Hot Pot World （锅天下） — Restaurant in Citrus Park

My daughter and I went to this restaurant on 5/11 Saturday to celebrate the Mother’s Day weekend. We will NOT come back again and we do NOT recommend it to any friends.

Food: food is meh… Nothing is exceptional. They charged the dinner price on weekend lunch, but we didn’t really see anything fancy that worth the dinner price. The snow legs are neither fresh nor meaty. The broth base tastes very plain. BTW, the waitress told us that all broth base is the same, and they will add different stuff (e.g., pork bone, chicken or mushroom) into the same soup base before serving the pot to the table.

Waitress: our waitress is friendly and attentive to us.

Manager Julie (or Julia?): We saw the pop up promotion page on Facebook that they are offering $10 off for each mom customer till the Mother’s Day. We also saw a blackboard outside the restaurant when we walked in which says $10 off for mom. We also verbally double checked with our waitress that I can get $10 off for Mother’s Day. However, the final bill didn’t reflect the $10 promotion. Then the waitress called the manager Julie to come over. Julie told me the promotion was for Sunday only. And she further said that “if everyone comes to our restaurant this week and claims she is a mom and we have to give her $10 off, then we can’t run our business, and we will lose money.” Her follow up explanation was very disappointing because they are not honest by not honoring their promotion. Then I told her if this is for Sunday only, you should specify that in every promotion you circulate. Then she went out to change the words on the blackboard outside by adding “only Sunday”. She came back with a 10% off discount card for us to use next time. I told her that $10 off is not a big thing, but the business integrity is something more concerning. I would like to support the local Asian business, but I don’t appreciate the way she is running the business and how she was responding to me in a rude way. Then she took the 10% off discount away!!! OMG! My daughter and I were shocked! My daughter concluded, well, there are plenty of hotpot restaurants in Tampa, I won’t come back to this one again anyway, so I don’t need her...

🏴‍☠️Arrr, gather 'round, ye scallywags, for this ol' sea dog's take on Hot Pot World!

Pros: Clean and shipshape, aye! The place be as clean as a newly scrubbed deck, with tidy restrooms fit fer even the pickiest of landlubbers. And there be plenty of room to anchor yer vessel in their ample parkin’ lot, makin’ it a convenient and fresh experience fer all ye diners.

Aye, there be potential on the horizon! Though the current offerings be as scarce as rum in a dry port, methinks they might be plottin’ to expand their menu soon enough.

Cons: The selection, though, be as limited as a pirate’s chance at a fair trial! Compared to other hotpot taverns near USF, the vittles and appetizers be slim pickin's, and yer overall feast may be left wanting.

The portion sizes, they be small, like a measly ration on a long voyage. With $30 per head for dinner and an extra $5 for the BBQ, ye might be wishin’ ye’d found a larger pot to fill yer belly. The lunch, however, be a bit cheaper for ye thrifty souls.

As for sweets, arrr, ye best not be expectin’ a treasure trove! The lack of dessert be leavin' yer taste buds adrift, with naught but the memory of what could've been.

Lastly, the ambiance—quiet as the doldrums! If ye be seekin’ the liveliness of a rowdy tavern, ye’ll be disappointed by the near-empty halls of this establishment.

Overall: Hot Pot World, she’s got some good bones, like a sturdy ship. Clean, convenient, aye, but with slim pickings fer food, small portions, and no sweet treats, ye may find yerself sailin' to other ports fer a heartier feast. Should they fix these shortcomings and offer a broader bounty, she might yet be a finer place to...

Shhhhh-it is 🔥 af. Gotta be prepared to spend some money ($35 for the soup/grill combo per person, but definitely worth it—not too bad considering inflation and McDonalds is like $12/person). The food is amazing. 5 stars for food, service, and atmosphere.

Granted, I’m a white guy with very little Korean food experience, so my pallet isn’t that educated when it comes to hot pot. But you know what? It didn’t matter. The waiter showed us what to do, gave my wife and I suggestions, and was super friendly.

Also, I exercise and eat a lot. You can get all the protein you need here. Spicy and regular pork belly (bacon), ribeye, spicy and regular beef bulgogi, chicken, salmon, shrimp, oysters, muscles, beef tongue, beef short rib (my fave), the list goes on… It’s like a buffet challenge.

10 types of broth and tons of meat, veggies, and ramen for the broth, and deserts too. We got pork bone for flavor, veggies, and soup, and spicy Szechuan for cooking the meats. It was all delicious.

Obligatory quote from my wife: “Food was delicious, bbq was fun, and service was great”.

I’m probably forgetting more awesome stuff, but long story short, don’t come here if you don’t like great food and service and friendly people. 11/10. Will come back again, and...