Mini Hot Pot

This place was really really great! I would recommend the Szechuan broth even though it’s the spiciest. Eggs, noodles, and sauce are free/​unlimited so take advantage of that!
As someone who is not amazing with spice (I can handle it but not to ridiculous levels), it was not bad at all. If you get lettuce/​spinach as a side and let it soak in the broth, it is going to be pretty spicy — but for meat, mushrooms, etc. it is perfect!
It is pretty expensive, and I would NOT recommend getting the combo. I got that the first time I went and it was way too much food. They bring you the meat and a sample tray of veggies/​meats/​other foods and it was more than enough. It ended up coming to around $ 18 and I only finished just over a half of it.
If you know what you like, pick your broth/​meat and a few other items and hopefully save some money!

This place has the most delicious hot pots around. I went there yesterday with an acquaintance of mine and got the kimchi broth, YUMMY!!! The broth had the perfect amount of heat and flavor. I’ve never been to a hot pot before, I assumed it’d be similar to a Korean barbecue, the setup was similar you have a bar towards the back where you can get additional items like: glass noodles, vermicelli noodles, potatoes, and different spices, but the menu provides the main items for the broth. The menu has a wide selection it’s both meat eater and vegetarian friendly. It’s also budget friendly you can select various types of meats at around 2.00 per selection and the portion size is plentiful. In total a meal for two was a little over 30 dollars and if you look at the picture attached you’ll see that we definitely got our money’s worth.

Vincent is the gracious owner of an authentic Hot Pot. The broth was exquisite. His family arrives in the early morning to prepare the delicious broths. I suggested buying whole carrots to juillene, instead of the little finger ones, my only issue. His wife helped me mix a sauce up and gave me pointers on Hot Pot eating, very cool. I got the mushroom broth with veg. Plate for dinner and was very happy.

Good place to have some togo food or just sit and do some hot pot. It is fun to eat in winter, not so much during summer season. The owner is 100% from Beijing and I enjoyed talking with him whenever I was there. Food quality has been trending down since grand opening, which is typical but also unfortunate. I have not been there for about 4 months now, so a revisit would help me get updates on this review.

This place rocks — staff are friendly, owner is super helpful and the experience of dropping your food in your own «Hot-​Pot» is super cool and fun. I can’t wait to get back here and try another dish!

Went there on a Sunday with the family. I called in advance to see if they offered the $ 10 combination hot pot special over the weekend and I was told they do but then told otherwise once we arrived. For $ 15 I think the combination hot pot was a bit pricey, especially since they don’t offer free eggs before 5p on weekends but if it was $ 10 that would have been worth it. Regardless, the place was hopping with patrons and we had a short wait before being seated.
The combination hot pot came with a choice of soup base (spicy, kimchi, or mushroom), choice of meat (we all got beef), and an assortment of veggies and fish cakes. Everything was fresh looking and tasty with the condiment offerings. Everything came out quickly and waitstaff was plenty attentive. I had enough leftovers to take home for next day’s lunch. I would come again, but during the weekday for lunch!

I had Pork Hot Pot with Korean soup, it was good!
Single hot pot is still big for one. Staff is nice and friendly. We enjoyed their food.
Little bit pricy.

Came as a group of 3, none of us have ever experienced hot pot before. Our waitress was absolutely excellent in helping us through the menu and how to go about cooking our food. What a fun lunch! Prices are very fair for the amount and quality you receive, with unlimited sauces and noodles. We met the owner and she was so very kind and you could tell she loves her restaurant. We will definitely be back, and bringing friends!
Restaurant was very clean, noise level was low. By noon on Sunday the place was pretty much full!

I went to Madison for a getaway trip. Finding a Chinese restaurant with a good review is pretty hard as most have low ratings. I am glad that I chose Mini Hot Pot. It tastes pretty great and the owner is awesome and friendly.
The one thing I don’t like is that some items for the hot pot are over priced. For example, the $ 1.95 vegetable plate only has a few leaves and the $ 1.95 mushroom plate only has three small mushrooms.
However, there are some free stuff. Noodles, potatoes are free.
Overall, good choice in Madison.

