Came here with two friends for an early dinner (4pm) on a Tuesday. We accidentally made a reservation on Resy for the following day thinking it was for the day we went, and the hostess helped us get sorted. We were seated promptly, since there was no one else waiting to be seated, and the wait staff was quick to arrive and get our items into the sacks (to keep our stuff from smelling like hot pot all day), and helped us place our order. We got two broths-- mushroom and spicy (mild heat). Y'all, the mild was too hot for us and we were scooping out the peppers out of the broth to make it manageable. The wait staff noticed we were suffering and said the trick to eating spicy hot pot is to dip it in oil, and even brought us some. IT WORKS. Anyway, 10/10. Great tasting food, helpful and caring staff, and overall, a very fun decor/vibe. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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This place was good, but it didn't quite blow me away like I expected after hearing all the hype around it. We waited for around an hour before getting seated, which isn't too bad. The inside is beautifully decorated and they have multiple floors with tables and seats. Being a party of 7, we got a private corner room on the top floor which was really nice. We got half spicy and half non-spicy broth, and even at mild it was quite spicy. Our server had to help us take out a lot of the chili peppers floating inside. We ordered a variety of meats and veggies and fishballs, all of which were great. I liked the flavor of the spicy broth a lot, and the quality of all the meats and veggies tasted good. Anyone with a nut allergy beware of the chili in the sauce bar and for some of the meats, as I couldn't have those. For dessert, we got the fried brown sugar rice cakes which I thought was lowkey the best thing - it was so perfectly warm and chewy with just the right amount of brown sugar syrup. Definitely recommend this! read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Chong Qing Lao Zao is a never-to-be-forgotten absolutely amazing hot pot restaurant. I will offer my own extensive comments at the end ... But the Eater review of Chong Qing Lao Zao absolutely nails it. * * * Eater sez: Fans start lining up well before the wooden doors swing open at noon, eventually to walk through corridors that lead them to a bi-level dining area that evokes an old Chinese village, complete with a water wheel, koi, and a faux fire at the foot of each table. One private section is elevated on stilts. Chongqing Lao Zao stands out from the high concentration of nearby hot pot spots -- Hai Di Lao, Liuyishou, 99 Favor Taste. * * * Samuel C sez: a) Like many hot pot restaurants, there are lots of exotic ingredients including all parts of many animals. I did lots of those included thousand layer tripe and beef liver coated in egg. At this restaurant, simple is actually better than exotic. The most famous boiling oil (there are nine to choose from) is a scorchingly hot Chongqing drowning in hot peppers concoction. The oil is hot as blazes in both senses of the word. The simpler the ingredient we put in the oil, the better the results were. Plain old Chinese Cabbage was to die for. Plain old ramen noodles and plain old fish cake became superstars in the hot oil. Thousand layer tripe, not so much. b) Shiitakes are not such a plain ingredient. They become ultimate gourmet delights in the hot oil. c) All the tables around us were ordering some form of Wagyu beef roll. Or rather all the Chinese tables were ordering Wagyu beef rolls. The Anglos were more random. I suspect the Chinese customers were on to something. d) It is tempting to order tons and tons and tons of ingredients for your hotpot because they look so damm good. In practice, three hot pot dipping items per person plus a side dish for the table will leave you waddling out of the restaurant barely able to walk. If that means you just have to come here multiple times to get all the good stuff, Well ... multiple times is not such a dumb idea. e) You definitely want at least one side dish. We ordered a Fried Sesame Bread with Chinese green onions inside. That was the best thing on the table ... On a day when there were a zillion amazing things on the table. The Chinese tables often ordered a fried rice with spicy organs inside. I strongly suspect that fried rice is well worth doing as well. f) They make their own rice wine which is sweet and very milky. They sell it by the jar. You want a whole jar of it. If your table has sake lovers in multiple, you will want several jars of it. g) The room decoration is magical between the sturdy oaken village-gate door, to the waterwheel inside to the stairs and levels and platforms which make you feel like you are in a mountain village. The room would have made this a destination experience even if the food had been mediocre. That the raw ingredients, the prepared dishes, the wine and the boiling oil were amazing sends Chong Qing Lao Zao over the top. * * * Does Yelp offer an eight star rating? If it starts one, Chong Qing Lao Zao would be first in line to get the eight star rating. Even with all the amazing restaurants in Flushing's Chinatown, This is one experience you do not want to miss. read more

