pot, I got excited. I was pretty happy with my selection considering how I pretty much get to cook my own food and I didn't find any hair in my food. My boyfriend got Mongolian Beef with rice and it was not good. The beef was cold and really salty and the rice was hard so we suspected it was a couple days old. My other friend got Salt and Pepper Short Ribs with rice and the short ribs were salty with no touch of pepper. It's a shame. The hot pot was good, too bad I won't be going back there, but if I ever did go back, I will always stick to the hot pot.
(2)AM V.
sorry but this has the worst customer service- the two of us checked in at 8:30pm weeknight- mostly empty- gave name and were told to wait, watched while three other small parties (2- 3 people) were sat- then we were called up- and told we would have to share a table- meanwhile there were at least five tables empty and evryone just stared at us.My husband and I declined and went to Hana's (good!) we were well dressed-wait a minute was it because we are not asian? I hope not racism is so passe- will not try this place again- bathrooms filthy even though this place is new- too bad I have not been treated so rudely in a long time anywhere in San Francisco - and this is Daly City!!!!!
(1)Glenn H.
11 hungry dragon boaters headed off to brunch and possibly some dim sum after their morning practice. King Wah is closed for expansion and renovation until further notice, so we decided this place might do. They promptly lead us into a private room that accommodated all of us easily. we thought we were going to do the hot pot but also found that they did dim sum (which we did not know beforehand). So we did both. The lunch menus are not quite 1/2 the dinner prices--the difference being less meat served with it. Prices ranged from $11 for the Tokyo hot pot to $13. Dinner was like $18-21 by comparison. Their dim sum was decent. Not a huge selection but good for basic dim sum. Some felt that certain dim sum were on the oily side but I did not have an issue with any. Certainly everyone agreed that the menu was very confusing. They presented the large dinner menus which had large color pictures of the variouse styles of the broth and ingredients but it took a while to grasp the various options. The lunch menus were far smaller and plainer (3-fold single sheet menus). but did not explain what each choice was like the dinner menus so you needed to understand dinner to order lunch. Most broths come in mild, medium and spicy versions, but not the Tokyo, which should have warned us why it was the least expensive hot pot. My wife and I chose to split a Tokyo and add the Land and Sea option (Beef/Rib-eye/Pork/Lamb + a seafood combo of squid, 1 shrimp, fish, 1 scallop, 1 large oyster) for an extra $4. We were offered rice or some other noodles and chose the Udon noodles. There were others who tried the Taipei and Mongolian options as well. The presentation was impressive: a largish white slanted bowl filled with sliced Napa Cabbage, Spinach, jicama, an odd small noodle bundle, seafood (sliced fish/crab cakes mostly). The Tokyo broth was a plain clear broth with not much flavor, while the others clearly were better looking and smelling. The rather skimpy portion of Udon noodles were probably just OK for one person, but not for two. The Land and Sea option was worth the $4 extra for lunch--especially if you are splitting a hot pot. Most of the bowl was really the leafy greens and there was minimal flavor for almost everything in the Tokyo--I would not recommend it again. But the Mongolian hot pot looked and smelled fragrant as did the spicy Taipei . Everyone agreed that this might be 2.5-3 stars at the most and gave it points off for the paucity of rice or noodles served with the hot pots. The impression was that they filled these impressive looking bowls mostly with filler bulky veggies. They love the room (it had a 42" TV in one corner) and the service but were unimpressed with the value of what we got, but not necessarily the quality of the food. I mean $15 for lunch is on the high side, even for relatively healthy fare. Total before tip for 11 people was $133 which included about $30 of dim sum. We will return here again and choose another hot pot and update this review.
(3)Eva L.
We normally go to the Little Sheep in San Mateo but since we didn't want to drive so far we thought we'd give this place a try. There were many choices for the hot pot soup, all the ingredients for the soup were pretty similar so the main difference was the soup. the ingredients were okay, you do get quite a lot so you will leave full. I mean, for $19.99, you get a lot of food and a selection for the meat (which was ok too). The service was not great, i raised my hand for about 30 seconds until i finally got the attention of someone to get the check, so it's obviously not great service. Overall, not great, but an okay experience.
(3)Robert J.
We frequently go to Westlake Shopping Center to visit Trader Joe's, Beverley's, Home Depot, Ross, TJ Max, etc. It is better to park in the above ground, multi-story, parking lot, as the main lot is frequently jammed. We've eaten at several places in this shopping center and most are not memorable. The Little Fire Pot is slightly more memorable. It is located on the west side facing Lake Merced Blvd. Thus, there is not much foot traffic in the area. On a Friday, we decided to try it for lunch. It is only open for lunch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1130 to 3 PM. Dinner time starts at 5 PM. We arrived about 2 PM and it wasn't very busy. The interior is dark. The tables have round cutouts that can be removed for those that want fire pot type meals. We saw that it had some deem sum lunch specials for $5.50 and decided to try it. I ordered the steam dim-sum (also spelled deem sum) which consisted of 2 shrimp balls, spinach ball, chiu-zhou (can't remember what that was), shanghai dumplings, shiu mai (meat dumplings), and a bbq pork bun. My companion ordered the crispy deim sum combo with 2 potstickers, 2 eggrolls, sesame ball, a meat puff, a daikon bun (white radish), and a bbq bun. We were able to finish the specials as they were quite filling. The quality was average, not as good as the to go orders from SF Chinatown, but then it is a hassle to drive to Chinatown. The service was good and we'll probably return and try something else
(3)Christina L.
Pretty expensive for what they give. The food was decent, but the service I experienced was horrible. They sat me and my friend away from everyone, so that we were just two lonely college students in the corner. I don't know if they thought we were going to make a mess or scene or what. But since they sat us in the corner with no other customer around they barely gave us any service. I had to get up to find someone so she can take our order. And I noticed that every other customer that came in after us was sat in the room with everyone else. The food was decent, but you can find them cheaper at other better places. The soup all taste the same, tasteless. Might as well given me beef broth. 2 stars because when we were serve the servers were friendly and smiled. That's about it.
(2)Ryan M.
Come here if you don't care about the quality or cleanliness of the meat you eat. The meat cutter dropped rib eye meat on the floor and then put it back in the fridge after looking around to make sure nobody saw it. I saw him do it. And then I told the manager and she did nothing about it other than go into the fridge and toss that piece of meat out. What a joke. This hunk of meat was on the floor!!!!!!! Go talk to your butcher. Not acceptable.
(1)Ed E.
Worst place to spend your dollars ever. Here is the jizz, my girlfriend purchased a certificate from restaurant.com and we decided to have hot pot for dinner so we came here. Not sure why we pick this place when we could have had a wonderful experience at Mongolian hotpot or hotpot garden. Anyways that is not really the point here. The snotty waitress seated us and we order the all you can eat meal after some deliberation. The waitress' attitude was not friendly at all and her tone makes me want to slap her in the face. After she gave us the menu, I notice they charge you extra if you order the common stuff like shrimp paste dumpling and heart-filled fish ball. For thirty dollars, these common items should be included. The food came fast but you can see and smell the food was not fresh. The beef paste for the dumpling had changed color already when they brought it out to us. The edges of the oyster mushroom were completely black and brown. The vegetable was wilted and you have to tear off sections before you can throw it into the pot. The service was horrible because these knuckle heads have no clue how to run a restaurant just like they don't know their head from their ass. We sat there for less than 40 minutes and my pot of water boiled away till the broth were in a thick consistency and it was down to a salty MSG laced soup base at the bottom. Not once did they even care to even ask if I needed some more soup on my pot. I skip the dessert bar all together if you even call that a dessert bar with just one type of Jello, cantaloupe, and a pot of sweet porridge. They expected me to just sit down, eat a little bit, and pay my thirty bucks then leave. When we ask for the check after the disappointing meal, she stood there waiting for us to hand over the check. I notice her standing at the corner starring at our bill, so I told my girlfriend to bust out the certificate number. The waitress took the certificate over to the owner or manager which later I learned her name was Joanne. After seconds, she came back saying they don't accept certificates for their all you can eat meals. WTF... So I went up to the counter to ask the owner why they don't accept it and she started arguing with me about it being written on the policy. I ask her where it says that you can use certificates for all you can eat, and she started to panic and pointed to a paragraph of rules on the back of the menu. I told her to point it out the sentence and she started bickering in Chinese about some guy name Jerry changing her menu. Just because I spoke English to her, she thinks I don't understand Chinese. She ran to the back and started yelling at this guy Jerry probably her husband. After she came back, she started screaming at me saying that I was wrong, and I should have given her the certificate number before ordering. This is some ghetto establishment that doesn't care a bit least about their customer's experience except for their money. This is the first restaurant I have ever experience that actually yells at their customer. They've just lost business from me and everyone I know. Take my word for it, don't go here. Nothing good will come out of it. You will end up with a horrible experience or worst yet food poisoned. Your choice.
(1)Bayarea Reviewer B.
It was my fourth time here. And I do not think I will be going again. Service has been deteriorated very much. When come to paying bill, please make sure that the total amount and the number of people charged is correct. They have the tendency to charge kids for adults and there is no concrete charging guidelines such as based on height, age etc. Food is not as good as the previous visits. Some selected desserts are not even available. Reason they gave... chef is too busy and cannot cook it. I am sure there will be other good hot pot places worth visiting for the price we paid and the number of groups we bring.
(1)Samantha H.
My boyfriend and I came here yesterday (Tuesday) for their AYCE hot pot for $20. It was our first time and we loved it! I really liked how we each got our own pot because I like spicier soup bases while my boyfriend doesn't. My spicy miso soup was really good, it had lots of garlic and chili peppers in it, perfect for the cold weather. My boyfriend had the chicken & beef stock which he said he enjoyed as well. Between the two of us we went through 6 plates of meat, tons of veggies, and two bowls of rice each. I'd say we ate our $20 worth. For the meat choices we had 3 plates of ribeye (our favorite), beef tripe, short ribs, and pork shoulder. Our top two favorites were the rib eye and short ribs. As for vegetables, I chose the napa cabbage, corn, enoki mushroom, and spinach. As for dipping sauces I really enjoyed the sesame sauce and the ponzu sauce which I felt paired well with my selection of meats and vegetables. The customer service was a bit spacey but our server was very accommodating and friendly. We were basically sitting in the room alone since we had gotten there right as they opened. We will definitely be back again for the $20 AYCE Tuesdays!
(4)Shaun H.
I dont usually write reviews on yelp, but the service is here is ridiculous. This place does not even deserve 1 star.
(1)Cindy M.
This place was good. However the man cooking the meat was cross contaminating! Cutting the watermelon after touching the meet. Using the same meat knife on the watermelon. Using a dirty towel he used to wipe meat to cut the watermelon. HOW GROSS! If I have food poisoning tomorrow, It's them. Teach your employees proper service or don't run a business!
(1)Leon A.
We've been there several times and on our last visit, we were happy to see good crowd. It went downhill from there. To begin with, we were hit with the pungent odor of incense as we entered the door and they tried to put us up front, were the incense was at its worse. We asked to moved further in and away from the intense smell. The waitress, who we've seen there several times and may even be the owner, was quite rude and unresponsive. Enough was enough and we left after 5 or so minutes. I seriously doubt it we will ever darken their doorways again.
(1)Crystal C.
Keeping it short and cute. AYCE any day, $26.00, your own little pot and own broth choice. Meat is good. Tofu is old. Broth is delicious. It can go all ways, i think it's personal preferance. I like Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot better.
(4)M T.
If you want to be royally frustrated, please come here. Sat down and automatically dissappointed. Why? Our 1st server explains to us the Tuesday all-you-can-eat special for $20.00 is not valid because Christmas Eve is a holiday. Can someone explain to me when did Xmas eve become an official holiday? All good it was $6 difference - probably because we spoke English fluently. What really pissed me off next is that they moved us after we were settled and ordered to another table to seat a larger party. We didn't asked to be moved!!! BTW We didn't even want the $26.00 all you can eat, but a regular dinner costs $23.00 - come the f$ck on. Who wouldn't spend the extra $3.00??? The money thing dropped instantly to 3 stars. Onto why the 1 star rating. The f#cking service. You got to be sh!tting me. We get 4 different women who comes and "serves" us. I stayed polite until they kept walking around us to serve other tables. I asked for our 2nd plate of meat - 15 minutes later I ask again and this nappy hair b!tch tells me I need to be patient. Hey, F you, why those 3 taiwanese dudes flirting with you got their sh!t faster? Guess what happened after to an all-you-can-eat service? We sat their waiting for their attention. Why didn't they come? Too busy flirting with those dudes! We get the bill - $130 for 2 couples. I've never left a restaurant without leaving at least 15% tip but DAMN I was pissed. After some urging from my friends we left some for one of the girls who filled our broth. The nappy hair girl that told me to wait stood by us watching me sign the check; I guess she was trying to pressure us for more tip. To the nappy hair girl, here's the rest of your tip: serving IS NOT your profession.
(1)Tina T.
Broth is just ok. Use the sauces and it taste better. I rate it so low because the waitress was setting up a table and dropped the ladle and strainer on the floor and still set it on the cleaned table. Wheres the health inspector when you need them?
(1)Iris M.
Food was good but service was poor, we had to constantly ask for the things we ordered.
(3)Hailee P.
Although I love the idea of having your own hot pot with the endless amount it definitely sells itself short. They give you a paper where you can customize everything that goes in your pot including the broth. I chose the tum yum which was okay. A little bland. The quality of the meat was HORRIBLE. And if you are not Chinese then don't count on getting good service. Our server literally filled the tables water next to us and just walked passed us with empty cups. It's probably be a great place to go with a large group when your too occupied to pay attention to everything this place lacks. Needless to say, I would rather go elsewhere. Not to mention when I got home, I actually got extremely sick from the food. It had been my first meal of the day.... And my last.
(1)JustinE Y.
Speaking of Hotpot, here is not my first choice in SF. But when the first choice is way too busy and packed. I guess here is another place as alternative. Each person has his/ her own small pot to mess up. Nice selection of meat, seafood, balls, veggies... Quality meat? Definitely not the best but acceptable. I had the spicy Chinese herbal soup base which is just an okay for me. I can eat spicy. This soup base means nothing to me. Service is nice and friendly. The biggest plus of here, they offer free desserts and fruits. A small dessert/ fruit bar with very limited selections at a side, all you can eat. What a nice touch after all the crazy earring. This time I had some coconut jello, taro tapioca, and cantaloupe
(3)Christine Y.
Place is OK for shabu shabu, but... I prefer Shabu House or Shabuway where it's cheaper for a more reasonable amount of food. I came on Tuesday and didn't want the AYCE, but price-wise, it was just a better deal. So of course, I eat too much then walk out sick. Ordering is kind of confusing too because you put a number under the "quantity" column by each item for everyone in your party but.. you don't really know how much you're getting. And it was just too much. What a waste of food. Even if the meat isn't super high quality. We came pretty late so I didn't see much of this dessert buffet I read in other reviews, but the staff was nice and service was quick (although, we did have to ask for water refills and they forgot our rice).
(2)Tiffany T.
Service is ok here. I usually keep coming back because you get your own pot. They are very inconsistent with their soup. Sometimes it tastes really good and flavorful and sometimes it just tastes like water. They have a good variety of food to choose from and I think their ponzu is really good too! There's nothing too special about this place other than the fact that you get your own pot. The waiter with the glasses is extremely rude though. Seems pissed off or he doesn't like his job all the time. And also when they brought out my soup I was taking the bones and herbs out of my soup because I didn't want it in there and the lady working there said I was wasting. Excuse me? I'm paying for this, and I just didn't want that stuff in my pot when the rest of my food came. They always forget stuff too. I had to ask for tea multiple times before they brought it out. And my meat took forever! I would need to remind them multiple times. Also this one time the girl brought out the soup and I asked her if this was the lamb soup and she said I don't know I think so. Well is it or is it not? You work here, I would like to know that you're giving me what I ordered.
(3)Lita T.
Little Fire Pot is awesome. Good value for the price. I'd just avoid going on Tuesday nights.... sure you save a few $, but service suffers and it gets pretty crowded. The last few times I've gone on any night, they always "forget" to bring out what I checked off on the list. I'm not sure if it's intentional, but it has happened more than once and twice.... Once my tofu never arrived, next time, my water cress didn't arrive. Another time, my dumplings never made it. Since I have an abundant amount of food, it's kinda embarrassing to ask for my missing item.... but I was really looking forward to my tofu :) And I don't know if I'm just messy or what, but one napkin is not enough for me. Be sure to stock up on napkins. The staff is great otherwise. The owner/manager lady is very nice. So friendly and always smiling. We will be back.
(4)Su T.
service . . . sucks. - Nobody gave a f*** when we came in even though the place wasn't packed and there were many servers. - They didn't want to give us the menu again. Should I memorize all the stuffs on that sheet? When my bf asked for the paper, the waitress with short bob hair gave us an attitude. - No one came and asked "is everything okay?" - There was no refills for water and broths. - They don't even look at us. broths . . . too light. My bf had to add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to his sichuan broth. The place is too smelly and windy (my bf had a running nose after eating there). Music is so loud that they can pretend not to hear you. I am not going back to that shitty place.
(1)Katarina F.
Food isn't horrible but the service was. It was like she didn't understand half of what we were talking about. Got the shabu shabu style (not all you can eat and still got full!) TIP: don't use the sauté sauce for the dip for meat, ask for the ponzu sauce. Trust me I'm a big foodie and it made the food 10x better with the ponzu sauce. I got the spicy miso soup and it wasn't too spicy but not mild either it was good by itself or mixed with the ponzu.
