K-CITY BBQ hot pot & sushi — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

It’s a mashup of hot pot, kbbq, sushi, and buffet. Can they make it work? We came with high expectations since it had a strong word of mouth amongst some people we know. First off, Waze gave funky directions since it’s on one of those inner road off the main roadways and you need to enter that side street a block or two before to avoid having to loop around. But it does have ample parking in the back - even if you have to walk a bit to get to the entrance. So we went on Christmas Eve and it was packed! We were given a 30 wait estimate (mostly correct) for our party of 8 (which was split into 2 adjacent booths of 4 which we said we were good with). Naturally the place was in full Christmas holiday decor mode. But the place is very bright and large with many modern light fixtures that make the whole place insta-ready (check out the walkway leading to the bathrooms). So they start by asking for your hot pot broth choice - they have a divided pot that sits on induction plates (4 per table) so you could get 2 or 1 different broths (note the spicy one is VERY spicy - they even recommend getting something else with that one). There is a grill plate in the center of the table with a small smoke hood to suck up any smoke. The grill plate literally says “delicious” in Korean to add to the bona fides. But after taking your hotpot broth choice, you’re off to get the food! The food options are plentiful with a wide variety of meats, seafood, vegetables, and hotpot addins like fishballs, dumplings, tofu, etc. There is a wide variety of marinated meat options (beef, chicken, shrimp) as well as a cooler with shabu shabu-style thinly sliced beef, chicken, and lamb meat. Their prepared food buffets included a good variety of sushi/rolls, fried foods (e.g., seasoned calamari rings, bang bang shrimp) as well as increasingly rare crab legs (which were refilled regularly) and shrimp cocktail. Lastly, there is also a salad station that obviously was untouched except for the fact that the other half held a few different cake slices and fruit for dessert. They did have a freezer with a selection of single serve Hershey’s ice cream cups and a few ice cream on a stick (note - the orange one is not a creamsicle).

So, in summary, the food was all very good. The meat was all of the kind of quality that makes you wonder how this place can offer it in this AYCE format. The shrimp were jumbo and the crab legs (which I was craving the most) were good so no skimping there. Also, I forgot to mention they had a couple of drink specials (which I normally avoid) that sounded pretty good and so we ordered a few and they all tasted really good. Everyone enjoyed everything! Come hungry.

Lastly, the service was excellent. All the staff were pleasant and helpful. There was even a guy in a Santa suit delivering the broths out! All in all, for food, decor, and...

Just came back from the restaurant with my wife and kids was very excited to finally see some Korean food near us but after visiting I do not see myself going there again so this is my honest review;

First off I will give the staff a 5 star, they are polite and provide great services. The waiter we had was constantly cleaning our plates and refilling our drinks with great attitude.

However, I do not think this establishment is Korean owned it seems more Chinese operated and I know this comes off raciest but there a few things that impact the expectation from a Korean's perspective. The soup base for the hotpots offered is not the same Korean, we typically like Dashi (anchovy) base, they did not offer this and the spicy base is oily. The other issue that I had a big problem with is that Galbi (beef short rib) which is practically a must in a Korean establishment was empty the whole time i was there (1 HR and 10 minutes), I know this is probably time gated because its an expensive cut but you can't do a Korean BBQ without a Galbi, we literally go there just for that. I kept an eye on the empty tray for an hour and it never got filled while many staffs walked by it. The other issue is the snow crab, they had no taste at all, I can't but help to think its done on purpose to stop everyone from eating it but this is first time I ate snow crabs and it had absolutely no taste, usually they just make it extremely salty, these were boiled in large amount of water and drained of all their flavors. These were my two must eat things here and it really disappointment me eating tough chuck meat knowing I'm paying for my wife, daughter, and son who hardly eat much. I was better off going to a real BBQ.

I can see people who have had no other KPot or KBBQ experiences enjoy this place but I think its worth a drive to other establishments that don't overly time gate their food. Maybe they...

YES. Everything about this place is a WIN! Huge step-up from the restaurant that was here prior - New Ownership and completely different style of dining experience. I won't lie, I've been watching patiently as they've been preparing to open this spot... I was VERY curious about what they were all about. Thankfully, they're about ensuring that ever customer has a fantastic time and endulges in above average food! Now, everything is included in terms of Hot Pot, BBQ and Sushi - I think it's nice that it's pay-one-price as opposed to broken down. The restaurant is super clean and presented as upscale dining - The food is fresh, the offerings are always full, and there is a ton to choose from! I loved the sushi - it was above average and a wide variety for those who like to enjoy all the flavors. I did the Spicy Hot Pot while my wife and daughter had the original - Broth was fantastic. Our waiter Brian went above and beyond - Cooked our BBQ to perfection for us while we slurped up our Ramen! We actually enjoyed some drinks too - HIGHLY recommend the K-City Colada (Vanilla vodka, coconut rum, coconut cream and pineapple with a toasted coconut rim for the WIN), as well as the Red Sake Sangria (Yummmm), and the dangerous Sparkling Elderflower (Gin, elderflower, liqueur, yuzu and tonic - Complete with blueberries and a flower garnish)... you can drink these like water... SO good! Perfect for a date night, family outing or a business gathering. Highly recommended.

UPDATE - Honestly, they get better with time too! What was a perfect dining experience continues to prove how superior they truly are. Only the best cuts of meat, freshest sushi and most attentive of staff - They're quickly becoming a favorite here in Nassau County! Very highly...