[Review] Broth N Bowls: Hotpot, Grill, and Good Company in Iloilo City

Broth N Bowls in Iloilo City. Jep | Flickr

Located at Festive Walk in the Megaworld Complex, Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Broth N Bowls had been on my radar for a while since encountering their ads on Facebook featuring mouth-watering grilled meat and hotpot enjoyed between friends. I also heard plenty of good things about it from friends, so when we found ourselves in the Festive Walk area looking for a place to eat, we finally decided to give it a shot.

The restaurant concept is simple but enticing: unlimited shabu-shabu (hotpot), dim sum, and yakiniku (hotplate grilling). It’s definitely not the kind of place you’d go to solo. The whole setup feels more appropriate for a social gathering, perfect for a group of friends who enjoy cooking, chatting, and eating together.

I was a bit disappointed to learn that the unlimited dim sum offer wasn’t available when we dined in. I was, in fact, looking forward to sampling their dim sum options. A friend later told me that the unlimited dim sum might actually be the highlight of the whole experience. It would’ve been nice if they had at least offered to convert our iced tea to bottomless, since the combo came with a tall pitcher that wasn’t refillable. I couldn’t help but feel a little shortchanged.

We opted for the unlimited hotpot and grill option (there are à la carte options available on the menu). The hotpot setup allows for two types of broth, thanks to a divided pot, but we were told to choose only one type of broth. We chose one of the basic broths (pork), but if you prefer something fancier (I am just assuming that they do, since the so-called premium broths cost an extra 100 pesos). For the initial order, they hand you a checklist to tick off your selections. After that, you just order directly from the wait staff.

One thing that stood out was the configuration of their grill and hotpot setup. The hotpot surrounds the grilling area, which means that when there is a lot of caramelized meat and marinade on the grill, you can “wash” the grill surface with broth and let the drippings flow into the soup. It’s a clever design. I’m more used to setups where the hotpot is in the center and the grill is on the outside with a separate drip pan.

Keep in mind that this is one of those eat-all-you-can places with a time limit. It’s not too restrictive, but if you’re planning to catch up with someone you haven’t seen in ages, you might want to pick a spot where you won’t feel rushed between bites and stories. Also, don’t forget the 10% service fee that gets added to the bill, so the final calculation won't match the stated promo price on their posters.

Broth N Bowls in Iloilo City. Jep | Flickr

Despite a few setbacks, we left dinner feeling very satisfied. The staff was friendly and even gave us some great recommendations on what to pick for the hotpot. We especially loved the beef meatballs, meat-wrapped enoki mushrooms, and lobster balls. All in all, it was a fun and flavorful night out. We will definitely be back, but we will make sure that the dim sum is back on the menu.