Not great service and they forgot stuff off are order. Plus flys were all over the place and some in the raw food.
Kerry H.
This place was super fun! A good first hot pot experience. Friendly staff, good food, and convenient location.
Rae N.
Super yum hot pot soup. But not your typical hot pot because these bowls are already made for you. You can take out ingredients but you can't swap them which kinda sucks. I feel like they have changed their menu 3xs in the last year or so. Not sure why. Flavor is good and a lot of times you can get cash back on Groupon. The place is kinda quiet and dead. They need to give it some life!
Yan W.
This is basically express hot pot. Out of all the locations, this is my favorite. I've been going for years. The taste isn't as "authentic" as Vietnamese, Chinese, or Thai hotpot, but for the price it's great! There's a lunch special where you can get a free tea. A lot of the items come "pre cooked" so it speeds up the process. My favorites are the Thai and miso.
Makayla Rutz
Favorite hot pot place, kimchi is THE BEST
Cindy Lou Hoo
Not traditional hot pot but it was fun, it's more fun tye traditional way and sharing food tho
Alice P.
Listen. I've had a love-hate relationship with this place, and much like an emotionally abusive relationship, I keep coming back, thinking it'll be different or that things got better. This place was great in the beginning. But little by little, things went downhill. Prices went up a couple dollars. They took out the eggs from the hot pots. They also took out bok choy and the noodles from the Mala Dipper, and replaced it with zucchini, carrot, corn, and broccoli. The mala sauce broth base was also changed twice--the first change, they eliminated the Szechuan peppercorn, and made the broth less spicy overall. This third base (the second change) is close to the first original base, but definitely not the same. Often times, the cabbage is unwashed/dirty, or is shredded up instead of chopped. The flavor of the pork broth is also different now. Makes me wonder if they're using cheap bouillon cubes. They expanded and tried to do too much too fast. They opened a location in Rockville in 2017 I believe (which closed last month) AND opened another location in the mosaic district recently--literally like 10-15 minutes from this one. Not only did they try to expand geographically too quickly, but they also tried to add ramen to their menu. It's not real ramen, btw--one of the owners/managers said it was more like Taiwanese beef noodle soup. The broth is clear. Not ramen broth for sure. I just wouldn't recommend half-a$$ing two things when you should be whole-a$$ing one thing to begin with. Service has been very hit or miss from the start. Either they're really forgetful, or they don't check up on you, or both. There are a couple servers who are pretty nice and attentive. I used to be a regular here (check the number of check-ins), but no more. I go back every now and then chasing the nostalgia.
Andrew D.
Wow what happened to Little Dipper ?This used to be my favorite spot for hotpot like dinner. Perfect when the weather is cold outside. I was just here for dinner yesterday and I was truly disappointed. The portions are way smaller than it used to be and the protein has became significantly smaller serving as well. I used to love to come here for a quick mini hot pot fix but I'm not going to be returning any time soon. This sucks as they just opened another location in Mosaic that will be much closer to me. You used to get a plate of your protein on the side to cook with (8-10 slices of beef) and it has a significant amount of greens with your soup but this has definitely changed. I ordered the Spicy Mala and it only had 5 piece of thinly sliced beef with it. Coming out to an average of a dollar for a sliced of beef ($4.99) for a protein addition. Don't believe me ? Look at the older reviews here and you will notice it had a much bigger serving on the photos. Hopefully the owners actually clean up their act and don't be greedy when it comes to profit.
abdo ablat
I promise my self never come back here and I will never recommend some one to come!!
Tiensa Lundien
Things have definitely changed at this location, the staff, the vibe and food. I used to love coming here. The broth was way too salty and the vegetables were mushy .
This used to be one of my favorite spots, but unfortunately, I don't think I will be returning anytime soon. This absolutely breaks my heart. I can tell that they are cutting costs by switching out some of veggies like bok choy with two little slices of carrots and zucchinis. The glass noodle that I like was also replaced with green bean glass noodles instead of the thicker potato glass noodles. Instead of serving the slices of meat on a separate platter, they now drop everything in the pot. And for a hot pot enthusiast, this is a cardinal sin. I really wish they would just focus on the hot pot instead of trying to push out more appetizers and dishes. I don't think I saw anybody order anything other than hot pots. The lone server was very nice and efficient but I think he was extremely bored with the lack of business that he was loudly singing at the bar area and in the kitchen.
Melody Li
Not super tasty. We came in on a late afternoon and lucked out with happy hour. Beer is fairly priced. I just found my bowl to bland and bare. I think Fahrenheit is much tastier and their bowls have a lot more food in them.
Amanda W.
The service was a subpar and the meal was just alright. We sat for eight minutes or so when our waitress came back to take our order with no explanation of how everything worked. Then, when we asked for explanation, her explanation fell short of what we really needed to know about what we should expect for our meal. More than three-quarters of the way through our meal she asked if we needed anything and when we asked for more drinks, she looked at the time like we were out of time on refills. We got the check from someone else and when she saw us get up to leave she came over to apologize for ignoring us because their was an "influx" of other patrons, when we had been there a good 20 minutes before anyone else showed up. Food needed more seasoning and was bland at best. Beef meatballs (pre-cooked) were pretty good. We definitely won't be returning.
Trang N.
Not worth it at all! I went here first time with my Chinese co-worker who highly recommended the tomato personal hotpot. First off, it's nothing like hotpot, just more a large sizzling soups with your choice of meat and noodle to put in. Second, the portion is way too small and if you like veggies in your hotpot like I do, this place is definitely not for you. I came back second time over the weekend and my experience didn't get better. I had the Thai soup and it was so bland! Also tried the milk tea and it's got to be the worst I've ever had! I couldn't even finish half of it. Given the pricy price tag, bad services and not good hotpot selections, I don't recommend this place.
