Was going to write a review however as of 2023, the Elmhurst location is CLOSED. Please note that it is closed.
Henry S.
I ordered lunch box. I got fish soup... the picture made me thought it was miso soup... the chicken is not fresh. It's frozen and after being cooked it'll taste hard and chuky. I would avoid.
Joolie T.
i guess i've become numb to all the Hot Pot/Korean BBQ places that iCook Buffet did not impress me. mediocre quality, everything was served on paper plates (not eco-friendly and wasteful), the servers never check on you, refill your water or refill broth unless you request for it. their protein options were okay at the least, but the minced SHRIMP is a must. it's like ordering the filling of a har gow dumpling without the wrapper. this is def not worth the price to come here when there's far better options in Manhattan and Brooklyn. never catch me in this hood unless my friend coax me to come to Elmhurst.
Ivan T.
I have lunch hotspot with fatty beef and it comes with side vegetables and non-spicy broth (tastes like a bit of miso ). The server non pay attention to customers who orders lunch special but I don't expect much from this restaurant.
Guillermo K.
Friendly, efficient service; great prices; no need to venture all the way into Chinatown or Flushing for hot pot. All that amounts to four stars!
Ran Z.
The hot pot is no good at all, I don't like it. Lol The food is not fresh. I think they can do better than this. I don't care if it's all u can eat as long as it's taste good.
Gerardine R.
Came here on a rainy day and were seated right away. Price is very reasonable for an all you can eat. We chose to do hotpot only. There were so many ingredients to choose from. We also chose to get razor clams which isn't part of the regular menu. This was bought fresh right from the market. It was the first time trying this and it was delicious. We spent about 2 hours there and we were stuffed!! They also still use paper plates which I wasn't expecting. But I guess it's easy clean up for them. Waiters were very attentive as well. Def will come back.
Kelly Y.
Came here with my husband on a weekday afternoon so we didn't have to wait at all. AYCE hot pot with broth of your choice - there's pork bone and spicy but spicy is basically a whole bunch of red peppers. Good service - we weren't rushed and handed the check immediately after sitting down like some places. A server comes around to input your order into an electronic device and brings out enough portion that isn't too big that you feel overwhelmed. If it's not enough, you can always order more! Great selection of meats, veggies and fish balls. No complaints there.. it's your standard selection. Probably not my top choice for hot pot places.. haven't tried their bbq option but I would probably go to a krn bbq for that.
Keren R.
AYCE hotpot is $27.99! Large selection of meat, seafood, balls, unique meats, vegetables and noodles! We came in on a Sunday around 12Pm. No one was here. I got a spicy broth, my hubby got the herbal broth. Lots of delicious meats and vegetables. Everything was super clean and fresh! No complaints at all. Very attentive and friendly. The sauce bar has a pretty limited selection, but they have everything we usually get. I hope to come back soon!
Axel C.
This was one of the worst restaurants I've been too. I had the kbbq all you can eat option. Arrived there at 8:30 and waitress said the kitchen closes at 9 and the restaurant closes at 10. We agreed and sat down. We ordered a variety of the menu and asked for rice. The rice was cold. The waitress then started grilling meat immediately as the grill turned on. She didn't attend the meat for a while so I started grilling which I was fine with. The grill was burning as the meat finished cooking. The waitress turned off the heat then immediately started putting all the cooked meat on to the raw Chicken wing plate. She switched out the grill and did not even put the meat soaked in raw chicken juice back on the grill. The waitress also didn't tell us to not eat this or grill at all. She then asked for our last orders at 8:45-8:50. She was then rushing to cook everything and have an attitude. The customer service was not there at all. Do not recommend at all!!!
An ACYE spot located in the Elmhurst area. They offer ACYE hotpot or BBQ for $30. For an additional $10, you can get both ACYE hotpot and BBQ. There used to be a sushi option, but that option is no longer available. Each seat had an individual hotpot station, which was a plus. However, the pots were a bit small which made it difficult to cook many ingredients at once. There is a good selection of meats, seafood, and veggies. The sauce station was a bit dinky, but it had all the ingredients you needed to put together a fabulous dipping sauce for yourself. iCook Buffet is an no frills place to get your hotpot fix. Don't expect the bells and whistles that you might find at some other higher end options. Also, at the time of visit, they were using paper plates as a method of serving. This was a bit off-putting as you would except actual plates when dining out.
Riki J.
It's an all you can eat (AYCE) hotpot and I would say it is comparable to other AYCE hotpot places out there. The broth I always go for is the mala (spicy) one and have never been disappointed in that. The service here is always on point and friendly which is a big plus for me.
