Had a date and our first time here was extraordinary! I was a bit nervous not knowing how to order…read morebut server Maliah helped us through the process. Super kind, sweet and very professional. This place is a beauty and delicious. We'll be back

Food was amazing as always, no debate there. What got me to take the time to write a review was…read moreShawn's great service! Constantly checked in and made sure we were taken care of. 10/10.

dPot was one of my preferred non-AYCE hotpot restaurants with unique qualities that set it apart…read morefrom similar concepts. Conveniently located in The Source, a bustling up-and-coming business complex with ample parking, dPot is nestled in between other great Korean restaurants. The waitstaff are consistently helpful and kind. It seems like a requirement to work here is being a nice person. Both inside seating and heated patio seating are available. The decor and presentation of items are sleek and modern.

This is an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu restaurant located in South Coast Plaza, which I visit…read morepretty often. One of my favorite things about this place is that you can also enjoy your meat steamed in a hinoki wood steamer. I absolutely LOVE this menu! I ordered the hinoki steamed meat, and dipping it in ponzu sauce with green onions was so incredibly delicious that I honestly felt like I could eat nothing but this for the rest of my life. Of course, the shabu-shabu is also delicious, and I actually liked that the portions of meat per serving were on the smaller side. That way, you can order different kinds and try more without getting too full too quickly. They also have all kinds of ramen available, so you can pick whichever one you're craving and cook it yourself. And the rice porridge at the end of the meal was absolutely fantastic! I believe the menu that includes the hinoki steamed meat was around $39, while the lunch menu was around $29. I really wanted the hinoki steamed meat, so I went with the $39 option. I also heard that drinks are FREE throughout the month of August, so if you're reading this review, go check it out while you can! And one more thing--you HAVE to order the fried dumplings as an appetizer. They're so good!! Now, I do have one complaint... it was FREEZING inside. I understand that it's extremely hot outside right now, so maybe that's why they had the AC turned up so high, but it was honestly almost freezer-level cold inside. I found myself fighting the cold instead of fully focusing on enjoying my food. By the time I left, I felt like I hadn't been able to enjoy the meal as much as I could have, and I actually went home feeling a little disappointed because of that. The food itself was delicious, especially the hinoki steamed meat, but please bring a jacket if you're planning to eat here! I definitely wish it had been a little warmer inside.

With the surprise closure of Red Flame, SO and I have been on the hunt for a new place for soup…read more As any fan of hot pot knows, there is a rare intersection of PRICE and QUALITY that makes a spot a repeat attraction. That makes it 'The' place to go, even if it's a little further out. I believe ZZ has the potential to be that place. When we stopped by it was empty. The menu was QR code only, I know this is a downside for some, not so much for me, but worth mentioning. There are 2 restrooms, single user, roomy and very ADA-accessible, the illuminated mirror is a very nice touch. And the food? First point is the price. You cannot beat this price, I believe. For two of us, our total was around $40-something. The food itself? Delightful. Attentive staff. The sauces available on the table were good. I did opt for mild heat level, since I like enjoying my food and not panting like I'm in Hell in this heatwave, and the broth was very good. A nitpick I often have with hot pot is that there is far too much cabbage, but in this case I felt like it was pretty balanced. All in all, I am excited to come by and give it another try. I have very high hopes for this spot.

We ended up here after our first-choice hot pot place had a 1 to 1.5-hour wait, and we were so glad…read morewe did! We took a break from a hot, long day at Disneyland. They seated our party of five immediately. The service was impressively fast--they flip tables quickly and the food comes out in no time. Interior was clean, stylist and spacious. The food was fantastic across the board. My nephew had the Taiwanese pot and I got the Thai pot; both were amazing and packed with different meats, seafood, and veggies, offering rich, multi-layered flavors. My oldest sister tried the Miso pot, which was nicely mild. The portions are huge! My mother and other sister shared the garlic noodles and shaken beef, and I even got an extra order to go for my kids--the beef was perfectly seasoned and the noodles were super flavorful. Everything was generously portioned, delicious, and very reasonably priced. Highly recommend, and we will definitely be coming back!

