Welcome to Nice to Meet You Skewer Hot Pot - Now AYCE
At "Nice to Meet You Skewer Hot Pot - Now AYCE," we’ve redefined the hot pot experience in Irvine, CA. Our journey began with a commitment to authentic Sichuan flavors and quality ingredients. Transitioning to an all-you-can-eat format, we invite guests to explore a rich variety of broths—including spicy miso and pork bone—while enjoying premium meats like ribeye and Wagyu beef. Our self-serve section is a treasure trove of skewers, unique items, and fresh vegetables. With attentive service and a vibrant atmosphere, we strive for every meal to be a memorable gathering. Join us and savor the joy of communal dining at its finest!
- 15361 Culver Dr, Irvine, CA 92604 Hotline: (949) 340-6618
Welcome to Nice to Meet You Skewer Hot Pot - Now AYCE, an exciting dining destination located at 15361 Culver Dr, Irvine, CA 92604. This newly unveiled all-you-can-eat (AYCE) hot pot spot has quickly generated buzz for its authentic Sichuan-style offerings and a vibrant atmosphere, making it a must-visit for food enthusiasts.
As you step inside, you'll be greeted by a clean and organized environment, a hallmark of quality dining that patrons rave about. The enticing aromas from an array of broth stations draw you in, where you can select up to three flavorful broth bases—think spicy miso, rich pork bone, or the highly recommended sour cabbage and pork. Each broth is a testament to the depth of flavors that hot pot can offer, ensuring a unique experience with every visit.
- Meat Selection: The meaty offerings are exceptional, featuring high-quality selections including ribeye steak, lamb, and the luxurious Wagyu beef. Guests have highlighted the beef tongue and beef belly as must-tries.
- Skewers and Extras: A self-serve section awaits with an eclectic mix of skewers, fresh vegetables, and even unique items like frog legs and abalone, allowing diners to customize their hot pot experience.
- Dynamic Sauce and Side Bar: The sauce station is another highlight—filled with delectable options from spicy sesame to traditional satay, each blend elevates your hot pot creation.
- Drinks and Desserts: Quench your thirst with drinks ranging from classic cola to refreshing Korean banana milk, and save room for dessert; the brown sugar sticky rice is a crowd favorite.
Despite some feedback regarding busy peak hours and occasional congestion at the self-serve area, the attentive staff and the quality of food consistently earn praise. Reviewers frequently mention the efficient service and the friendly demeanor of the staff, which greatly enhance the dining experience. Manager Charles is often credited with personally ensuring a delightful visit for guests, a testament to the restaurant's commitment to customer care.
The pricing is equally enticing—at $28.99 for lunch and $38.99 for dinner, diners receive incredible value for the high-quality offerings available. Many have found that this competitive pricing, paired with the exquisite selection, makes Nice to Meet You Skewer Hot Pot the best hot pot option in Irvine.
If you're a fan of hot pot, or even if you're new to the experience, Nice to Meet You Skewer Hot Pot - Now AYCE promises a delightful culinary adventure filled with flavor, fun, and a warm atmosphere. Whether planning a casual meal with friends, a family gathering, or a special celebration like Galentine's Day, this spot checks all the boxes for an unforgettable dining experience.

Nice To Meet You Skewer Hot Pot in Irvine offers a standout Sichuan-style hot pot experience that's both flavorful and affordable. Transitioning to an all-you-can-eat (AYCE) format, they provide a diverse selection of broths, including spicy miso and pork bone, allowing diners to choose up to three flavors per pot. The menu boasts high-quality meats such as ribeye steak, lamb, and Wagyu beef, complemented by a self-serve section featuring a variety of skewers, vegetables, and unique items like frog legs and abalone. The AYCE pricing is competitive, with lunch at $28.99 and dinner at $38.99, making it a cost-effective choice for hot pot enthusiasts. Patrons appreciate the clean and organized environment, as well as the attentive service. However, the self-serve area can become crowded during peak times, which may require some patience. Despite this minor inconvenience, the overall dining experience is highly regarded, with many considering it among the best hot pot options in Irvine.

