Cookertainment. We’re officially naming that genre of eating that spans Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam, inviting diners to barbecue, grill, sauté, and simmer their own meal. In Korean restaurants, there’s shabu shabu, and in Chinese and Taiwanese, hot pot. The Taiwanese are now hip to this trend of individual pots, which we love, and which you can find over at Hot Pot City; but Beijing Hot Pot still does it old-school, a style that has its own perks (ever used chopsticks as a flirting device?).

There are also kitchen-prepared dishes like congee and handmade dumplings, but you’re here to cookertain yourselves, so just get down to business. The selection of broths isn’t as varied here as it is at Hot Pot City—there are two kinds: plain and spicy. Plain is really plain, and spicy still needs some help. Meats are also more limited here, but you can (and should) get lamb, which just tastes grassy and funky, adding some much-needed depth to the broth. But remember to fish these thin cuts out early—overcooked meat is no better when you overcook it than when someone else does. Hand-cut noodles are a nice touch here, even if there isn’t a terribly interesting array of hot pot ingredients.

The room is stunningly prettier than many other of its ilk, with white tile floors and walls and bright red chairs with skirts. The artwork on the walls feels like something you’d want in your home.

Service is exceedingly friendly and helpful, even when language is a barrier. Luckily, it doesn’t take a working knowledge of English to smile and turn down a burner, or point to a dipping sauce and nod, or refill your broth for you when it starts to get low. Cookertainment is the universal language.