K-Pot opens its first Long Island restaurant

K-Pot, a Korean BBQ and hot pot restaurant, has opened its first location on Long Island.

The fast-growing chain opened a nearly 7,000-square-foot restaurant at the Samanea New York mall in Westbury last week. It is the mall’s first new restaurant in 26 years.

K-Pot was born from four friends from different backgrounds who blended their cuisines over a shared table. The restaurant is for both the food adventurers and the social eaters with a full bar and nightlife atmosphere, offering a unique, hands-on, all-you-can-eat experience that merges traditional Asian hot pot with Korean BBQ flavors.

“Our goal is for guests to enjoy the global spices and seasonings while feeling a sense of community,” Marco Shih, who heads the Westbury K-Pot, said in a written statement. “In the true spirit of the friendship that founded K-Pot, our greatest pleasure is seeing friends and family gather together for lively conversation over a feast of good food.”

The K-Pot chain has more than 100 locations across the U.S. and is planning to soon open other Long Island locations at the South Shore Mall in Bay Shore and the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove.