Good classic Chinese hotpot, but there are definitely better spots around. We got the a la carte,…read moreand ordered a variety of meats and seafood. They have a veggie bar as well which you pay for per person. The side dishes aren't too vast, but there is a decent selection - I LOVED their woodear mushrooms! They were so garlickey and flavorful. The meats and sauces otherwise were pretty standard for hotpot. The spicy broth is quite spicy so beware. I really liked the basa fish, as well as the tender beef but towards the end they all kind of tasted the same. I did really love the dessert though, as they had all my favorites - black rice soup, red beans, jelly, etc. It's a good spot if you're in bellevue and want some authentic hotpot!

My friends and I dined at Lao Ma Tou Hot Pot for the first time and it was a confusing experience…read morefrom start to finish. To begin, you have the option to do either AYCE or order al la carte. However, the menu that's presented to you only shows the AYCE options. Next, there are honestly too many tiers of AYCE -- five to be exact, and some are only available certain days of the week. From tier to tier, it's unclear what items are included. Additionally, how the vegetable add-on works is not clear. Only after we ordered the vegetable add-on did we realize it's a single platter your table receives that you're able to bring over to the self-serve vegetable station next to the sauce bar. Overall for the price, the food and experience was underwhelming. The AYCE price only includes the price of meats. In order to have vegetables, you need to pay $10 more, there is a per person charge on the sauce bar (REQUIRED -- not optional), and there is a up charge on anything that's not the most basic broth options. The vegetable options are fairly limited as well. Of the items we tried out, my favorite was probably the lamb shoulder -- albeit it was a bit on the oily side. The "tender beef" we ordered had an unnatural pink color to it even after we had cooked it for a long time in the broth. We all ate it with uneasiness, but thankfully none of us felt sick afterwards. I can't say I've ever had beef that was so brightly colored pink before. We ended up ordering two broths for our table. The Chengdu spicy broth -- which costs an additional $10, was absurdly spicy, even though we opted for the lightest spicy option. One of my friends and I generally enjoy eating spicy food, but this one had us sweating. If you're sensitive to oil, you will definitely want to pass on the spicy broth as there is a ton of beef tallow. During our meal, our server stopped by twice to top-off our broth. However, our empty water pitcher was never refilled. In terms of ordering, you're limited to ordering six items at a time, with a ten minute cool down. I'm not sure if this is dependent on group size, but for our table of four, we had a 1.5 hour dining limit. We were only able to place orders three times, so if you're a hungry group, you'll want to manage your time carefully. Overall, I had a decent dining experience, but it was not the most economical. After an 18% tip and tax, our meal came out to be $234., or $58.5 per person. For this price, I probably would opt to eat non-AYCE options at Haidilao or Dolar Shop.

Came back many years later and wow, what a turnaround!…read more We came on a Thursday evening for dinner and got greeted and seated right away. We opted for the $40 AYCE hotpot and kbbq. We both ordered the tom yum broth. It was super flavorful and tasty. They also have a plentiful make-your-own sauce bar and various hotpot ingredients up for grabs along the side. You're able to order meat with the server. Our server was super nice and always reiterated to give her a shout whenever we wanted a refill on meats. My favorite by far was the pork belly but tbh all the meat tasted good. Would definitely come back.

How do you rate the best of both worlds.... Like a HUGE 5 stars . I've always seen this place and…read morenever made it to here but today I did and by am I happy I did! They have hotpot options PLUS KBBQ. And it's ALL YOU CAN EAT!! The price is very reasonable it's economical. I was served by an older lady and man probably the owners and they were the sweetest. Everything was fresh, with great options. The place had burners in the middle for the bbq and individual burners for the hotpot . It had an open layout with plenty of room. Great for parties and gatherings! Nice decor ! Also like the idea of the rotary that has the veggies, dumplings, noodles etc . This was definitely a great choice .