(3)Coco B.
This is my very first Yelp review and I felt it necessary because this place is GROSS! My complaint about this restaurant is not so much the food but the cleaniliness and the ignorance of the staff. Came here on a weekday for the all you can eat shabu. Being that I'm a vegetarian it's not really worth it to pay $23.99 for veggies but I like the variety and the fact that you get your own pot of broth. When our waitress was taking our order I noticed she was wearing latex gloves. Didn't think too much of it until she brought out our broths with her latex gloves all up on the edges of the pot. Ummm....ok? As we are eating I see that she is clearing dirty plates that are covered in blood and juice from all the raw meat, again wearing these gloves. I tell myself "she's changing them....she has to be". When she starts bringing out our food I nicely ask her if she changes her gloves and she giggles and says no. WHAAAAAT???? Are you joking? That is absolutely disgusting! I don't think English is her first language but she knew exactly what I was asking. As I slowly start to lose my appetite I see her, still wearing the nasty gloves, serving people glasses of water, cleaning more tables, wiping them with a dirty rag, running people's credit cards.......the list goes on. I used to like this place but after seeing this complete disregard for peoples safety I can never eat here again. Tables and menus are sticky, chairs are covered in grime and on a good night there are a whole bunch of fruit flies in your face. If you don't want to get amoebic dysentary I would steer clear of this place.
(1)David H.
The service here is horrible. They offer all you can eat, but purposely ignore your requests to try to make you full and not order more. On two separate occasions, we waited over 30 minutes for a meat refill. Either serve ayce or take it off the menu. This is ridiculous.
(1)Leslie Y.
We decided on last minute to cross the Bay to Daly City to do hot pot......what a great choice....... As you walk in, you will notice the place is very clean.......which is a plus for hotpot spots, usually after awhile, they get kind of grimey..... 20 bucks before 6pm, all you can eat, but that pertains to the regular menu.....for the red ink menu, add an extra 5 bucks.....we stuck to the regular menu......and we still didn't get to try lots of food cause we were full to the T...... Service was pretty good, considering they were packed.....even the rooms were packed.....so it took awhile to get stuff here and there..... Well worth it to bring your fellow friends for a private party or just a family dinner .... The one thing I really liked about this place was the hotpot itself, they are individual hotpots in front of each person, which makes things much easier, to cook your own, no fighting over food and much cleaner.............
(4)Brenda K.
THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE. I bet NONE of the servers even have a serv safe certificate even though they have gloves on. The food was pretty okay but the service is HORRIBLE. Everything was going good until I ordered another round of food and the veggies came with the pork blood on separate plates. THEY ARE ON SEPARATE PLATES FOR A REASON. I don't think these dumb servers even know or understand the difference. The short and thin waitress held the veggies and pork blood in both hands and asked if she can put them together inside the big bowl. Before we even said anything, she POURED THEM BOTH inside. I could've moved the bowl for her but she already poured it in. She could've moved the bowl because it was empty, but no, her lazy ass decided to pour the raw pork blood into the vegetables. As I saw what she was doing, I said, "NO not together" and she stopped and didn't even apologize. Like I couldn't understand her ignorance? I was going to ask for another new plate of veggies but they're going to come back with the same infected veggies and act like it is brand new. I was so irritated and it completely ruined my mood, but I wasn't going to waste the money I was paying for this meal. Then when we asked for the bill the first time, it NEVER came and it wasn't even busy. We asked again 10 minutes later and the stubby one THREW the bill on the table, the same one we originally asked to get the bill. The service is completely unacceptable and the health department should really investigate into this restaurant because I'm sure they are breaking so many codes. The $5 tip was only for the girl with the glasses because she was actually helpful and really nice. Maybe the other two should learn from her. Also, do not order the flavored soju. I ordered mango and passion fruit on different visits and NONE of them are even good. How dare them call it soju cocktail and price it at $14?! RIDICULOUS. Like I said before, the food is actually decent but I am sure the handling of it is quite questionable. This is one of those Chinese owned restaurants where they lack the knowledge of serving and do not really care how they treat you because they know that they are still going to get tipped. The servers NEED training and also need to learn how to respect customers.
(1)Kristie C.
The service was slow, took forever for our food to come, we were ignored half the time. Basically we sat their starving. Apparently, our ticket order was lost somehow. But, they did nothing to compensate us. We just kept waiting while the soup in the pot boiled.
(3)Julian T.
little spot hidden behind the shopping center. One of the latest(hours-wise) AYCE hotpot place i've been to, and I do tend to crave hotpot late at nights;). Even though this place closes 12am except for Monday at 10pm, if you were to come in an hour before closing you can see the grimace on the chef and the waiters' face. But who cares I'm here to eat. The variety isn't bad but there are the premiums items that i never order, because I came here for cheap late hotpot haha. The portions they bring out are pretty small so you would have to constantly order while you eat, which I don't mind. But they don't always tell you its last call for food so beware. Service: Average Food: Not bad just order alot of the sauce Ambiance/Decor: Lights are pretty Dim Overall: Late & Cheap Hotpot (Even Cheaper on Tuesdays!)
(3)Candy C.
I love hot pot and when we heard from a friend that this was a fantastic place, we were beyond thrilled to have somewhere convenient and close. Boy were we disappointed. Anyone who enjoys hot pot or shabu shabu knows first-hand this is not the what you want in a meal. * Broth had very little flavor to it (we ordered a spicy miso base and an herb base) * Meats were of very poor quality - fatty cuts that were not fresh Those two items are the basis of your entire meal. Even worse, the prices are well above what we would typically spend for shabu shabu or at Little Sheep. They do have an all you can eat dessert bar, but even the sweet desert soup was watery and tasteless. If you have never had hot pot before, you're likely to love it. If you want to experience good quality hot pot, my advice would be to save your money and make the drive somewhere else.
(2)Karah S.
Just ok... Service was slow and we barely got acknowledged. Price is kind of a rip off compared to other hot pot places that offer appetizers also... My husbands pork and chicken broth was really bland and he had to add tons of soy sauce. But my miso broth was ok without adding too much seasoning to it... Overall, I wouldn't come back, but added another star because we were hungry late and they open til midnight even though they close their kitchen at 11pm
(2)Diep N.
Broth was very bland. Service wasn't great. We came in with a group of 5 people and everyone had a stomach ache the next morning....
(2)Jenny G.
I've came here twice within the same week and was disappointed with the 2nd time... I liked the fact i get my own soup because I never really like the common pot idea where everyone's chopsticks are dipping inside. They have a wide variety of meat and veggie to choose from which can be a bit too much. They do have combo meals to choose from which comes with meat, veggie, and a side dish. The soup base was very bland, I honestly have a better tasting soup base hot potting at home than coming here. There weren't anything special in it to make it stand out from the rest. This place isn't too big, they have a bar seating area when you walk in and another one inside. Just a handful of tables and 2 rooms towards the back. The service here isn't all that great either.. My 1st time here, our server was very friendly and nice. The 2nd time coming here.. oh man... I am not coming back again. Our server was super rude and takes FOREVER & A DAY to get us things. We waited 15 minutes for our check to and we decide to just walk up to pay ourselves instead of waiting..
(2)Lou E.
I will never eat here!!!! I was doing some work today at Fitness 19 ! I was walking out of their fitness club and witnessed a woman literally dragging a white medium sized dog with no collar, by a rope into the rear kitchen entrance of Little Fire Pot!! It is illegal to have any pets of any kind in a food establishment! My immediate thought was WTF!!! I immediately went to their rear service kitchen door and started knocking, but no one would open the door! I went to front of restaurant , no answer! So I leave it to you the consumer to make your assumptions and decide for yourself! I know of a great reputable Asian, Korean, Italian, Indian, Mandarin, Filipino, Vietnamese, German, Latin restaurants! But one thing, I will not accept is a live animal ( dig) hanging around in a commercial kitchen , where the food you are eating is being prepared!! Follow the law and you won't get in trouble! I plan to call San Mateo County to investigate! Disgusted , I will never patronize this place!!! Food poisoning and God knows what else is not a favorite menu item of mine!! You take you risks with this place if you like! Not me!!
(1)George F.
We made reservations earlier in the week for a party of 12 for hot pot anticipating the turn in the weather. When we arrived at 7:00 pm the line was out the door. The reservations put us in a private room with a TV. The entire restaurant was packed, I was surprised with electrical system held up with so many induction hot plates going full blast at the same time. After getting seated we switched the TV channel to the Notre Dame v Boston College game. Luckily we had the TV to keep our minds off of the slow service. We choose Little Fire Pot for its AYCE $26 per person and the additional $12 AYCD beer, sake and soju. We ordered drinks and food but, it took for ever. The first two pitchers of Kirin beer were gone in about 5 min. The soju didn't ever start getting to our table until we were half way into dinner. I understand that they were slammed late night but what was to be a 90 min dinner turned out to be a 3 1/2 hour affair. The kitchen couldn't get the food out fast enough and the bar could not fill the pitchers of beer fast enough. Every time they would bring 6-7 plates of meat they were gone and we had to wait another 15- 20 min. Each carafes of soju would go around the table once and it would be done. The food was good when it finally came but Little Fire Pot is victim of their own success and the cold weather. They are lucky that we had the AYCE and the AYCD because there was no way they could keep track of all the plates, pitchers and bottles our group had last night. I don't think we will try to have as many people go to Little Fire Pot anymore.
(2)Mabel B.
It was a friend's birthday a few weeks ago and we selected Little Fire Pot as our dinner venue. My boyfriend and I were the last of our party to arrive and the table was still not set. After about 5 minutes, we finally got our seat. After a quick look at the menu, we decided on a pitcher beer, passionfruit soju, an array of meats and veggies and sauces. It took quite a while for our broth to come out, our *uncooked* meats to come out, and even longer for our sauces to come out. Finally we got all our items, the food was okay, I guess... We also had 20% off our AYCE and there was a dessert table. The service was nice but it was a bit laggy.
(2)Johanah I.
Next to Shabu House this is one of my new favorite places for hot pot. It may sound too generous but everything about this place is the best. The food, the service, the quality, the place definitely has gotten my attention since the first time I came here. Today I came here with a few friends (us being a party of 4) got sat down in a corner rectangular table. What I love about this place is you have your own pot to cook your food in, instead of having one big pot in the middle like other restaurants and share. They give you a piece of paper (like dim sum restaurants) and you write down how many plates of veggies, sauces, meat, etc. that you want and play the 'waiting game' The food is fresh and delicious. After the 'waiting game' most of our dishes were already on our table. The rest is mouth heaven history. Come here during Happy Hour, which is anytime before 6pm and come with a empty stomach. I say this because the price is worth it considering you can order as much as you want and also they charge you if you waste ANY food. Think before you order! I can`t wait to come back soon. By the way, I LOVE the music they play in here! It`s a mix of 90`s music and some old school hits! They don`t play any mainstream music so that`s why I like I coming here for the music! I hear songs I totally forget about too.
(5)Elaine Y.
Really like the local little fire pot because of the cheap Shabus from $10.99. Perfect for me who has a small appetite and even have food left to go. However, expected the same today and was disappointed that the menu had changed to 'all you can eat' during the weekends costing $20/person. My boys were excited, they love their meats and carbs. Anyway here's my views... Pluses Love individual pots Delicious dipping sauces, sesame is my favorite Cozy atmosphere pork belly, ribeye, short-ribs and lamb were all delicious and cut thinly The house made paste was also delicious and comes in beef, fish & shrimp Boys ordered only the vegetables they enjoyed Minus They don't allow food to go, not even the soup base unlike before We ate everything. However, watch out because they will charge you if you have unfinished food. so order only what you can eat and don't be overly greedy. Lol! Actually should be plus to prevent wastage of food. Overall, it was more expensive than I expected for a Sunday lunch $100 for family of 4, but I enjoyed watching my boys eat till their hearts content. A nice clean little place. service was good and met our needs. Definitely will go back. Wanted to give 4.5 stars but was unable to on yelp.
(4)Frankie L.
The "best" customer service I ever have. I don't even want to give any star!!!!! Also, all the food has no taste!!!!!
(1)Eva H.
Food: 3.5/5 Price: $$ Service: 3/5 Portion: 5/5 Appearance of place: 3.5/5 Presentation of food: 3.5/5 OVERALL: 3/5 I come here just because of the convenience honestly. Plus one of my homegirls' love coming here since we BOTH live near by. The service is a hit and miss, sometimes they're on point and quick but other times they don't come around and check if you need anything else. Food is decent, but I've had better hot pot (for sure!). $26 for all you can eat isn't too bad, depending on how you look at it. I love their Shrimp paste and Rib Eye most. They open til late which is really convenient.
(3)Mr G.
The nearest hot pot close to where we live and I must say that it was worth trying out for the first time. I am not a virgin to hot pit and have had a handful of great experiences at other hot pot restaurants. I like that the there were a variety of different selections of broth choices. Had the the chicken broth and it was great. Next time I will have to try the miso broth. Ended up choosing to do the AYCE for $26 and it was not too shabby. The lady who runs the place is really cool and she was also fun to talk to. Very hospitable and made sure we has a great time. Although they did not bring out the Udon noodles that we checked off the menu it was ok because we did not need to eat anymore. I did love the fact that we were able to order brown rice instead of white rice. Perfect for those who are trying to eat on the healthier side. The music the great part of the experience. I asked the lady what the station was and she said it was pandora and I was like oh cool. Took a friend here who was new to the hot pot experience and he enjoyed it as well. Over all great experience due to the cool lady running the place. Try the watermelon juice! It was quite refreshing. Will be returning here again. Especially during this cold winter that I deem is going to happen.
(5)Kenneth T.
We rolled in after visiting the cemetery. We asked for a table for 14. Reservations? nope. [quick discussion among the people in the front] No problem. We were led to the private room. Cool I thought. After we sat down, I pulled up the yelp for the place and became concerned, as many of the reviews listed slow service, or the staff being skimpy with the food. No worries, though as I was soon to find out. It was our first time here, and after some confusion about the menu, understood that the early bird special was the way to go. We got the $20 all you can eat special, Sunday night, because we started before 5:00 (I think we got in at 4:30'ish)... Ordered a bunch of stuff, it came out quickly and no hesitation on the part of staff. Anything we wanted, more lamb, more rib eye, more anything and we got it. Amongst the 14 of us, we probably ordered all of the soups. I ordered the Mongolian Herb soup (to be healthy!) and was pretty pleased with it. More eggs, no problem. More meat, no problem. The only thing we had to ask for twice was the chicken and I think they just honestly missed it. Service was good and we were asked if we had enough or wanted anything else every ten minutes or less. Dessert was a selection of Mango Mochi, red bean over clear jelly, fruit, and warm tapioca soup. Great experience for a hot pot place and the food was certainly good enough and service was good. The only one complaint I have is that they had a bunch of little fat bodied fruit flies... Not sure if it came in with a crate of veggies that day or if it's a persistent problem, but I guess a dozen or so bothered us through dinner. It was down to three by the time we left but hopefully it was a fluke. Flies ... even tiny flies.... not pleasant. They did try to turn up the air con to move the air around and dissuade them from our room, but it didn't help too much. I'm going to be optimistic and figure they came in with a crate of fresh veggies, but I'm hoping another reviewer can confirm or deny if it's a persistent problem. (just 1 star off for that)... Good job on the whole, and I'll be back with friends.
(4)King L.
OK so I just left this place and I will hold back on my usual rant about a restaurant I had a bad experience in. Also i think some friends of mine know the owner so Ill try to be civil. So the 3 stars is for the food. Meat could have been better quality and everything else was ok. Good choices of broths. Not one of the better Hot Pot places around. I really wanted to like this place. If I could rate the service separately I would give that a 1 star. I would give it NO stars but the lady saw me trying to look at the Football scores so she changed the channel on the TV near me. I was very happy, BUT when it can to getting our food now that was a different question. There was a few items on our check off list that did not come and we had to ask several times before it finally came. The big one was we ordered just one more plate of meat from 1 person. Waited about 10 minutes and nothing came, so i asked another lady and gave it 5 more minutes and nothing again. Now we didn't even want the meat anymore. Told one more lady and she pointed and said that is meat right there on our table. I said it was pork and we have been waiting over 15 minutes for a plate of Ribeye and just to forget it and give us the check. No apologies or anything just dropped the check off to the table. I usually would had not left a tip but like i said earlier i think some friends of mine know the owners............ I have to pat myself on the back for not using one swear word.......
(3)Georgette E.
Highly recommended for a delicious dinner :D! Came here for the first time earlier this week and it was yummy! My friend and I ordered the All-You-Can-Eat hot pot! Great deal - I think it was $24 each + drinks. We ordered two different broths - one spicy (yummy) and the other one was a mushroom broth (it was okay). We also ordered beef and lamb and it was fresh and delicious, some type of dumpling which I also enjoyed, some lobster balls? (wasn't that great), spinach, long mushrooms, some more lamb, and a few other items (I can't remember their names!). The service was good, friendly staff that checked up on us frequently making sure everything was good and refilling our hot pots. The only reason I can't rate this pace five stars is because even though the dessert was complimentary, I wouldn't recommend it :) I think it had been sitting out for awhile. I'll see you soon Little Fire Pot!
(4)Amy Y.
