99 Favor Taste

I'm not someone who typically writes dramatic reviews, but this experience was extremely disappointing.<br><br>I stopped by for the complimentary birthday meal that I've enjoyed here for the past several years. In the past, if you came in on your actual birthday, you could receive the birthday meal even if you were dining alone. I've always tipped 20%+ based on the full menu value and have also dined at your restaurants as a paying customer on many other occasions.<br><br>When I arrived, a supervisor at the front told me the policy had changed and said I should have checked the website beforehand. I pulled up the website on the spot and showed her that it had not been updated to reflect the new policy. She acknowledged that the website was inaccurate, but simply shrugged.<br><br>I politely explained that I had checked the website before making the trip and that it should be updated to avoid situations like this. Her demeanor then became noticeably dismissive.<br><br>Being turned away on my birthday after commuting there and looking forward to dinner was unnecessarily frustrating and, frankly, felt a bit petty.

This was the best experience! Waiters were attentive and did all the work with the grill, they were kind & funny and we had a really great time. Food and drinks were absolutely delicious! Great place to celebrate a birthday or just to come eat some delicious food.

I came here for my birthday dinner with my partner, and overall the experience was mixed. The food itself was decent—some items were fresh, while others clearly weren’t. We arrived about two hours before closing, and unfortunately, the buffet was not restocked at all during the time we were there.<br><br>The staff was attentive when it came to grilling, but not when it came to bringing out food. We ordered multiple rounds of the same items, and each time the portions seemed to get smaller and smaller, which was weird. Their demeanor and subtle actions really showed they wanted us to leave.<br><br>The most frustrating part, though, was the challenge game they offer. The goal is to hit 9:99 on the timer to receive free dinner for the table, and I actually managed to win. Instead of it feeling fun or celebratory, the staff seemed visibly disappointed, which really killed the mood. Mind you, it was only a two party table.<br><br>Shortly after, they mentioned that tip is not included with the free dinner and that we must tip. While I understand tipping is expected, the way it was communicated felt a bit rude given the situation.<br><br>Overall, it wasn’t the birthday and restaurant experience I had hoped for.

My husband recommended for me this place, I think this is the most affordable ayce hotpot in NYC. They have alot of side dishes and meat, seafood options. We definitely will comeback next time :>

Amazing food and service! It was my first time having hot pot and I really enjoyed it! The soup, noodles, and all the different meats were very tasty! The service was really great as well! I also enjoyed the game you get to play to try to win a free meal! Highly recommend this place to others! 😁🤤😋

We ordered the split pot. The spicy broth was a bit underwhelming and lacked depth, but the pork bone broth was decent. For meat, the fatty beef is the best value, and if you like offal, the yellow throat (ox aorta) is worth trying for its crunchy texture. The meatballs were just average.<br>​They have a great variety of vegetables and the self-serve snack bar offers plenty of choices. Overall, it’s very affordable, but it gets crowded during peak hours, so expect a wait.

It's Very Authentic And The Monkey Mascot Is So So So Cute!!

99 Taste — 8th Avenue, Brooklyn<br>Star y: ⭐️⭐️⭐️<br><br>Built around the sociable rituals of hot pot and tabletop barbecue, 99 Taste gets one important thing very right: the individual hot pot setup. Each diner can choose their own soup base, allowing everyone at the table to tailor the experience—spicy, herbal, or comforting—without compromise. It’s a thoughtful touch that elevates the format and encourages return visits.<br><br>That strength, unfortunately, was undercut by operational missteps. Despite a 6 p.m. reservation, food arrived much later than expected. The malfunctioning ordering machine led to mixed-up orders and long stretches of waiting—particularly frustrating for a hot pot and BBQ restaurant where timing is essential. Broths and grills were ready, but ingredients lagged behind, stalling the experience.<br><br>The buffet area felt sparse during peak hours, and the lack of clean bowls and cups caused further delays, even before dipping sauces could be assembled. Staff were courteous and apologetic, but the evening’s rhythm never fully recovered.<br>When everything finally came together, the flavors delivered: rich soup bases, satisfying meats, and the familiar comfort that has made 99 Taste a neighborhood favorite.<br><br>Final Take:<br>The individual hot pot concept is a standout and a genuine highlight. If service and ordering logistics can match the quality of the setup, 99 Taste on 8th Avenue could be a far more seamless—and enjoyable—experience.

