NYC Restaurants

If you've never been to a hot pot restaurant, it can be quite an adventure. It starts with a pot placed on a hot plate in the center of the table. Soon your server arrives with the broth. At Ms. Mi's Hot Pot, on 14th Street near Union Square, you have a choice of plain or spicy broth. Then it's time to choose what you want to put in the broth. At Ms. Mi's you can get a plateful of carrots, spinach, mushrooms, tofu and Winter melon or order a la carte. Proteins range from several cuts of beef and lamb to seafood, including jumbo shrimp.

We went for the ribeye, but you can break the bank with wagyu. Now the fun begins. First, add the house seasonings and spices, including chilies, dried prawns and some spices I couldn't identify. Dunk your vegetables and glass noodles into the broth. Then it's time for the proteins, but be careful. They can cook in seconds, and you risk watching them melt away if your wait too long. Our ribeye was first rate. The bill was under $30 per person, but you can spend much more depending upon what you order. After the meal, you will understand the saying, "Some like it hot!"

- Thomas Rafael