The Dolar Shop

Dolar shop is a great spot in the east village with consistently good meat, soup bases, and side offerings. I'd say the place is a bit pricey but in New York I think it's par for the course. Staff is pretty quick and I enjoy ordering via the iPad.Will absolutely be coming back!

It was 9pm on a weekday and I was craving hot pot...what to do?I saw that Dolar Shop is open until midnight during the week and they have AYCE hot pot after 9:30pm!We arrived at around 9:30pm. The restaurant was about half-full and bustling with different groups. Our server was so friendly and helpful. He explained the ordering system to us and gave us some time to get situated. The AYCE doesn't have all of the items that are available during the day/for a la carte, but it's likely more than enough to satiate your hot pot cravings. Each diner gets their own individual pot and you can even get a split pot. I got half creamy pork broth and half tomato broth. Both were delicious! We tried several of the meats - my favorites were the pork belly, lamb shoulder and the rib eye. From the AYCE bar, I liked the shrimp, fish roe balls, bamboo shots, and seaweed knots. Our waiter even brought over a plate of his favorites/recommendations from the AYCE bar. You also get to end the meal with some delicious soft serve!I'm knocking one star because at $45 per person, I think you can get better AYCE hot pot value and variety elsewhere, but if you're around 14th Street and not looking to head to a different neighborhood, this might be your spot.

Great value hot pot if you come during their lunch hours! They have discounted sets that come with your choice of meat (which dictates the price) and a plate of assorted veggies, shrimp, tofu! As a group of 6, we wanted to try different meats, so we ordered 6 sets and also supplemented with a few more plates of meat and veggies. But we all left SUPER full and satisfiedThe creamy pork soup is really good! I opted for the half pork and half tomato broth. My husband said the medium level of spicy was pretty spicy, so beware! All the cuts of meat were good quality, just depends on how fatty you want itI'd definitely recommend making a reservation since it gets packed during peak hours, but we were able to make one same day They don't have the biggest drink selection, but it is nice that they give you soft serve at the end!*Cash discount, or they waive the credit card fee if you take a survey

Really great selection of meats, seafood and noodles to add to broths. I love that they have the make your own sauce bar which also has some fruits and appetizers at it.

Reviewing the lunch/afternoon set menu (offered 11am-5pm) that Dolar Shop offers. Tldr: it's worth.I visited with a friend on a Saturday noon reservation. We each got a lunch set, and picked different cuts of beef. For broths, I split mine half creamy pork broth and half spicy broth with mild spice level. I was a huge fan of both, though the mild was pretty spicy and I ended up using the pork broth more. Portions were enough for my friend and I (both having skipped breakfast) to be completed satiated. All the ingredients were good quality and I enjoyed the variety. Service was prompt, water was always filled, and food arrived quickly.For context, the set comes with a cut of meat you choose and a tray of hotpot items, like lettuce, enoki mushrooms, imitation crab, shrimp balls, bean curd skin, spam, chicken, and so on. You can order unlimited servings of rice or noodles, which we took advantage of a couple times. At a buffet, in addition to concocting dipping sauces you can get unlimited helpings of kimchi, seaweed salad, AND dessert - think taro balls, ice jelly, red bean, popping boba, diced dragon fruit and mango, marshmallows, orange slices, gummy bears, etc. Don't forget there's free vanilla ice cream, which the waiter offered to us at the very end, long after we'd stuffed ourselves.The ambience of this restaurant feels more polished and tidy than that of other hotpot spots where AYCE is the only draw. You'll see that reflected in perhaps the slightly higher prices here, but the quality is there and the lunch set is a good deal IMO. In total (tax + tip) I forked out $39, which is not bad for this experience; there is no shortage of bougie brunches in the city that will rack up a much higher bill. No doubt I'll be back here again.

This is an elevated hot pot experience where you can order a la carte during the day and AYCE at night from 9:30PM to midnight. My group of 4 visited on a Saturday evening and it was pretty packed - that being said we unfortunately sat where there was no air conditioning or vent so it got super hot. Other than that it was pretty easy to order your broth with the server and then everything else via iPad. Unlike other hotpot places, each broth is $10. There is a buffet table with appetizers and your options to make a sauce all in one corner. We ordered sparingly each time to gauge how full we got since ordering a la carte tends to add up. The ingredients are presented very nicely, and came on a tower. They also have sets where you get a little bit of everything! And free ice cream at the end doesn't hurt. Overall a nice experience but it was super hot with no aircon - we were all sweating and only realized other spots in the restaurant had great aircon once we got up to leave.

(Overall: B) - The Dolar Shop has an noticeably large selection for their AYCE option, featuring classic cuts like brisket and pork belly, as well as more adventurous cuts like beef aorta. Their sauce bar also has a good mix of classic sauces, but what stands out is that they have a dessert bar with fresh fruit to help balance the hearty hotpot meal. I did find the restaurant seating and table arrangement to be a bit tight, and the fumes from the hotpot to persist through my clothes the following days, which is less than ideal -- I think bringing a large plastic bag to counteract this would be smart. The staff seemed very busy, although they still were attentive enough and the food came out at a reasonable pace in my opinion. Not a bad choice for hotpot. Food: +1Presentation: EPrice: EAtmosphere: EService: EMenu: +1Overall: +2 BInsta/Beli/TikTok: @amei_eats

Great quality fresh meats and other ingredients. Absolutely loved the portions for the AYCE opportunity. Very nice and helpful staff and quick service. It was quite packed considering the NYU students in the area. Pretty sad about their sister location closing in Flushing, but this will do for the price of an AYCE.

Food was very good and easy to order. There many broths to choose from.They then have a buffet of condiments and desserts as well. They do not have the ice cream dessert at the moment.We had a variety of things from Meat to seafood and some vegetables.You cook the food in the broth you chose. It usually takes about 5 minutes or less to cook the items you like. The thermostat or temperature for keeping hot or cooking is at the knobs below the table in the sides. They have peanuts and edemame to snack on as appetizer. They bring chili sauce and sauce for your food.

Great hot pot place, different from your normal AYCE shops. A bit on the pricier end but you're definitely paying more the experience. Everyone gets their own personal pot, which is fun, but part of me enjoys having a shared pot more (sometimes I like to fight for my food, ya know?)You order a la carte via a digital menu, and they bring the plates out and serve them on a fancy tiered platter. They have a self serve sauce station with everything you could want in a hot pot sauce (and they do offer to make their house sauce for you) as well as fruits, some traditional Asian side dishes (edamame, peanuts, seaweed) and a DIY drinks area with jellies and syrups. We finished our meal with their free soft serve.Would recommend checking out!