Michee C.
The restaurant is very spacious and looks very nice but It felt unclean inside from the chairs to the menu. The sauces are kept out in the open with people not wearing masks to get the sauces, when there is a sign saying to wear a mask. We ordered the combo of hot pot and bbq. Don't think we got our money's worth. The bbq meats weren't amazing.The galbi/short ribs were thick and so tough to eat. The tongue and fatty pork were okay. The ingredients for the hot pot were average, nothing too special. I disliked that all utensils and plates were disposable. I get some places are using plastic containers for sauces and ingredients but not for the eating utensils. The great thing about this place is there is a very attentive service and spacious. Other then that, it's really nothing much.
Sharon L.
iCook used to be my go-to spot pre-COVID for AYCE hotpot. We came a few times during the pandemic, but the quality and availability of items for hotpot has really gone down in the past year. I've always really liked their herbal broth - when it's good, it's REALLY good. That first sip of broth determines the whole hotpot experience, and 9/10 times, it's super flavorful. I wish they would refill with broth, but given that it's an AYCE spot, it's perfectly understandable why they would use diluted broth instead. Before the pandemic, there was always a wide selection of meats, seafood, and veggies. For me, the hotpot must-haves are a good fatty beef and pea shoots. Over the past year, the beef has practically become all fat with a small sliver of meat. There was never crab anymore, and in our last few visits, there were no pea shoots. The sauce bar has also been downsized considerably. I love making my sauce with fresh chilis, but that's not longer an option. The last time we went in June, food was still served on paper plates and styrofoam trays, and we were given little plastic bowls to eat out of. I wish they would go back to having regular bowls and plates, much like other restaurants. The plastic bowls also just don't fair too well with the hot broth. At our last visit, it felt like we were just eating to eat, but we weren't fully enjoying our experience. I'm not sure if they changed management, but the staff looks different, and they seem to be offering sushi options now too. It may be time to find a new hotpot place.
Gary W.
My experience with hot pot has mainly been with that really popular Shabu Shabu place in Flushing. I think I liked this place better. The herbal chicken broth is really good. The servers bring the ingredients to you and that's fine with me. I didn't feel as crammed together with other patrons here. Service is good and everything tasted good. They give you a nice amount of ingredients. Loved the shrimp paste and the mushrooms.
Was going to write a review however as of 2023, the Elmhurst location is CLOSED. Please note that it is closed.
I ordered lunch box. I got fish soup... the picture made me thought it was miso soup... the chicken is not fresh. It's frozen and after being cooked it'll taste hard and chuky. I would avoid.
i guess i've become numb to all the Hot Pot/Korean BBQ places that iCook Buffet did not impress me. mediocre quality, everything was served on paper plates (not eco-friendly and wasteful), the servers never check on you, refill your water or refill broth unless you request for it. their protein options were okay at the least, but the minced SHRIMP is a must. it's like ordering the filling of a har gow dumpling without the wrapper. this is def not worth the price to come here when there's far better options in Manhattan and Brooklyn. never catch me in this hood unless my friend coax me to come to Elmhurst.
I have lunch hotspot with fatty beef and it comes with side vegetables and non-spicy broth (tastes like a bit of miso ). The server non pay attention to customers who orders lunch special but I don't expect much from this restaurant.
Friendly, efficient service; great prices; no need to venture all the way into Chinatown or Flushing for hot pot. All that amounts to four stars!
The hot pot is no good at all, I don't like it. Lol The food is not fresh. I think they can do better than this. I don't care if it's all u can eat as long as it's taste good.
Came here on a rainy day and were seated right away. Price is very reasonable for an all you can eat. We chose to do hotpot only. There were so many ingredients to choose from. We also chose to get razor clams which isn't part of the regular menu. This was bought fresh right from the market. It was the first time trying this and it was delicious. We spent about 2 hours there and we were stuffed!! They also still use paper plates which I wasn't expecting. But I guess it's easy clean up for them. Waiters were very attentive as well. Def will come back.
Came here with my husband on a weekday afternoon so we didn't have to wait at all. AYCE hot pot with broth of your choice - there's pork bone and spicy but spicy is basically a whole bunch of red peppers. Good service - we weren't rushed and handed the check immediately after sitting down like some places. A server comes around to input your order into an electronic device and brings out enough portion that isn't too big that you feel overwhelmed. If it's not enough, you can always order more! Great selection of meats, veggies and fish balls. No complaints there.. it's your standard selection. Probably not my top choice for hot pot places.. haven't tried their bbq option but I would probably go to a krn bbq for that.