They're offering Happy Hour on Saturdays before 6pm for $20 all you can eat hot pot. My boyfriend and I rushed in before 6pm, probably about 10 mins before 6pm. We were instructed to sit at a table near the entrance right away since there weren't too many customers. At the time, only two waitresses and an older mid age lady (i think she's the owner) were working. Ok, going fast forward, we finished eating around 8ish pm. We asked for tab and realized we were charged for full price. We asked why? The owner said that we came in after 6pm so the discount wouldn't apply. I tried to explain that we went in and sat down before 6pm and she kept saying that's not possible. I felt very disrespectful being accused a liar. Even though later she reversed the charge, I can tell by her attitude that she thinks we were a couple of scammers. I have never felt so insulted in my life. I will never go back to this place, and I will tell all my friends and family not to go!
(1)Annie P.
I really like this place. I usually choose to come here because you get your own individual pot. I also love that you can have shabu shabu or the Chinese hot pot. Recently they have the all you can eat option and it was amazing. I was so full and my family was also very happy.
(4)Vincent T.
The business hour on the door does say close at 12am, we got there at 10pm and it was closed. So why would this business say closes at 12am when it closes at it's own will? This is a false advertising hour and it is bad when customer are trying to get in a eat
(1)Yumi C.
This place doesn't have better reviews because customer service sometimes sucks. I mean really really suck. When you're just the few patrons in the restaurant then they're friendly. When the place is packed, they want you out in an effin hurry. Like "could you hurry up I have other customers". Yes, owner said that to us. Partner and I have enjoyed the place because it's all you can eat and it's not bad eating. We load up on lots of veggies... And thin meats that isn't bad, right? So yes, owner is a Biatch for saying that to us. I was really offended. We've enjoyed our visits and eating experience here. Tipped very well in past, but we will not go here again. I am not horrible customer. I don't take my time eating and yes I understand that there are other patrons, but I would never ask people to hurry up so that I can service other people. Yes. And I would feel incline to say it again. She who said those rude things. You. Are. A. Biatch.
(2)Shelley L.
I've been here many times. Service is hit or miss. Parking is plentiful. My picture recently got removed from Yelp. It was a picture of their ribeye and the plate was half fat. My mother got the same result. It seems like their service has gone down a lot since they first opened. I used the restaurant.com certificates to make it more worth it. My family loves the all you can eat dessert area, but be aware there is only about 2-3 items you can choose from. My favorite is the coconut/almond jello. The good part is that on the weekdays, if you arrive before 6pm, you get 20% off you entire bill. Your whole party has to be there to order. One time I order 5 mins after 6 and paid full price. Only one TV to look at. It's interesting to hear 90's Korean music playing sometimes.
(2)Christina K.
My cousins and I stop by this place because we wanted to hot pot. This place isn't the greatest but it was alright for 26$ all you can eat. This place is different from others since they give you each individual pots (more sanitizing) and unlimited alcohol if you add 12$. The meat isn't as good as SHABU HOUSE or MUMS, but it was decent enough that I could eat it. Though I would rather go to hot pot garden for their meat. The nice thing they had was another little bar section with fruits and dessert. It wasn't much desserts or anything, but nice to have. Oh ya, be sure to check your bill because we only had 5 people and they charged us for 6.
(3)Lil A.
Ok food. Not as flavorful as other hotpot restaurants I've been to. But if you are in Daly City and want hotpot, it is decent...
(2)Jade L.
dont go there if u are expecting treat be fair , we wait an hour more and they just keep giving the seat to the people who they know and sneaky for that! disgusting service!
(1)Elliott N.
Accessibility (Parking / Wait Time) 1/1 Star: plenty of street parking and parking lot parking. No wait time. _____ Service (Waiter / Cleanness / Ambiance) 0/1 Star: I was at one of only two parties there and it takes forever to get more food. It looks like they want you to pretty much finish off everything on the table before try serve you more. The floors are very sticky and disgusting. Everyone gets their own hot pot with their own flavor broth which is nice, but when they come around to refill the pots they just fill everyone's pot with the same liquid that kills the flavor of your broth. _____ Taste (0=Not Edible / 1=Edible / 2=Good (average) / 3=Must Try!) 2/3 Stars: This place is not bad when it comes to taste. Their selection is pretty good. DON'T order "pork belly" it's straight up just strips of bacon like the kind you eat at breakfast and it's the super low quality fatty ones. The lamb was pretty gamey. More than half of my party that went there before all got miso flavor. I got the chicken and pork broth and it was good until they refilled it with mystery liquid. _____ Overall Experience 3/5 Stars _____ Pictures _____ Last Words DON'T order "pork belly"
(3)Pam S.
This is a good shabu shabu place in Daly City. They sit you at tables where you have your own stove with temperature regulators on the side. So you basically can adjust how high or low your fire is gonna get. What goes into the pot is pretty much the same for whatever Hot Pot Special is you order. The variation is with the noodle or the meat of choice, spicy or not. I like how all the ingredients were of large servings. Although I ordered just for myself, it could very well feed 2 people. I am not a fan of sake but I thought theirs tasted okay. They even had oysters the day we went for a visit. This place is great for kids too as the tables are roomy enough. You should come check it out and hopefully you have the same good experience as we did.
(5)Jonathan C.
This is a Hong Kong style hot pot place. Everyone gets their own pot. They have AYCE or AYCEAD. The price is very reasonable.
(4)Karolyn S.
I must say that this was more of a great experience than great food. I went here with four other friends and it was fun. First off it was all you can eat hot pots for $20 (since it was happy hour) and $12 all you can drink (beer, sake, soju). The all you can drink is a steal with the fact that a pitcher of soju alone was $14, with an all you can drink you could have multiple and just be charged $12 flat! First off their soju flavors are all delicious, watermelon was the favorite. The soup alone was a bit bland no matter what I put into it, but it was awesome cooking it ourselves. There's a variety of ingredients you can put into the hot pot, but warning the crispy tofu wasn't a good. Will come back for sure for a second shot
(3)Tiff C.
Honestly speaking... this place isn't that great.. it's not HORRIBLE.. but Little sheep is A LOT better. It's also a bit on the high side.. came out to be about $40 p/p and thats all you can eat. For hot pot... theres only so much you can eat.. and only so much on the menu that you'd wanna eat.. the meat is pretty low quality, but that's probably the best thing to order.. I had the spicy soup base and it's pretty darn spicy.. and I got medium.. my lips were on fire by the end of the night. The service was spotty.. we had a private room but the waiter seemed overwhelmed most of the time and I had to hunt him down to take my order.
(2)Philip K.
Love the individual pots and their selection of meats and vegetables are fresh and clean. Best part is the dessert cart which normally serves fruit and their delicious almond jello.
(3)C L.
Well, you sure don't come here expecting any good service. That's the first thing I learned when I came here. Started ordering take out from them since. Funny thing is I'm not much for shabu shabu so that's not what I order when I come here. They used to serve a sea bass dish that I really liked. My family likes their minced pork rice with egg and their garlic noodles.
(3)Jenn Y.
This is another one of those moments when I think Yelp really needs those .5 star ratings. Park upstairs in the lot and just take the elevator down (: Unless you get lucky and get parking right out front. Shabu style hot pot, so everyone gets their own bowl. Great if you're coming with those finicky eaters who want a bland soup base or won't eat certain items. Better yet, your company is neither of those but you guys always inadvertently steal each others food in the communal pots. You have the option of ordering each dish individually or picking the pre-fixe combos. Mix and match the broths with the ingredients. If you like spicy but don't want to die, ask for a medium or low spicy with the Mongolian HotPot and fish out the peppers. The meat is sliced when you order so you know it hasn't been sitting out. You can control the heat levels on your own and come by every so often to check if you guys need more food. Deductions: I love hot pot and usually can beast through a lot of food but I still have not yet been able to finish a combo. I partially blame this on the fact that all the combos come with a hearty serving of veggies, they give you more vegetables than meats & all the other good stuff. Also, compared to some other places or just DIY hotpot, it is a bit more pricey. - jenn
(3)Jim R.
We stumbled in to this great little restaurant in an unassuming mall. What an unexpected surprise! The service was efficient and very sweet. They even gave me a moon cake with a candle for my birthday. We didn't get the house specialty hot pot, though they looked very fresh. We enjoyed our dim sum and ramen very much, and the small plate crab won tons with enoki-garlic sauce was a standout. There's even a complimentary dessert bar, which had a few things that I've never had before and were very fun to try. (Yes, I'm a white boy.) They also have two banquet rooms in the back, and I believe that you can use their karaoke machine for your party there.
(5)Chris E.
7/18/2012 (me)You got to watch out on your tab...when they say its "on the house" its not on the house..they will be sneaky and put it on your tab..so double check your bill before you pay for it. Comment from Steven C. of Little Fire Pot 7/24/2012 Dear Chris, sorry for your confusion... the bill you paid is to our Promoter Netties, and she is not the owner of LFP... and after we found out too much drama from this Lounge business, we've decided to discontinued with our business relationship with her...again, thanks for your support! steve, you know i am NOT confused. stop making up stuff, you need to own up! nettie & her lounge was SUPER chill, cool, and fun!! it was AMY (waitress of LFP! not lounge) who put extra items on my tab saying "oh, it's on the house". she also 1) ordered drinks for herself when i don't even know her and 2) helped herself to my soju bottle on the table. WTH? good thing i double checked my tab and knew how much i was gonna pay for too. she goes around doing that to a bunch of other people. i heard complaints. that is NO way to do business. LFP's shady ways!!!! who can put up with that? nettie & her crew LEFT! you guys actually ruined a good thing... amy also tried to pass for nettie's angelz saying that her name was "beautiful". AMY IS NOT ANGEL MATERIAL FOR BEING A DECEIVER, A BAD SERVER AND A LIAR. *** another thing, LFP's beef carpaccio is not fresh...GAVE ME THE RUNS! and i love eating carpaccio. ***
(1)Isaac L.
Not bad for a starter hot pot eater. If you get the pre-fixe menu - you get a variety and no brainer decision making - choose the broth, choose the cuisine (HK, Taiwan, Mongolian, etc.) choose your meat, and noodles. The cuisine will dictate what comes inside - taro, duck feet, fish balls, veggies, all sorts of items. They boast 16+ items per cuisine but it's really just one piece. For example, you get ONE fish ball. Or ONE taro root chunk. ONE wonton. So yes, 16+ items but one each. So you can't really get down and dirty with your favorite item. It's more of a variety play here. Be careful of the veggies - some were a bit on the dirty side. I mean, c'mon they go through tons of veggies a service so just be smart about it. Overall, the food was good - good selection and the meat was decent. It's nice having the individual pot but if you're with family or good friends, I enjoy the community aspect of the shared pot. There was good amount of servings - just too bad if you like fish balls, you need to really savor the ONE fish ball you get. I broke my little 1X1 inch taro cube into about 7 servings. Sad. But overall, good experience. The dessert sucked - basically watermelon and almond jello. But for the new hot pot eater, it's a great place to start.
(3)Steven B.
Little Fire Pot makes some interesting types of hot pots on their menu. Everything is a set menu so it comes with whatever you ordered. The amount they give is pretty small for what they charge, but their coupons and stuff lure you in. However, this place is really stingy when it comes to their own coupons or promos. Service is alright since there isn't much for the servers to do except bring the pot and bowl then disappear. Quality of the broth and ingredients are so so.
(1)Lily C.
It's nice place. Good tasty food and service. But chili sauce is not good. I highly suggest change to chili oil.
(4)Erica B.
Shady Math! Our group of 6 did the AYCE that supposedly has the 25% discount. If you are going to give a discount than do it, but don't try to nickle & dime me to make more. You got to love that there is a paragraph of rules governing charges behind the menu. The Good: Meat & Vegetable was fresh. The Bad: Heavy Msg Spotty service. Asked for menu to re order item. Waiter never appeared again, we had to chase down people to get refill for food items. Smart to extend time 'cause on the menu it says 2 hr limit if over than $5 per 15 minutes over. THE UGLY $4 extra per person for common "popular" items such as shrimp paste & fish tofu. Mandatory 15% tip, but the kicker is that the tip is based off the regular price not discount price. On top of that the tax is also based off the regular price not the discounted price. Note: Being Asian, I couldn't resist calculating and can report you that by doing that they made an extra 5%.
(2)Lawrence L.
Pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Little Fire Pot... Was in the mood for something hot and spicy on a cold Friday night (I meant something hot and spicy to eat...). This place hit the spot... Individual pre-fixe hot pots are a pretty cool concept altogether. Everything is so convenient... Order up a an appetizer (we got the beef tendon stew (Yummmm), and then walk through the hot pot menu in easy steps- (1) pick your individual pre-fixe bowl of goodies: shabu-shabu, mongolian, HK, vegetarian, sichuan... We got the Mongolian (beef tendon balls, fish balls, tripe, napa cabbage, beef paste, and more), (2) Then a broth to match (we picked Sichuan - SPICY!), (3) a side of meat: wagyu (add $47!!), ribeye (add $10), short ribs, lamb (we got the short ribs), (4) add a side of noodles (we got the thin bean vermicelli). We decided to just order one pre-fixe and another a la carte dish (seafood platter) and we were glad we did (a lot of food for two people). The individual hot pot came and had tiny little red peppers, bay leaf, and green onion floating on top of the red chili oil and broth concoction. As the broth started to heat up the pot o' goodness, we started to place our goodies into the little cauldron to cook up our meal. I must say the sichuan broth made the entire meal. We ordered it medium spicy which had a nice little kick. Next time I think I will turn it up a notch and go for the HOT spicy! They give you a satay dipping sauce to mix up with crushed ginger, green onions, and cilantro. All good... For dessert they had a self serve buffet table: watermelon wedges, almond jello (nice), some type of banana flavored mochi topped with shaved coconut (my fave), and taro soup with tapioca (bland). The service was super friendly, and very attentive. We rolled out of there with warm bellies, and a great experience... Will definitely be back!
(4)Fanny Z.
Service is great! We enjoyed our time there very much. Large variety of options, just like what I had in China! Complimentary desert!
(4)Mei C.
Sat at the bar. I enjoyed this place because I liked the ambiance and the variety of vegetables to dip in the broth. The mushroom broth was bland though. The lychee martini must not have had alcohol in it because I did NOT feel any effects.
(4)Liana L.
Sneaky, snakey people run this hotpot place. First, it's expensive at $29.50 per person for AYCE. This doesn't include the good "premium" cuts of meat that is usually standard at other hotpot places such as fatty beef, pork belly, kurobota pork, etc. No, only for $4 more can you request those items. For the regular AYCE, you only get pork or lamb shoulder, and dry, lean beef. Second, service is non existent. Our small cups of tea and water were never refilled. We were fooled into AYCE by their 3 year anniversary promo (25% off everything until the end of February) only to be slapped by an automatic 15% gratuity for a FOUR person party at the end! We ended up paying $30pp... some promo THAT is! We didn't fight it but I really didn't appreciate that the tip was HANDWRITTEN into my charge slip after they swiped my credit card. Alright, I know how to add and you already charged my card to include the gratuity... so if you're worried about your customers being shady and stiffing you on tip, then maybe you shouldn't be shady yourselves! The only redeeming factor was that it was a relatively clean place with large flat screens and each person gets their own hot pot. We were given full reign of the TV too since we were sitting right in front of it at the bar. Ugh, shame on me for being too lazy to drive out to the Pots or Hot Pot Garden in the Sunset for cheaper, better eats.
(1)Stan C.
Came here awhile ago and liked it and decided to come back. *FAIL - Came back last week to celebrate my bday and friend's day. Made reservations, but still put us on 2 separate tables. Not a good start... It took them OVER an hour JUST to tell our other table that they ran out of Miso Soup... REALLY?!?! Ran out on a Friday Night? Did they not anticipate it to be busy?? So basically had 7:30pm reservations and didn't start to eat until 9:30pm. Had to re-order everything!!! Other negatives.. slow service and got attitude everything we needed something. Water dripping from the vents from condensation onto the table and floors were wet walking through the restaurant. Doesn't look like I'll be coming back here.
(1)Robert Y.
3.25 The neat thing about this place is that you get your own personal hot pot vs a communal one. Other than that, this place isnt too special. They do offer 20% off orders and other discounts on drinks during happy hour (5pm-6pm) so I recommend taking advantage of that. The food itself was quite plain but they do give you a lot of vegetables so its a sneaky way of getting kids (and adults) to eat more veggies. The hot pot plates vary from $17-20 for dinner and the portions are enough to satisfy an average eater (although I was a bit hungry afterward s). They do serve unlimited dessert which featured watermelon, coconut jello, a mango jello coconut mini pastry, and some taro milk mini tapioca soup. The unlimited dessert was above average and helped salvage what was a very dissatisfying meal. Bottom line: They do have a 2 private tables which are good for large parties (up to 14) and even have karaoke, but besides the dessert, the food was very simple and lacked a more variety of sauces compared to other places. I might give this place a second chance.
(3)Connie H.
It's a pity that this place could not hold up on the service end... That's the reason for the 2 star review. Food wise, I think their beef was excellent. Selection of sides was quite abundant (fish balls, lobster balls, veggies, etc).. Shrimp was very fresh! The price for all you can eat of $26 is very reasonable. Unfortunately, the service wad soooooo slow. We had to wait for at least 20 minutes in between each time we ordered something! The other saving grace was that although the service so slow, the servers were very hospitable and gracious, keeping their calm and friendliness through the evening. Hopefully, they either add more meat slicers, staff, or get more organized... Or SOMETHING!
(2)Chanel L.