Love this place. If you can’t tell, my standard for Chinese food is how well a restaurant can do in the SGV in LA. And this restaurant would do quite well.
The owners are very friendly. The menu is lacking in English explanations, but they are more than happy to explain to you how the menu works. One side of the menu is lunch and one side of the menu is the regular hot pot menu.
If you’ve never had hot pot, the idea is a pot of broth is placed on your individual hot plate. You put raw veggies, thinly sliced meat, tofus, and whatnot into the simmering pot of broth. Wait for it to cook, then fish it out with your chopsticks or spoon, dip in some sauce and enjoy. If you’ve ever had the entrée fondue at Melting Pot, it’s that idea, but hot pot came first.
For the hot pot menu, you can either order a soup base (5 – 6 different flavors including a mushroom broth, a szechuan spicy broth, and a spicy thai broth), and then pick the «side orders» you’d like to have for your hot pot, like meats, vegetables, tofus, etc. The soup base is about $ 5, and most of the side orders are about $ 2. But the better deal is the combo. With the combo, you have your choice of soup base, along with a particular meat, and it comes with a combination veggie plate that includes a variety of items like spinach, napa cabbage, tofu, enoki mushrooms, lapchang, corn, fish balls, and more. The combo is only $ 15 at night, and I believe they have a lunch special version for $ 10. There’s also an all vegetarian combo, which you can order with a mushroom broth.
The sauces are on the side, and they’re plentiful: minced garlic, cilantro, green onions, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, peanut sauce, fermented tofu sauce, oyster sauce, etc. There are also eggs and noodles for the end of your hot pot, but I didn’t get a chance to partake because I was so full.
The broth was so flavorful and delicious. I ordered the Szechuan spicy broth and it was certainly spicy. If you’re not a spice person or only like a little bit spice, I wouldn’t go with this one. Both my dining partner and I really enjoyed this meal. The service was fast (they keep the broth ready, and you do much of the cooking yourself), and very well priced. They’re a bit of a trek being on Park Street, but they are well worth it.

Alright. If there was ever a case for Unilocal,this is it. We’ve lived in Madison for almost three decades and feel we are pretty in-​tune with the comings and goings of restaurants, including Asian restaurants. But it was only because of Unilocal that I stumbled upon reviews for Mini Hot Pot last night. A big «thank you» to our Unilocal brothers and sisters for the introduction and knowledge of this place that fills a major hole in our ethnic food scene.
Now, I will try to do my part and share our experience at lunch just moments ago.
UPSHOT – run, don’t walk, and give them a go, particularly for lunch! (But no running with scissors. You’ll poke your eye out).
Here’s the set up: Me – Asian-​American born and raised in Hawaii who loves spice, and trying new things. I have always wanted to try a hot pot, seeing it on various travel and food shows. Wifey – pure Wisconsin white girl whose only experience with Asian food before meeting me was La Choy chow mein from a can and Wong’s – «would you like brown gravy on your rice?” – Wok. She has decidely more conservative tastes, disliking spicy food, seafood, mushrooms, and other items towards that end of the food spectrum.
But Mini Hot Pot hit the spot for both of us!
The space is modestly sized, seating maybe 25 – 35 (?) people at various sized tables. All of the tables have cooking burners built into them for diner use. There is adequate parking and the restaurant is neat and clean.
I’ve seen it many times on television but this is my first experience with hot pot dining. Here, you pick the type of broth you’d like and level of spiciness. They have six types of broth including Szechuan, Thai, mushroom base and tomato base. There are four levels of spiciness.
Wifey and I had the Szechuan. Of the four spicy tiers, I had the second hottest; She-​Who-​Must-​Be-​Obeyed, the one beneath to account for her more fragile disposition. Each found our broths very tasty and complex. Watching them come to a rolling boil before us was also way cool.
By the way, service is very prompt and helpful. Such a nice lady who, along with her husband, own and operate the restaurant.
Shortly after bringing out your soup pots, you are brought a plate of the meat selection you have made. One plate of beef and one plate of chicken was for us. Each was over flowing with a wide selection of vegetables and other items to cook in the hot pots. Cabbage, some other type of greens, mushrooms, Chinese sausage, mussels, Korean rice cake, tofu, spam (yes, Spam), meatballs, etc. There was more. Thumbs way up for the slice of spam, by the way. Shout out to my home State!
There is also a self serve station where they have vermicelli, Vietnamese rice noodles, and ramen noodles for you to enjoy as much as you like in your hot pot. This is along with a host of other add-​ins like minced ginger, scallions, cilantro, soy sauce, plum sauce, and many other seasonings at the station. If you cannot find a taste combination to suit you here, there is nothing on this earth that will satisfy you. We can’t be friends.
The procedure is to bring your hot pot up to a boil and then add whatever you like according to whatever timing you see fit. Sheer awesomeness and fun. To me, the broth flavor continued to pleasantly morph as my ingredients simmered happily away. Surprise, surprise.
The nice lady shows you how to operate your hot plate which is easy to control and very responsive.
We also had a bubble tea, of which there is only one variety on the menu. Get it. The nice lady said she makes it herself and I think it is a blend of milk, tea and tapioca beads. The flavor is subtle, sublime, slightly sweet, very soothing and nice to have along with your hot hot pot. It complements a hot pot most excellently.
Spouse could not finish her mountain of food and the nice lady thoughtfully brought containers for the leftovers and negotiated them into it herself. Thanks!
The price is so modest for lunch. For two giant pots and mountains of food and a bubble tea, $ 21 and change, exclusive of tax and tip.
This great little place is worth a visit and frequenting. I encourage everyone to try them and support their small business which clearly cares about what they are doing and each guest’s experience and happiness. Sharing and spreading the news of small business is such an important part of my Unilocal experience. I hope it is for you, too.
Word of caution though — — the soup pots can get very hot so caution is highly encouraged, particularly with the little ones.
With that in mind, if you are hungry, want something different, delicious, varied, and modestly priced in a clean, friendly, welcoming and non-​threatening environment, go. Go now. Life is short. Our meals and breaking bread together are limited. We’re burning daylight. See you there. Unilocal on.

