THE BEST NEW EATERIES IN FLUSHING'S CHINATOWN

By Hana R. Alberts August 6, 2016 | 3:12am

Chinese, Korean and Japanese cultures all have strong hot-pot traditions, in which diners spear raw vegetables, tofu, meat, dumplings, fish balls, noodles and other goodies with chopsticks and dunk them into bubbling, flavorful broth. Once cooked, the pieces are then dipped in a sauce of your own concoction, containing anything from gentle sesame oil, scallions and peanuts to spicy garlic, XO sauce and chili peppers. The buffet at pan-Asian restaurant Spring Shabu Shabu both honors this culinary institution and kicks it up a notch. For $16.95 (less at lunch and for kids), get all-you-can-eat access to buffet tables overflowing with creative possibilities for your pot. And yes, there’s even kale.

136-20 38th Ave.; 718-395-8076, SpringShabu.com