Came to Chong Qing Lao Zao after hearing so many people say it's one of the best hot pot spots in NYC, and I can definitely see the appeal! The food was really good, but fair warning, you NEED to be able to handle spice to fully enjoy it. It was extremely spicy, and I genuinely found myself sweating throughout the meal lol. If you're a big fan of spicy food, this is definitely a spot worth checking out. I enjoyed the experience, but the spice level is no joke! read more

This place is super hyped up with decor that brings you back to ancient china. The lore here is hot pot and the spicy broth. When we sat down, there was already a small plate of mini appetizer like complimentary spicy cabbage. For broth we ordered the mushroom and green chili soup base. Each item is a la carte, and we ordered the milky beef, crispy flower, lava tofu and watercrest. The ingredients were fresh and broth were flavorful, service is attentive. Our server gave us aprons, and even a hairtie. Food came fast. Overall, vibes are immaculate and the milky beef was interesting. You order food on a piece of paper, and there's a free sauce bar to create your own customized dip. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Milky beef - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

Chong Qing Lao Zao is hidden behind an unassuming entrance, but inside is a massive, bustling hot pot restaurant that's clearly worth the hype. Check in at the kiosk when you arrive and stay close by--we missed our name being called and had to wait another 30 minutes after an already 2-hour wait for our party of five. Once seated, we understood why it's so popular. The restaurant features a beautiful water wheel, multiple levels of seating, and a lively atmosphere. You customize your meal by choosing your broth, meats, vegetables, and sauces. We started with the spicy broth, but it was overloaded with chili peppers for our taste, so we switched to the herbal broth, which was rich, fragrant, and absolutely delicious. The fresh ingredients were the highlight. We enjoyed the water spinach so much that we ordered three servings. Other favorites included the milky beef, lotus root, beef balls, bean curd sheets, and several other fresh selections. The extensive sauce bar let everyone create their perfect dipping sauce. Considering the generous portions and quality, the prices were very reasonable. The wait is long, but the outstanding food makes it worthwhile. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in Flushing. read more

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This is the best non-AYCE hot pot in NYC. I loved the side dishes: szechuan pickled cabbage and the fried beans/seeds. It might sound crazy, but I would come back just for the side dishes. I'm serious about that. The milky beef was my favorite, which I wasn't expecting. It was super tender. Just keep in mind that the sauce bar does cost extra, but it's so worth it. read more

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Came here around 5:10 PM on a sunday and waited about an hour on the waitlist before receiving a call that our table for 2 was ready. The restaurant had a very unique interior that felt very authentic. We ordered the dual flavor pot with mild and tomato broths. They were both delicious, but we especially liked the tomato broth. Be aware that even the mild broth is relatively spicy. We also decided to pay an additional $1.95 each for the self serve dipping sauce station, which we definitely found to be worth it. We ordered napa cabbage, wide potato noodles, potato slices, enoki mushrooms, milky beef, streaky pork, black fish, and beef tongue. We found this to be a lot of food for two people, and the final bill came out to around $110. Our favorite meats were definitely the beef tongue and the milky beef. The milky beef was so tender, and we liked the slight chew of the beef tongue. The black fish and the streaky pork did not stand out as much, and I would want to try something new next time. This was definitely one of the best hot pot experiences I've ever had. You can tell that they put a lot of care into laying out the ingredients, and the staff are very attentive at adding hot water to the broth regularly. Definitely worth the wait, price point, and commute from the city! read more

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Only rating 4/5 for the wait times which can be insane! 1-3 hours wait, depending on the time. Definitely go on an off peak time. The interior feels warm and cozy and very well decorated, like you're actually eating in a historical location in China. It feels like someone's hone. The food is delicious- can't go wrong with anything, I especially loved the shrimp paste. Great service for both English and Chinese speakers. The waiter even took a picture of us! I wouldn't come again since it was so expensive and the wait time was so long but I felt like this was a very special experience. Glad I got to try this place after hearing it hyped up. read more

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The interior theme is very cool. Nice place to bring a group. I liked the hot pot sauce station, lots of options and refilled often. The mushroom broth is the only vegeterian broth they offer but it tastes really good and I highly recommend it. It comes with mixed mushrooms, has a faint Szechuan peppercorn flavor, dates, and goji berries and it actually mild. The "mild" hotpot flavor I ordered maybe have gotten mixed up with medium because it was red peppers drowned in hot oil. Way too spicy, I ended up dunking it into the mushroom soup side. I'm used to spice and this was too much. Would not recommend, the server was nice and did warn us that even their mild soup base is spicy. The quail eggs were great. Highly recommend those and the scallion pancakes were unique more like a bread with sesame seeds. Overall I think it's a little overhyped but a nice sit down hot pot restaurant. read more

