Molo Asian BBQ gears up for its grand opening in Appleton | The Buzz

APPLETON - Entering Molo Asian BBQ and Hotpot,  1170 N. Westhill Blvd., is an experience in itself, as customers are immediately illuminated by the floor-to-ceiling, glowing mushroom tree that sits in the front of the restaurant.

The full bar, for customers who might want to stop in for a drink, sits right in front of the mushroom tree. Customers might even be greeted and sat by a robotic waiter, which joined the staff this week.

MOLO stands for "more to love" or "meat lover," explained the owner of Molo Asian BBQ, Ping Cheng.

"There are two Os in Molo, one represents the shape of the hot pot and the other represents the shape of the grills," Cheng said.

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Molo Asian BBQ, a Korean barbecue restaurant, quietly opened in the beginning of April, but has yet to host a grand opening event as Cheng is still refining small details.

Cheng is brand new to the restaurant industry, having left her job as a high school teacher to pursue her dreams of opening Molo Asian BBQ.

"The reason I wanted to open Molo is because in Asian culture, people take eating a meal very seriously," Cheng said. "We love to sit down as a family or a group, cook and eat at the same time."

The restaurant serves all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue, where customers are brought raw meat and vegetables to their table to be cooked on built-in grills. Customers can also get hot pot, where a bowl of hot broth of choice is brought to the table along with chosen ingredients to be cooked in the broth and kept warm on built-in cooktops.

"The reason we named it Molo Asian BBQ is because we combined a few Asian cuisines," Cheng said. "Korean barbecue originates from Korea and the hot pot is from China."

Cheng said a lot of time, money and dedication goes into preparing the food that is cooked by customers, including the homemade sauce for the beef and chicken bulgogi, some of the restaurant's most popular Korean barbecue items.

"We spent several months coming up with that recipe," Cheng said.

Other foods that can be ordered include lamb, short rib, shrimp, and a large variety of vegetables. A station of unlimited appetizers and a station with sauces and spices, including the restaurant's signature Molo sauce and spicy Molo sauce, are accessible to customers during their visit.

Cheng said the restaurant does its best to cater to everyone, even those who might be skeptical to the idea of Korean barbecue.

"We can cook the food and serve it to customers if they prefer it that way," Cheng said.

There's even a lunch option for customers on a time crunch, giving them the choice between a number of proteins and a side that is cooked and served. The menu comes with plenty of vegetarian and gluten free options as well.

Cheng said the grand opening is planned for the beginning of June as she's still taking feedback and making adjustments to cater best to customers.

"I want to create a loving, warm environment so that no matter what customer comes in they feel like we're open for them," Cheng said.

For updates on Molo Asian BBQ and more information on the grand opening, follow its Facebook page.

Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@gannett.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton's Molo Asian BBQ prepares for grand opening