I came here with a group of 7 for lunch on a Sunday. We arrived right when they opened at 11 and they were able to accommodate our large party; otherwise it can get pretty crowded. All of us ordered the lunch hot pot special. You can choose from a non-​spicy mushroom broth or a spicy Szechuan broth. Each person has their own hot pot and burner. You select a protein (chicken, lamb, beef or pork) and it comes with a giant plate of veggies and other goodies (fish balls, rice cake, tofu, enoki mushroom, etc). You only get about 6 slices of meat but it’s more than enough. I think I was the only one who finished their whole plate. In addition to the meat and veggies, you can get unlimited noodles (there are 3 different kinds) to cook in your broth. There is also a condiment bar where you can make your own custom dipping sauce. All of this came to $ 9.95/person. It’s a really great deal for lunch, plus cooking your own food is kind of fun!

I didn’t have high expectations for this place, but I didn’t know where else to get hot pot. The place is very easy to miss since the sign is a super generic red and yellow Chinese restaurant sign in a small plaza next to Copps. Don’t let this scare you off; it’s a genuinely great place!
Before arriving, I read that they had free WiFi, so I brought my laptop to watch animé on assuming that I would take a long time to eat (since hot pot is a very relaxed, not rushed kind of meal). Instead of your typical rude Chinese restaurant staff, I was greeted by a friendly man and a friendly woman which instantly gave a ma and pa feel from the get go. They seated me right away.
I ordered a beef and vegetable combo with szechuan broth. The combo said that it would come with vegetables and your choice of meat, so I was expecting this to not be such a great deal for $ 14.95. I was so wrong!
They gave me a big plate of frozen beef slices that what stacked high enough to have trouble not causing a beef avalanche as I grabbed for some. The vegetable plate was actually kind of modest in terms of vegetable selection: corn on the cob, spinach, enyoki mushrooms, and nappa cabbage. However, the «vegetables» also included clams, imitation crab, thai fish cake, fish balls, beef balls, spam, sausage, rice cake, firm tofu, fried fish cake tofu, and probably some more stuff that I don’t remember. As an added bonus, they had unlimited noodles (and three different kinds), unlimited raw eggs, and unlimited small oranges to eat after dinner. They also had 16 different sauces and toppings. I added minced garlic, cilantro, and green onion to my broth then used barbecue sauce, sesame sauce, and fermented tofu for dipping.
I took my sweet time; I slowly cooked my hot pot ingredients and watched three episodes of animé while I doing it. I think I just found my new favorite alone time activity!
I found the flavor of the broth to be a little too salty (nothing water can’t fix) but also very savory. The szechuan peppercorns didn’t leave a sour numb taste in my mouth, and I’m grateful for that because it usually bothers me.
In case you were wondering, they do not have an all you can eat deal. However, I found the beef combo to be plenty of food even for me, and I’m a 240 lb powerlifter with a big appetite who came here immediately after a lift.
Even though I’m giving Mini Hot Pot five stars, I did wish that there were some things different about the place. First of all, you can’t order other foods during dinner time; all they serve is hot pot! Before I knew how huge my hot pot was going to be, I was hoping I could order some sort of appetizer like crab rangoon or dumplings. Secondly, I wish the combo included watercress and more mushrooms. Finally, I wish they had whole cilantro available. I like to add cilantro as a vegetable to my hot pot. If they have it chopped as a free topping, surely they can provide it without be chopped too.
However, all those pieces of criticism are minor. Mini Hot Pot has a really special experience to offer. I’ve had lots of hot pot and shabu shabu in Chicago and San Francisco, but I’d rather go to Mini Hot Pot over all of those places because I’ve never had a more customizable and inviting hot pot experience. With such a big focus on restaurants near the capitol or on Willy Street, it’s easy to miss this gem. I encourage all Madison foodies to visit Mini Hot Pot, especially if you have never tried hot pot before!
Hope you enjoyed my brain dump!

