Affordable Buffet
Reviews describe reasonably priced all-you-can-eat meals, including one AED55 visit praised as fantastic.
Nihao Hot Pot & BBQ Restaurant
Bur Dubai
Nihao Hot Pot & BBQ Restaurant is a self-service hot pot and BBQ restaurant in Bur Dubai. Reviews highlight build-your-own combinations of meats, vegetables and sauces, plus tables with their own grills for buffet dining and group meals.
Reputation Score
4.1
★★★★☆
411 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Build Your Own
Choose from meats, vegetables and sauces to assemble your own hot pot meal.
Table Grills
The tables have built-in cookers or grills, and staff were reported to assist with cooking.
Unlimited Drinks
One review specifically notes that unlimited drinks were included with the grilling buffet.
Group Friendly
The welcoming, kid-friendly setup and VIP room make it suitable for family gatherings and office parties.
Korean Noodles
Korean noodles were singled out by one regular visitor as a favourite dish.
What to Eat at Nihao Hot Pot & BBQ Restaurant How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For Nihao Hot Pot & BBQ Restaurant, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Nihao Hot Pot & BBQ Restaurant, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 9
-
Barbeque isaw Net +1
“food was soooo delicious😍 inlove sa barbeque isaw. suddenly i missed street food philippines.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“food was soooo delicious😍 inlove sa barbeque isaw. suddenly i missed street food philippines.”August 2021
-
Chicken corn soup Net +1
“I absolutely love it. My kids love their egg fried rice and spring rools. A vide variety of chicken, beef and duck! Their chicken corn soup is so yummy!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I absolutely love it. My kids love their egg fried rice and spring rools. A vide variety of chicken, beef and duck! Their chicken corn soup is so yummy!”December 2018
-
Egg fried rice Net +1
“I absolutely love it. My kids love their egg fried rice and spring rools. A vide variety of chicken, beef and duck! Their chicken corn soup is so yummy!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I absolutely love it. My kids love their egg fried rice and spring rools. A vide variety of chicken, beef and duck! Their chicken corn soup is so yummy!”December 2018
-
Hot fried rice Net +1
“Not like before i mean years ago but the food and service is ok. I miss the old shiffs who retired from sometimes no one could resist those amazing lemon chicken and hot fried rice....”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Not like before i mean years ago but the food and service is ok. I miss the old shiffs who retired from sometimes no one could resist those amazing lemon chicken and hot fried rice....”October 2018
-
Hotpot/grilled Net +1
“Food was delicious both buffet, and hotpot/grilled..but the sushi is not...the sushi rice is mushy and the taste was not good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Food was delicious both buffet, and hotpot/grilled..but the sushi is not...the sushi rice is mushy and the taste was not good.”July 2023
-
Korean noodles Net +1
“Very nice food,especially the Korean noodles....love to eat here every week..tnx a lot for the delicious food n very polite staffs...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Very nice food,especially the Korean noodles....love to eat here every week..tnx a lot for the delicious food n very polite staffs...”September 2024
-
Lemon chicken Net +1
“Not like before i mean years ago but the food and service is ok. I miss the old shiffs who retired from sometimes no one could resist those amazing lemon chicken and hot fried rice....”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Not like before i mean years ago but the food and service is ok. I miss the old shiffs who retired from sometimes no one could resist those amazing lemon chicken and hot fried rice....”October 2018
-
Shabu shabu Net +1
“If you are craving for bbq and shabu shabu, this restaurant is a quick recharge to the palate. Foods improved for better since day 1 of this place.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“If you are craving for bbq and shabu shabu, this restaurant is a quick recharge to the palate. Foods improved for better since day 1 of this place.”March 2021
-
Spring roll Net 0
Mixed feedback
“I absolutely love it. My kids love their egg fried rice and spring rools. A vide variety of chicken, beef and duck! Their chicken corn soup is so yummy!”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“I absolutely love it. My kids love their egg fried rice and spring rools. A vide variety of chicken, beef and duck! Their chicken corn soup is so yummy!”December 2018
What to Avoid (8)
Food 8
-
Beef Net −1
“Go ahead and order anything except the beef (unless your fond of salty beef). Food is good and prepared fresh from fresh ingredients. Service takes a while but, the waiter was very pleasant.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Go ahead and order anything except the beef (unless your fond of salty beef). Food is good and prepared fresh from fresh ingredients. Service takes a while but, the waiter was very pleasant.”January 2018
-
Fried rice Net −1
“The fried rice were nothing like before , Manchurian color was orange ? Really?”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The fried rice were nothing like before , Manchurian color was orange ? Really?”October 2018
-
Hot pot selection Net −1
“Mediocre hot pot selection and the ready to eat food are also mediocre taste.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Mediocre hot pot selection and the ready to eat food are also mediocre taste.”January 2025
-
Manchurian Net −1
“The fried rice were nothing like before , Manchurian color was orange ? Really?”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The fried rice were nothing like before , Manchurian color was orange ? Really?”October 2018
-
Mussles Net −1
“The squid and the mussles were both spoiled upon checking from the chef he said its not spoiled,”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The squid and the mussles were both spoiled upon checking from the chef he said its not spoiled,”March 2022
-
Siomai Net −1
“The siomai was still hard and had the texture of being frozen.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The siomai was still hard and had the texture of being frozen.”July 2023
-
Squid Net −1
“The squid and the mussles were both spoiled upon checking from the chef he said its not spoiled,”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The squid and the mussles were both spoiled upon checking from the chef he said its not spoiled,”March 2022
-
Sushi Net −3
“Highly recommended!! Every special occasion were dining in this restaurant, all the staff are friendly and accommodating. For the food, only the sushi is the problem and the rest it's soooooooo good.”