We've heard friends mention this place for a long time, finally get to check it out on Thanksgiving Day. There are different options for regular hotpot, BBQ, premium seafood or combo, but be sure to know the whole table has to do the same option.<br>We were seated at a table for personal size pots which works well as kids eats different flavors. We picked regular hotpot and it has plenty of seafood options like shrimp, crab, squid, etc. Broth was okay for AYCE. There are bunch of cooked buffet style dishes as well as endless ice cream. Staff members are very friendly and helpful.

This hot pot and Korean bbq spot is perfect for large parties — there’s plenty of space, the service is quick, and the food is always delicious. It’s such a fun place to celebrate anything, but especially birthdays. They even bring out the cutest little dancing monkey when it’s your birthday, and it is adorable! Between the great food, the fun atmosphere, and how well they handle big groups, this has definitely become one of my favorite places to go. Highly recommend for a good time!

Went for the all you can eat bbq. Waitress seated us quickly after setting the tables. The another waitress/server took our order and she cooked and grilled the food for us. Very friendly service, a variety of meat cuts and seafood. There’s also ice cream and a variety of hot dishes to pick from as well

I came here for a friend's birthday dinner, and it was a great time! For their birthday dinner, the birthday person gets a free meal, with a group of four or more. The interior of this restaurant is much nicer than it appears from the outside, and there's plenty of big tables for large groups. You order your items on an iPad and the staff comes out fairly quick with your food.<br><br>Here, you have the option to do both or either KBBQ and/or hotpot. This time, my friends and I just opted for their hotpot. They have a good variety of options (although less than I typically see for AYCE hotpot—ie. they only have 4 meat options) for veggies, meat, and seafood. They also have a variety of appetizers, such as the seafood pancake, that you can pay a little bit extra for. The hotpot itself is pretty solid and all of the ingredients are fresh. Overall, good value for the money and I would love to come back to try their BBQ.

An excellent hot pot restaurant with a ton of options. Staff is very attentive and will bring you anything you ask for. There is also a supplemental buffet and drinks cooler that is included free of charge. All the broths we tried were excellent and the ingredients were fresh. Highly recommended.

I don’t know where to begin…I read a bunch of the recent reviews for this place before going…hoping that the experience would not disappoint. But the truth of the matter is, the bad reviews didn’t disappoint.<br><br>There was one waitress that was super friendly and smiley. The rest could care less about giving you a good and friendly experience.<br><br>The food bar offered a good selection of pre-cooked food, but the flavor and quality was not good.<br><br>The food for the hotpot was also unimpressive. Vegetables were good. The quail eggs were good. Duck feet was good. Shrimp paste was good. Fatty beef was not tasty and texture was off. Seafood and some of the other proteins were not fresh and didn’t taste good…<br><br>Fridge beverage selection was good. Fruits were good. Ice cream was also good.<br><br>Overall, would not recommend.

*Long Review!*<br><br>They remodeled inside! Its actually so chill with the new chairs and tables. Still free on your birthday and singing for u, and the ingredients are good and there's free bar buffet like fries or chicken nuggets, fruits, shaved ice station, seafood boil lol, and sauce station. I like their dessert/shaved ice topping of AiyuJelly. Yummy. Oh and there's free ice cream at the end. AYCE is about $35 a person roughly.<br><br>Our group had one hotpot and two barbecue grill, which I didn't think was allowed to mix, but the table separated pretty well to be able to and the server was very kind and friendly!! Maybe it wasn't rush hour food time therefore the experience was great! They help you grill the meat but you can also grill it yourself, so there's the stress taken off you when youre busy doing other things. You can flip it yourself and eat when you think is done, or they come assist you when they walk around which is quite often.<br><br>The meat selection was ok, mostly beef and no chicken item except wings, the shrimps was tasty and the pork was ok. My favorite was pork belly probably. They do lettuce wraps instead of salad, I come to realize i prefer the salad style for less mess but you can always chopstick your lettuce :)