AYCE hotpot is $27.99! Large selection of meat, seafood, balls, unique meats, vegetables and noodles! We came in on a Sunday around 12Pm. No one was here. I got a spicy broth, my hubby got the herbal broth. Lots of delicious meats and vegetables. Everything was super clean and fresh! No complaints at all. Very attentive and friendly. The sauce bar has a pretty limited selection, but they have everything we usually get. I hope to come back soon!
This was one of the worst restaurants I've been too. I had the kbbq all you can eat option. Arrived there at 8:30 and waitress said the kitchen closes at 9 and the restaurant closes at 10. We agreed and sat down. We ordered a variety of the menu and asked for rice. The rice was cold. The waitress then started grilling meat immediately as the grill turned on. She didn't attend the meat for a while so I started grilling which I was fine with. The grill was burning as the meat finished cooking. The waitress turned off the heat then immediately started putting all the cooked meat on to the raw Chicken wing plate. She switched out the grill and did not even put the meat soaked in raw chicken juice back on the grill. The waitress also didn't tell us to not eat this or grill at all. She then asked for our last orders at 8:45-8:50. She was then rushing to cook everything and have an attitude. The customer service was not there at all. Do not recommend at all!!!
Restaurantji Recommends
An ACYE spot located in the Elmhurst area. They offer ACYE hotpot or BBQ for $30. For an additional $10, you can get both ACYE hotpot and BBQ. There used to be a sushi option, but that option is no longer available. Each seat had an individual hotpot station, which was a plus. However, the pots were a bit small which made it difficult to cook many ingredients at once. There is a good selection of meats, seafood, and veggies. The sauce station was a bit dinky, but it had all the ingredients you needed to put together a fabulous dipping sauce for yourself. iCook Buffet is an no frills place to get your hotpot fix. Don't expect the bells and whistles that you might find at some other higher end options. Also, at the time of visit, they were using paper plates as a method of serving. This was a bit off-putting as you would except actual plates when dining out.
It's an all you can eat (AYCE) hotpot and I would say it is comparable to other AYCE hotpot places out there. The broth I always go for is the mala (spicy) one and have never been disappointed in that. The service here is always on point and friendly which is a big plus for me.
The restaurant is very spacious and looks very nice but It felt unclean inside from the chairs to the menu. The sauces are kept out in the open with people not wearing masks to get the sauces, when there is a sign saying to wear a mask. We ordered the combo of hot pot and bbq. Don't think we got our money's worth. The bbq meats weren't amazing.The galbi/short ribs were thick and so tough to eat. The tongue and fatty pork were okay. The ingredients for the hot pot were average, nothing too special. I disliked that all utensils and plates were disposable. I get some places are using plastic containers for sauces and ingredients but not for the eating utensils. The great thing about this place is there is a very attentive service and spacious. Other then that, it's really nothing much.
iCook used to be my go-to spot pre-COVID for AYCE hotpot. We came a few times during the pandemic, but the quality and availability of items for hotpot has really gone down in the past year. I've always really liked their herbal broth - when it's good, it's REALLY good. That first sip of broth determines the whole hotpot experience, and 9/10 times, it's super flavorful. I wish they would refill with broth, but given that it's an AYCE spot, it's perfectly understandable why they would use diluted broth instead. Before the pandemic, there was always a wide selection of meats, seafood, and veggies. For me, the hotpot must-haves are a good fatty beef and pea shoots. Over the past year, the beef has practically become all fat with a small sliver of meat. There was never crab anymore, and in our last few visits, there were no pea shoots. The sauce bar has also been downsized considerably. I love making my sauce with fresh chilis, but that's not longer an option. The last time we went in June, food was still served on paper plates and styrofoam trays, and we were given little plastic bowls to eat out of. I wish they would go back to having regular bowls and plates, much like other restaurants. The plastic bowls also just don't fair too well with the hot broth. At our last visit, it felt like we were just eating to eat, but we weren't fully enjoying our experience. I'm not sure if they changed management, but the staff looks different, and they seem to be offering sushi options now too. It may be time to find a new hotpot place.
My experience with hot pot has mainly been with that really popular Shabu Shabu place in Flushing. I think I liked this place better. The herbal chicken broth is really good. The servers bring the ingredients to you and that's fine with me. I didn't feel as crammed together with other patrons here. Service is good and everything tasted good. They give you a nice amount of ingredients. Loved the shrimp paste and the mushrooms.