Over the course of a couple years, Columbus’ options for hot pot have grown exponentially, with two KPOTs, One Pot, the brand new Meet Pot, and another option on Bethel Road: CoCo Hot Pot.
You’ll find Coco in the stand-alone building in the Olentangy Plaza, which contains other eateries like Buckeye Pho and Jiu Thai Asian Cafe.
There might be some confusion over the names CoCo Cuisine and CoCo Hot Pot. Both names are on the building, although the website is under the name CoCo Cuisine. But they are the same business, with hot pot being the main event.
The restaurant itself spans two dining rooms, including a front room with a bar.
On our visit, the place was bustling, with most tables full, although we got in easily.
We started with some oolong tea before our food came.
The hot pot menu can be overwhelming, especially for first-timers, but the servers are very helpful in walking you through the process, helping you make selections, even offering to demonstrate how to cook items in the hot pot.
Your first selection with the hot pot is your broth. You can choose up to four different broths, brought to you in a partitioned bowl sunk in the center of the table.
While you can choose your hot pot dishes – noodles, meats, vegetables, etc. – individually, there are all-inclusive packages that include your meats and veggies.
We chose a seafood and a sliced beef package.
As everything rolls out, your server will set the broths to boiling. Then you can start cooking up your ingredients all together. The fun part is that you can cook things to your own to your own preference.
You should also take a run at the sauce bar. It’s loaded with individual ingredients, or little menus show you how to create some of their signature sauces.
CoCo also features a dim sum menu, so you can order from a wide selection of dumplings and other small plates.
And they have a small menu of appetizers and entrees. We’ll never turn down dumplings in hot chili oil…
…or good ole fashioned General Tso’s.
Overall we enjoyed the experience at CoCo! Although a hot pot meal can be overwhelming, our server was very friendly and attentive, and was there to help walk us through it.
CoCo Cuisine is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
CoCo Cuisine / Hot Pot
751 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, OH 43214
(614) 502-0036
Web: cococuisineohio.com
FB: CoCo Cuisine
IG: @cococuisine_oh