The Dolar Shop is a popular hot pot chain that originated in Shanghai in 2004. We frequently visit…read morethe Bellevue location, and it's easy to see why this place is always packed! These days, walk-ins can mean waiting an hour or more, so making a reservation in advance is highly recommended whenever we crave hot pot. The restaurant also has ample parking and offers parking validation, which is a nice bonus. The interior is modern and stylish, and thanks to our advance reservation, we were seated promptly without any wait. Our waiter quickly served our drinks and even prepared a special dipping sauce for us while we placed our order. Once our order was in, we headed over to the AYCE dessert and appetizer bar, where we could make our own dipping sauces and enjoy a variety of goodies, including oranges, melon, peanuts, kimchi, grapes, and osmanthus jelly with an assortment of toppings. We ordered the rib eye set, and the beef was sliced paper-thin, tender, and delicious. Both the beef and vegetables tasted fresh. For our soup bases, we chose the Chef's Creamy Pork Broth and the regular Pork Broth. We've tried other broths here before, but these two remain our favorites! Another highlight is the unlimited noodles, which are perfect for enjoying with the flavorful broths. To finish off the meal, we were treated to complimentary vanilla ice cream served in a cone. What a sweet way to end a satisfying hot pot feast! Our meal came to $42.99 per person, and honestly, it was worth every penny. Between the fresh ingredients, delicious soup bases, generous extras, and attentive service, The Dolar Shop continues to be one of our favorite hot pot spots. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend giving it a visit!

For $6 they sell fountain soda that is barely carbonated at all. If you want to sell overpriced…read moresoda. It's fine. But at least serve a properly carbonated one out of a can! The greed to cheap out on a can of soda is insane

The service and offerings and Qiao Lin are unrivaled! One of the best hotpot spots in Seattle. Noah…read morewas the best!!!

Authentic Chinese hotpot in downtown Seattle. Spicy soup is the best. Serve until late night.read more

The food was delicious, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the service was amazing! Our…read morelarge beef arrived in about 10 minutes, hot and freshly prepared. The restaurant had a welcoming ambiance that made it easy to relax and enjoy our meal. The beef was tender, flavorful, and satisfying, making it a great dish to share. Natalie was friendly, attentive, and hardworking, checking in on us while keeping everything running smoothly. Her warm service made the dining experience even more enjoyable. She truly deserves recognition and would be an excellent choice for Employee of the Month!

After the movie, I stopped by Boiling Point, and my server is Dino. He is fabulous and amazing.read more

A must visit when you're in Washington if you want hot pot. Eyes were definitely wider than stomach…read morein this case. The presentation was very fun for any hot pot lover. They bring out a meat arrangement that goes around the hot pot which reminds me of a charcuterie board. This was after a day at Mt Rainier National Park of hiking so this was really nice reward. I believe they got inspiration from Hidilao which a little waiting area with cute hairties and nail polish station, although they were all dried and gone. But I didn't come for a manicure so we good!

A Fantastic Hot Pot Experience! The moment you walk in, the…read moreintense aroma of Chinese herbs might surprise you, but once you sit down and start eating, you completely blend in with the scent. The portions were generous, and above all, everything was extremely fresh. We ordered the tomato and mushroom broth bases, and both were super clean and flavorful. Some hot pot places have an off-putting meat smell, but this place had none of that. For the meats, we got lamb and beef, paired with a variety of vegetables, mushrooms, shrimp paste, fish balls, sweet potato noodles, fried tofu skin rolls (ringrolls), and celtuce (궁채). Every single ingredient was fresh and delicious. In particular, the celtuce had an amazing crunchy texture! Delicious food, friendly service--it was a thoroughly satisfying dinner. P.S. They have a parking lot!

This was my second visit to Haidilao, China's most famous restaurant chain. It has earned an…read moreunshakable position in China's dining industry thanks to its rigorous selection of ingredients, outstanding service, and balanced flavors. Today, I visited the Bellevue location. The decor is consistent with the Southcenter branch--featuring standard Haidilao design language that feels clean and comfortable. I've always believed that restaurants shouldn't display anything unrelated to their brand; Haidilao's space is filled with product introductions, which feels highly professional! Plus, with Halloween right around the corner, the restaurant added some festive decorations that created a great atmosphere! Flavor: We ordered the Tomato broth and the Spicy Beef Butter broth, both of which were delicious. However, the tomato broth here tastes different from the one in China. Friends often ask me: Why do the same dishes taste so different between China and the US? Even a standard dish like Kung Pao Chicken tastes totally different. I think it's largely because of differences in soil, air, and water, which naturally affect the food's flavor profile. Food in the US feels more raw and earthy, whereas food in China often feels more uniform, yet sometimes lacking in depth. The beef had a great texture and rich flavor. The tripe was consistently excellent, and every single dish was fresh! Service: From being guided while waiting for a table to seating, ordering, and food delivery, the entire process was seamless. It was a wonderful dining experience!