Why share when you can have your own mini hot pot! That is why it is called mini hot pot because each seat has its own burner. This place is great. The owners are super welcoming and sweet. You get a ton of food for the price. And there is a bar with extra condiments, noodles to soak up all that broth goodness, and oranges for a healthy dessert.
I did the Szechaun broth which is quite spicy but delicious. My friend go the mushroom broth which tasted super mushroomy to me after I had been dipping in the Szechaun broth for awhile. I wasn’t super impressed by the quality of beef but it served it’s purpose. I liked my friend’s chicken more but they were more a fan of my beef, so maybe it just all comes down to preference. I plan on going back for the their snow crab leg, I’ve never had that in a hot pot before!

For people who know hot pot, guys, this place is too legit to quit!!! For those who haven’t had hot pot, the rest of this review is for you:
Do you enjoy spicy broth and eating discrete items? Would you like a nice hot meal on a cold rainy day? Are you a naturally slow eater and wish your meal would stay hot at your leisure? Ever had the unique experience of slurping piping hot noodle soup to sweat out an even hotter summer? If these things apply to you… do I need to tell you to read on?
For those new to hot pot, aka shabu shabu, aka Chinese fondue, it might seem scary at first. There is no compromise here at Mini Hot Pot, although the servers are kind and willing to help. The one nontraditional aspect that stands out is you get your own personal pot instead of a family-​style cauldron, but personal pots are more in vogue these days. All you need is to embrace your inner capitalist and individualist!
I recommend getting one of the set meals. You can always come back and order items a la carte, but it’s just simpler if you haven’t been here before. There’s a range of options including seafood and vegetarian, but if you’re omnivore go with beef or pork. Select the broth you want — the Szechuan is not for the weak («spicy numb» hot). As you’re waiting for your ingredients to arrive, head over to the self serve station to create your own dipping sauce. Everyone has their own way; for me, I go with half a ladle each of sesame paste and Taiwanese bbq sauce, a dab of hoisin, a pinch of cilantro and green onion, a splash of soy sauce and vinegar, and a few dribbles of sesame oil. You’ll figure it out. Pick up an empty plate too, and head back to your seat.
Hot pot is all about timing. Once your plate of goodies arrive, put in the heartier looking stuff like the corn, tofu, nappa cabbage, fish cakes, and mini hotdogs. The extra plate you have serves as a holding station for goodies freshly pulled from the broth, to cool off before eating, or to avoid overcooking. Stuff you want to be careful about leaving in the pot too long include: spinach, imitation crab leg, vermicelli, and those ribbons of beef or pork you ordered.
When done cooking, dip your items into your sauce and enjoy. For those leveling up on sauce, bring a raw egg from the self serve station back to your seat, and using the two halves of your cracked egg shell, separate the egg white into your boiling pot for eating later. Plop the yolk into your sauce dish, and stir.
If your soup boils down and gets too salty, ask the servers for more broth. Don’t forget the noodle bar, which is part of the set meal. They have rice noodles, vermicelli (sweet potato), and udon (wheat). This step is key for people who don’t get full easily. Pile some onto a plate, dunk in broth and enjoy. Finally, in true Chinese tradition, top your meal off with some fresh fruit, it was strawberries the day I went, and voila! Mini Hot Pot experience accomplished.

This is the best restaurant I have tried in the past few months in Madison. It is authentic hot pot from what I can tell – (the only other place I’ve had hot pot is in inner Mongolia) and is a fun concept/​date night.
Very vegetarian friendly, I got the mixed vegetable (yu choy, 3 types of mushroom, 3 types tofu, napa cabbage) – it was enough for 2+ people.
There are an assortment of broths to choose from. I tried the Szechuan, which was spicy, a bit oily, but delicious. Next time I would like to try the coconut.
They have a noodle/​sauce bar so you can amend your creation (ramen were the best noodle, but they have rice noodles as well). The restaurant is family owned and operated – they are very friendly and accommodating.
They also have bubble tea. Try it!

