Dave Lowry | June 23, 2025
One of the not-inconsiderable joys of connoisseurship in Chinese cuisine lies in the nuance and subtlety of the food and of other matters related to dining. When you have a culture as old as China’s, you’re going to evolve a lot of that kind of thing. This occurred to us upon visiting the new Movoc Hot Pot (6329 Delmar), which joined the already fairly warm pot of new eateries that are bubbling along that street.
Actually, what we noticed first was the nearly floor-to-ceiling array of chilled foods in bins that dominate one wall of the small place. Tendrils of frosted air swirl around—it’s like someone left open the door of a giant refrigerator.
The pool of broth that arrives at your table (there are small chafing candles lit under the stand holding the wok-like pots) is a visual masterpiece. Red and russet oil is so deeply hued that the color itself actually seems pungent.