After eating at Little Sheep and craving hot pot all the time,. i decided to yelp a closer hot pot place near my house. Little Fire Pot showed up and the pictures looked pretty decent for me to try. They have seating's around the bar and also tables in the back room. We were able to be seated in the table area and I didn't have to share a pot. I got my own pot and my own combo meal. They tried duplicating the soup base like Little Sheep, but it didn't cut it. The hotpot soup was bland and I still had to dip my meat and vegetables in soy sauce for flavor. I didn't have the urgency to drink/try the soup, like I do at other hot pot places. The combo meal was like $20 a person, you get vegetables and meat. They also have an all you can eat dessert bar, which was the highlight of the whole restaurant. They have desserts like coconut sago and kumquat soup,. and a variety of fruits from melons to oranges etc. Def a place to just try out once,. but *Meh. I've experienced better.*
(2)Lorraine G.
This place is pricey for the small portions. I ordered from their pre fixe menu (enough for one person or you can share and order more sides). It's a 4 step ordering process: pick your soup base, variety bowl of veggies/fish balls/seafood (they listed 17+ items, but I completely disagree) meat and noodle. It sounds like a lot of food, but it really isn't considering that everything shrinks once it's cooked. The side of udon noodles that I ordered was a joke. It was served on a really small saucer and wouldn't have made my 2 year old cousin full. They also over stuff the bowl with cheap napa cabbage. For dessert, it was buffet style and consisted of fruit, hot taro tapioca soup and almond jello. We had to ask several times for them to replenish the tapioca soup. Service was poor. The only time they came by was to bring us our food and check. We had to flag them down every time we needed something. They never came to refill our teapot or add more soup base to our hotpot. By the time I was done cooking, only 1/3 of the soup base remained. I wouldn't recommend this place. For the same price, Little Sheep serves bigger portions and a better selection of food items.
(2)Anita C.
3.5 stars Friday night wait was about half an hour just as they predicted. the place was packed. even as we got there ate 8pm. If you don't like making choices this may not be a good place for you. But with your order you get to choose the follow: 1. soup base (Mongolian, Mala AKA spicy, Hong Kong style, taipei shabu shabu, tokyo shabu shabu) - the last 3 kinds all have the same pork and chicken soup base. - with your soup base option comes with different veggies depending on the base 2. meat i.e. beef, lamb shoulder... 3. side ie rice, udon, yam noodles... then they all come with all you can eat dessert, which is fruit, coconut jello (those white cubes), and tong sui (the soupy desserts) they close at 9:30, but we were the last ones there and ate till 10:45 and they didnt kick us out. and the service got better, the less people there. you also get your own pot, so you don't have to share pots of water, not that i mind X, E, and R. my beef was good. the variety of veggies that came with the orders was good. also had dumplings. some with surprisings. one had cooked fish roe inside. i had like 5 kinds of fish things, like fish balls, fish balls stuffed with stuff...price was ok. about 18.99 and 17.99 for the vegetarian ones. i got the taipei shabu shabu with the pork and chicken broth. was good, and when i tried it after by itself realized it was really salty, but it worked with my food. o and rice with mine, perfect! my friend E then came up with a good sauce combo (make sure u ask for extra sauces, they will bring u 3 more kinds of sauce) sauce=soy sauce+sauce they give you+soup base+sesame sauce+hot sauce YUM!! there is also a vege version of the sauce they first give you! you can also order additional sides and meat, etc. i would come back again. portion is a good size for me, too! will need to give it more chances to see if rating could increase, but there is def potential. and something new and different for me too.
(3)Tiffany W.
i'm not much of a hot pot fan to begin with, but this place is decent. i would just order the soup alone if i could because the soup is scrumptious (: well, actually, i don't know if you can do that or not. my awesome friends insisted that we go here because of how much they love this place. the place is unique and what i imagined what the hotspots in Asia would be like, LOL. the decor is lovely, and everything fits. what i found liking to was the celling fans shaped like flowers. the interesting thing is that everyone gets their own little heater thing in front of them. we ordered a beef tray which is about 30 slices of beef and a seafood tray. we also ordered three soups; miso, the spiciest miso and the mongolian. the soup is flavorful, and the food is good too. its just the portions that make me give it an "A-OK." it was enough to fill me up, but not enough to make me fullzzz. there's also a dessert bar with watermelons, taro tapioca soup and a quite tasty coconut jello. haha, i could see myself here when i'm older, balling and living the life of an asian ballerrr, muhaha.
(3)Janice V.
For me and my boyfriend's monthsary (not anniversary), I really wanted to go to a shabu resturant. I wanted to go to Shabu House where my boyfriend and I had our Valentine's dinner at this year but it was to far from us. Obviously I used Yelp to see if they had one closer to us and who knew they had one in Daly City. I've passed by this place so many times while driving to Safeway and always thought this was a sushi restaurant. Anyways, we were greeted by the owner I believe and got seated pretty fast. We saw the sign for an all you can eat type of deal for $28 I believe. There was a lot of stuff on the menu but for sure we wanted to get the fire pot. We first asked if we could get the all you can eat and share it with each other but the owner said it's only for one person. We ended up getting the Taipei along with the beef which we shared. The Taipei had so much stuff like corn, fish balls, tripe, lettuce, and etc. For our broth I chose the miso soup (spicy) only because it reminded me of the one from Shabu House. I guess it was a wrong idea since I almost burnt my throat. I was eating a tripe and then drank some of the spicy miso soup and for some reason, the hot tripe was stuck in my throat. My throat started burning and my boyfriend thought i was joking around. We didn't get our water and hot tea wasn't gonna make it better. I guess the waiter saw me struggling so he gave us our waters. I drank all my water right after he walked away from our table and looked at me again cause I was trying to get some ice with my chopsticks loll. He immediately refilled my water and had to wait till my throat stopped burning. Other than that, it was alright. Because we shared a fire pot, we thought weren't gonna get full but we actually started to get full when we were half way done with our Taipei bowl. You can also add more things to it but I'll cost a little more like for extra meat or something. The owner even mentioned there is a complimentary dessert bar in the back which only consisted of 3 things: Soup, watermelon, and coconut jello. We pretty much spent only $22 which wasn't even bad since we shared.
(3)Jackie W.
Love this place!! Nice atmosphere, and mostly street parking. Located in the Westlake Plaza near Banana Island. Personal Hot Pot per person, and so much fun cooking your own meal, with the addition of sharing the experience with your family and friends. Highly recommend this place anytime you are in the mood for Hot Pot!! Yum!! :)
(5)jade t.
I love love love this place! I ate so much here I got sick of it for a while because too much of something good is baaaaad! I love the dim sum, It seems so fresh all the time. The service is good I never feel rushed here. And I love the free dessert they always have! The place is nice, and the owners are nice as well always smiling. THREE words...I LOVE IT
(5)Kim C.
Great concept--interesting decor and the place has a cool, hip, Asian feel to it. Pros: Open late on weekends Each individual has their own hot pot Drinks were tasty (a little on the too sweet side) and had a good amount of alcohol in them Cons: Cheap quality hot pot burners Veggies were that fresh Broth was flavorless Waitress was rude I'd still go here if I were desperate but I don't forsee a trip anytime soon.
(2)Amy C.
The ultimate hot pot experience in Daly City. Unlike other Shabu Shabu places, you get your own individual stove at your table so you can choose any menu set (or create one) that you like instead of only having to share one stove between two people like in other places. At the Little Fire Pot, they always seem to give more food than I can finish, and everything is delicious. I highly recommend going during the Early Bird Special between 5:00 & 6:00P.M. to get the 20% discount off your meal -- you have to place the order before 6P.M. to qualify -- but do take heed that there may be many birds flocking to the restaurant on some days during that time just as a heads up. They also have dim sum, but I have never eaten their teahouse items here so I cannot say much about it. I have visited this place mainly for the hot pot, because you really do get the bang for your buck eating the fondue sets. I would not recommend bringing really small children, because the stoves are right there in front of your seat and it would probably be a bit of a safety concern, though I do believe people have brought their kids with them before. The restaurant has a couple private rooms, therefore you can make a reservation with a large party and enjoy all your special events in there. The interior is pretty stylishly decorated, service is pretty good on most occasions, and the owner is very nice. If you are a hot pot fanatic, you may find this quaint little restaurant to your liking.
(5)jenny t.
I was at this restaurant twice, because I believed in giving them a second chance. After my second try, I was disappointed and as well as angry. It is just one step away from being a strip club. . it's not a restaurant style at all. services would depends on how they would feel. . I waited just about 40 minute for my re ordered.. no refills water.. and I would walked up to the counter to pay..
(1)Kristina L.
It's alright. approx. $20 for a hot pot meal, includes: - choice of different styles. ex. Mongolian, Shabu Shabu, Taipei, etc (which is the veggies, balls, tofu, etc) - choice of meat - choice of broth - choice of a side ( noodles, rice, etc) It can probably fill up two people if they order a side dish of something else. Me and my bf shared the Mongolian, with the chicken and pork broth, lamb shoulder and vermicelli noodles, then ordered a curry crispy fish ball dish (which tasted just like those tapioca drink places that give you like 6 fish balls with curry but here, it's just bigger).. this was a decent size filled with potatoes and fish balls... on a different note. they do have a dessert buffet of watermelon, tapioca soup ( I don't know the Chinese translation), and a few other little things, nothing amazing. And they do have two private rooms for dinner and karaoke. (if you're going to have a big group)... I don't think i'll be disappointed if I never come here again.. i'd rather drive farther and go to Little Sheep in San Mateo. :P
(3)Lynn T.
My friend loves this spot! I'm not a huge fan but there are other places where you can get more for your money. . Unfortunately, they don't serve buffet style hot pot except for the dessert. But they have great Lychee-tini! Delish and refreshing.
(3)Helen L.
Fri, Sat, & Sun lunch hot pot ranges from $11 to $13. Each person has their own personal pot, which is great if you are not into sharing germs. I had the Tokyo soup-I think the lady said it was a fish soup base or chicken soup base. I can't tell the difference. There's a choice of meat: Beef, Pork, and Lamb (very thinly sliced). You control what cooks first which is kind of fun. There's no mob mentality of "Let's put everything in", you get to decide. There's strange fish balls or meat balls and inside there's strange filling. Interesting! I had tripe, spinach, and lots of cabbage. There's the satay dip, and ginger, etc. We had the corner table away from the crowd, so it was quiet and private. Service was okay. You have to flag them down. For the price, I thought it was worth it. If you have a big party, they give you a private room.
(3)Yun C.
They were on restaurant.com . We had a gift certificate. We came, ate, left. I never really understand why it's such a trend to pay $15-20 for a place to provide you with a stove, pot, raw food, broth, and you cook your own meal. I can do that at home, I just need to go to the grocery. I digress. My family and I ordered from the regular menu some dim sum dishes, noodle, and curry. All dishes were good size, the dim sum is fairly large too, not skimpy little things. We ordered chicken curry and it was pretty good, except it was yellow curry and we couldn't really tell the potato and chicken apart. My daughter felt she ate a lot of potatos which she thought were chicken. It was ok.
(2)Mimi L.
MY FAVORITE HOT POT PLACE TO GO TO on A COLD DAY!! EVEN HOT DAY! I love spicy food and man was their soup spicy! great service! great food! GREAT DRINKS!
(5)Ben H.
This place is fantastic, its a whole new kind of hot pot experience. The veggies and meat are fresh and are of the highest quality. I got the Mongolian broth with the rib-eye slice and it was delicious. The atmosphere is inviting, and higher end so it would be an appropriate area for a date, or a group outing with friends. Dishes average about 20ish, but the experience if fun and priceless. Desserts are great also! Cant wait to come back again!
(5)Ray Y.
So so Dim sum and individual Hot Pots. Had the Tokyo and HK hot pots. My daughter loves it here but it's ok in my opinion!
(3)Mary H.
I'm a huge fan of Hot Pot (Shabu shabu), we got a coupon for buy one and get one free in the mail so we decided to give it a try! For the price that we paid, two for one, it's definitely a great deal! I love my spicy "mala" hot pot while my husband enjoyed a more mellow pot of "Tokyo" style. The portions of veggies and meat are really generous, they gave us a lot of meat for one person. I wish they had more variety when it comes to sauces. I liked the complimentary fruit, coconut pudding, sweet taro sago soup and mango dessert. Overall, I enjoyed my experience here, the service is actually very prompt for a chinese restuarent and very attentive!
(5)Chris A.
As it's name alludes to, Little Fire Pot gives you a taste of the fire and brimstone of Hell. Basically you boil cabbage (and a tidbit of meat and other stuff, but mostly cabbage) in water and then dip it in a tablespoon of sauce before consumption. You have to choose one of several styles of hot pot, with their different sets of additives, and each with a different sauce. You only get a choice of ONE dipping sauce. They offer you Food Hell, as you have to slog through your whole meal with only one flavor to everything. I hated my choice of sauce so asked for another one, which they obliged, but it is not normal procedure. Nor is it apparently customary for them to offer you more sauce. It's ridiculous to think that a customer would be able to eat a pound+ of food off just a tablespoon of sauce. Also, the sauce quickly becomes diluted by the 'broth' (read: water). Also, I don't get why they can't give everyone a selection of all the sauces, for variety. It's not like this place is cheap, either. They could afford to... I dunno, what is the word for when you're not splurging? Adequate. They could afford to be adequate.
(2)hime s.
Pretty average good food. Nothing special. Maybe would of added another star if I ate some free dessert that was good. 1 star for decent service, no problems 1 star for pretty and comfortable environment, clean 1 star for big portions of food pro: everyone gets their own hot pot cooker, free dessert (pudding do not know what else did not have any), our 20% off coupon :) con: broth was not that flavorful (vegetable combo & tokyo combo) price: $70 something for 4 with 20% off coupon not including tip. Each order was $20 on the menu.
(3)jason g.
I think I came at a very good time. I guess the 7 months wait to try this restaurant has paid off. I saw most of the bad reviews and I agree with philip w. some of the reviews were not based on visiting this establishment at all. The decor is like your typical shanghainese/taiwanese type restaurants in China. For those who haven't been to Shanghai. The inside is very modern with an asian theme. High ceiling with nice ceiling lamps. I believe their furniture was all from China. It has a very nice decor. Yes, the menu is very confusing. For this restaurant less information would be more beneficial. I ndividual pots which I like. Extensive menu which I don't like. 4 different types of broths. 4 different types of combinations. You can order everything ala carte. It's not all you can eat and yes the free dessert is good. They have dim sum as well Upgrade the beef for a few dollars more.
(4)Joe Z.
I've only been to this place twice and both times was mediocre, bordering on bad. But: Grand opening March 13 @ noon. Plus they have a 50% off (edit: dinner only) special supposedly during that week (13th to 19th). That would be quite the steal. I'll make sure to check out this place, pass final judgment and write a detail review then.
(3)Fontane L.
I was initially excited about Little Fire Pot, but some of the reviews from fellow Yelpers made me a bit wary (regarding freshness). I have to say that I'll go back if necessary (i.e. one of my friends want to go) but I can't say I'm a big fan. The place looks clean enough, with lots of food options. I like that they have hot pot combo meals - with different types of broth and veggie ingredients according to the regional hot pot traditions (e.g., Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Szechuan, etc.). I think it's a great idea! However, I think execution could to be better. I would have preferred higher quality ingredients but less quantity. I ordered the Hong Kong, and the non-veggie items accompanying my lamb was a bit stale-looking (i.e. hard and unappetizing). Admittedly, they were fine once I boiled them for a long while, but I would have liked to see better quality. The lamb was okay, but a bit tough. I think the place has potential, but they're perhaps trying to provide too much variety at the expense of quality. They would do much better if they just stuck to one or two styles and did it really well, stocking the freshest ingredients.
(2)uncle m.
Love the idea of everyone gets their own pot. The Mongolian and sichuan soup base are my favorites. A bit pricy that's why I eat there once or twice a month. Owner and waitress are friendly and the restaurant is super clean. Private room with two tables that can host around 20 people.
(4)B B.
Came here for my friend's birthday. We sat in one of their private rooms. The rooms were pretty cool and everyone had their own pot. But it seemed like everyone was so far away from each other. I wish they also had on of those rotating tables in the center. It got pretty annoying passing food around. They also had a nice flat screen with digital cable. I really enjoyed their appetizers. I believe they stop serving appetizers around 7pm or 7:30. I think it might have been their happy hour menu. But they were nice enough to let us order after 8pm. We ordered their popcorn chicken, edamame with garlic & peppers, onion pancake and curry, french fries with nori, and some dim sum. My favorite was the popcorn chicken. It was very addicting. Their dim sum was really good too! I enjoyed their shrimp hargow (my favorite) and would definitely order it again. Oh I forgot about their shabu shabu. It was okay. I think its actually better to order from the a la carte menu. I ordered 2 types of meat ($9.99), a soup base (starting at $2.99), fresh tofu (around $2-$3), and fried taro (around $2-3) and a side order of rice. My bill was around $22 (including tax). 3.5 stars. I'll probably be back for their appetizers and dim sum.
(4)Maggie U.
So my bf and I decided to give this place a try, and we were not really impressed. First, customer service is not up to par. Our waitress was not friendly, and I felt rushed when ordering. The food was ok. I liked the fact that they had numerous broths to choose from, and there were different variety of veggies, but was disappointed to see that they didn't give enough slices of meat. I also find it hard to wave down a waitress because they seem to be over the place, so it took us a while to get our check.
