Winter in Hawaii can only mean one thing: dinner in a hot pot.
And that’s exactly what I had been craving for a few days.
Good thing my pal — former Advertiser staffer — wanted to grab food at McCully Shopping Center, which is near his new workplace.
The first place that came to mind was Hot Pot Heaven, a shabu shabu-style restaurant that opened in the strip mall this year.
The concept is the same at other trendy hot-pot spot — think Sweet Home Cafe or Bangkok Shabu Shabu — where you can pick from a variety of flavored broths and dozens of fixings such as vegetables and meats.
The base of most of the broths, however, is chicken, which is slow-cooked daily to pull maximum flavor from the bones and meat. And all of the dipping sauces are homemade.
It’s a great place to take out-of-town guests or a bunch of friends. The food is good, the prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is causal and laid-back.
Here’s what we ate:
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Hot Pot Heaven, McCully Shopping Center. Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-11 p.m. Monday through Sunday; open until midnight Friday and Saturday. Phone: 808-941-1115.
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CAT’S GIFT IDEAS
SHOPPING DAYS LEFT: 22
TODAY’S GIFT IDEA: Lightsaber chopsticks from Split Obsession at Ala Moana Center or Koko Marina Center
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Got a gift idea? Send ’em my way at [email protected]
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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected]olulu.com.
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11 Comments
Hello Cat!
Fuud pixs Friday!
I heard a lot about this place like long lines. It would be really guud for these cold rainy days. Got to check it out!
I was glad that I was able to finally meet you IRL last night.
@M I agree! Too bad you almost blew my cover! 🙂
Hot Pot looks like fun. I like the split pot with 2 different broths. Very clever.
Everyone compares this place to Sweet Home Cafe. Taking into consideration the overall dining experience, I prefer Hot Pot Heaven over Sweet Home Cafe. Hot Pot Heaven is not as cramped, their ventiliation is better, they do not impose a time limit, and you can make reservations. The only downside is that they do not have the free shave ice at the end.
@Nanigurl Yes! Reservations! I forgot to mention that!
SOUP!
It’s so cold, wet and windy today in Hilo. Soup is nice.
i love this place. the staff is friendly, tries to please and doesn’t rush u to finish. some broths are v flavorful. byob (sake!). while not as much selection of ingredients or sauces as swc, and no shave ice or that awesome special herb broth, i still prefer hot pot heaven.
@nonstopmari I thought you were prefer SWC over HPH, actually. Good thing got shave ice next door. Diane told me to try the chocolate… You tried it?
looks like fun
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The two broth pot is a great idea. Parking at McCully Shopping Center is always a prime thing. I noticed that Hot Pot has split hours being closed for a while between lunch and dinner. Thanks for the heads up Cat.