Came for lunch special $20.98 you get a choice of flat iron, toro, or pork belly. soup is not…read moreincluded. I got my usual spicy pork bone that never fails me. I don't come to this location much because it's not as convenient for me, but I've noticed that it's not busy here at all. There was only one other table besides ours during peak lunch time 12:30 pm on a tuesday. That's the perk of it, but there are other small details I've noticed that are different from other locations, one of them being the thickness of the green onions. I usually love how thinly sliced they are at Mokkoji but this location has them very big, coarsely chopped. Also the toro we got today was very fatty, a plus for those who enjoy fatty meats. I prefer the flat iron more lately bc of how lean yet flavorful it is. I noticed there were multiple tv's on the wall so it's nice to have and watch any games going on if you happen to need to. anyways, ultimately, mokkoji is my fave shabu of all time and this location is closest to home (but still kinda far) when i'm at my bf's i go to the irvine location more ~ Wanted to give a shoutout to the friendly and helpful server Caitlyn who helped me refill my kale multiple times throughout the meal! loved her attitude :)

If I want high quality Japanese style hot pot, this is my spot. There are places where you can get…read moreAYCE (Momo Paradise) and there are places that you can pay $$$$ for AYCE Wagyu (Mikiya, Wagyu House, X Pot), but I like that this place has quality meat options for $$$. My go to order is to get a "special for 2" of their "share beef set" to share with my wife. She likes the Spicy Pork Broth and I like the Spicy Sukiyaki. It's Japanese spicy, so it's more flavorful than spicy. If you want real spice, then you could ask the server for extra spice and they'll use a medicine dropper to add a few drops of serious heat into your sauces. In our shared meal, we prefer their marinated "toro fatty belly" and it comes with a huge order of meat, 2 pints of draft beer, an appetizer, and ice cream ($87 for two persons). If you choose a nice, fatty cut, then you will be pretty satisfied with the meat quality. My reasoning for this being 4 stars rather than 5 stars is that if you were to choose the wrong type of meat or if you don't order enough meat, then your experience will likely be suboptimal. Apparently, you can get refills on the veggies, so I'll try to ask for that next time! What I love about Mokkoji, however, is that the quality and value that I get with the special is ample for two and it's delicious!

Stopped by for dinner and with the family. The meat was fresh, and everything tasted great. The…read morestaff was super nice and made sure we had everything we needed without hovering. The service was quick, and our table was cleared quickly when we had empty dishes. Definitely a spot I'll be coming back to

Highly recommend this place, the foods are amazing the service is great my server Derek are amazing.read more

We went with the premium AYCE menu and got our money's worth by piling plates up high with wagyu…read moreand ribeye! Note: There's a 90-minute time limit and no wait time between tablet orders. I love that everyone gets their own individual hot pot and choice of broth. Ordering meat through the tablet couldn't be easier. The buffet bar offers everything from seafood, vegetables, and mushrooms to sauces and even sushi. The staff kept everything running smoothly. They brought out our meat almost as soon as we ordered it, cleared away empty plates in no time, and stopped by often to top off our broths. The variety of food and speedy service make this a great spot for casual dates, hangouts, or family outings.

Decided to try the reverse happy hour at Avenue Shabu, and was completely blown away. It was only…read morenight three of this deal, and they absolutely nailed it. Ambience (9/10) Modern, cozy, and welcoming. I've been to this plaza hundreds of times and had no idea this gem was tucked away here. The Food (9/10) Broth & Meats: Got the recommended Tsuyu broth--flavorful, deep, and spot on. The meat quality is incredible for the price: top-tier pork belly, brisket, short plate, and blade meat. Seafood Spread: Crawfish, crab, shrimp, mussels, clams, lobster balls, and roe-stuffed fish balls. Veggies & DIY Sauce Bar: Fresh bok choy, crown daisy, Napa cabbage, spinach, and enoki mushrooms. The sauce bar is fully stocked with sesame (goma), shoyu, minced garlic, chili drops, and custom house mixes. Dessert: Do NOT skip the Ube ice cream. Service (10/10) The staff operates like the Avengers. Shoutout to William (Iron Man)--he was flying everywhere, dropping nukes of top-tier service. Food arrived fast, empty plates were cleared constantly, and extra napkins appeared before we even asked. Overall (10/10) Premium broths, high-grade meats, a stacked sauce bar, and fantastic vibes. Getting an AYCE spread like this for $20 is an absolute no-brainer. Pro-Tip: Reverse happy hour seating starts STRICTLY at 8:30 PM.

Went to Mokkoji today for the first time, I tried their $20 lunch special which includes 10 pieces…read moreof the flat iron "Mokkoji" meat and the tea of the day (mango tea, was delicious) - and paid the additional $3 for the sukiyaki - it is definitely not too sweet or salty and still went well with all the sauces including the raw egg. I was satisfied with the plate of veggies and udon they provided, my only issue was the rice. I wish I took a picture but it had brown bits and was too mushy. I bought a second bowl of rice for my son to eat and he ended up spitting it out and I didn't eat mine. It was overall a good visit, service was nice and they were not busy around 1:15pm when we came for late Friday lunch. If they could fix the rice it would be better!