Hot Pot Lunch Special Skewer All-You-Can-Eat (AYCE) Lunch - $28.99 Dinner & Holidays AYCE - $38.99 New Snacks Beef Chow Mein, Deep-Fried Beef Skewers, Crispy Fried Dough Sticks, Curry Beef Tongue Rice Egg Supply Update Despite the recent surge in egg prices and shortages at many restaurants, NTMY continues to maintain a steady egg supply to prioritize customer's dining experience!

Nice to meet you food review: My best friend and I went to try this AYCE hot pot/skewer place for dinner - and oh my god, we were blown away! We've had this restaurant on our bucket list before, but did not know it was AYCE. Upon arrival, we were greeted instantly from the host and got sat immediately. The waiter explained the menu to us in great detail - from how it's AYCE, to the kinds of meats they had, and extra add ons for a premium price. For the hot pot broths, they had a good variety, and your table gets to select 3 broths in total. We chose spicy miso, tom yum, and sukiyaki. All the broths were very flavorful! For our meats, we went with the beef tongue, beef belly, wagyu beef top sirloin, and beef belly. We also decided to go with all the premium items as well. The sauce bar had pretty much everything you need - and they also had some hot food items as well for you to select. As for vegetables / skewers, there were tons of options with no shortage. They also had a huge drink section, from Korean banana milk to sparkling water! Overall, everything we got was so good, and we thought it was worth the price. However, the manager Charles took such great care of us the entire time. He checked in on us and was attentive to every single table. That really just made our entire experience. We will definitely be coming back!

We came to Nice To Meet You in Irvine for an unplanned family dinner (party of 7, including 3 kids) and were pleasantly surprised by the quality. There was already a 25-minute wait when we arrived around 5:30 PM on a Sunday, and when we left near 7:30, people were still waiting -- so definitely a popular spot. The food was great: good variety at the food bar, and meats had to be ordered off the menu, which helped control the pace. A few cuts were labeled as wagyu, and everything we tried tasted fresh and well-prepped. All 7 of us enjoyed it -- even my frugal parents who usually stick to cheaper AYCE places in SGV. The high chair and kids items made it family friendly. My kids munched on waffle fries, chicken nuggets, and some wagyu slices. They really enjoyed the restaurant and they rarely like hotpot / shabu restaurants, which they find boring (environment) and bland (grown up food). Not to mention, there was a small selection of dessert. Hit with the kids is always a win in my books! It's $38 per person for adults, which is on the higher side, but honestly felt fair given the quality and selection. The sauce bar also had lots of options for different tastes. The 100-minute time limit added a bit of pressure, especially since the food bar got congested and wasn't restocked during our visit -- trays sat empty the whole time. Service was minimal, likely due to how busy it was. Not rude, just stretched thin, which is common in busy Asian restaurants. The restaurant was loud and bustling, which made it hard to talk to someone sitting a few seats away. Parking is in a large lot but don't expect front row parking due to the crowd - expect to circle or walk a bit. Still, despite the crowd and service, we had a good experience and will be back. Just know it's busy, loud, and better for eating than chatting.

$38/pp? We didn't have a wait because our family member had arrived at 5pm on the dot, but it definitely got busy. You get the menu, order your soup bases and meat, grab your drinks (not included), sauces and side dishes. The service was incredibly quick and fast paced. The servers are all so hard working and kind. Staff all checks in on you, which was nice bc you didn't have to wait for your waitress to come back to bombard her with your order, while she collects so many plates. The line got long and every seat was filled, then everything started to feel crammed. The selection of sauces were plenty! They could work on adding more cooked foods to the area, but that's the only thing I'd say could use improvement. The soup desserts were Sooooo so good. No need for boba after AYCE! Based on how many people were dining + how compact everything was jammed together, I felt like everyone was shoved side by side. I got bumped on accident and then I accidentally bumped someone by the sauce/hot foods/fridge for veggies, noodles, fishballs, etc. The plates somehow were weird too because they didn't all stack nicely together for servers to carry away so there were a lot of plates on our compact table since the side dishes/veggies were in different size bowls/plates. My favorite meat was the lamb! It 10/10 for me.

