One Pot on Coventry is a Sizzling Korean BBQ Adventure

“I kind of feel like a kid in a candy shop, where I can have anything I want,” says a tablemate.

It’s hard to argue with that sentiment when you’re gazing at a menu packed with dozens and dozens of colorful food pictures, all there for the asking. Like that proverbial kid in the candy shop, the near-limitless choices are at once thrilling and a bit overwhelming.

“This is definitely a ‘choose your own adventure’ kind of meal,” adds another.

When One Pot opened this spring on Coventry, it brought with it the next wave of Korean barbecue. The sleek décor, impressive tabletop technology and all-you-can-eat arrangement is the sort of setup that’s been available elsewhere in this country for years. Korean BBQ has always been an enjoyable and delicious feast, but at One Pot and places like it, the entire experience is elevated and transformed into a lively celebration.

After pulling the plug on Taco Roosters, Hang Zheng gutted the interior and replaced it with a retro-futuristic dining room devoted to Korean BBQ and Asian hot pot. The restaurant is sleek, attractive and vividly hued, with tangerine-colored booths, smoldering neon and an array of Bearbricks, adorable bear-shaped figurines from Japan. Every table in the spacious dining room is equipped with built-in burners for barbecue grills and hot pots.

Tables can elect to order BBQ, hot pot, or both. The price is $29.99 per person for either one ($19.99 at lunch), but only $5 more person for both. While the table shares one large, central grill for BBQ, each diner gets his or her own hot pot to manage. Both are all-you-can-eat affairs.

Even at $34.99, the value is exceptional, especially considering the quality, variety and level of service that comes with it. First comes the soup, a choice of nine different broths. We ordered Korean kimchi, pork bone, Thai tom yum and the house spicy Szechuan. Each was flavorful enough to enjoy on its own. There are a few vegetarian broths as well.

The natural inclination is to go nuts when ordering – and how can you not when there are so many tantalizing meat, seafood, vegetable, rice and noodle options. But diners will find that the tabletop fills up fast, piled high with foods waiting to be cooked, dinner plates, cooking tongs, snipping shears, serving utensils, water glasses, side plates filled with sauces and so on. Ordering additional items is as easy as flagging down a server or using the QR code assigned to the table.

After putting in our order, we made our way to the well-stocked condiment bar. What diners lose in the way of a typical banchan spread they gain in a staggering selection of sauces, garnishes and spices. Our hands-down favorite is the house special sauce, but there is also shacha, hoisin, peanut-sesame, chile garlic and others. Add-ons include kimchi, fresh chopped garlic, jalapenos, chopped nuts, dried red pepper flakes and scallions. If you're looking for lettuce, just put in an order with your server or via the QR code. (It's free, of course.)

By the time we got back to our table, the food started arriving. Before long we were grilling paper-thin slices of pork belly, ribeye and beef belly, which cook in seconds on the hot grill. Marinated meats like beef bulgogi and garlic chicken spit, spatter and smoke a little more, but the in-table exhaust manages to capture most of it. There was also jumbo head-on, shell-on shrimp, zucchini, radish, watercress and bok choi. Most items are appropriate for either the grill or hot pot; it just depends on one’s personal preference. Some, like udon and ramen noodles, go into the soup.

With an adventurous group, there really is no more entertaining way to dine. Guests take turns manning the grill, adding raw ingredients, flipping vegetables, removing cooked items. Hot-off-the grill foods are dipped in sauce, paired with rice and washed down with icy shots of Soonhari soju ($13/bottle). It’s loud, it’s lively, it’s a wee bit chaotic at times, but it sure as heck beats a tepid burger on the sofa.

During our meal, the griddle grate was swapped out three times, our hot pots were topped off with broth whenever needed, and empty plates continually cleared away. I appreciate the straightforward menu that lacks any appetizers, pricey up-sell items like wagyu beef, or anything else that detracts from the main event.

In addition to the soju – including fruit flavors – there is beer, wine, cocktails, milk tea and fruit tea with boba.

The beauty of having places like One Pot alongside our beloved legacy Korean restaurants is that we have options to suit our mood. When an AYCE blowout seems like too much fuss, we can take comfort in a quiet meal at one of our favorite mom-and-pop places.

One Pot
1825 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Hts.
216-673-3888
onepotusa.com

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