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Ching Qing Lao Zao was always one of the restaurants I wanna go the most after I moved to New York. Today I went with my sister to grab a code at like 6:30 I was told it was gonna be around 3 hours. We waited and we got to our table at around 10:10. It was a pretty busy and tired day but true second I sat down the vibe was amazing. It felt like I was in China lol. And after that we ordered some food. It tasted pretty nice and we payed 150 for 3 people which is pretty reasonable. Also there was this very nice waiter(柚子) that helped us a lot during the meal. He genuinely deserves a raise. I also left my charger over there and I called them. They found it super fast and I was able to get it. So I definitely rate this place a 10/10. Please go here!!!! read more

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They don't take reservations. You need to go and get on the wait list. The text they send you says that when your called, you have 3 hours to show up... after waiting an hour, we didn't want to risk losing the resy. We choose to sit on the tatami mats, so shoes come off. The tell you to go get your sauces, but don't tell you that there's a $2 charge for them. We got the meeting spicy broth and the mushroom broth. The spicy broth was covered completely in dried red peppers. It definitely infused the food with spice. The broth themselves weren't amazing. They were fine. Their homemade rice wine on the other hand is absolutely delicious. I would go back for that alone. Their snacks, the fried broad beans, and seeds were very good. The cabbage was also delicious and fresh. The duck tongue was absolutely delicious, as were the beef balls. All the mushrooms were very good. The beef tongue was eh... the premium lamb was better. The taro balls took a very long time to cook.. the glass noodles disintegrated in the broth. Overall, the ambiance is what made the meal great, it was cozy and pretty. The broth, the meat were okay. Glad I tried it, but there are better spots for the food hot pot... just not as good of an ambiance as here. read more

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It was absolutely worth the 3-hour wait! The hotpot was so delicious, and every bite was worth it. The service was amazing, and the ambiance was anciently beautiful and welcoming. Overall, such a great dining experience--definitely be coming back during cold! read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Sides Hotpot soup Beef Sausage Watercress Mushroom - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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I wanted to love this place since it's recommended all over tiktok and Yelp. We put our names in and got in around 2-3 hours later. I ordered the: -herbal soup base and mushroom base. The mushroom was my favorite and loaded with fresh mushrooms. -beef tongue rattan pepper: at first the pepper was not overwhelming but with time it was numbing my tongue which was a bit uncomfortable -sliced beef tendon: delicious -prime beef slices: they weren't that soft and not super well marbled. The bowl that our mushrooms came in was rusted... kind of ruined my whole experience. At least server was super nice and attentive. Wouldn't come back though. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Immersive hot pot experience. Once you walk through the big wooden door you feel like you leave new york. I loved the decor and sat a table close to the ground where you remove your shoes and sit on cushions which I found very comfortable. The sauce bar had all the options you would expect and was fully stocked. I thought the price was good and that the food came out at a good pace. Highly recommend if you are in the area. read more

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Triple flavor pot -Mushroom -Chicken Herb -Tomato Milky beef Sliced beef Shredded beef with cilantro Shrimp Dumpling Shrimp paste w bamboo fungus Orinar bolas de carne Crispy squid Homemade black tofu Fried tofu Tofu skin Corn Lotus root Fresh bamboo shoots Enoku mushrooms Shiitake mushrooms Oyster mushrooms Chinese cabbage Water spinach Watercress Pumpkin pie Milk mochi Dipping sauce Other than the amazing ambiance of this place, it was ok. This was too Chinese for me... The tomatoe broth was blah, smelt like there was metal in it even though we knew it was from the tomatoes. The family really didn't even enjoy it much. read more