(2)Belinda C.
i'm ok with this place,, i just long over due with this review. i came here with a bunch of friends a while ago and we made reservations.. which i would recommend on a weekend. you can order the set menu based on what you feel like. Hong Kong style, taiwanese or shabu shabu and much more. and you can add adddtional things to your order if you want. if you don't like the set menu you can order individual things off the list and create your own dish.. i got the taiwanese style and the potions are SUPER big.. there was not way i was able to finish it. the best part about this place is all you can eat desserts.. they have the tapioca sweet water dessert and pudding. overall, it's a cool place to chill with your friends. but honestly.. i really hate cooking even if it's just adding something into hot water =)
(3)Amy N.
Me & my boyfriend decided to eat here for dinner since it was near our home & I was really disappointed! Service was really bad, the waitress wasn't all that friendly nor did she know what she was talking about or presenting to us! Food was alright, there are way better hotpot restaurants to go to!
(1)Iris M.
This is my second time coming to little fire pot and judging from the last time the service was much better. This time around the servers didn't bother to check if we needed anything, constantly had to wave a waiter/waitress down. Plus there wasn't really any friendly welcome, it was just come in, get seated, and "so what's it going to be." lastly, most of the servers mainly attends to other customers...most of them Asian. I probably would only come back here for happy hour but other than that I wouldn't come back here again.
(2)Cindy L.
great soup base! kind of pricy though. paid 42 bucks for one person!
(4)Nit C.
Overall, the food is alright. You do get your own pot to cook the food. We had the hot pot selection for ~$20: I had the Mongolian style which I recommend. It includes a variety of vegetables, fish balls, choice of meat and a choice of side. It was definitely filling. Everything about the meal was alright. None of the ingredients stood out though. They did have dessert buffet of watermelon which was super sweet. The taro soup and and coconut jello was pretty good as well.
(3)Lisa M.
It's what you get for being too lazy to drive out to San Mateo to Little Sheep or too impatient to look for parking in the Richmond for Shabu House. This place is A-Okay for the price. Soup is nothing that will blow you away here because it's pretty bland. 19.99 for your choice of Mongolian Soup Base, Super Spicy,Hong Kong Style, Taiwan Style, Japanese , Vegetarian. Comes with a HUGE bowl of veggies, mushrooms and varieties stuff you normally eat for hot pot... and big platter of meat. Oh yeah, they won't refill your soup unless you request it. Nope, not even with it's down to one millimeter .... just gotta ask. Dessert here is self service. Taro sago. Bland just like their soup. Just skip and go for the fruits.
(3)phillip w.
Wow, I came here like a month ago and I see so many 1 star reviews lol..but whats this!??! One person gave this place one star for having to wait in line for 4.5 minutes?? ARE YOU SERIOUS? please don't review a place just for the sake of it, how stupid.. Anyways, fire pot has a pretty good concept going but like all new things, it doesn't always appeal to everyone. Thats fine...Anyhow you have two options here, either get a combo and eat what they serve you in the combo or just order your own dishes like the usual hotpot. They have about 4 different types of broths for you to cook your food in and that's pretty much it. I personally think its cheaper to order your own instead of the combo. I wasn't too fond of the combo. This place can do better and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Their service was very very accommodating, nice and helpful. Was always around if we needed anything so I don't see what everyone was talking about how service was so downright horrible. But yes of course great service cant make up for food that doesn't appeal.
(3)Cecile S.
The experience there wasn't bad. The food was fairly fresh and shabu stations worked perfectly. However, the mix of food in each shabu shabu order was not very well put together. They have shabu shabu mix plates from different regions of asia such as japan, china, taiwan etc. However, there wasn't a real taste difference between the different mixes. I felt there as not enough food for one person in each order. I like my dinners with a lot of meat so this is not a meat lovers place, even with the additional cost for ordering extra meat. The sauces that they provide are also not very good. The wait staff was also very nice and professional. They even explained shabu shabu to individuals who do not know what it is. I believe they answered every question very well when asked. Chinese and english speakers welcome. Overall, you can try this place once and will be happy, but it is not good enough to keep you comming back. Ever.
(3)Phil D.
Shabu-shabu, dim sum and a non-chain restaurant in Daly City!? How can you go wrong!? Whatever time of day you desire to stroll into Little Fire Pot, you will not be disappointed. They have a slew of assorted flavors for your boiling water of choice. Personal favorites? Try the Sichuan broth if you like your meat spicy, or go Mongolian if you prefer it a little bit more salty and just a hint of spiciness. In the mood for dim sum? At a shabu house!? This place has it all! They have the traditional har gow (shrimp dumplings) and shui mai (pork dumplings), but have you tried deep-fried lobster balls!? With some savory salty powder, even!? Yeah, it's an option. In addition, they're open late for the adventuring stragglers or before dinner for happy hour specials, so you can try their fare at discounted rates. Super clean bathrooms, 2010-style decor and attentive service round out a wonderful San Francisco-like dining experience -- in the cesspool known as Daly City to boot! If you want the full experience, they've got two private rooms, customized with karaoke. You can't go more Asian than that! Oh, and there's FREE dessert with any purchase of a meal. Did I mention that this place is in Daly City!? The land of Elephant Bar and In-N-Out!? In a world of anything-goes Zoning and cookie-cutter chain restaurants, Little Fire Pot is a breath of fresh air.
(5)Jenny H.
Regardless of all the bad reviews for this place, I still wanted to try it out for myself. I mean with Daly City being foggy and cold 80% of the year, this place has to work right? Who doesn't want hot pot on a cold day. Walking in I was very impressed with the decor. Everything was lovely and I absolutely adored the idea of individual hot pots. I've never experienced that since all the hot places I've gone to, everybody shares one communial pot. Another plus was that they had five preset menus or a la cart style from different Asian areas. I liked this idea but when I actually read what was served, it made me think twice. Lots of intestines, tripe, and porks blood was included in each preset menu. With that said, I decided to go with the preset menu from Tokyo which consisted of meat and mainly all vegetables. Nothing too crazy. But this is where it all started going downhill. The first disappointment started with the broth since it was pretty flavorless. Second the meat it came out with was on the skimpy side. I swear I could have had two of those plates and still be hungry. I was not a happy camper forking over $20 for hot pot and not even getting full. On the bright side, I gave them an extra star for giving free dessert and fruits. Probably the best part of the meal that day. I really wished I could have liked this place since it's the perfect city to have hot pot!
(2)Alex A.
Happy & Satisfied: I circled around looking for this place. It's not easy to find because it's actually on Lake Merced Blvd. I normally don't wear my glasses, but today I was hoping to look smarter, but I didn't look very smart with fogged up glasses when I first walked into Little Fire Pot. With my fogged up glasses, the paper menu (they should make it nicer) was hard to read. Ordering food is different compared to other hot pot restaurants. We got an explanation from the nice waitress of how to order. You basically choose different styles and you can add more side orders to it. LFP gives everyone their own little pot and hole in the table to keep the pot boiling. They kept bringing out the pots and sticking it in the hole, but forgot to turn on the electric stove thing. You basically push one button to turn the stove on and turn the dial clockwise to increase the temp. The food came quickly, but some instructions would have been nice. I guess if they give you things to put in your food you should use it. So I stuck everything in and it ended up tasting good anyway =D All the waitresses must have asked us how everything was going like a dozen times. They were super attentive and nice. So I asked one of them how she was doing. =P All of them seem pretty nice. One of them explained to us that they also have karaoke and they're planning to also serve dim sum in the future. hmmm... Sounds interesting. While I was eating, I thought I would only give 3 stars, but by the time I got home i was smiling and was thinking about wanting to go back and try it again, so 4 stars for Little Fire Pot. Keep up the good work =D
(4)Natalie G.
Looking for hot pot but don't wanna trek all the way out to San Mateo? Come to Little Fire Pot in Daly City and I dare say that it's wayyyyyyyyy better than Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot =]. For starters, you won't have to dish out $4 for soup per person and you can't beat having your own personal mini pot! Yes, you read me and you probably read all the other reviews, you get YOUR OWN mini pot with a great portion of soup. At the same time you can still enjoy a good convo face to face with your party (if you're not sitting at the bar). Soup ranges from $2.50 to $3.xx, from plain dashi to broth to super spicy to cater to each person's taste in your party. I can say to the BF, "HA! I don't have to take your spicy soup anymore!!!" I'm sure he's also happy that he doesn't have to share his soup with me and can order all the spicyness he wants. The meat is super fresh. When I say super fresh, I mean they slice your meat AFTER you order it so you don't get no pre-cut/pre-frozen meat, you get meat straight off the slicer and meat that isn't brittle so you can pick it up with your chopsticks and drop it straight in the pot. In fact, they make all their ingredients freshly cut. None of that frozen stuff unless you want frozen tofu. Aside from the unique personal pots, if you order the house meat/pork/shrimp/fish balls, it comes fresh in a interesting looking hallow bamboo (haha jook sing joke) and you get this nifty tool to break the meat into whatever portion or size you want. For the BF, it became 3 meat balls. Tastewise, the BF loved the meatballs, it tastes like FRESH Siu Mai (minus the wonton skin)!!! If you're going to with a couple or 2 pairs, I'd suggest to order each pair to order a combo and maybe an extra side of meat and tofu. You can even just order specific items that you want if you don't want whats in the combo meals. Oh, if you do decide to order a combo, you're not absolutely stuck with the choices, you can ask them to switch/replace some items with others. When your food arrives, it may look like what?! why is there so little, but in reality, it totally filled me and the BF up, and trust me, the BF is a BIG eater. Service-wise, the servers are very accommodating and very on top of things. At first, I was wondering why our food was taking so long to come to us but then I realized that they make their food fresh, even the meatballs. Be patient and you will be rewarded with great taste. We did chat with the owner after our meal and found out that they will be having a 50% off special between March 13 - 19, 2009 from 11am to 2pm for their Grand Opening week. The owner was also very nice and showed us around the private room where you can have private parties of 10/table or 14/table respectively. She also told us that they're planning to have a full bar as well as karaoke in the future, so keep your eyes and ears open lol. Ohh, we also found out that everything they use is custom-made from Taiwan from the pots to the bowls that hold your food. Really awesome. Oneeee more unique thing about this place is that they also serve dimsum. No more dirty Dim Sum King for us, we're definitely gonna hit this place up again to yum cha during the weekends. We found out that they make FRESH dim sum for your order if you order in. They also have a dim sum part that's opened for take out. The owner also mentioned that they will be having hot pot take out in the future where you can order the soup and ingredients and bring it home to your own pot. Overall, I'd say our experience here was pretty great, we still love our shabu shabu at Kufuya, but this place is great for Chinese and multiple styles of hot pot. We will definitely be coming back here again.
(5)Mark W.
Not an all you can eat hot pot place but they give a bunch of food that should definitely be enough for you. It seems like the trend for the newer hot pot places is towards more of these non all you can eat spots. The way it works is you order one of their packages. They are priced around 18.99 to 19.99 per package. Each package will include a bunch of things and then you pick one of the meats and one of the noodles they have on the list. I think there are a pick of 3 from each list. And then if you want to upgrade to Ribeye, then it's $2 more. Upgrading to Seafood I think was $4 more. I believe there was 5 or 6 different packages: Sichuan (spicy), Mongolian, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taiwan, Vegetarian... There is slightly different broths for each and the items are just slightly different from each other. Everyone gets their own hot pot in front of their seat so that's one of the differences from most other hot pot places as most of the others, there is one bigger pot that everyone shares. All the items were fresh and the broth was very tasty. What I liked about this spot specifically is that they came around and refilled the broth pretty consistently and they filled it with the broth that you had ordered, not hot water like alot of other places. That's cool cause at alot of other spots, after they've refilled your hotpot with hot water a few times, there is no longer any taste in the broth. So that's probably my favorite thing about this place. They also had a fruit and desserts table near the back. The almond jello was really good and the soupy dessert they had was pretty good too. Fruitwise, they had cantaloupes and watermelons. It is a bit pricey since it is not an all you can eat place but they did seem to give more than enough food. Maybe next time i come, some of us can order the package and some can order ala carte. Other money saving tips below: Happy Hour Discount: 5p - 6p Daily 20% off (All Diners must be seated by 6:15p) Happy Hour Deals: 5p - 7p Daily $1 off beer $2 off wine and sake $5 cocktails
(4)Helen L.
This place looks pretty grungy from the outside but I was surprised to find that it's actually pretty big inside with modern decor. My girlfriends and I came here for dinner and we thought this place was adorable. We went with the dinner sets and for under $20, you get your pick of meat (over 15 pieces), a huge bowl of assorted hot pot dippies (15-20 pieces), a side (rice/noodles/etc), and unlimited dessert; pretty affordable if you ask me! (Especially if you like variety.) Each one of their dinner sets is themed according to different places in Asia (Mongolia, Tokyo, Hong Kong, TaiPei, etc) and comes with corresponding ingredients and flavors. I also appreciate how each person gets his/her own pot..great for territorial people and nobody ends up wondering who ate his/her shrimp ball. All of the workers were also very attentive to refilling our waters, adjusting the strength of the hot plate, refilling our soup, etc. They offer a small dessert buffet of mango mochi, coconut jello, "tong sui", and fresh fruits. The mango mochi was delicious!! Too bad I stuffed myself before I could stomach so much as one piece of mochi =\ Definitely worth a try!
(4)Brian V.
This will the the final shabu/hot pot review of the very much maligned cooking meat trilogy. My half-bra along with the little younglings clamored about this hot pot place place in Westlake and I did not have the heart to tell them that I had eaten some variation of it 2 days in a row already, this being the third. With a heavy heart yet a face displaying a plastered on fake smile, I awaited my destiny. We came around 6 pm on a Sunday and it was pretty empty. We were cheerily greeted by a wait staff still in high school and led to our table. My bra's wife, who happens to be Chinese, recommended the Taipei broth and I ordered a large plate of ribeye. A 3/4 dome of vegetables that resembled a nearly completed death star arrived quickly followed by the broth. Taking one whiff of the broth, I knew I should have opted for my bread n butter miso broth. It was brackish green and smelt like nothing more than boiled water. The ribeye was not so plentiful as all shabu places and I pretty much scarfed it up within 5 minutes. The controls to heat your shabu is hidden underneath you and takes some thumbing around. Unlike Shabu places where they give you a peanut sesame dipping sauce, Little Fire Pot gave some other type of dark sauce. In addition, there was no magical ponzu sauce, only soy sauce. As a result, the meat cooked from the broth was plain and I could not guise the taste with any third party flavorings. Bah humbug! The vegetables were aplenty however, the food just did not look appealing and I began to pick and play with my food like a little kid. I manipulated the temperature controls much to the delight of my nephew, turning my broth into a bubbling cauldron, then a calm green sea. After I finished my plate of meat, I playfully threatened to cook his third grade fingers into chicken tenders, much to his dismay. They don't have much selection for dessert. They have some cut watermelons and tapioca. Forget this place bra.
(2)Tadaa T.
brand new establishment attracted plenty of people. As a frugal Chinese, I'm always on the look out for cheap deals, so there I was. After putting my name down on the waitlist, I was told by one of the guests that he's been waiting for 4 hours. Yes 4 hours. Some people actually left their numbers so that the restaurant could call them back when their table became available. We finally got seated after hour and half wait time. but after we sat, we waited for another 30 minutes for them to bring out the soup. I just don't understand why took them so long to bring out a pot of boiled water, with a few red dates and green unions and then they call it soup base. The food came, and to my suprise, there's only a couple pieces of each item arranged in a cereamic bowl. Yes there's variety, but just not enough of each to even tell what they taste like. We had the Szhechuan hot pot and the Mongolian hot pot. The Szechuan base was pretty good, but falied to give that numbing effect of Szechuan hot pot I've tried elsewhere in the past. My Mongolian soup base didn't have any flavor it in, I think it's due to the fact that the ingredients for the soup are added in just minutes before they bring the pot out. So the bottle of soy sauce and hot sauce and i became inseparable for the rest of the meal. One of the side orders that we ordered never showed up; we end up cancelling it since we were pretty much done with waiting. Don't know what all the hype is about, i guess the grand opening 50% off -your-bill special did indeed attracted many curious foodies. But as for myself, I think I'll exercise my frugality elsewhere next time.
(2)Jiajia C.
I really wish this place could be good. A hot pot restaurant with 6 different broths, including the spicy Sichuan style? NIIICE! Problems: 1. The beef was horrendous. I suppose by adding more money I could've upgraded to the premium beef. But I wasn't aware the "regular" beef would be this low in grade and poorly thawed. 2. The vegetables/fish balls/other animal parts basket looked good when it arrived. But the tripe and duck feet skin were so, so smelly. Proper preparation for these items requires thorough cleaning and boiling. When your customer can taste the animal smell, you've failed! (and keep in mind that I had the spicy Sichuan broth. not even that could mask the stink) 3. The broth was no good either. So bland that I had to use other sauce for my beef. NOT your Little Sheep broth for sure. 4. They don't offer the double pots. 5. I was encouraged to get the combo for 20 bucks. I didn't feel like I received the value of $20. Two stars are given for the service and taro tapioca dessert at the end. Not a good place for hot pot.
(2)Jack T.
The young management staff have a lot to learn about customer service. My mom made a reservation three days in advance. We showed up about 3 minutes late. Apparently the table we wanted was given to someone else. 3 minutes? Seemed like they were actually there for more than 3 minutes. Anyways, we were given the blame, citing store policy of being more than 15 minutes late (wth!?). Then, they tried to place us with another group of people at a bigger table. By that time I had had enough and just walked out. Judging from the rest of the reviews, the food's pedestrian for hot pot. Given their treatment of customers, they will have to kick it up many more notches before that kind of service is even remotely acceptable. Service FAIL.
(1)Willa L.