Not great service and they forgot stuff off are order. Plus flys were all over the place and some in the raw food.
This place was super fun! A good first hot pot experience. Friendly staff, good food, and convenient location.
Super yum hot pot soup. But not your typical hot pot because these bowls are already made for you. You can take out ingredients but you can't swap them which kinda sucks. I feel like they have changed their menu 3xs in the last year or so. Not sure why. Flavor is good and a lot of times you can get cash back on Groupon. The place is kinda quiet and dead. They need to give it some life!
This is basically express hot pot. Out of all the locations, this is my favorite. I've been going for years. The taste isn't as "authentic" as Vietnamese, Chinese, or Thai hotpot, but for the price it's great! There's a lunch special where you can get a free tea. A lot of the items come "pre cooked" so it speeds up the process. My favorites are the Thai and miso.
Favorite hot pot place, kimchi is THE BEST
Not traditional hot pot but it was fun, it's more fun tye traditional way and sharing food tho
Listen. I've had a love-hate relationship with this place, and much like an emotionally abusive relationship, I keep coming back, thinking it'll be different or that things got better. This place was great in the beginning. But little by little, things went downhill. Prices went up a couple dollars. They took out the eggs from the hot pots. They also took out bok choy and the noodles from the Mala Dipper, and replaced it with zucchini, carrot, corn, and broccoli. The mala sauce broth base was also changed twice--the first change, they eliminated the Szechuan peppercorn, and made the broth less spicy overall. This third base (the second change) is close to the first original base, but definitely not the same. Often times, the cabbage is unwashed/dirty, or is shredded up instead of chopped. The flavor of the pork broth is also different now. Makes me wonder if they're using cheap bouillon cubes. They expanded and tried to do too much too fast. They opened a location in Rockville in 2017 I believe (which closed last month) AND opened another location in the mosaic district recently--literally like 10-15 minutes from this one. Not only did they try to expand geographically too quickly, but they also tried to add ramen to their menu. It's not real ramen, btw--one of the owners/managers said it was more like Taiwanese beef noodle soup. The broth is clear. Not ramen broth for sure. I just wouldn't recommend half-a$$ing two things when you should be whole-a$$ing one thing to begin with. Service has been very hit or miss from the start. Either they're really forgetful, or they don't check up on you, or both. There are a couple servers who are pretty nice and attentive. I used to be a regular here (check the number of check-ins), but no more. I go back every now and then chasing the nostalgia.
Wow what happened to Little Dipper ?This used to be my favorite spot for hotpot like dinner. Perfect when the weather is cold outside. I was just here for dinner yesterday and I was truly disappointed. The portions are way smaller than it used to be and the protein has became significantly smaller serving as well. I used to love to come here for a quick mini hot pot fix but I'm not going to be returning any time soon. This sucks as they just opened another location in Mosaic that will be much closer to me. You used to get a plate of your protein on the side to cook with (8-10 slices of beef) and it has a significant amount of greens with your soup but this has definitely changed. I ordered the Spicy Mala and it only had 5 piece of thinly sliced beef with it. Coming out to an average of a dollar for a sliced of beef ($4.99) for a protein addition. Don't believe me ? Look at the older reviews here and you will notice it had a much bigger serving on the photos. Hopefully the owners actually clean up their act and don't be greedy when it comes to profit.
I promise my self never come back here and I will never recommend some one to come!!
Things have definitely changed at this location, the staff, the vibe and food. I used to love coming here. The broth was way too salty and the vegetables were mushy .
Restaurantji Recommends
Love this place...many tasty options.
This used to be one of my favorite spots, but unfortunately, I don't think I will be returning anytime soon. This absolutely breaks my heart. I can tell that they are cutting costs by switching out some of veggies like bok choy with two little slices of carrots and zucchinis. The glass noodle that I like was also replaced with green bean glass noodles instead of the thicker potato glass noodles. Instead of serving the slices of meat on a separate platter, they now drop everything in the pot. And for a hot pot enthusiast, this is a cardinal sin. I really wish they would just focus on the hot pot instead of trying to push out more appetizers and dishes. I don't think I saw anybody order anything other than hot pots. The lone server was very nice and efficient but I think he was extremely bored with the lack of business that he was loudly singing at the bar area and in the kitchen.
Not super tasty. We came in on a late afternoon and lucked out with happy hour. Beer is fairly priced. I just found my bowl to bland and bare. I think Fahrenheit is much tastier and their bowls have a lot more food in them.
The service was a subpar and the meal was just alright. We sat for eight minutes or so when our waitress came back to take our order with no explanation of how everything worked. Then, when we asked for explanation, her explanation fell short of what we really needed to know about what we should expect for our meal. More than three-quarters of the way through our meal she asked if we needed anything and when we asked for more drinks, she looked at the time like we were out of time on refills. We got the check from someone else and when she saw us get up to leave she came over to apologize for ignoring us because their was an "influx" of other patrons, when we had been there a good 20 minutes before anyone else showed up. Food needed more seasoning and was bland at best. Beef meatballs (pre-cooked) were pretty good. We definitely won't be returning.
Not worth it at all! I went here first time with my Chinese co-worker who highly recommended the tomato personal hotpot. First off, it's nothing like hotpot, just more a large sizzling soups with your choice of meat and noodle to put in. Second, the portion is way too small and if you like veggies in your hotpot like I do, this place is definitely not for you. I came back second time over the weekend and my experience didn't get better. I had the Thai soup and it was so bland! Also tried the milk tea and it's got to be the worst I've ever had! I couldn't even finish half of it. Given the pricy price tag, bad services and not good hotpot selections, I don't recommend this place.