I say it all the time and I'll say it again- Mokkoji is my absolute favorite place for shabu shabu!…read more Everything from the fresh quality of meat and veggies, broth flavor, attentive service, to the overall ambiance of the place has always made me want to continue coming back. This garden grove location in particular is not as crowded as its other locations in OC but it's great since I don't usually have to wait in line :) I always get the Spicy Pork broth which is $5 extra but is well worth the price if you want a more rich and flavorful broth. The veggie bowls come with each order of meat and they're my second favorite part of the meal. My favorite part would be the meats themselves. They're so fresh and well-marinated and I love dipping them into the sauces they provide on the side. I would recommend my personal faves, the flat iron and toro. Additionally, the 2 times I've been here I've been given complimentary sake on the house. Though I'm not the biggest fan of sake, I appreciate a restaurant giving out complimentary drinks. It adds to a customer's overall experience :)

Food: Great and fresh meat options, flavorful broths, yummm…read moreService: Amazing. Friendly and attentive. Servers chicking in constantly and clearing up for us constantly even during peak. Revisit: hell yea I tried this place out Sunday dinner and I would say I am so glad I did . This place has great price for such fresh meat options and I really like how I had multiple options of broths, even water based and bone broth based. My server and all servers were chill, and welcoming. I think this place will be my new go-to shabu place.

8/24/26 Came here for a birthday dinner with a group of 4,…read moreand honestly, we left feeling super disappointed because of how we were treated. When we first sat down, no one handed us menus or explained how things worked. We just sat there waiting for about 10 minutes until our server finally came over and asked if we were ready to order. When we told him it was our first time and asked for a menu, he pointed to a tiny QR code on the wall behind us and said "it's right there." Not a great start, and he wasn't attentive or friendly at all the rest of the night. The food itself was decent at first. The hot pot items were good, and the sushi started off nice, but as we kept ordering, the sushi started coming out completely scorched and practically burnt. To top it off, we brought a birthday cake and asked them to hold it in the fridge for us while we ate. When we asked for it back at the end of the meal, the manager came over and basically lectured us for leaving a cake with them. It made the whole vibe so uncomfortable that we didn't even want to eat the cake anymore, we just packed it up and left. Oh, and at the end of the meal, they give you a single scoop of ice cream. Considering we spent around $50 per person (our bill was about $260 total for 4 people, plus 18% tip), we politely asked for a second scoop and were rudely shut down. Between the server's attitude and the manager scolding us on a birthday, the service here is just awful. Spent way too much money to leave feeling stressed and unwelcome. Definitely won't be coming back.

The space is chilling and spacious that we don't feel crowded or squeezed at all!!!…read more So many broth options to choose from, and the angus beef quality is sooo good! They also have a big variety of meats! Lamb, chicken, pork, beef! There is something for everyone! The veggie, seafood, and hot food are self serve!

Came in here with my wife's family over the weekend and had a great experience! We came in around…read more4pm for our early dinner, hostess on Sunday by the way, super attentive and great service! Veggie and seafood bar was super fresh. Everything was stocked up, plenty of options. Not that I care for the seafood options but there are lots of options to choose from. Side options of chicken karage, fried dumplings, and rice cake. Let's talk about the main option! The beef! Your choice of beef belly, top blade, chuck eye, rib eye, and brisket. 5 different options for AYCE. Very generous in the portion size and you can also order half order. Meat is quality here and you could see the perfect marbling! Two options for your soup base as well. A good variety to choose from as well. Not a bad spot! Happy to revisit the next time we are in the area.

First time trying Malatang and my friend raved about this spot!! I love that it's self serve and…read morethere was plenty of options!!!! I filled my bowl up and got the beef soup base. They weighed our bowls and seated us. Food came out shortly after! There is also a sauce bar with yummy options! I love that there are intestines, crown daisy, tendon, and lots of options of mushrooms! Definitely need to come back to try the dry malatang! I wish they made us pay when we weighed our bowls tho!! We pay after eating which gets a little chaotic if you're paying separately from a bowl. They also have a loyalty card! Will def be back

This is one of my teenage daughter's favorite dining spots…read more I joined her today. The whole room is filled with youngsters. You select your dishes and the cook does the magic and few minutes later, a big bowl of soupy hotpot dish sits in front of you. Quick and easy. Maybe that's why it appeals more to the young crowd. My daughter likes the tom yum soup base, it's no too spicy. If you can't tolerate spiciness, you probably need to skip the soup base because even the nonspicy one burns. If you are one of those that eats rice every meal, they do have white rice here.