I really really like the fact that you get your own pot. I got the mongolian soup base and it was pretty good. I added few dollars for the ribeye and was pretty full from it. In my bowl of goodies, I ended up eating most of the veggie. I seriously don't know what most of the stuff in my bowl were. Dessert was yummy but i was way too full to eat everything. My boyfriend ordered the sichuan soup base and WOW it was spicy!! and i can eat really spicy too. he got medium. I think a mild would be just perfect.
(4)Jen R B.
I ate here with a friend and her family. We went one night on a short trip up to the bay area. I hadn't been here before and thought the place looked great on the inside. We had a table that you pull out circles of wood on the table and the pot goes in and cooks from there. They turn on the hot pots at our tables and we get a huge bowl of mixed veggies and whatever meat we pick. I forgot which one I picked. I think it was the Mongolian Mix. You cook the food yourself to your taste and I really enjoyed it. It was a TON of food though, so you'll want to go hungry!
(4)Mike D.
Barffff...I just threw up in my mouth...exquease me... I went here Friday night with the fams to see what this place was all about... We saw the huge line of Asians waiting to get in... Usually that means it's pretty good...It was the Grand Opening as well... So we decided to wait a few days for it to die down a little... For me, they should have put Grand Closing... We went in and it was kinda packed, we were seated with other people, since there were no other tables available...I think that's what everyone else did, for the tables were quite big... So...onto the menu...WTF?!?! How the hell do you order?! We took like 20 minutes trying to figure it out...Brain surgery was a requirement... We were ready to leave, but decided to stay...In the words of Napolean Dynamite, "IDIOTS!!! GOSHHHH!!!" We observed the other patrons order their soups and watched them like hawks on how they prepared their meal...I knew they thought we were dumbasses...screw them!! LOL! So, we finally ordered our crap... I had the Sichuan style with $4.00 extra seafood combo... The broth was very spicy and to my disappointment, had no flavor... Beef inerts and and other interesting items didn't look appetizing... The tripe was hard and chewy...and there were interesting unknown alien pieces that looked like sea cucumbers...is that hole the anus portion? BARFF My bro asked me what those bunched up mushrooms were...I knew what it was, but failed to tell him...heh, heh, heh!!! I told him, "It's was good, try it!"....As he was chomping away, I told him that he was eating sea anemonies...he spit it out...it was hilarious... Anyways, the only thing I liked were the Shrimps, Scallops, some select pieces of fish, Taro, Cabbage, Spinach, Fishballs and some of the thinly sliced beef and ribeye my fams let me try... Pretty pricey, I'd rather get Pho a block away!!!! This place should get 0.5 Stars...Hey, at least the service was good!!
(1)Jerome W.
The fact that there's usually a line means most people are ignoring the one star ratings, and I suggest you do too. But there are pluses and minuses to this place, Like, I'd like to see a better dessert bar. This one gave a choice of melon or one other item. Also, I'd rather have my choice of unlimited food, even though I'd probably just eat the same amount they serve here. In fact, been here three times and never finished all my veggies. On the plus side, there's a parking structiure nearby and elevators to ground level. Go at a slow time and not much waiting. And even though the broth is bland, you can add your own spices which the waitress will bring to you. There are standard dishes you can order and then for small extra charges you can upgrade or add items. I'll just post a scan of the take out menu and you can check the pictures and see for yourself.
(3)sHoo o.
I sent back my water class, my soup bowl, my soup plate and the ladle because they were all DIRTY. That was unsettling. But I braved it out and it was alright all in all but I hear my tummy grumbling right now..... this won't be pretty.
(2)Allan M.
I had to come here 4 times before I was ready to write a review for Little Fire Pot. The fact that I actually came back over and over again means that I really enjoy coming here. Basically, for about $20, you get a set based on the style you want. You can choose either Hong Kong, Japan, Mongolian, Szechuan, or Vegetarian. Once you choose that, you pick either beef, pork, lamb, or seafood (couple dollars extra) as well as your side (rice, udon, etc). You then get your pot of broth on your own stove, a plate of meat or seafood, and a BIG bowl of stuff, which varies based on the style you selected. The bowl looks overwhelming at first, but its stuffed with veggies on the bottom...so don't be deceived. After you get all that, you're ready to go! I honestly can't describe what you get in your bowl. 75% of the time, I have no idea what I'm eating. But it tastes good...so I don't care. The BEST part about this place is the DESSERT!! The watermelon is ALWAYS sweet!! The cantaloupe and honeydew are very ripe as well. And of course, I can't forget about the warm Taro sago dessert! YUM! This place is getting pretty popular. I came on a Saturday at 7:30pm and there was a pretty good wait. Luckily, there was a table for 6 that my party of 3 shared with a very nice family of 3! I think the quality is better at a place like Shabu House, but I have a lot more fun at this place! The decor is nice, staff is friendly, and the dessert puts it over the top!
(4)Miya F.
I honestly feel guilty about giving a one star review, and part of me wants to go back to give it another chance but I just can't bring myself to do it. Here's the deal. Me and my boyfriend decided to check this place out as I had a 50% off dim sum coupon. I really should have listened to him when he said "you don't want to eat discount dim sum" but I never learn. We ordered both dim sum and a hot pot. Like others said, walking in, the place looked cute . It was decorated nicely and seemed clean. The waitress who sat us was nice as well. But then came the food.... We ordered shanghai dumplings and after biting into it my boyfriend spit it into his napkin. The pork inside of it was RAW. We let the waitress know (because this is something that can really make people sick) and she just took the plate back. Didn't apologize or anything. The rest of the dim sum was mediocre until I got to the shu mai where I found a hair steamed into my dumpling!!!! Gross. We didn't even bother telling the waitress. Our server then appeared with another order of shanghai dumpling to make up for the raw one. We told her we didn't want it and she seemed angry. The icing on the cake. As we had pretty much abandoned our dim sum we were eating our hot pot and dipping the meat in the sauce on the side when I found a fly in the sauce. 3 strikes and your out. Throughout the meal we had to ask for things that should have been provided such as spoons or plates and some things were never brought. Bottom line: I would not recommend this place to anyone. At least any one I liked.
(1)Joanna W.
I received a coupon in the mail for a get one entree free when you buy one entree and two beverages so I decided to try this place. First mistake: instead of ordering two cheap beverages (ie soda for $3 each), we ordered a pitcher for $14. Second mistake: eating almost everything. After looking over the menu, we ordered the Deluxe Sichuan mala entree with lamb, Deluxe Mongolian entree with beef, 4 raw oysters, and a pitcher of beer. The entrees come with your choice of meat (lamb, beef short-rib, pork, seafood, or rib-eye), big bowl of veggies and more meat (beef balls, etc), soup base, choice of side (rice, noodles, etc), and dessert. For the choice of side, they'll ask if you want rice, but you can choose other sides such as udon, vermicelli, noodles. Raw oysters came sauce and tasted good. Desserts are against the wall between the restroom and banquet room. It's basically all you can eat. On the night I was there, they had red bean tapioca, coconut pudding, watermelon, and some mango juice with some stuff in it. Being not-so-big eaters, I should have stopped eating when I was 3/4 done with the meal but it tasted so darn good, I couldn't help myself. We went out feeling pregnant. Instead of ordering the entrees which is prix-fixed with a variety of veggies and balls, you can also separate plates - like Little Sheep or the pots. Nice decor; each person gets their own pot; roomy; hk pop music playing. Waitress and boss lady (or the person who I'm assuming is the boss lady) were very friendly and helpful. Bill came out to $45ish after coupon and tips.
(4)Freckles H.
I was so excited to try this place since you get your own pot! My fiance always swoops in on the food I throw in there, sick of it. I thought this place would solve my problem, but it does and it doesn't. Yes, you get your own pot, loved it. However, the broth and the "package" meals were a total rip-off. I got the Mongolian set and it says it comes with 18 items. It sounded pretty good so I went with that. So, basically I got 1of everything, but 2 of the cheap stuff like tofu. 1 beancurd, 1 shrimp ball, 1 beef ball, 2 tofu, etc. and a whole LOT of vegetables. The noodles were just a small bowl, maybe 2 bites worth. It was $20 for my set menu. The Mongolian broth wasn't very flavorful at all, but luckily my package came with a sauce which I had to use on top of everything. My 2 friends ordered a la carte and they woulda been charged if they wanted sauce as well, shady! There were 4 of us and no one liked their meal. I got full off of the free taro tapioca, had to have like 4 bowls. So sad... I will say the service was excellent, but the food was lacking. I would rather pay $5 more for all you can eat at The Pots, which has better food and broth. I'll just have to continue to watch my food like a hawk when I have hot pot or I can just not bring my fiance. Hmm, who will pay though?
(2)Hideo Y.
We went there for dinner on Thursday night, I ended up with a severe case of stomach flu at 2AM, the nasty bug lasted 24 hours, not only I could not sleep all night with stomach ache, threw up big time in the morning and a bad case of total diarrhea, complete loss of all energy and desire on Friday, missed work. Now it is Sunday, I am still slowly recovering my strength and drive, so tired to even drive, still have no desire for food and cannot hold much. Only lucky thing was my wife had her own pot, so we did not share the same bad food. Avoid this joint completely.
(1)Kathleen C.
1 star for service \ 1 star for desert No drinks, 2 hot pot combos (mongolian base w/ ribeye, and Taipei w/ lamb) and an extra side of lamb came to $60 For the quality, not worth it. Taipei base tasted like chicken broth and the soup and vegetables are the majority fillers. We regretted ordering the extra lamb dish becuase the portion and cutting wasn't as pleasing and it was 7.99 . so nah... when you boil your food, the taste of the soup doesn't stick. Surprise in every bowl, garanteed to have 1 item to get you to think "wtf is this??" -not necessarily a bad thing, it was good for a few laughs for the best surprising delicacy, try the ever expanding fish ball that grows larger than an egg the longer u let it cook. If you tried little sheep, don't bother. I don't see a big deal in sharing a hot pot. Those little individual hot pots try to make it special being your own, but not worth it for the overall package after the bill came I would have rather went to shabu shabu all you can eat yummies for under what we paid and got extra veggies, mushrooms and big platters of meat instead of a surprise bowl.
(2)Vivian L.
Hot pot...lots of people sharing one communal pot...a germaphobe's (not me, my boyfriend) worst nightmare. He is usually against this type of eating but HE'S the one who wanted to go to Little Fire Pot. Love: Individual pots (no one has to share!) Selection of hot pot styles (i.e. Shabu-Shabu, Taiwanese, Sichuan, Hong Kong, etc) Interesting meatballs, fishballs, fishpaste thingys Decent portions Desert station Price Not a fan of: The dippy sauces (Tried to make it better by adding chili and cilantro but just made it worst) Daly City fog My advice: Don't drive all the way from SF to dine here. If you're down here for some reason, go but get the Sichuan hot pot.
(3)Prascilla L.
First of all, Little Sheep Hot Pot Rocks!!! It is remarkably true after trying Little Fire Pot's version of Mongolian hot pot. New restaurant open in Westlake area and after seeing all the commercials on Chinese television, decided to give it a try. Oh well, it is A-Ok! With the price (set dinner is around $20 per person), would rather stay home and enjoy my own hot pot. There are 6 different combos to choose from. While the soup base is more or less the same - either chicken broth or the spicy type; the ingredients are not much of a difference either. Like the Taipei combo, it was actually chicken broth with 2 pieces of scallion floating on top and my Mongolian combo, the soup has a few more Chinese herbs in it for added flavor. Anyway, I would say it is good in the sense of sanity reason since you will have your own pot and don't have to share, especially maybe on your first date :) Otherwise, I will just stay home and hot pot in my jammies.
(3)Denise B.
I feel like the menu is really confusing here. So hopefully the way I explain it makes it easier for someone else than it was for me. It's a hot pot place. Everyone eating gets their own little hot pot to cook their own food. Everyone orders for themselves. You can order 2 ways: preset or a la cart. Preset, just pick a type of menu and you can narrow down the options from within that menu like the spiciness of the broth or the specifics of the meats. A la cart means you have to pick everything from the broth you cook your foods in to the specific foods you want to cook. Me being a fussy eater that doesn't like veggies, didn't want a combo or predetermined menu because I knew I just wouldn't want all the weird veggies. So I just did the a la cart, picked out a broth, and a ton of meat and maybe 2 veggies I liked. And it was plenty of food and I was a content and happy girl. Unless you get the spicy broth, the other broths are pretty much tasteless fyi. And the veggies are in huge portions if you order a la cart so maybe consider sharing your a la cart portions with other people in your group. The meat is so cheap, that you should not expect the finest cuts. But it is what it is, a fun experience. And they give you a ton of chili sauces and soy sauce and other stuff to dip to make your stuff taste better. Not the cheapest meal I've ever had, but not the worst either, I left pretty full with what I ordered and it was all under $20 and all the prix fix menus were under $20 too. All you can eat dessert bar has fresh fruit and jello. I honestly think the almond jello was the best part of the meal.
(3)Patrick C.
Hot pot place with individual pots for each person...awesome!! Multiple differ types of broth, differ types of combo, free desert, and all for $19.99 is a good deal. You do have to upgrade the beef for a few bucks more...but well worth it. They also have a all-u-can eat option for $29. Service is good but can get slow at times when the place gets packed.
(4)Mark S.
We go at least twice a month and always 20% off from 5-6pm M-F (10% on Wknds). We order the hot pot with beef for me and lamb for her. Large bowl of mixed vegitables slowly go into the soup along with your meat. When we are done (completely full) there is still this delicious soup. The desert buffet is the perfect finish to the meal. The staff are terrific, always ready with any request and we don't feel rushed so it is an enjoyable meal for both of us.
(4)Albert W.
We didn't try the hot pot here but the food was ok. We tried red wine breaded pork chop. This is an interesting dish since it's sorta fusion food with the wine that is made only by the people who came from the same provinces as my parents. The malaysian curry is amazingly good since I will not think this will be good in this type of restaurant (taiwanese?) Anyway, should try the curry if you are there.
(3)Jenny W.
Oh Little Fire Pot, I would have came back whenever I craved for hot pot and was too lazy to drive. You have lost my business. FOR GOOD. Today was my second time here, I saw they had all-you-can-eat for $28.50 so hey why not? I spent around $23 last time for just a regular pot after adding a coup base and upgrading the meat choice to ribeye. The food is cool, the soup base tries to be like Little Sheep. I mean, everything is ok. The food is 3-3.5 stars. There is not all that much service, I do like how they have watermelon and sweet tofu laying out for you to grab. So we are chomping away, and we were doing pretty good. All that was left over was 2 pieces of corn, some spinach, napa cabbage, and tong ho. I was thinking that they were mighty generous with veggies, since each one was brought out on a huge plate and it was full. When I had corn with the regular pot I ordered there was only one piece. Just like one piece of cauliflower, one meatball, one of anything really and a handful of cabbage & spinach. So you can imagine why I was surprised they were so generous with the all-you-can-eat portions. We did really well on not wasting food, but there was just way too much veggies. There was a total of three giant plates of different veggies. The meat plate was about 2/3 the veggie plates, but the veggies were piled high and mighty and overflowing. So the waitress comes around the second time in my over one hour meal. I let her know she can clean up and I am done. That's when she informed me that whatever I did not finish, I was going to have to pay for it. Well, I have a problem with eating three mountain high piles of veggies. I ate almost half of it, and how come nothing was ever mentioned earlier? Like when I was ordering? How about: Hey we give you gigantic portions of veggies. Or maybe hey you have to pay for what you don't finish. Or how about you should only ask for quarter portions of veggies because it's so cheap that we give you so much so you'll be full and won't eat the meat? I looked at her like WT effffffffers? Seriously? I asked: So you are going to charge me for the vegetables? She was like: yeah it's on the all-you-can-eat menu. I read that menu! I didn't see it. It's probably super NOT obvious to trick poor suckers like me. So I was like fine. I mean, what can I do? I can't finish the vegetables. So my bf asks: how much are we going to get charged? She replied: well it's up to management. But yes we charge for whatever you don't finish. I give her my card to pay. Then she comes back and tells me: Oh you guys didn't get charged this time, but next time you will be charged. Well you know what, there will NOT BE A NEXT TIME. Peaceeeeeeeeeeeeeee! She ruined my dinner. I don't feel thankful. She should have just found out if I was going to get charged in the first place, or warn me I ordered enough vegetables to feed an army, or that I would have to pay for what I don't finish. Their all-you-can-eat menu is just a piece of paper where you check the box next to what you want. Sorry if I was not on the lookout for you have to pay for every bite you can't squeeze into your belly. Caveat emptor. I will never eat here again. So no next time. You can go suck someone else's blood.
(1)Derrick L.
People who gave this place a good review haven't been to Little Sheep. The broth is bland, the stuff isn't fresh, the meat is TOO fatty (almost looked like bacon), the portions are tiny, and the service sucks! We didn't have any bowls so my mom asked for some and the waitress gave her a bowl. A single bowl. So I had to go to other empty tables to grab bowls. I know they're new, and maybe working out kinks here and there, but service wasn't the important thing. The taste is. I got the Mongolian style, and when my pot came to my table, it TRIED to look like Little Sheep, it really did, but the smell wasn't there, the taste was wayyyyy off. There was almost no flavor to the soup at all. I've never had to use dipping sauces @ L.S. and I wound up drowning my stuff in soy sauce and SaCha sauce just so I can eat it. Granted, it's cheap, a roughly $21 a person, I'd rather shell out another $10 and be happy @ Little Sheep. FAIL.
(1)Kim H.