​I stayed away from Haidilao for a while because their standard a la carte menu is super overpriced…read morefor what you get flavor-wise. However, their weekday lunch special completely changes the game and made it worth coming back! ​The Highlights & Hacks: * ​Lunch Special Value: A solid 4-star deal. You can get a full hotpot meal for under $30 a person, which is almost unheard of for hotpot in Bellevue. * ​Broth Picks: I'm personally not a fan of the tomato broth, so I always stick to a split pot with one spicy broth and one bone broth. * ​DIY Sukiyaki Hack: For any quarter of the pot ordered with plain water, grab ingredients from the sauce bar to mix your own sukiyaki broth! There are tons of easy recipes online, and it's a great way to stretch your flavors. ​Value Breakdown: 2 stars for the expensive a la carte menu, but 4 stars for the lunch special. ​If you go during lunch hours, it is 100% worth it.

Came here on a Wednesday night and the place was literally empty. We were greeted and seated right…read moreaway of course. Our server was really nice and provided refills quickly, as well as offered to put in more broth. The sauce bar is pretty good. There are some appetizers there too. We got the lamb and beef combo, as well as pork belly. All of them tasted great. Ambience is really nice. Very nicely decorated. It does make me really sad to see such a great restaurant sit so emptily, likely due to its location.

First time trying. Went late afternoon on a Sunday. Plenty of tables available. Several tables…read morewere full with patrons. We ordered the lamb & beef combo, mixed veggies. Selected the healthy mushroom broth and the pork bone broth. Both were just okay not a lot of flavor, but not too salty. We both got the sauce bar too. Also included some chicken feet, a Thai chicken gizzards and celery dish, fungus, two different kinds of soup, and cantaloupe and grapes. You can go up to the sauce bar Unlimited times. Restaurant was tidy and clean, service was very good and cordial Free parking for two hours on the 3rd floor, but a bit sketchy. The restaurant is on level 2c. Kind of hard to find cause the over the door signage says Bite of China in big letters and Pipa Mountain Hot pot in small print Food was okay portion size of meat combo was generous. Might go back again.

I came for my birthday as they do a free meal if you bring enough additional guests, and it was…read moregreat! This spot is on the second floor, past the bbq place downstairs. We had a reservation but it was pretty empty when we came and we probably didn't even need it. Their AYCE is great value imo - they had a huge selection of meats, seafood, tofu, fishballs, and veggies. I especially loved the roe fishballs, octopus, fish fillet, and quail eggs. The tomato broth was my favorite of the ones we tried. Their sauce bar is also quite extensive with a bunch of sides and desserts too - I loved their cucumber and kimchi! Overall, a great experience :)

I really wanted to like this experience more than I did. First off, I'm a Happy Lamb enthusiast and…read morehave been making hot pot at home for more than 10 years now using their broth packs. When I found out they were opening a location near me, I was over the moon excited. I went with my boyfriend probably 2-3 months of the restaurant opening. We walked in, were told it would be a 45min-1 hr wait and put ourselves on the waitlist and shopped around the mall. When it said we were 2nd in line, we started back towards the restaurant but the yelp app no longer said we were in line. They were extremely busy and it took several minutes to get helped by someone after waiting, which was a frustrating start. Our servers were very helpful and prompt in bringing us our items. HOWEVER--I need to complain about them charging for a sauce bar. I've never in my life heard of an all you can eat place like this charging for sauce?? I maybe understand charging for sides and dessert, but the AYCE price seems substantial enough to cover what was there... it doesn't give the generous vibe that buffets or AYCE places usually do. For what we had (we chose the basic set), I would be hard pressed to pay much more by adding on drinks, a premium set upgrade, or sauces and sides. I think the food was good--there was lots of variety in the basic set and we definitely left full. After trying this though, I think I'll stick with my butane stove, buying broth packs, and having hot pot at home with friends.

My favorite hotpot spot! Whenever I travel from the East…read moreside of WA, I always make a point to stop here to get food. Everything I've ever gotten has been fresh and been good cuts of meat! The sauce bar is pretty well stocked and their options for basic AYCE is good!

Def one of my fav AYCE hot pot restaurants. They have lots of meat, vegetable and side options…read morewhich I appreciated. We called to make a reservation for a party of 10 a couple hours before closing and luckily they were able to seat us all at a large table. We got the half and half soup (original and spicy original I think) and I preferred the spicy one I think they also have a happy hour deal or something like that after 9pm but I would recommend calling to double check