First there was the Chinese buffet. That got boring and greasy quickly. Then came AYCE Korean BBQ. Now that was a totally different kind of dining experience. But that was usually just plain meat and rice and some kimchi dishes. Then there is AYCE Japanese food offering an assortment of dishes. Whether it's raw, fried, or grilled, you know you're not eating ordinary food. But I had another culinary epiphany last night. Props to RL for showing us this. I went to this hot pot restaurant called "I Cook Buffet" with some friends from work and wow.
WOW.
Now I've had hot pot only once before - in Kitchener of all places - but this I Cook Buffet just blew away every notion of hesitation I've ever had about boiling all kinds of ingredients for dinner. This offers a 'true?' Taiwanese style where it's self-serve AYCE hot pot. You pay less than $20 for your choice of soup base (probably even less on a weekday) and everything is included in what I'm about to describe below. So you go to this huge freezer bar and select all kinds of frozen meats and seafood including beef, pork, lamb, shrimp, mussels, and salmon! Then there are all kinds of "meat"balls select as well: fish, beef, crab & shrimp, calamari, etc. And of course there are tons of green leafy vegetables, other veggies, and even various kinds of noodles to toss into your very own hot pot. Wow.
That's right, you can get your own hot pot - at a table for four we each had our own hot pot to use (or share of course - getting 4 different soup bases was possible, but we got the satay and spicy soups). But wait, there's more to this buffet than just food. Self-serve soft drink dispensers and tea are available. There are all kinds of sauces and spices to choose from to create your own custom sauces (think: Mongolian grill buffet). And there are eggs, too. Yes, small-sized eggs are there for the taking (for poaching and maybe to thicken and add protein to your sauces I guess??) and cooked white rice if you dare. Try to avoid the rice as those carbs hamper your appetite :) There's one other thing I was impressed with. Near the drinks and sauces are strange machines that look like breadmakers. Upon closer inspection and witnessing, these devices dispense hand towels. The moisture and temperature of the towel (really just gauze) is configurable, and after pressing start a little rolled-up hot towel pops out. Wow.
Unfortunately, this AYCE hot pot doesn't include dessert. But after spending over three hours at the restaurant, we probably couldn't (shouldn't) eat any more food. Yep that's another amazing thing. No time limit either. Wow.
Tip #1: If your soup base loses it's original flavour, just add more sauce and spices to bring it back or change it up altogether.
Tip #2: Feel like Pho? Grab some beef, noodles, sprouts, and whatever else you like for your own custom Vietnamese-style soup.
Tip #3: Just like with the Korean BBQ experience, sitting so close to the hot pot will leave you smelling like the food you've been eating.
