Mo-Mo-Paradise — Restaurant in San Diego

I normally don’t review businesses, but I have to share my terrible experience at this place:

We walked in and were told they weren’t taking reservations anymore for the day and we couldn’t enter as walk-ins either. The restaurant was only half full, with several empty tables in sight. As we walked back to our car, we tried to reserve on Yelp, and it immediately accepted our reservation, asking us to come back in 15 minutes. The front desk clearly lied about not taking more reservations.

Once seated, we were told we could order any amount of meat without limit. We had a toddler with us, who, according to the menu, would dine for free. After making a decent amount of meat orders, we thought the evening was going okay. However, when we asked for our third order of short plate and requested two servings, we were told there was only one plate left and we got the last one. We thought we were lucky until a few minutes later, when the two ladies next to us asked for two short plates and received them immediately. The same thing happened with the pork belly; we were told we got the “last one,” but another table got it later without issue.

When we asked for the bill, they charged our 3-year-old as a 5-year-old. The server initially recognized our child as a toddler, asking if we needed a highchair. We refused the highchair as our toddler doesn’t like to sit in one, but they charged us a higher price because of this. We argued and had the charge removed.

Upset with the overall service, we were shocked to be forced to pay an 18% service charge on top of the bill. Despite arguing that we didn’t receive good service, we were told it was mandatory and couldn’t be changed. This mandatory fee, on top of sales tax, drove the surcharge up to about 20%. I couldn’t believe we paid 20% more for such discriminatory and exasperating service.

I would avoid this place, at least in California, as they don't pay their servers and force customers to pay the so called service fee. I look forward to seeing the effects of SB 478 when it goes...

3.5 stars Rounding up to 4 because service was very attentive.

We had heard a few friends say this was one of their favorite hot pot spots, and another friend decided to have their birthday dinner here. We were a LARGE party of 18, so we made a reservation ahead of time. They were able to fit us into tables of 7,6, and 5. They asked our main contact what soup bases we wanted so that they would have them available once we arrived.

PARKING - Shares a large parking lot with other businesses, no need to worry about finding a spot here.

SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - We were missing 2-3 people, but we were told once we sat down, the time limit would start. We decided to wait for everyone, and once we got seated, we noticied the soup bases were wrong for our table. They switched it out, but later on in the meal they filled it up with the wrong broth...

They have a drink station, a vegetable/curry rice station, and a small sauce area. I wish they had more variety for sauces - that's one of the biggest things for me in hot pot!

FOOD - Dinner AYCE ($34.95): You can choose from Shabu-Shabu / Tomato / Tonkotsu / Sukiyaki for your soup bases. I personally didn't think Shabu-Shabu or Tonkotsu tasted very strong, but Sukiyaki definitely had some flavor.

The other big thing for me in hot pot is the variety of meats. Mo-Mo Paradise only has 6 meats to choose from - no seafood here! I personally enjoyed the Beef Chuck Eye the most out of all the meats. The others were disappointing and I didn't really like any of them.

Their Curry Rice is most likely made with Golden Curry - it tastes almost exactly like it... still good though, just nothing special.

They serve free ice cream at the end of your meal! Sounds like the flavors change day to day.

OVERALL - I would definitely go to my other hot pot spots over Mo-Mo Paradise, but I was glad I at least tried it once. Service was very attentive which is something that isn't found often at establishments...

Mo-Mo Paradise, a renowned international franchise famous for its sukiyaki hotpot, has its only San Diego location here, and it doesn't disappoint. With a more upscale and modern decor than their LA County locations, it's a perfect spot for hotpot enthusiasts, especially if you're a fan of Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu.

Weekday lunch specials are more affordable than weekend, holiday, or evening prices, though they lack options like pork belly and chicken thighs. Be sure to arrive before 2 pm for lunch, as that’s the last seating time. We visited on a busy Sunday night, and despite the crowd, the experience was well worth it.

Before starting the hotpot, I highly recommend the beef curry with rice and the AYCE beverages. You can even DIY your own milk tea, choosing from Matcha or Jasmine tea with toppings like crystal boba, coffee jelly, and red bean—a fun and customizable way to start your meal.

You can choose one or two soup bases from Shabu-shabu, Tomato, Tonkotsu, or Sukiyaki—with Sukiyaki being my personal favorite for its rich, sweet flavor.

At the Farmer's Market section, you can grab as many vegetables, tofu, noodles, and salad as you want. For the AYCE proteins, they offer beef chuck eye, beef short plate, beef eye of round, pork shoulder, pork belly, and chicken thigh. I particularly enjoyed the beef eye of round and pork shoulder—both leaner cuts that pair perfectly with the dipping egg mixture.

The staff is friendly, though a bit overwhelmed due to the crowd, so we had to call them multiple times to order more protein. As a sweet finish, they offer ice cream, and the Rocky Road scoop, with its blend of chocolate and mochi, was a standout dessert.

While the price is slightly higher, the quality of food, variety of options, and overall dining experience make it worth it for a great AYCE...