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One of the best hot pot places that is definitely worth the hype. The holy trinity of hot pot in flushing in my opinion is Chong Qing Lao Zao, Hai Di Lao, and Dolar Shop. Chong Qing is a city known for its cyber punk city as well as spicy foods. Even mild spicy is really spicy in American standards. Spice from Asian countries - specifically Szechuan, Chong Qing, and Thailand truly are on another level. As in your tongue feeling as it licked a battery sensation and it goes numb... Mild spice here is still spicy, so tread carefully on the spice level should you choose one for the broth base... Anywho.... The overall ambiance and decor really makes me feel like I took a trip into a well decorated restaurant in China. Everything here was truly great and worth it. It's not a place you go for a bargain, but rather a place you go to for a tasty experience with great customer service. You get a cute apron, the place is super clean, and has a real authentic feel to it with the seating. The tai chi beef and milk beef are the two plates that many people order. I also enjoy getting slices of premium lamb to go with my personal concoction of sauce that make at the sauce bar (sesame paste, peanut butter, green onions, garlic, cilantro, Lau Gan Ma). The tai chi beef and the milk beef were super tender after just a quick minute plunge in the hot pot broth. I recommend doing a dual pot with two soups in the form of half and half if you can handle some spice. Otherwise, I am a fan if the Chinese herb soup base! Will return sometime soon and will go with our family for sure. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Chongqing Lao Zao is one of the most immersive hot pot restaurants we have visited. We walked into a space where the elaborate décor immediately stood out, with traditional architecture, lanterns, and themed details that made it feel like stepping into an old Chinese village. The restaurant was much larger than it first appeared, and the atmosphere added just as much to the experience as the food itself. The room had a lively, bustling energy with tables spread across multiple sections, and the steady flow of diners reflected its popularity as a destination for a full hot pot meal. The hot pot menu offered a wide variety of broths, meats, seafood, vegetables, and handmade specialties. We appreciated that there were options for both spice lovers and those who prefer something milder, with the signature Chongqing broth delivering the classic numbing mala flavor while the tomato and mushroom broths provided a lighter alternative. The ingredients tasted fresh, and there were plenty of premium cuts of beef, seafood, and specialty items to choose from. The self-serve sauce bar was another highlight, letting us customize our dipping sauce exactly how we liked it, with a wide range of condiments and toppings that allowed for endless combinations. The restaurant gets very busy, especially during dinner and weekends, so planning ahead is important. Reservations are highly recommended because walk-in waits can easily stretch over an hour. Even with the large dining room, the staff did a good job keeping everything organized and regularly checked in throughout the meal. Despite how crowded it could get, service remained attentive and food arrived at a steady pace. The team moved through the room with efficiency, keeping the broth refilled and the table cleared without making the experience feel rushed. Overall, Chongqing Lao Zao delivers much more than a typical hot pot meal. The combination of high-quality ingredients, customizable broths, and one of the most impressive themed dining spaces we have experienced makes it a place we would gladly return to. If you are looking for authentic Chongqing-style hot pot in Flushing, this is one of the strongest options available. read more

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I finally got to try out this hot pot place after hearing all the raving reviews on this place. We decided to check in around 5:30 pm and waited for about 2 ish hours for a party of 3. Highly recommend coming as early as possible otherwise plan to wait. They do give everyone a bag to put your jackets in there so the hot pot smell does not get on everything. They also give you an apron so you don't splash on yourself which is very considerate. This is not an AYCE place so you get a menu in the beginning to order what you want. They do have dual pots so we went with tomato and mild - the mild has a pretty strong kick to it so if you cannot tolerate spicy then I recommend avoiding it. The stand out dishes we really liked was the mung bean noodles, milky beef, cilantro meatballs, potato glass noodles. They do have stars next to all the items that are highly recommend. Overall a solid hot pot experience - the soup base was really good and the vibe was great. The only downside is the wait - so highly recommend coming early! read more

The most memorable part of the experience was the tomato broth--it was incredibly flavorful and only got better as it simmered throughout the night. The selection of meats, vegetables, and sides was solid, even though it's not AYCE. Usually, I am more of a quantity over quality girlie because I am a big eater (I work out to eat). While that was a bit disappointing at first, it's understandable given the quality of the ingredients. The quality really made up for it! It was about ~$45 per person. They don't take reservations, and as many others have mentioned, the wait can be long--about 2-3 hours on a busy night. I'd highly recommend putting your name down in person an hour or two before you are actually hungry, then spending some time exploring Tangram or Skyview Mall while you wait. Despite the fierce competition in the hotpot scene, this place remains extremely popular. The ambiance reminded me of Laojie, and the quality was just as good--if not better--than Hai Di Lao (personal preference). read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

