Four Seasons Hot Pot and Dumplings in Provo offers traditional deliciousness for the indecisive
Vegetables, meat and noodles cook in chicken and spicy broths at Four Seasons Hot Pot & Dumplings in Provo.
Steamed dumplings are pictured at Four Seasons Hot Pot & Dumplings in Provo.
Appetizers are served at Four Seasons Hot Pot & Dumplings in Provo.
Complimentary appetizers are served at Four Seasons Hot Pot & Dumplings in Provo.
Vegetables, meats and noodles are added to boiling broth at Four Seasons Hot Pot & Dumplings in Provo.
Meats, vegetables and noodles are available at the buffet at Four Seasons Hot Pot & Dumplings in Provo.
Complimentary appetizers are served at Four Seasons Hot Pot & Dumplings in Provo.
Meats, vegetables and noodles cook in chicken and spicy broth at Four Seasons Hot Pot & Dumplings in Provo.
Though Utah County has no shortage of new and “coming soon” restaurants, it’s surprisingly difficult to find and narrow down one just right for the weekly Daily Herald dining review.
It can be quite an endeavor scouring the storefronts and internet for a new place, or even a not-so-new place that may have been overlooked, and it was exactly that predicament I found myself in one Friday night with a car packed with exceptionally hungry adults and children alike.
For the last review, we’d lucked upon recently opened Yummy’s Korean BBQ & Sushi in Orem, and to be quite honest, it’s a tough act to follow, so we veered from the path of new to check out a Provo staple last reviewed over a decade ago: Four Seasons Hot Pot & Dumplings.
Located right in the maelstrom of University Avenue roadway construction, Four Seasons offers a little international sanctuary from the storm with a home-y feel and traditional Chinese décor that left us all agreeing we’d made a solid dining decision.
Having been to quite a spread of local eateries, I expected after being seated, that we’d be treated to a menu and some basic introduction of how things worked … however, armed only with knowledge of the restaurant’s name emphasis — hot pot and dumplings — did we really have any idea what was in store for us?
Notices on our table included myriad sage advice for restaurant guests, including the need to order ahead for dumplings for larger parties (all dumplings are hand-made to order), and to keep children away from the extraordinarily hot steam of the hot pot. A bold note also reminded diners of the hazards of undercooked meats, but no menus were anywhere to be seen.
I don’t know if it was the slightly panicked look on our faces or our lack of movement toward the buffet bar at the end of the room, but it didn’t take long for the sweet couple who owns Four Seasons to take mercy on us. As we munched away at our appetizers (seasoned shredded carrots and peanuts with two of the restaurant’s most popular sauces for the impending meal), we were guided through the process of ordering some of the namesake dumplings and selecting items to put in our divided hot pot.
For those as inexperienced as us, the hot pot is literally a large hot pot of boiling broth where you cook your meal at your table. We selected the basic chicken broth and a medium spicy broth (Szechwan mala spicy), though other options include Miso soup and tomato soup.
The Hot Pot option also includes an all-you-can-eat buffet, soda and ice cream (including orange cream bars and ice cream sandwiches). It’s actually a pretty sweet set-up, and the restaurant owners made sure we were aware of what foods tasted best with others, and how to cook all our selected items.
The trick is the food on the buffet is unlabeled, but includes a pretty impressive array of goodies waiting to take a hot bath in your personal hot pot before being consumed.
Ingredients included pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, fish, crab, mussels, tofu, broccoli, potatoes, zucchini, seaweed, flour, rice and potato noodles, mushrooms, eggs, sauces and more. Once we were taught how to get the pot boiling, one of the owners helped us drop in our selections and told us how long each item needed to cook for, with most taking just a minute or two before being ready.
He also came to check on us periodically and make sure our broth levels were still high enough for optimal cooking, and even brought over a bowl of ice to help cool down food more quickly for the children in our party.
The meats were exceptionally delicious when cooked in the hot pot broths, with the flour noodles and zucchini following close behind as favorites, though it was also fun to sample things we wouldn’t traditionally, such as tofu skin, fish balls (meatballs made of fish) and cooked seaweed.
With rice available as a base, and a wide variety of seasonings, it was really an entertaining experience, and I was particularly excited to see how much our little ones ate (at their ages — 1 and 3 — kids eat free, which is a real bonus).
It was in the midst of our hot pot feeding frenzy that our Zheng Jiao Steamed Dumplings arrived, and they were incredible. It didn’t take long for them to disappear once they were served, and the 3-year old was responsible for eating the most.
Four Seasons Dumplings come stuffed with pork, beef or chicken and veggies and are either steamed or boiled, with other options including seafood fillings and steamed buns. It’s an extra charge, but totally, totally worth it.
With something cooking constantly and frequent trips to the buffet and back, it’s safe to say everyone was impressed with the taste, quality and inclusions of Four Seasons. Though the spicy broth was considerably more spicy than we were expecting and left an entertaining after-burn on the tongue, it was all delicious, and made even better with the bottomless fountain drinks and the bonus of an ice cream bar to wrap things up.
Most delightful, though, were the owners, who were very aware of our needs, and quick to help us get our bearings in an environment that was initially totally foreign to us.
Walking away, we felt full, happy and satisfied that we didn’t even have to look at a menu to be served exactly what we were hungry for.
FOUR SEASONS HOT POT & DUMPLINGS
Where: 236 N. University Ave., Provo
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, closed Sunday
Prices: $5.50-$15
Info: (801) 375-6888
Dining
