The Dolar Shop

"If you'd like to feel like you're vacationing in a swanky hotel, head to The Dolar Shop in Bellevue. Only instead of towel service, a continental breakfast, and jacuzzis, this hot pot restaurant has never-ending plates of marbled meats, an expansive sauce bar, and luxurious truffle-infused bone broth. You can even rent a private room that comes with your own personal server and decor that looks plucked from Buckingham Palace." - Kayla Sager-Riley

"In China, hours-long hot pot parties (with lots of beer and baijiu) often mark the celebration of special events like birthdays. Though the Seattle area has many great hot pot spots, the Bellevue location of this Chinese chain is a good place to splurge on high-end ingredients like A5 Miyazaki wagyu beef from Japan, geoduck, or live prawns." - Harry Cheadle

"This Bellevue outpost of a Shanghai-based chain is one of the best hot pot restaurants in the metro area. In contrast to most other places, which feature a large shared pot, diners at Bellevue’s Dolar Shop get their own individual hot pots — still with the option of a split bowl containing two different broths. It’s the quality of the broths that puts Dolar above the others, whether it’s pork leg bone, mushroom, Szechuan hot and spicy, or tomato and oxtail. In addition, the options to add to the hot pot are impeccable, the sauce bar is forever customizable, and you can always count on a refreshing ice cream cone at the end of the meal." - Jay Friedman

"If you'd like to feel like you're vacationing in a swanky hotel, head to The Dolar Shop in Bellevue. Only instead of towel service, a continental breakfast, and jacuzzis, this hot pot restaurant has never-ending plates of luxurious meat, a sauce bar, and simmering broth. You can even rent a private room that comes with your own personal server and decor that looks plucked from Buckingham Palace." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"Bring the biggest control freak you know to The Dolar Shop in the East Village. At this location of an international chain, every person gets their own mini pot and burner with the broth of their choice. Then, you order plates of veggies, starches, and fancy meats like wagyu and goose intestine for the table, and everyone gets an ice cream cone at the end. While you eat, you can stash your bag and coat in a storage space so they don’t end up smelling like meat. Things can get pricey, though. The broth is basically the cover charge—each person pays $11 for their broth (or two, split down the middle of your pot). Access to the sauce station costs an extra $4 per person, because it also includes a selection of fruit, appetizers, and desserts. After that, every dish you order a la carte is meant to be shared with four to five people—or you can get a platter. photo credit: The Dolar Shop photo credit: The Dolar Shop photo credit: The Dolar Shop You’ll likely end up spending around $50-$70 per person, but high-quality meats like their melt-in-your-mouth wagyu and jumbo scallops, make this place worth it for a celebratory hot pot dinner. And you can save a few bucks by going for a seasonal set menu—or coming in between 9pm-12am for the $46 AYCE deal. Food Rundown Exquisite Silver Soup The Dolar Shop’s signature broth is a creamy mixture of pork and chicken broth, with bits of pork tripe in it. It has a heavy black peppercorn flavor that we love. It’s not super spicy, though, so we like to get the two-broth combination that comes with Silver Soup and Szechuan Hot & Spicy broth. Shrimp Pâté This is another one of their signature dishes, and a must-order. You get one big ball of shrimp, water chestnut, and celery—it has a bouncy, glutinous texture, but there are actually no other ingredients used to glue everything together. We like to take off chunks and form them into mini shrimp balls before sticking them in the broth. Go ahead and get an extra order." - Neha Talreja