Aki Asian Hotpot Restaurant — Restaurant in Aurora

Used wash tastes better, health risk

It's been about 3 years since I've had hotpot and was excited to give this "genuine" establishment a whirl.

My hopes were quickly squashed from the minute we walked in. The intense florescent lighting makes hospital rooms look like nightclubs in comparison.

After sitting at our booth, the server threw a few "all you can eat" menus at our table. We came to learn that this marketing headline is merely for marketing – if you manage to eat more than five bites of this horse-trough slop you deserve a medal and an IV drip immediately.

BUT before we get to the food, I want to take the time to thank the room temperature Dr. Pepper can and non-bendy straw that I ordered. 150% the best thing I consumed here.

Now, back to the food itself. We checked a few items on the menu but I want to call out a few specifically: the kelp, spicy broth, and the "shrimp with head". The broth was tasteless, the plastic kelp would make SpongeBob cry, and the "shrimp with head", while accurately described, would be better fit in a taxidermy office of a retired fisherman.

Now, for the climax: the sauce bar. What a scene. Pretty sure I saw this same bar in Dexter or Hannibal, as these sauces were splattered all over the counter, dipping bowls spread out dollar general style, and floating "nuggets" in the trays. There was no right way to tackle the bloodbath at play but question a) how this place even managed to pass a modern health inspection and b) when did I last get a tetanus shot?

In total, we asked for our check after a few bites and left for another establishment with a lower chance of food poisoning and nausea induced torture. I don't know how anyone with self-respect can eat here. If you do find yourself at Aki, ask yourself: "Am I looking for a justified Karen story to tell my co-workers on Monday?" If the answer is yes, look no further.

TL;DR: Hotpot joint disappoints with harsh lighting, deceptive "all you can eat" offer, and tasteless food. Highlight goes to room temperature Dr. Pepper. Kelp, broth, and shrimp were a letdown. Sauce bar resembles a crime scene. Left after a few bites, questioning hygiene standards and forged restaurant licenses. Only visit if you seek a Karen-worthy tale for Monday...

🔥Hot (s)pot contenting, a full of desired items. All into the pot, promissing on fire in heart, warmly in winter. 🔥The Taiwanese used to say /Fire Pot/ insteads, because it is cooked over coals in small oven on desk, especially in the lunar New Year with a meaning /circling the table for family-gathering the warmth./ Nowadays, the hot pot is done on electrical oven. 🥘

Here the cuttings of meats are slightly different from the accustomed ways in Taiwan. 🏕🗻Nevertheless to shape the Denver style - growing in grassy moutain. 🗻🏕

Hot Pot is quite popular in Asian, satisfied nutritions would catch your eyes. Vegetables, marshrooms, tarot, pumpkin and lots of others are popular choices. 🌽🌿🐟🍅🍄🥚🦐 Touching the sauces up to your stlyes could be venturous experience. 🍯

The runners seem chineses. Aki provides none of the Flour-fish Foods🍥 that are oriented from japan and quite seen in Taiwan who was Japan's colony but firstly landed foreigners are the Netherlanders and the Spainishes. But the Chinese came easily via the Pon-hu Islands and cultivated here with the Netherlanders, later emmigrated in large scale since then. Now a controversial territory due to historical backgrounds but self-acclaimed indepandance status from time to time....

This place is my go to for hot pot! It's just a little cheaper than other places, and they have paper all you can eat menus for you to write on for your waiter to bring out for you. You can always ask for another menu! They have so many options, I love their beef manifold! They have fuzhou fish balls and regular fishballs! Good red meat to choose from, and really good seafood options! Their veggies always taste fresh. The sauce station is always loaded also! I'm so glad it's close by to where I live, and it's in a good plaza too. Servers are always so quick and friendly and make sure to come around at a good time to ask if you need more broth water.

The BEST part about this hot pot place is that they give you free ice cream at the end! I've been there a few times when they first opened and I remember they gave out little fudge bars, and now I think you can choose between neopolitan flavors. I'm not sure if they change it up sometimes, but it's still free ice cream! So thoughtful they'd give you dessert since it's so easy to burn your tongue at first (especially if you've never had hot pot, don't start out at the highest temp!)

I stay loyal to aki hot pot, and the other restaurants...