KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot is giving its already lengthy ordering tablets a few more screens to scroll through — and in this particular corner of the dining world, that is generally good news.
The fast-growing all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue and hot pot chain introduced six limited-time offerings in August, including Honey BBQ Pork Belly, Honey BBQ Garlic Chicken, Cheesy Corn and a new Herbal Thai Curry Soup. KPOT says it is the company’s first limited-time menu introduction in more than four years.
Also joining the temporary lineup are Lemon Pepper Garlic Fish with Cilantro and Lemon Pepper Garlic Shrimp with Cilantro.
The Honey BBQ meats are designed for the tabletop grill, where KPOT says the sweet-and-tangy sauce can caramelize and char as the meat cooks. Grab the meat shears: the pork belly in particular seems engineered for that communal moment when another round hits the grill and suddenly everyone at the table is paying attention.
Cheesy Corn takes a more familiar Korean barbecue route, combining sweet corn, melted cheese and butter into the bubbling side dish commonly paired with grilled meats. The Herbal Thai Curry Soup, meanwhile, expands the hot pot half of the KPOT equation with a brighter, aromatic broth intended to balance richer ingredients.
It is a fairly thoughtful assortment. Rather than simply dropping several more proteins onto an already expansive menu, KPOT has spread the additions across barbecue, seafood, hot pot and sides.
Under the colorful LEDs, upbeat music and steady tabletop sizzle, there is now a little more to work through. Even that familiar KPOT souvenir — the unmistakable barbecue-and-hot-pot aroma that follows diners home on their clothes — has acquired a slightly new bouquet.
The menu experiment comes during a remarkable period of expansion for KPOT.
The company says its first restaurant opened in 2018 and only three locations were operating at the end of 2020. By the end of 2023, the system had grown to 55 restaurants. KPOT now reports 170 locations and continues to expand.
That growth makes the four-year pause between limited-time menus particularly notable. KPOT has spent much of its explosive expansion period keeping the basic food program relatively stable.
Vice President Victor Chow said the company has been cautious about altering a menu customers already know, while looking for ways to provide additional variety and reasons for guests to return. The new dishes are intended to complement the existing experience rather than remake it.
KPOT has not announced a national end date for the promotion, and the items are being offered at participating locations. The company also has not confirmed another limited-time menu or established a regular schedule for future releases.
Still, after more than four years without one, the return of limited-time experimentation is worth watching.
For now, the smiling KPOT bear appears to have bestowed an early gift well before the holidays: more things to order, more things to grill and one more reason to insist that the table probably needs another round of pork belly.