This place is a contemporary style hot pot place. They have hot pot foods, but the size and placement of the pots appear to cater more to individual dining. It is still possible to share pots, but maybe 2 per person is the max. 3 people sharing made it awkward because of the pot position. They have a pre-fixed menu that includes the broth, noodles, meat, and vegetables from $17-20. It makes choosing everything easier and they come out nicely presented. However, it's enough for 1 person. There's a minimum of $10 order per pot. With the prefixed order, you get to grab their dessert from their cute dessert bar. They have assortment of fruits, tapioca, and sweet jelly. Might give an extra half star for this if I could. The food itself was nothing really spectacular. The bowls were particularly small and that made for grabbing food little by little more often than i liked. The decor is nice and the atmosphere is definitely nicer than traditional hot pot places. They even have a little zen garden by the entrance. the people were overwhelmingly helpful. We were often asked the same question multiple times by different servers. If you feel like eating hot pot alone, this is the place to be. With a group... maybe. It's pricier than what I would like for the amount of food. Overall... A-ok.
(3)David L.
I thought the idea for paying $20 ($25 w/ tax & tip) for a bowl of soup is excessive. Especially for a bowl of soup that you have to make yourself. Didn't housewives in China served hotpot to their families because they were busy, and didn't want to spend the time to slave hours over the stove to feed family and guests??? Since this crap is so easy to prepare (raw vegetables and meats) why is it so friggen expensive??? But if you enjoy blowing your money away on food that had no preparation at all, and you have to cook yourself.. enjoy this place... I'd rather spend $50 (dinner for two) on a real dinner at any other restaurant in the area.
(1)Cat T.
I like this place bc of the options! To have hot pot, chinese food, or DIMSUM (even AT NIGHT). Sometimes the service can be off but just be sure to tell the host. Tons of parking! They even offer good shabu package deals (good deal but not recommended for picky eaters! But still good enough for 2 less than $20-$25) and they also have eat all you can. + free fruits and desserts (taro soup, almond pudding, etc)
(5)Sydney L.
Good atmosphere, food is okay.
(3)Wes C.
One of my main gripes with hot potting is having to share the pot with a bunch of people. Here you get your own little pot to use as you please. There are various soup bases for you to choose from. Looking at other people's pots, I couldn't tell the difference between a hong kong or mongolian soup. I ordered the sichuan soup base with the supreme ribeye. Both were somewhat disappointing. The soup looked pretty good when they brought it out. Despite its initial appearance, it wasn't very spicy at all. The meat wasn't that great either. I'm wondering if they screwed up my order and gave me regular beef instead of ribeye. I noticed that the cuts of meat in general were incredibly inconsistent in quality. We had 3 orders of lamb at our table, each varied greatly in the marble and color of the cuts. Each 20 dollar order comes with your choice of meat, assortment of vegetables and rice/noodle dish. The portions are generous. The prices are very reasonable and it's nice to know that there's at least one hot pot place that doesn't nickel and dime you for every little freakin thing. If you're seated by 6PM, 20% discount off the entire bill (not sure if that includes alcohol). Plenty of parking. Menu for lunch appears to be the same, but much cheaper. I'd probably come here again for lunch only.
(2)Bunnie L.
Great hotpot/shabu shabu restaurant for the price. I love how they have different set dinners that is accomodating to different customer's preference. I got the herbal soup mongolian set which was alot more food than some other places give. You can also order a la carte if you feel it's not enough. I also like the fact that you each get your individual boiling pot. They have a complimentary fruit/dessert table which is nice but beware of the can milk they put out for you to drizzle over your dessert. My friend ate it before finding out that the milk smelled sour. Other than that my experience was very pleasant and will probably be back if I'm craving hot pot or shabu shabu.
(4)lucy l.
I was very excited, you get your own pot and own choice of hot pot style! It was definitely a different experience. The reason it is three stars is because they do not vent the steam and if you know hot pot there is a lot of steam! Where I was sitting the steam condensated on the ceiling and starting dripping all over me and my friends. That is gross!!! They knew this happens because when I told them they instantly knew to turn on the vent. Hello?!?! why didn't you do that early?!?! They tried to make up for it by offering better service and giving a 10% discount. But it just grossed me out too much to finish the night in a good note.
(3)Michael W.
short review: skip it and go to "the pots" in the city (SF). long review: the combo selections they give for the price are not worth it. they bring the items in a large bowl but it's mainly cabbage and spinach. The serving size is for 1 and well everything is blah. The shrimp balls with filling were a miss. Everything on a one for one basis is better at "the pots". The only advantage you have here is the atmosphere, but it's not worth your time.
(1)Jennifer W.
We have been regulars at the Little Fire Pot because of its authenticity of serving individual serving hot pot, just like the ones I had in Taiwan. Taiwanese love hot pots and they eat them year round even though the weather there is quite warm. Taiwanese love their satay sauce as dipping sauce for the hot pot and the ones served by LFP is the authentic stuff. Some people like the sauce creamy by adding a raw egg yolk. We usually order the Taipei Shabu-shabu with chicken and pork broth but they also have other flavors and styles (Hong Kong, Mongolian, Tokyo, etc). I ordered mine with pork and my husband ordered his with steak. The meat were on the lean side and just a little fat so they stay moist. For starch i picked udon and my husband picked thick vermicelli. There is a proper way to eat individual Taiwanese hot pots. The meal starts with a light broth which can be meat based or vegetable based. The server will bring you the meat, the vegetables, and the starch dishes. The portion of each dish is small but if you eat and cook the whole meal you will be quite full. I love LFP's vegetables selection (consists of green cabbage, spinach, tomato, corn) because they are the kind of vegetables that will give sweetness to the broth and will absorb all the flavor from the cooking so when you eat them they are delicious. The Taipei hot pot also comes with some delectable hot pot goodies like mochi pocket, fish ball with fish egg, fu-jien fish ball, egg dumpling, taro, fish dumpling. They are delicious! As you cook the vegetables, seafood, and meat, the flavor of the soup will intensify. It is only at the end of the meal that you savor the soup because it has all the essence of the food that you cooked. I always serve this soup to my 3 year old daughter with some white rice. She loves it so much she usually licks the bowl clean (she never licks her bowls). Since this is a family owned restaurant where the husband is a Taiwanese chef and the wife is Cantonese, the menu reflects both their background. Besides hotpot, they also serve Taiwanese and Cantonese dishes. I have tried their 3 plate cold cut appetizer as well as rice with meat sauce and both were very authentic. This is an outstanding restaurant that satisfy my hot pot craving at a reasonable price (less than $20/person and I always leave stuffed with leftover soup to take home). I am happy that they stick to the tradition which sometimes are not appreciated by the American audience. This place cannot be compared to Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot since that place serves Mongolian Hot Pot which is very different (their broth is well spiced and thus the food does not need any dipping sauce). The price is also not as steep as Little Sheep since for one price you get everything that you need for the meal so I know how much I will spend. It's a bit of a drive for me since i live in the Peninsula but I almost always stop by after a day in San Francisco because I know my family will have a healthy meal at a reasonable price.
(5)Ian C.
Unlimited dessert was a plus. The portion for the price was not worth it. It was informational as your food selection came by choosing your choice of cultural hot pots. You're able to see the variations in the styles of each Asian cultural throughout Asian hot pots. I personally would not come back again but do recommend folks to try it at least once. I do also notice the place tend to attract the older groups in their 30s-60s
(3)Patrick S.
Daily happy hour. As good as anything else in this fairly dismal neighborhood.
(3)Ronnie L.
So we came here for dinner and ordered the all you can eat menu and ordered what we felt we could eat. We ate majority of the food however we ordered some veggies to go along with our dinner, not expecting to receive a whole napa cabbage and a mountain of veggies as our order. Upon conclusion of eating the waitress came back and said "o you didn't finish all your food we are going to have to charge you for all the wasted food. First off we didn't ask for the mountain of veggies that you gave us, second off a forewarning would have been nice. It's almost like they set you up so that they can charge you and then tell you that it's up to the manager on what the charge is. Upon telling the server to charge us she just came back saying the manager decided to waive the charge, sorry miss you're not doing me a favor, please charge me for the food so that I can report you to the BBB for unethical business practice. They just lost customers, no chance of redemption
(1)Lily L.
One of the many reasons I really like Little Fire Pot is because you get your own individual hot pot!!--no more sharing germs with anyone else! In addition, you can choose the broth you like, again, don't have stick with what others like. The restaurant is pretty big, nicely remodeled, and can accommodate large parties. I went there for a birthday party and we had our own private room which can fit up to 20 people I think, but we had our own round table that seated 10 people in the private room. The service there was excellent, the owner, Steve, is extremely friendly and courteous. It's a great place for a large party, and shabu shabu is always fun with more people. I ordered the Tokyo Shabu Shabu set dinner which was $17.99 (the price is really decent here), and unlike other japanese shabu shabu I had, in addition to all the veggies, meats, and noodles, I also got two very unique savory mochi! I never had savory mochi before. It was soooo good. Desserts are unlimited, so even better! I will come back here again!
(4)Jeff W.
induction cooking theinductionsite.com/how… that is the trick here with the individual soup pots so you can have your own pot of cooking liquid for your shabu shabu or asian fondue. it's really the best call on a cold winter's night. we came here a second time with the entire extended family so including kids it was 15 people. the really cool thing is that the large private room table here fit all of us and had room to spare. what also needs to be mentioned this time around is the tasty side dishes or small plates. we ordered and shared friend chicken wings, nori dusted french fries, spring rolls, and basil popcorn chicken. all nicely executed. on our table there were multiple orders of soups from spicy szechuan to mild hong kong style da bin lo. these soup pots were regularly refilled by our courteous waitstaff so we always had plenty to use for the big bowls of raw vegetables and meats that were placed before us. chinese hot pot is a fun family style dining experience. and to make things more fun here, there is a big screen TV and a FREE karaoke set up in the private room. great place to celebrate a birthday (which we did). free dessert consisted of watermelon, cantaloupe and tapioca taro soup. lunch is around $13 per person; dinner is around $20 per person. cool stuff!
(4)Allido is N.
dont waste your time, drive to the sunset.
(1)Cartman P.
Bottom line, NEVER GO BACK AGAIN. After reading those countless 1 STAR REVIEWS, we STILL wanted to just give it a try since we saw the HUGE line outside of the restaurant the other day.. (little did we know it was just because of the 50% off).. so today we went... hummm, this place is pretty dead already and this is what they call "grand opening"?!? well anyway, we both ordered Tokyo shabu shabu, one w/ regular, one w/ "Prime rib" for extra $2. HORRIBLE! you are not supposed to serve shabu shabu meat frozen! I eat shabu shabu all the time, and I've never seen this tiny sorry looking cut of meat... All you get it about 10 slices, and the texture, flavor, just everything about the meat is a joke, for what they charge for it - $20!! They serve 1 tea spoon worth of sliced onions and radish on the side which were super dried up.. Must be a left over from yesterday. Oh, and let's not forget to mention the most terrible rice I've had... it was yellow and crunchy... meaning it's more than 4 days old. (I'm a rice whore and I know this stuff). The service was mostly good and friendly, except that they came to offer some extra hot water to add in the pot...when I was all done. Yes, you get your own pot, BFD! and please don't call it a "Tokyo shabu shabu" because there is nothing tokyo about this pot, and you can never find a bad food like this in Tokyo. If you're about quality meat like me, go to Cafe mums near Japan center. or just anywhere else besides this place.
(1)Fernando D.
It was with lots of excitement that I took my family and another couple to try Little Fire Pot, the concept of individual pots instead of a communal allowing different broths was promising. The atmosphere is inviting and the service is prompt. 2 of us ordered the Tokyo hotpot, and the 2 other adults ordered the Taipei and the Szechuan. All the food appeared as good quality and the selections were adequate for the price, but looks can be deceiving. When I was a little more than half the way done my stomach did not feel well and I was forced to run to the restroom to regurgitate all of the food violently. The staff was made aware of the situation and I received neither an apology, nor a discount on my bill. Later on that evening my friend who also ordered the Tokyo, became ill as well, and her husband (Taipei), had the runs until the next morning. The lack of concern by the staff, combined with what I have to assume is poor hygiene on their food prompts me to advise everyone I know to AVOID THIS PLACE! as it could be hazardous to your health.
(1)Taylor W.
I love this place. I used to go here once a week. However, I recently became a student and can't come here anymore. I usually get the spicy one with rice with meat and add the hard boiled egg....soooo good. I kid you not! The restaurant is cute and the staff is nice, esp the owner. She's always so happy and welcoming.
(4)Stanley C.
LITTLE FIRE POT On a cold, rainy, and windy day in Daly City, there is a place called Little Fire Pot, where you can keep yourself warm by dining on hot pot!!! I'd heard rave reviews from a friend of mine for this place, so we decided to check it out during a friend's birthday party. Instead of other hot pot places where you either order buffet-style or order each item individually, everyone here gets to order their very own hot pot! You can choose from up to 6 different hot pot combo packages, including, Mongolian, Hong Kong, Vegetarian, etc. (each package comes with 16-19 items, ranging from meatballs, fishballs, veggies, tripe, taro, etc.) Choose 1 of 6 different types of broth, meats, and noodles, and you have an individual hot pot meal tailored to your culinary tastes! It's genius!!! You can now cook at your own pace. Each pot is fitted into a circular slot in the table for yourself! I had the chicken and pork broth, but it wasn't as tasty as the broth from Little Sheep, for example. The hot pot items come out in a huge bowl, but most of it is vegetables. Good and healthy!!! We also ordered a delicious minced pork and brown egg over rice on the side, which completed the meal!!! Dessert is also included, including coconut pudding and mango mochi! A great place to dine at on a cold day, but there is definitely better-tasting broth out there at other hot pot restaurants. Enjoy!
(3)Viv L.
I am no Hotpot connoisseur but I eat out a great deal and know this: this place is a rip off considering what you get for the money. I appreciate the fact that they try to be different from some other hot pot restaurants in that they offer a prix-fix menu and an individual pot for each person; however, for around $20 bucks, you get no more than $10 worth of food. There are about 5 or 6 choices of styles to choose from that each of which has a different set of broth and food respectively. Part of the hotpot experience is to cook a variety of different foods that you normally don't eat at home or at a regular restaurant. Well, with this restaurant they basically threw $1 worth of Cabbage in a big bowl which filled the whole bowl, they topped it with a few pieces of tofu that are dry, two pieces of the fake Japanese crab meat, and one measly fish ball along with a plate of meat that has five choices. You can accomplish all of this for around $10 or less by simply going to Safeway and doing it at home. In sum, if you wanted to try a hotpot dinner for the first time or you are taking someone that has never tried the hotpot style, I definitely wouldn't recommend this restaurant. If you are hotpot connoisseur, you will be disappointed and leave hungry.
(1)Grace O.
We were suppose to have dinner here on a Friday night courtesy of restaurant.com . We showed them the coupon and were told that Friday night is a weekend night and that since its a holiday (Friday is not a holiday but Monday will be) they cannot honor the coupon. BTW, coupon indicates dinner Mon-Friday, and that's Friday. The lady was rude to imply that we should know that. Since we were given that attitude we decided to just bail out of there. Wonder what kind of service we will be getting should we had stayed and ate if we were already treated that way!
(1)Caroline L.
I guess I shouldn't go somewhere because the yelp reviews are decent. Probably should have done more research. My friends and I were looking for a hot pot place that wasn't in SF, and we figured that since this place had some good reviews that it wasn't going to be bad. This place is located at Westlake, which is a perfect location because it's nearby where we all live. And it seemed like they had good deals with their prefixed menu, as well as their a la carte menu. Going inside, it seemed like a nice and lovely enough place. It was clean, and people seemed to be enjoying their meals. The food was okay... I think we were all kind of hoping to go to a place where they kept bringing you stuff to add to your pot (p.s. I liked that I had my own pot), but that wasn't the case. Everything seemed a bit limited when it came to food quantity, but maybe we're all just big eaters. Long story short, it wasn't something to write home to about. But the main reason why me (especially me) and my friends didn't like this place was the service. It was absolutely horrendous. I'm not exaggerating either. We had to flag down our waitress numerous times. The first time was to get her to answer some questions we had about the menu. And when we did ask a question she laughed at us when we asked if they kept bringing food out (if it was bottomless, basically. It was a valid question.). Also, after we did get our food, vital things like side orders and spoons (!!!) were missing. And we had to keep asking her to bring us stuff because when we would tell her, there would be a lull in between where she never came back with anything. We had to ask for drinks we ordered. We had to ask for a side of rice we ordered. And when we did get our things, she never came back to ask us if we needed anything. And I think that was stupid since we were there when the restaurant was emptying out. By the time they did clear our table out, they all of a sudden randomly started filling up our tea cups with tea. Seriously? We were leaving. By the time it was all over, we were ready to go. And as for our bill, paying that amount of money for a bad experience didn't seem worth it. And if you ever do go, try not to get a table near the kareoke rooms when they're in use. And if you do, be prepared to have a full on blast of bad drunk singing when they open and close the door to get dessert (oh by the way, it's free... which our waitress made a point of telling us) or when the wait staff goes in and out. It was painful. And I'd rather not go here ever again.
(1)Antone A.
I honestly don't like it here! Came here once & once was enough. I'm a regular customer at Shabuway down in San Mateo & I expected that this place would be better, but I guess not. As for the hot pots, the broths seem as if they just came out right the can, literally. The side sauces weren't doing it for me either. Don't get me wrong they serve plenty, but the broth & sauces just doesn't cut it off for me. I'd rather drive all the way down to Shabuway if you want a better experience.