This place is my new jam!!! There are so many hot pot places in town and the experience here is hands down the most fun and the food is so delicious! For the AYCE price, it is a great deal and at a high quality! Let's start with the broth/food. One of the things I like is that as part of the AYCE, you can pick 3 broth choices. Only one of the choices - spicy beef tallow has a slight upcharge. We did pick the spicy beef tallow (100% worth it), the sour cabbage & pork, and definitely got to go with the simple pork bone broth soup base. This was such a well rounded choice for our table and satisfied all the different cravings I had! However, the sour cabbage & pork was the sexy star of the meal. It was loaded with lots of the cabbage and all the items that I put in this broth soaked up the delicious flavor. Our table had a preference for the fatty meats so we had multiple servings of the beef belly as our table favorite. One of my personal favorite was the Angus beef tongue. As part of the AYCE, you can pick one of the premium items per person. We went with abalone and scallops. Both of these surprised us at how big the size of them were. For small bites, I tried the crispy pork bites and spicy sesame cold noodles. I did regret not saving room for some of the other small bites, especially the dessert brown sugar sticky rice! But don't worry, I'll 100% be back so I'll have another chance to try it :) At the self-service stations, there was everything you can think of. Even some of the rare items like tripe and egg dumplings. Most restaurants don't include these. Other noteworthy items to try are the quail eggs, various bamboos, and the spicy sour cabbage beef wrap. I think this part was the most fun. So many different choices to mix my sauces. I tend to go with the original satay sauce + sesame and then randomly mix a second one for funsies! One thing to note is that for a busy dinner night, it was still very well organized, clean, and stocked. Last the service. The servers were great at explaining the menu and how the experience goes. They were great at taking empty plates off our table without interrupting our conversation at the table. Very stealth and friendly, the most ideal server in my book. Eating is such a social thing for me and I love catching up with friends over a meal. So this was perfect for me. So I will for sure be back and biggest word is advice, don't skip on the plum drink. It's sooooooooo good!

The best hot pot in Irvine! I stopped by tonight with my friends for a small Galentine's Day celebration and this place exceeded my expectations. I loved everything about this place including the amazing friendly servers here. The food was high quality and the soup bases were fantastic! I highly recommend the sour cabbage and pork soup base- so delicious! The most important thing about self serve hot pot places are cleanliness and I loved that this place was super clean! I highly recommend!

I've always been going to all that shabu in the same plaza but I am so happy I found this place! This might be our new go to hot pot place You can choose up to 3 broths and they are so flavorful where the flavor sticks to the meat. They have tons of meat options, and more in the fridge. I do wish there were a little bit more veggie options, and sometimes it's hard to see what you're grabbing since all the dishes are stacked. Service at times were a little slow, it would be great if they have self serving water stations. Dessert is plentiful with both guilty pleasures and healthier options like fruit. It's $38.99 per person for dinner and we waited about an hour on a Saturday night

One of the better ayce hot pots out there. We really love this place because of the variety. The 38.99 option was a great option. This includes 3 broths to choose from, meats, 1 of each seafood, and cooked options as well. Also, you get to go to the food bar to get other items like fruits, other hot pot stuff like gizzards and fish balls in the fridge, dessert, and the sauces. We definitely got a good share of the lamb and ribeye cuts. We did get really full pretty early but it was because we loaded up on other items from the fridge area. For the cooked items, I would always get the chicken cartilage. It's cooked perfectly every time. The service was great and all the staff were super friendly. For a Chinese restaurant, it definitely means a lot. The interior was also super clean and vibrant. We will definitely come here from time to time whenever we crave hot pot.