SheZen Mono Hot Pot - The Beginning
Near the end of Covid, my wife and I were discussing other culinary business opportunities worth pursuing. Prior to this we ran a successful catering business and for many reasons, which I detailed in a previous article, decided that was not the business category we wanted to remain in. What they say is true, some of your greatest ideas are right in front of you.
We had thrown our own hot pot parties in the past for various occasions, and they were always a hit, but was something that, just like a lot of other good ideas, gets put on the back burner, as life gets in the way sometimes. Hot Pot was actually a cultural tradition within Natalies Japanese heritage. It was a time where family and friends gathered, socially interacted, enjoyed each other’s company, all over a fun dining experience. Ironically enough, the idea came about when social interaction was strongly prohibited. We were nearing the end of the pandemic and people were dying to be around friends and family again, however a little apprehensive about taking a chance around large groups of people.
Our concept allowed us to go into clients' homes and recreate this authentic and interactive experience, but within a safe and smaller environment. Our early clients were couples with maybe two of their friends as guests. As life started returning to normal, we began expanding in overall event size, now providing this experience for groups as large as 30ppl.
One of the real joys of this concept, is when the client or any of the guests, have never experienced it before. It can be a little overwhelming at first site due to the sheer amount of items on the table, but when on full display, there is an immediate WOW factor for sure. Chef Natalie walks everyone through all the fresh ingredients, sauces, aromatics, providing suggestions on how to customize your own broth to your personal liking and answers any questions. The fun part is there is no right or wrong way to do this. Everyone is different and enjoying and experimenting with new flavors and ingredients is all part of the overall experience. Once finished, we return to clean up like we were never there. Funny enough, as much as people love the food, the not having to clean up part is also a favorite addition to the service.
We could not be happier with the warm reception the Orlando foodie community has given us. Many of our clients have now become regulars and there is a great sense of responsibility when your entrusted with contributing to people's special occasions. We are honored to be invited into your homes and will continue to strive to provide the best culinary experience we possibly can.