KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot, a restaurant franchise that blends “traditional Asian hot pot with Korean barbecue flavors,” celebrated the grand opening of its new North Little Rock location Tuesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. Located at 4317 Warden Road, KPOT is situated near McCain Mall in between IHOP and Whole Hog North Little Rock in a storefront that once housed a Shorty Small’s, and later, a Newk’s Eatery.
The restaurant’s opening is highly anticipated. I’ve heard people at parties say they can’t wait for it to open, and if you scroll through the restaurant’s official Facebook page, you’ll find a plethora of comments from users asking when certain locations around the U.S. are opening, including several inquiries about the North Little Rock branch. Part of the excitement is that KPOT offers patrons an opportunity to participate in traditional hot pot — an interactive dining experience where diners can cook thinly sliced meats or vegetables in a pot of simmering stock at their table — or use table grills to prepare Korean barbecue. The hot pot menu features a variety of soup bases, including Thai Tom Yum; Szechuan spicy; tomato; Healthy Herbs Soup; Japanese miso; Korean seafood; and mushroom. Sliced meats (may vary by location) include pork; pork belly; beef belly; prime brisket; lamb; chicken; ribeye; and beef tongue. Seafood offerings include squid; swai fish; white clams; mussels; and jumbo shrimp. Several vegetable options are available as well, including five varieties of mushroom; watercress; eggplant; baby bamboo shoots; potato and more. Several noodle options such as vermicelli; udon; ramen; sweet potato; rice cake; and fresh pho are available.
The Korean barbecue menu offers beef, chicken, seafood and pork protein options customers can pair with a variety of veggies. You can view the menu here.
KPOT made its debut in Arkansas last year with a Jonesboro location at 2312 E. Parker Road. It has plans to open locations in Fort Smith and Rogers, according to its website. The North Little Rock store’s hours are 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thu.; 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. The restaurant’s last seating is an hour before it closes. The phone number is 501-406-7152.