Hot pot is fun! I liked that each table had an individual burner so you didn’t have to deal with a sterno burner or reach far across the table for your food. We chose a broth, and a meat (or you can do just veggies). All meats come with a large amount of vegetables as well.
I recommend the Szechuan spicy broth. Unfortunately, the coconut broth is 100% coconut broth and a little shredded coconut, which does not add much flavor to your food. I ameliorated the lack of flavor from coconut broth after cooking by using a small bowl in which I added sauce and some spicy broth.
Each plate came with a large bed of bok choy and cabbage and lots of other vegetables, some sausages and tofu. You can pay a la carte for more add ons but honestly I can’t imagine doing so because the regular portion is very large. They bring a separate plate with the thinly sliced meat. Our server had a little trouble communicating with us through the language barrier, so it’s hard to communicate any dietary restrictions (such as if you avoid certain types of meat or gluten, for example). In the back there’s also a wide variety of sauces and some fresh fruit as a dessert.
I’m looking forward to returning and ordering the Szechuan broth and digging in!

If you’re new to «hot pot» then this is a good place to start. Everyone gets their own little pot of hot broth to cook in at their own pace. Don’t underestimate the amount of food they bring out, you definitely won’t be able to finish it all. Worth the experience!
If you’re new, this is what to expect when you sit down: pick one of the «combo plates» that come with a type of protein (shaved slices of beef or chicken or lamb, you get the idea) and then a broth flavor. My table ordered the spicy broth as well as the Korean kimchi broth and both were delicious and importantly, not too spicy — like a 6 out of 10 spice level. I suggest ordering off the ala carte section and getting udon noodles.

Asian Comfort Food
Growing up in East Central Wisconsin, I wasn’t exposed to decent Asian food in the wayward days of my youth. My memories of this cuisine sadly consist primarily of overcooked veggies in gloppy brown sauce. As a result, I tended to shy away from Asian food in my college and young professional days. However, after recently taking a job on Madison’s south side, I’ve enjoyed a Renaissance of sorts as I’ve enjoyed the vibrant flavors of dishes from Ichiban, Orient House and recently SoHo Gourmet Cuisine during my lunchtime forays. But I really didn’t experience Asian comfort food until my recent visit to Mini Hot Pot. Maybe it was the fact I came in soaked from a mid-​November rain, maybe it was because I didn’t eat much breakfast during my early morning meeting, but my Spicy Pork Bowl was as a soul soothing dish I’ve consumed in recent memory.
Mini Hot Pot sits in an unpretentious Park Street strip mall next to the Copp’s grocery store. I was immediately greeted by the owner as I entered the restaurant and he expeditiously escorted me to an open table. The interior of the restaurant (the former home of Mabuhay Philippine) has received a fresh coat of paint and new dark brown flooring. The restaurant was absolutely spotless, from floor to ceiling. While there is no booth seating, there are plenty of tables, with built-​in heating elements and matching red and black chairs. While the restaurant offers free wi-​fi, I couldn’t figure out the password the owner shared with me.
My soft-​spoken server appeared soon after I took my seat. He diligently explained the different menu options, but there was a bit of a language barrier, so I didn’t quite comprehend all of the information he was sharing. I’ve been pigging out on pork lately, so I zeroed in on the prefabricated Spicy Pork Bowl ($ 7.95), ordered it spicy, and hoped for the best.
About five minutes later, my server dropped off my order and I immediately fell completely and hopelessly in love. The aroma from the garlic and ginger in the potent broth immediately snapped my senses to attention. To the delight of my taste buds, my hot pot was brimming with thick, chewy noodles, thinly sliced pork, plump dumplings and lightly cooked broccoli. I thoroughly enjoyed the all the variety the flavor-​packed dish provided. The restaurant offers three spice level (mild, spicy hot and super spicy) and the medium level provided appreciated heat without blowing out my palette. While I normally loath Wisconsin winters, these hot pots are going to help my kick Old Man Winter’s ass until spring returns to the Badger state.
Throughout the meal, both the owner and the server checked in so see how I liked the meal. My grin of contentment surely tipped them off that all was well. They will be seeing plenty of me in the coming months as I explore my way through their menu. This is yet another fantastic addition to the Park Street dining scene (along with Noosh and El Rancho). If you’re in the area, I highly recommend you pay Mini Hot Pot a visit.

For the dinner mini hot pot, you can choose your own soup with meat.
There are also other food items to order that you can add it up to your hot pot (seafood!).
The restaurant is very comfy, and you get your own mini pot, instead of having to share a big pot with the whole table.
Staff are friendly, and service is fast.
Nice place to enjoy a nice dinner during the cold weather!