Positive 1Negative 4
Critical review excerpts
“Highly recommended!! Every special occasion were dining in this restaurant, all the staff are friendly and accommodating. For the food, only the sushi is the problem and the rest it's soooooooo good.”February 2022
“The food is pretty much a bit below average. My friend tried Sushi as well but didn't like that either.”December 2020
Tips for a Better Visit
Confirm Package. Ask which buffet tier is available and what it includes; one review was quoted AED60 for hot pot plus BBQ and AED40 for plain buffet.
Check Sushi. If sushi matters to your meal, inspect it first or ask about freshness, as multiple reviews found it disappointing.
Ask About VIP. For a party, ask ahead about the VIP room; reviews say it is the dedicated area for private gatherings and parties.
Plan Parking. Allow for paid parking when visiting; one review specifically mentions paid parking being available nearby.
Check Broth. Ask about the soup base before choosing the hot pot, since one diner found the broth bland even on the grilling package.
Watch Timing. Confirm when the buffet starts if arriving late afternoon or evening; one diner was surprised it began at 7pm.
Plan the visit
Practical details
2nd of December St, Opp Almala Restaurant
Al Bada', Dubai
Common Concerns
Variable Quality
Food quality varies sharply: reviews range from delicious meals to undercooked, tasteless rice and limited buffet choices.
Weak Sushi
Several reviews criticise the sushi, including mushy rice, poor taste and an unappealing presentation.
Frozen Ingredients
One review found the meats and vegetables overly frozen, with a simple marinade.
Uneven Service
Service praise is mixed with reports of rude staff, poor explanations and a soft drink arriving nearly 45 minutes late.
Hygiene Concern
A review reported insects and cockroaches on a table, which caused the diners to stop eating.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
60 AED
hotpot + BBQ option
“They told me that the hotpot + BBQ option costs 60 AED, but if I opted for a plain buffet, it would be 40 AED”Google review · March 2025
40 AED
plain buffet
“They told me that the hotpot + BBQ option costs 60 AED, but if I opted for a plain buffet, it would be 40 AED”Google review · March 2025
59 AED
buffet with grilling
“I was expecting more options for the 59 AED (with the grilling)”Google review · July 2024
69 aed per person
All you can eat BBQ & Hot Pot
“We had All you can eat BBQ & Hot Pot (69 aed per person)”Google review · November 2022
55aed
eat all you can buffet
“55aed per eat all you can”Google review · August 2021
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Nihao Hot Pot & BBQ Restaurant is a Bur Dubai buffet spot built around self-service hot pot and BBQ. You can select meats, vegetables and sauces, then cook them at your table; reviews also mention sushi, Korean noodles and Pakistani food. The built-in grill setup gives groups something to do while they eat, and staff have sometimes helped first-time hot pot diners.
Value is a major draw. Customer-reported buffet prices range from AED30 to AED69, with soft drinks or unlimited drinks included in some packages. One review described the AED55 all-you-can-eat option as fantastic, while another found the AED69 BBQ and hot pot buffet varied but worth returning for.
Families and groups may appreciate the kid-friendly atmosphere and VIP room for parties. Quality is not consistent, however. Some diners praise the food and friendly service, while others describe limited choices, undercooked rice, bland broth, frozen ingredients and disappointing sushi.
A past review also reported insects and cockroaches at a table. Confirm the exact package, check the buffet and sushi before settling in, and remember that paid parking has been mentioned.