It is important that if you live in New York City, you *must* make a trip to Flushing for the hot pot experience at SPICE WORLD aka Xiang Hotpot. Not only is it the most fun I’ve ever had while eating (let’s just say it gets interactive), but cooking ALL THE MEATS with a DIY broil has to be the coolest way to dine out with a group ever.
If you’ve been to the neighborhood you already know how much opportunity you have for amazing food options; getting off the 7 train at Flushing Ave you enter into a world of dumplings, noodles, desserts, and Asian food markets. When you arrive at the New World Mall take the escalator to the second floor where you will feel like you just walked into a different world; everything from the ambiance to the decor will make you feel like you are anywhere but NYC.
As far as the broiling hot pot flavors go, you have the option to keep the flavor mild or spicy (or both!). The menu has a seemingly infinite list of meats and seafood (and veggies too!), but not going to lie, if you’re not a total meat-lover, you might not get to dabble fully (but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t come along).
Surprisingly my favorite was the kidney; at first I was totally freaked at the though of putting a KIDNEY in my mouth, but I’ll admit my first time eating the organ was a mix of textural confusion mixed with flavorful tastes. Which: food is always more fun when there’s a challenge underway (normally food texture is a make or break for me).
You will not be underwhelmed at the flatlay style opportunities, to say the least.
Oh, and I don’t want to give *EVERYTHING* away about this gem, but if you stay long enough for dinner, expect a surprise performance from a very special bear that you WILL NOT want to miss.
