Local Eats: Urban Hot Pot

I recently visited Urban Hot Pot in Rockville and can honestly say I had one of the best meals of my life! My husband is Chinese and he has been hesitant to eat Hot Pot with me as he eats meat and often there is a communal pot for the broth. Not at this place! I was able to get my own personal broth. There are three vegetarian broths available: miso, tomato, or vegetable. I chose the tomato base. You can order food from an iPad at your table, and there is also a conveyer belt, and you can pick up additional items to cook in your broth. Traditionally, you don't usually drink the broth, but honestly it was delicious. It reminded me of rasam, which is a tomato based Indian soup. There is also a sauce counter, where you can mix different sauces and spices together to customize! My meal was very satisfying. As a tofu lover, there were tons of options such as fried tofu, ice tofu (which is very porous), shredded tofu, and firm tofu. There were also SO MANY vegetable options, from mushrooms and corn, to lotus root and taro. For noodle lovers, there are many varieties of noodles, including udon and shirataki. 

I loved the ease of ordering with the tablet and the sheer number of options. You pay one base price and when you order, the tablet makes it clear what is included and what is not. Most things are included in the price with the exception of a few specialty items. You can also refill your broth or try a different flavored broth at no added cost. On weekdays, there is a separate lunch and dinner price, and on weekends and holidays, you pay the dinner price at any time of day. However, it is very affordable! 

Things to know before you go: there is a 90 minute seating limit for each table and a food waste surcharge is applied if you leave a lot of food. I love this honestly as it encourages us to be mindful, and its hard to get to the point where the surcharge is applied - you need to fill up two plates before they apply the fee. Also, make reservations as this place can get packed! 

Overall, I loved my experience and am planning on going back very soon as not only is it delicious, but its very close to my house! I apologize for not taking pictures on my first visit, because I was too busy eating, but I will take many photos when I return very soon! 10/10 would recommend!

-chaitime