Healthy. Delicious. Local. HotPot Smoothie Shop has it all – from responsibly sourced ingredients, made-to-order meals and the distinct flavors of various Asian cuisines. Just off Manchester Road in Kirkwood, the restaurant is housed in what used to be a pottery studio and café, whose lingering presence is still detected.
The menu caters to all with plenty of salads and sandwiches, but the most interesting option is the hot pot bowl. You design your own bowl from the structured options provided. Choose your base from different types of noodles, rice and even sweet potato. Next, you pick your protein with options including pork, beef, chicken and shrimp. Keeping with their “quirky, conscious eatery” theme, non-animal sources of protein, such as tofu and tempeh are also offered.

Next, the sauce is chosen. Many options are oil-free, vegetarian and even Paleo-friendly. If you ask, they’ll recommend one or even a combination of sauces that go well with your hot pot. Finally come the veggies. Here you get to go wild, picking as many options as you wish!

The meal comes out surprisingly quickly! Your unique hot pot is presented in a beautiful bowl and you choose between using chopsticks, forks or spoons.

While the hot pot bowls are the main draw to this great restaurant, the smoothies are also well worth a trip. Here you are also faced with an array of choices. For the base pick between their “original agave” or “green and sticky,” with the former being a sweet and delicious addition to any smoothie and the latter being a healthy blend of raw kale, spinach, cucumber, celery and green apple. The bases add desirable nutrients to the smoothies and surprisingly do not overpower the flavor of the fresh fruits.

While enjoying the food, you can gaze at a variety of artwork hung around the shop featured for sale. Also, HotPot continues to keep it local by serving Missouri Mud Coffee and a great selection of baked goods from Clayton’s Bakery and Deli.

All in all, HotPot is a great place to grab lunch with friends, or to come alone with a book. It may be a bit of a drive, but it’s definitely worthwhile!