O My Hot Pot & Bar — Restaurant in Annandale

Had a belated birthday party at this restaurant last night with me, my husband, and 27 of our friends! First, making the reservation for a big group was no issue at all. Second, the reason we had a belated birthday party is I originally had booked our party for closer to our birthdays, but ended up getting the flu and had to cancel the day before. Again, no issues with cancelling the reservation for a large group (which was much larger the first time around), and they told me I could reschedule right away or call back later to reschedule.

The food and service was excellent the entire time! They asked to start everyone together, so we waited until everyone arrived and then filled in 5 tables that they had set aside. I explained how hot pot works to those that needed it, and it did take a while for everyone to get their soups and foods, but once we did, the party was rolling. They took the orders by tables of 4, and I did rounds throughout the party and everyone seemed to be enjoying it and happy!

We ordered a few flavors of the house soju, which were delicious, and few tables ordered sake and beers. Employees were coming around regularly to see who wanted to order more items. One of the employees came around with a special dipping sauce that she made for people to try. When I asked her about the flavors of soju and if they change throughout the year, I mentioned thinking I remembered blueberry when I had been there last September (but wasn't on the menu now), she came back a few minutes later with a pitcher of bright blue deliciousness that she made herself! The meal concluded with little dishes of cookies and cream ice cream for the entire restaurant (not just our party)!

Paying the bill was handled easily, with each group of people able to tell them how many people were in their group and pay for their own. The woman who had helped us even rearranged some of the flower decorations to take a big group picture for us!

Overall a great experience, a fun party, and I think...

This place is a MUST try! Great quality AYCE experience at an economic cost with all fresh ingredients. From the veggies, to the meats, to the seafood, everything is grade A quality and tastes amazing. My favorites are the brisket, baby octopus, and a ton of veggies from cabbage to spinach to mushrooms. (Note: adding veggies just deepens the savory taste of the broth.) I also like to end my shabu shabu meal with an order of udon noodles, which tastes better than anything I've ever had anywhere else because by then the broth is so rich from all the other ingredients.

The owner is very friendly and highly accommodating. She's very engaging with the customers and makes them feel right at home. The interior is designed by the owner and really has this young, millennial aesthetic with its low light ambiance. Right now, it's filled with Halloween decorations, which I find so adorable and fitting. The music they play is so refreshing and nostalgic to hear because it's just one major K-pop throwback playing all the greatest hits from late 2000s to early 2010.

The tables are arranged so that each individual has their own hot plate for their hot pots, and they can each choose their own soup base. Because of this arrangement, big parties might be a little tricky. Pro tip: if you're a party of 4 or more, I'd definitely go on their Yelp page and join the waitlist. OR: I'd recommend you avoid certain peak hours. (i.e. 5:30, 8 pm is good 6 to 7pm is not.)

Overall, this place is a great new addition to the Annandale Koreatown community. And since the days are getting colder, a good steaming hot pot full of shabu shabu is just the perfect thing to keep you and your belly warm and full. So go ahead and check them out. After that first bite, you'll literally be saying "Oh, my hot pot!"

P.S. if you don't know how to make your own shabu shabu sauce, just ask for Nina's signature sauce. I have yet to figure out how she made it, but it's...

From the outside, O My Hot Pot is a very cute place with amazing decor and very kind wait staff. However, the customer service we received from management when a member of our party had a medical emergency was deplorable. Moments after getting our food (2 servings of meat, 6 servings of vegetables, and 2 noodle dishes) one of the members of our party felt like she couldn’t breath, she began having a coughing fit and needed to step outside for air. She was coughing so hard that she threw up. She came back in for a second and immediately had another coughing fit so she left entirely for her health and safety and the safety of those around her. We finished nearly all the food we ordered, without ordering any seconds, and let the waiter know what happened - asking if it would be okay to compensate us for one meal since one member did not even eat. The manager, Jay, came over and used condemning phrases such as “we are trying to run a business model”, “we need to make a profit”, and “this is a personal problem” refusing to make any sort of compromise even in this extreme scenario. Businesses are built on more than simply making a profit, they are built on customer service and respect, neither of which were received during our visit. We were forced to pay $120 for mostly vegetables. I have never experienced this kind of treatment in my life. I will not be going back here, and I will be telling everyone I know to stay away.

Update: the owner Eddie reached out and gave us a full refund for our meal. He was very kind and apologetic so I have updated this review....