Central Ohio is enjoying a wealth of hot pot and Korean BBQ places, and the west side isn’t being left out, thanks to Siji Korean BBQ & Hot Bar and Bar!
Siji sits in a stand-alone building in the Georgesville Square shopping center, not far off I-270. Similar to other hot pot places, they feature an expansive dining room with tables that are ideal for 4-6 people, although they feature some nice two-tops as well.
If you’re not familiar with Korean BBQ and hot pot restaurants, the process is pretty simple. You have to decide collectively as a table whether you want to do the barbecue OR the hot pot OR both. The whole table has to choose the same thing.
Then you flip through the menu and choose which dishes you like. You can order as much as you want, but you can be charged if there are too many unused plates. So we tend to order on the low side and then add more later if needed.
The menus also highlight which dishes are meant for the barbecue and which are for the hot pot. And they span almost every type of meat available, loads of veggies, mushrooms, tofu, dumplings, noodles, and more. It’s easy to get overwhelmed.
After you order, you should take a moment to hit up the sauce and side bar. They have a mix of sauces, salads, kimchi, a few desserts, some fruit.
The signs over the bar also give you little recipes to mix up some sauces.
While you get your sauces, your server will fire up the center grill (if you chose the barbecue).
You also choose the broth base for your hot pot; they’ll deliver that and get them boiling.
And before you know it, they’ll roll up a cart and drop off your dishes.
Your table will fill up quickly!
They provide oil for the grill, but we often pick up more oil, butter, and garlic for the grill.
There are tongs to help you grill and scissors to cut up portions.
Your server will stop by to replace the grill throughout the meal. Most places we’ve been to have replaced it maybe once halfway through, but at Siji they did it three times!
It really is a multi-sensory experience, and it can get overwhelming! If you’ve never done Korean BBQ or hot pot, we suggest going with some experienced diners.
Siji Korean BBQ & Hot Pot and Bar is open Sunday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (last seating is 9 p.m.) and Friday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. (last seating is 10 p.m.)
Siji Korean BBQ & Hot Pot and Bar
1650 Georgesville Square Dr.
Columbus, OH 43228
(614) 853-8888
Web: sijibbq.com
FB: SIJI Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
IG: @sijicolumbus