All-you-can-eat Recipe

Prepare chosen broths

For each selected broth, combine 8 cups base liquid with seasonings. For chicken broth: heat 8 cups chicken bone broth with 2 tbs soy sauce and 1 tbs sesame oil; keep at a gentle simmer. For spicy kimchi broth: in a pot combine 8 cups water/broth, 4 tbs gochujang, 1 cup chopped kimchi with its juice, 1 tbs soy sauce and simmer 10–15 minutes. For miso seaweed broth: warm 8 cups water with 2–3 strips kombu (remove before boiling), then whisk in 6 tbs white miso off heat so it dissolves without boiling. Taste and adjust salt with soy sauce. Keep broths hot on individual burners at serving stations.

If using concentrate, dilute per package instructions (usually 1 part concentrate to 3–4 parts water). Maintain broths at a gentle simmer throughout service.

Marinate meats

Divide proteins into batches for marinating. For soy-garlic marinade: combine 2 cups soy sauce-based marinade (with minced garlic, brown sugar, sesame oil, pear or apple puree and black pepper). Toss beef, pork and chicken portions to coat and marinate 30–60 minutes chilled. For seafood, toss shrimp and squid with 1 cup sesame-garlic marinade and refrigerate 15–30 minutes; do not over-marinate seafood.

Preheat grills

Preheat tabletop grills or stations on medium-high. Oil grill grates lightly with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.

Grill service procedure

Place portions on hot grill; cook thin slices of beef, pork and chicken 1–2 minutes per side until nicely seared and cooked through. Shrimp cook 2–3 minutes, squid 1–2 minutes until just opaque. Use tongs to flip. Move cooked items to warm serving platters. Replenish raw portions to maintain 'unlimited' availability—monitor times and rotate batches to keep meat fresh.

Prep vegetables

Wash and trim all vegetables. Chop napa cabbage into large bite-sized pieces (about 8 cups). Trim enoki bases and separate into small bundles. Slice shiitake, king oyster, zucchini and carrots into even pieces for quick cooking. Cube firm tofu into 1-inch pieces and portion silken tofu into larger chunks for gentle handling.

Hotpot additions

Place vegetable platters beside hotpot stations. Guests add napa cabbage, spinach, mushrooms, tofu, zucchini and carrots to the simmering broth as desired. Root vegetables and thicker items (king oyster) should simmer 4–6 minutes; leafy greens and enoki 1–2 minutes; firm tofu 3–4 minutes; silken tofu 2–3 minutes. Strain or ladle into bowls when cooked.

Grill vegetables

Brush thicker vegetables (zucchini, king oyster, shiitake) lightly with oil and grill 2–4 minutes per side until charred and tender. Remove to service platters and replenish as needed.

Prepare banchan in advance and keep chilled or at serving temperature as appropriate. Kimchi, cucumber salad, seasoned bean sprouts and braised potatoes can be portioned into small dishes for self-service. Pan-fried zucchini and steamed egg custard should be prepared fresh or reheated gently (hobak jeon 2–3 minutes on a griddle; gyeran jjim steam or microwave in covered dish until just set). Replenish frequently to maintain unlimited availability.

Rice & noodles prep

Cook short-grain rice in rice cookers and keep warm; fluff and portion in bowls for guests. Cook udon and glass noodles to package instructions (al dente), rinse under cold water to stop cooking, toss lightly with oil to prevent sticking, and keep covered. For hotpot, guests can add noodles to broth near the end to heat through: udon 1–2 minutes, glass noodles 2–3 minutes.

Dessert station

Prepare cold dessert bowls or shaved-ice bases with fruit, sweet syrups and toppings. Keep chilled and refill during service so dessert options remain unlimited.

Arrange dipping sauces in shallow bowls for self-service. For ssamjang: mix gochujang, doenjang, sesame oil, minced garlic and a pinch of sugar until smooth. For soy-sesame dipping sauce: whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, minced garlic, sesame oil and sliced green onion. Provide toasted sesame seeds, sliced chilies, lime wedges and fresh lettuce/perilla leaves at the station. Encourage guests to wrap grilled meat with lettuce, banchan and sauce.

Set up one grill or hotpot per 3–4 guests with adequate ventilation. Keep tongs separate for raw and cooked items. Place individual serving bowls and communal utensils for banchan, rice and sauces. Maintain food safety by keeping raw seafood and meats chilled until placed on grill, and by rotating cooked items off the grill to holding platters at warm temperature. Monitor stock levels and replenish fresh batches quickly to sustain the 'unlimited' offering.