Sizzling Pot King — Restaurant in San Francisco

The food here is great and the five star rating is built solely on that premise. The restaurant itself caters to a very specific audience and it's pretty obvious as soon as you walk in, but don't let that stop you! In any case, let's just focus on the food.

Sizzling Pot King is a dry pot restaurant. Dry pot is one of those delightful Chinese traditions you just don't see enough of, and in a city that's hurting for strong Szechuan options, definitely welcome. I'm going to be upfront here and say if you don't consider yourself an adventurous eater, you'll definitely be missing out on some of the tastiest flavor combos if you order from here. Anyway, the premise of dry pot is you pick a flavor base (e.g. garlic, spicy & hot, hot & sour etc.) for the pot and then choose a protein and various mix-ins to toss in the base. The restaurant tosses the ingredients together over high heat and then brings it to the table where it's kept hot by one of those lit gel cans you typically see under buffet trays.

My go-to order is a mala flavor base (spicy & hot if you don't feel like practicing your Mandarin - if you're not sure what to order, I can't recommend it enough: it's super fragrant and a hallmark flavor of Szechuan cuisine), medium spice level, with beef tongue as the protein and lotus roots, wide vermicelli, and enoki mushrooms as the mix ins. It's consistently stellar from a texture and flavor perspective. I also want to mention that this place also does an excellent sliced pig ear. Which, again, if you're not an adventurous eater, you're absolutely missing out on.

Last thing I want to mention: this place really is not a good place to eat alone. Smallest size available outside of lunch hours easily feeds two people, maybe three. Bring a friend!

Tl;dr SPK does an excellent job of filling a niche and is...

What a gem of a place! While I don't know specifically what kind of Chinese food this is, what I do know is the food is delicious.

Came right at opening with no one here, perfect, my favorite. The crazy part was they were busy cooking up to-go orders, a great sign. I was drawn in by their picture ads outside so we ordered all of em. Scallion pancake beef rolls, lemon pork pot stickers and juicy bao buns. Oh and we also had to try a sizzling item so we got the pork belly and a side order of rice.

Everything was yummy the beef rolls had a soft but slightly crispy exterior with yummy beef, a little sweet sauce and some lettuce for extra texture. I hope this is not just a temporary special because I would order it again. The pot stickers were advertised as lemon but it came with sweet and sour so unsure if there is a translation error, still crisp outside, juicy inside. The bao buns were pillowy and chewy outside and savory inside. The base was crusted with sesame. My least favorite of the order but it's still tasty. The pork belly was sooo good. If you come here order this. It was so tender with just enough sauce and tons of garlic. It got soft as it braised and I was impressed at how not oily the food was. Great over a bowl of rice.

It's clean inside and the booths are comfortable to sit at. Service was simple and had no issues closing the check. I'm a fan. Don't judge a book...

*5/1/2024 I ordered the Signature Dry Pot through Fantuan Delivery, opting for pick-up. Alongside the flavorful array of ingredients like potato, cauliflower, celery, and soybean sprouts, I also couldn't resist adding their pork ear, which turned out to be the highlight of the meal!

For protein, I went with the Griddle-cooked beef, and it didn't disappoint. The flavors were simply fantastic. The medium spiciness combined with the mala sensation provided a delightful balance, with just the right amount of heat. The numbing effect added an extra layer of excitement to every bite

1/9/2024 I ordered this dish through Fantuan Delivery for those seeking a flavorful and satisfying dry pot experience. I chose the Signature Dry Pot, featuring potato, cauliflower, celery, and soybean sprouts. My protein of choice was Griddle-cooked lamb, and the flavors were fantastic.

The combination of medium spiciness and mala (numb and spicy) brought a perfect balance to the dish. The spice level was just right, and the numbing sensation added an exciting twist. The large pot size was ideal for sharing, making it a great option for...