New Modesto restaurant is chain’s first beyond Hawaii. What is hot pot, how do you eat it?
Modesto is rich with culinary options. There are few types of food I wish restaurants in the city served, because if you can think it, it probably exists.
One thing I did long for in Modesto is hot pot, and I recently found out that there is such a restaurant right on McHenry Avenue.
A Modesto Bee reader sent a news tip that Hawai’i Pot Shabu Shabu House has newly opened in the North Point Landing shopping center, just next to Walmart. The location formerly was Beijing Restaurant for 28 years.
“I think it’s a great restaurant and I’m a little disappointed to not see many people talking about it online,” the reader wrote.
Hot pot is best enjoyed with a friend or five, so I rounded up some Bee coworkers and set out to try (almost) everything the restaurant has to offer.
What’s on the menu at Hawai’i Pot Shabu Shabu House?
There are 12 appetizer options at Hawai’i Pot, including calamari, chicken katsu, oysters, gyoza and spring rolls. Prices range from $8 to $12.
When you go to the restaurant with two or more people, you can opt for a large shared pot with two types of broth, or single pots with one broth each.
Broth options are original, mushroom, miso, seafood, vegetarian, hot and spicy, kimchee, Hawaiian curry and tom yum.
The next step is to choose a meat, from ribeye beef, pork belly, lamb and chicken. Beef tongue and premium beef are an extra $3.
There are multiple conveyor belts in the restaurant that bring to your table items including various noodles, vegetables, fish cakes, crab, clams, escargot, shrimp, sausage, tofu, bok choy, napa cabbage, quail eggs and potstickers.
You can order as much meat as you want and take whichever items from the conveyor belt, but keep in mind that there’s a $5 fee when there is leftover food.
While you wait for your meat to be delivered by train, you can head to the sauce bar, where there are around 20 sauces, toppings and seasonings to make your own dipping sauce. There is also fresh kimchi and seaweed salad at the bar.
The restaurant’s recommended mixture for first-timers is its house special sauce with spring onions and cilantro.
The best part of hot pot is that you get to be your own chef. You can get creative with how you consume your meal, but the general idea is that you cook everything in the broth, dip it in sauce and eat it.
Each meal comes with a scoop of ice cream, and other desserts on the menu are fried ice cream tempura and banana spring rolls for $10 each.
The all-you-can-eat meals are $23.99 for ages 13 and up and $17.99 for ages 5 to 12 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, lunches are $31.99 for ages 13+ and $21.99 for ages 5 to 12.
After 3 p.m. daily, the meals are $31.99 for ages 13+ and $21.99 for ages 5 to 12.
The restaurant’s current special is buy three lunch or dinner meals Monday through Friday, get the fourth free.
Hawaii hot pot meets Modesto’s McHenry Avenue
Hawai’i Pot was founded in Hawaii by Jack Zhang in 2014, said the Modesto restaurant’s co-owner, Andy Lam. Lam opened the McHenry Avenue location with co-owner Leo Li in February.
Hot pot originated in China around 2,000 years ago. Legend has it that soldiers used their helmets to simmer broth over fires and then cook in the broth, Lam said.
“Our founder is a foodie and places great importance on connecting with local traditions,” he said.
There are six Hawai’i Pot locations in the island state and Modesto is home to the first and only location on the mainland.
Lam, who also owns L&L Hawaiian Barbecue in Patterson, met Zhang through his L&L partners, who are from Hawaii.
Lam and Li would meet with Zhang when at conferences or in Hawaii and started talking about opening a Modesto restaurant.
“That’s how this thing came up,” Lam said.
Hawai’i Pot Shabu Shabu House is at 3848 McHenry Ave., Suite 205.
Restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
For more information or reservations, call 209-353-3999.
This story was originally published May 20, 2024 at 6:30 AM.
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