(2)Yoshie K.
I do not think i would like to come back here again, i think i can make better chinese food, and i rather make my own hot pot. Addition to that, the service was terrible. The host greeted us nicely, but the server did not to seem that friendly and helpful at all. I had to ask for a glass of water for 3-4 times, when we made our order, we had repeat it 2 - 3 times because they did not seem to pay attention on what we said, or they just could not understand us. When the our order was served, we had to ask for the sauce, which was suppose to come with it. The worse part was, they did not to seem understand English very well, when we asked for the check, the server heard "shot" instead of "check," which i think is ridiculous. I do not think that the food is worth the price, i rather make my own hot pot, or go to an actual hot pot restaurant of the specific cousin. The hot pot can serve to 2 people, i would get one for myself i was really hungry. i think the price was not worth the quality of the food, it was a bit over priced, we ordered the mongolian style hot pot and cashew chicken for 3 people and the bill went up to 35ish, that's including the tip. This place is really not worth it for the price, you can try it but i do not recommend this place, i should have went to Tani's Kitchen or Banana Island instead.
(2)Judie N.
Little Fire Pot is a decent Shabu/Hot pot restaurant. I provides a variety of soup for the base and each type comes with different side dishes. I'm reading some of the reviews saying that there aren't enough side dishes or they only give you one or two pieces of each item. However, I found that with the variety, the amount was not a problem for me. If they had given me more, I don't think I would be able to finish and that'd be a waste of food (I don't believe in taking Shabu/Hot pot left over home cuz it just doesn't taste right). I thought the amount of food was just right. I tried the mongolian soup when I went and my boyfriend had the taipei soup. Although the mongolian soup isn't as good as the Little Sheep in San Mateo, but it's a good alternative if you don't like your soup so "mediciny" but still want some of that Mongolian flavoring. My boyfriend said he'll try the spicy one next time. I will either get the mongolian again or the Taipei one. One recommendation, spend the extra $2 for the better cut of the beef. I got the regular and my boyfriend got the better one and there was DEFINITELY a difference! Worth the $2 extra.
(4)Jay Z.
Having your own mini pot was an interesting idea...so we decided to try Little Fire Pot. We ordered the Mongolian and the Si Chuan bowls from the pre-fixed menu. So for the pre-fixed menu, you get to choose the broth, noodle/rice and the meat. We opted for the beef and lamb. The meat wasn't that bad. We chose the spicy broth and the chicken/pork broth. The server got one of our soups mixed up, but he fixed it after we told him it was the wrong one. When the bowls came, it looked very presentable with the goodies stacked on top. On the menu, the pre-fixed menus listed 17+ items.. that sounded really good and worthwhile. Turns out, there's not a lot and there's a bunch of veggies (some spinach and a lot of napa cabbage) and they give you such a small plate of udon noodles! Broth had no flavor and we had to use everything in the sauce they gave us...eh The dessert bar was ok. There was cantaloupe, sago, watermelon and mochi in the beginning. They stopped refilling it around 9 something and only had coconut/almond jelly left... Service was below average I would rather spend my money at Little Sheep instead...
(2)Anna F.
Too bad we missed the 50% off special, because at $20 per order, it is way over priced. We came around 530 - no wait and had no trouble getting a table. But thats where it ends. How it took 1 hour to bring out our order is beyond me. They don't even need to cook it! The broth and ingredients should be ready. Everyone around us had steaming pots of goodness in front of them - even people who arrived after us. After asking 2 waitresses and the manager, we finanlly get our pots brought with attitude by the waitress. Each order consists of a meat order, veggie platter bowl and a noodle/rice side. They bring out this huge bowl full of veggies and misc items, but its filled with mostly lettuce or cabbage. And the items were very skimpy. You can spare an extra fish ball (they only gave one). My tiny plate of udon noodles was like 5 strands of noodle. Ok, maybe 8. The broth was fine to me, although my bro thought it was very bland in comparison to Little Sheep. When we left, the crowd at the door was insane. Definitely not worth any wait for such mediocre food.
(1)Kin K.
Came on Sunday with restaurant.com coupon. The owner said the coupon was not accepted on Sunday. I looked at the wordings on the coupon which states Friday, Saturday and holidays excluded. It did not say Sunday is also excluded. Since we already came, we decided just go ahead. The owner said we will get early bird special. Outside the window, it was posted, Early bird special DAILY 20% off. When we got our bill, they only took 10% off. The owner said the weekend discount is 10%, not 20%. Did she know what the word "DAILY" mean? We did not want to argue and just paid the bill. I really don't like the way they do business.
(1)Yamileth O.
Worse meal ever! I went to little sheep the other day and thought it would be the same, but NOT even close! The place looks nice, but horrible food! the service was great, but horrible food! not coming back! because they have horrible food!
(1)Hen A.
sunday dinner...chinese style hot pot variety...one japanese-style tokyo shabu-shabu...roughly $twenty per personal pot with select set themed items...spicy sichuan adding numbing hot oil heat to broth dip experience...taipei and other bringing richer pork and chicken broth hot pot dining...tokyo shabu-shabu being most basic, bland and plain....giving options to broth the only appeal...set pot simmering menu priced high and not recommended per person order....suggest ordering one set pot for two people and adding an extra pot, meat or item a la carte if needed...
(3)B B.
from 3/13 to 3/19, they have grand opening special...50% off!!!!! tonight i went there with my friends. one person one pot....i like that~ the price is acceptable. I like it so far....if you go there during lunch time, you can also order dim sum. the food is not bad, and they are clean. a lot of beef~
(4)Jennifer H.
this place is awesome!! i went there as a group of 4 and we also each got different pot/soup base (personal pot), medium spicy, extreme spicy, taipei flavor, japan flavor.. men, those are some GOOD soup base. it was about $20/person not including tips and tax. they gave us a lot of food/pot. the desserts were sooo delious too and they were free, ie. mochi, watermelon, cocout jello and taro soup. would i go back again? FOR SURE even though we will have to drive about 40 min to get there!! highly recommended. i also want to note that the customer service was EXCELLENT!! never had better in hot pot places!! they looked out to make sure we had enough soup all the time, as well as water. we were there for 3 hr just talking after we finished eating and they didn't even ask us to leave.. so nice!!! love it!! one of the BEST hot pot place ever! btw, they also have dim sum, etc dishes too if you want to order them separately. delicious, excellent service!! can't ask for more!
(5)Gee L.
Good at lunch time but nasty at dinner time idk why but the soup taste better at lunch
(3)Adam C.
LFP opened three days ago. This place has some potential to add a unique dining experience to a rather bland area. As the name suggests, Little Fire Pot, is a hot pot house -- with a menu drawing from the reaches of Mongolia to the more Shabu Shabu-esque. I don't really know how to classify it, it definitely isn't traditional Chinese and Asian Fusion didn't seem right either. There are 6 packages that make it easier for a first timer to order. So between the Mongolian, Szechuan, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo and Vegan options, I went with the Mongolian, the GF went with the Szechuan. The packages go for about 20 dollars and include your choice of meat, various veggies, and about 8 or 10 types of stuff for you to put in your own personal stew. These ingredients were fresh and the amount they give you is a good amount. However, I didn't really know what I was doing, it is a little more complicated than straight up shabu shabu, you add a lot of your own seasonings, and I didn't know exactly how to maximize the taste of my meal. In the back of the menu, you can completely create your own pot experience with a la carte prices. I will probably do this next time. The wait staff was a little too attentive but there weren't many other people there so I can understand that, especially since they are new. The nice thing is that they are also eager to improve, and asked us our suggestions for their new establishment at the end of our meal. I gave what advice I could: The platter includes a fruit dessert, this should be more than just oranges, I was kind of looking forward to some melons or peaches or something....just more than oranges, or at least peeled oranges, I felt like I was at soccer practice in high school with these wedges in my mouth. And maybe a little more instruction with the ingredients (at least for first timers), because I wasn't sure what everything was, and after the initial boiling, how low should I put the burner. Most Hot Pot places have an all you can eat option as well, for about the same price, that might be something to look into also. But, I do not hold any of this against them, I will go back in a month or two, once they have started to develop who they are as a restaurant, which they are clearly interested in doing. I hope they do well.
(4)Rose P.
had lunch here yesterday with my gfs, and i was not impressed at all! now i understand why this place only gets 3 stars! i ordered the sichuan spicy broth with rice and beef. the broth did not have any flavor; i got a small plate of beef, 2 stuffed fish balls, tripe, some other weird looking things,one meatball that i had to form myself, and hella veggies that i did not touch other than the mushrooms. they give you a huge bowl to make it look theres a lot of goods in there, but the bowl is just stuffed with veggies. their veggies were frozen! thats how you know theyre not fresh! they also included this hard cubicle thing that i left in the bowling pot and i though that it would be edible before i left the restaurant, but no...it was still hard.WTH?!? i paid 17...not worth it. i PREFER LITTLE SHEEP! they only get uno star because the location is convenient. never again!
(1)Ronald L.
My first time here, the food was great. The customer service was excellent as well. The hot pots had a few different soup bases, such as Hong Kong, Taipei, Japan, etc... Each patron would have a personal hot pot which is like a a Shabu Shabu. The dish size might look small, but don't let that fool you. Its actually a good size. Parking garage is nearby and convenient.
(4)Marco L.
25%off promotion but ~20% tips (mandatory 15% tips on original price) I wonder if it is legal. And they also charge tax on total w/tips. I don't think tips are taxable.
(1)JessePanda C.
well it was my first time here, we got seat quickly and no problem at all... so we placed our order, pick out one of there $20 special... so we wait for our stuff to cook, we went to the front and there was FREE watermelon and dessert, so we pick up some and ate it while we wait... the stuff finally came... in big bowl with all your veg and plate with your meat... i cook everything in bowl and meat, paying about $20+ and still feeling hungry... that mean there a problem but over all its ok, noting really special... rather go one them typical asian dirty hot pots instead :)
(2)Peter M.
eat here! Get the mongolian soup if you likes it hot! It good, yo! Get a couple of pitchers of kirin to help you wash it down! Excellent individual hotpot! Word! Make sure you also get the "special beef"
(5)Christin A.
At first glance, it's a pretty cool looking place. Second glance, and it's all thse types of styled hot pots. Third glance, and the food is well... I ordered the Szechuan style hot pot, and I didn't know they would black peppered the soup to death. Putting in chilli peppers, I would understand, but my soup seemed to be full of more black pepper than I can handle. Every piece of food I boil in that soup, was covered in pepper, so I was crunching my way through. Should've order the Hong Kong style, if I had known. And now for the dessert. I was told it was all you can eat, with a large variety. What I got was slices of watermelon, some kind of a drink, and some kind of a pastry thing. Where's my ice cream?
(3)Yik W.
Very good restaurant! My boyfriend and I went by it the other day and saw the 10% off, so we decided to give it a try. We pick the Si Chuan (spicy) pot and the Hong Kong pot (as suggested by the waitress). I LOVE the spicy pot soup base, and the Hong Kong pot was great, too. The spicy soup base was very flavorful and you can also choose the spiciness. The Hong Kong soup base taste better than the soup of the day that you get in a regular chinese resturant. I also like their combo plates better than the regular Shabu Shabu because it has a great variaty. I was suprised that the rating was that low. Frankly, the service was OK. Since it's a new restuarant I think it will be improved on when the waitresses get more fimilar with the settings, so I definately dont' mind that.
(5)Anthony A.
Rude as hell. Tried calling for a reservation and they wouldn't pick up. Drove over there and the lady just said "if you don't have a reservation get out"
(1)M M.
Food is fresh and taste good. Although I don't like the fact that when you order something quantity of 2 or 3, they give you quantity of 1 portion because it is an expensive item like shrimp. But when you order some vegetable quantity of 1, they give you like quantity of 5 portion, i think it's because they want to fill you up.
(3)Cat L.
If I could give this place zero stars I would but since the gal taking my order was very nice and willing to answer some of my questions regarding the menu I'll give this place 1 star...but it goes down hill from there. One Sunday afternoon I decided to order some take-out since I knew this place offers a nice variety of items ranging from hotpot to street ramen and even dim sum...I went ahead and ordered their fried rice w/ basil and I had them add duck for an extra charge. I've ordered this dish before elsewhere so I thought I knew what I would be expecting...I was very wrong. As soon as I arrived home I opened my container only to find plain fried rice w/ tiny bits of duck meat in it...I guess they took one small piece of duck meat and chopped it up and mixed it into my rice...for about $2.00 extra that is a total rip-off. As soon as I started to eat it I had found bits of duck bone mixed in as well. I just lost my appetite and I will not be returning here!
(1)Kristina L.
I think for the price of this place, it's decent. All you can eat hot pot sounds really good. They've even got televisions for sports and news. During their happy hour from 4-6pm, AYCE is only $20, soju is 25% off, cocktails are $3 off, and more. What a deal. I recently went and ordered the herbal soup for my soup base. After waiting for my soup to boil (by the way you turn the stove too on yourself! Press the key button and then adjust the heat) I threw in some mushrooms. Once the meat came I was ready to get into my groove. I'm a purely meat kind of girl at these kinds of all you can eats. That's how I get my money's worth. Well, I probably ate four pieces of meat and by now my soup was really coming to a boil. I saw something strange floating around in my soup. I grabbed the scoop and fished it out. I was DISGUSTED. It was a moldy piece of a garlic.... I know this is a Chinese place but seriously? When ingredients go bad, it's not okay to still try and use them. I wasn't as upset about it because I caught it really early on in my meal. But if I had gone through multiple rounds of food and then found that, I would have raised hell. I showed my waitress and she took the moldy garlic in my napkin away. It took her about 5 minutes to bring a new soup base and I thoroughly examined it before I started eating again. They didn't do much after the incident. The owner or main woman in charge never came to my table to apologize. Nothing was comped. The incident was basically slid under the rug. I hope that this doesn't happen to other people because unless someone makes a big deal about these things, people will never change. Anyway! It was one experience and this wasn't my first time so I'll be as fair as I can. But aside from that, the service is subpar. During happy hour times on the weekday there aren't a lot of people sitting around to eat. So the attention the wait staff gives you is incredibly different. They're refilling water. Taking plates away. Bringing more drinks. But the moment the room has a decent amount, the service starts to fall apart. They have tunnel vision where they don't notice anyone else but what is in front of them. When we order more rounds of food, we are always missing a few plates. Or new orders just never come. So overall this place is okay. If you don't want to spend much, come here and take the risk of mold or maybe mishandled food (I wouldn't put it past them) but if that is a deal breaker, spend a few more dollars and go somewhere else. There are plenty of hot pot places. Don't settle!
(2)Monica E.
Sooo, I just got done eating here with a couple of my friends for a birthday dinner. Can I just say, an hour and a half wait for our food??? And THEY GOT OUR ORDERS WRONG!? And THEY DIDNT BRING OUT THE FOOD ALL TOGETHER?? And THEY WERE SUPER RUDE?? No Bueno. Food was average, and prices were fair. BUT service definitely sucks. Don't think I'll be coming back.
(2)Andy L.
ok. That's as high as I'll rate this place. I have been to Shabu Shabu and hot pot, This place did not impress me. Starters, confusing menu, and this was our first time there, confused yes, did they help....NO. Only one menu per table to order on...what's that about? Afraid to use a second paper. Food ordered...ok. Had to ask for extra sauce 3 times. Sorry to the waitress, I guess I was bothering her. Actual food provided, ok. Nothing here worth coming back for. I've had fresher. Also, greasy floors. Felt like I was ice skating. Lastly, there was a group 6+ of us, could we get a table....nope, although there were plenty available that they could have put together, had to sit at "the bar". Customer service....NO Satisfied.....NO Will we be back......NO
(1)Dabin L.
I Love this place.... Why.. cause its individual vs all the competitors are general pots. This place for 20.00ish AYCE before 6pm and 25ish regular price. Service is excellent the food is brought to you and its prompt, clean and good. Your pot of soup is individual so you can spice it up as much or little as you wish. If you are a drinker, add an additional 12ish and All you can drink... wow....only negatives... it gets crowded... so come early and eat lots.
(4)Katrina L.
If you speak chinese you will get better service there. I called and asked for a reservation for 6 people for the same night and lady rudely told me on the phone that they don't take reservations the same night. So I asked if the restaurant was busy tonight and if we came in 30 mins how long it would be. She abruptly said "I don't know" and hung up. My mom calls 5 mins later and speaks to the same lady in mandarin and said she was able to get a reservation for 6 in 30 mins. What the hell?!
(2)Trevor D.
Found this place by accident one Sunday afternoon when a friend and I were looking for a place with all you can eat as well as watch some football. We were a little hesitant at first after reading some of the yelp reviews but decided that we were going to give it a try. As soon as we walked in it has a nice ambiance, and the layout is a little awkward but comfortable all the same. We decided to post up at the front bar right in front of the big screen. Now most hot pot or shabu places just do one large cooking pot shared by the whole table... Not here! Each person gets their own cooking pot so everyone can decide what broth they want. The food selection is pretty standard for most hot pot places with nothing to "OMG you have to try this" What i do like is that they have a standard pre fixe menu as well just in case you aren't feeling the "all you can eat challenge" One of the best parts is that they do have the add on of the all you can drink as well that includes the standard beer and house sake........... BUT it also includes all you can drink soju cocktail! Whhaaaaaaaat!?! I know right! All in all this is my go to spot for hot pot as it is convenient, good food, great drinks, and I have never waited more than a couple minutes for a seat.
(5)