This is my favorite hot pot place in Flushing, but it's definitely a busy place. I've had to wait for as long as 3 hours during winter, though the good thing is that you can wander around Flushing during this time, as they will txt you when it's ready. There's really not much to dislike about the place, I like the food, ambiance, and service here! They specialize in Sichuan style hotpot, though that doesn't mean everything here is spicy, so I find a lot of good things to like about their menu! read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

One of my favorite hotpot places on the east coast, it gets the bang for your buck. The hotpot base is full of flavor and the ingredients are fresh. However do expect long wait times for a table during peak hours read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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So good omg! The quality of all the ingredients is amazing, and I loved both the spicy and the tomato broths. I also liked the mala quail egg and milk mochi sides. It feels like an elegant hot pot experience because the staff are so attentive - they give you aprons and even hair ties. There are a lot of tables inside, but it does not feel cramped. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - hot pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

The first time I came here was actually right before the 88 rising festival. I remember my first feeling stepping into the restaurant was as if I was transported to the past. The interior felt like a castle or an older village with the stone walls, wooden pews, and colorful lights and lanterns hanging from the ceiling. We were led through the restaurant and up the stairs to our own private room. Once there we ordered everything on the menu that striked our fancy and saw plate after plate of high quality food enter the doors. The service was impeccable and they checked in on us constantly and never faltered even considering our copious number of new food requests. Definitely the most authentic hot pot place in all of New York in my opinion. Would highly recommend checking this place out especially with a group of friends so you can all enjoy various types of meats and vegetables in different broths! read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

Food: 4.1/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 3/5 Overall: 4/5 We came on a Friday morning around opening time and were lucky enough to not have to wait for a table (though many parties did have to wait). We were seated towards the back of the restaurant where we found a cockroach crawling on the bench seat. Also, the straw decoration on the bench seat was uncomfortable throughout the meal for me particularly. Our waiter, since it was our first time, helped us a lot in choosing the broth and its spice level (we ended up getting tomato and mild chongqing), as well as helping us with the amount of food we would be ordering (which turned out to be almost the perfect amount of food for our party of 6). Some of my favorite dishes that we got were the: - Wide Potato Noodles - Doesn't take that long to cook, SO chewy and nice, pairs well with any broth or sauce - Enoki Mushrooms - My favorite kind of mushroom, even more chew and great noodle substitute - Fried Breadsticks - Very crunchy and don't lose that much crunch whenever dipped or soaked in the broths. - Sliced Beef - Standard and really good meat option for hotpot. Some of their specialty beefs are also interesting, but I ended up just preferring this over those. - Beef Tendon - I lied. This was the best meat option. Extremely soft and melts in your mouth. Doesn't take more than 5 seconds to cook. Just so good. Even with everything that I liked, I didn't find that much that was superior to other hot pot places that I have been to. I did enjoy the food that we did have, but with the insane wait that I would likely have if I came back as well as the high price of the meal, I don't know if this would be worth coming back to in the future. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Interior - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Decent but slightly pricey hotpot place with lots of unique items on the menu. Everything was fresh quality and tasted good, except for the Milky Beef (6/10). They pour milk to marinate the beef, which supposedly makes it more tender, but I didn't think it was that special. What I really liked though was the Fresh Bamboo Shoot (10/10) because of the distinct texture. You don't find this on the menu of a lot of hotpot places so it felt particularly special. The wait can be long but you can add yourself to their online waitlist. Also they charge per person for dipping sauce, which is why I docked one star off. It's not uncommon for hotpot places that are not AYCE, but I still don't like it. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Food/drinks: yum! Super delicious traditional hot pot. Great for sharing and large parties. I loved their bamboo covered shrimp!! Atmosphere: very cool!!! It's a themed atmosphere, it's very cramped though even in the waiting area Service: fast! Their wait policy is very strict, you should come ~3 hours before you want to eat to put your name down. They will text you when they are ready Price: $$ normal not too crazy or cheap for NY read more

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Easily the best hot pot spot in NYC!! Chong Qing does not take reservations so you definitely need to plan ahead. We joined the waitlist and the table was ready around 2.5 hours after (so long but very worth it). The interior of the restaurant is really nice and very authentic Chinese. For broth, you can choose up to 3 different selections. We went with the Spicy Beef Tallow (mild), Mushroom, and Tomato broth. Honestly the mild was not very spicy and we even asked our waiter for more spice on the side. Definitely getting medium next time. The sauce bar is very impressive and clean! Always a plus. In terms of food, we ordered a lot of the usual hot pot faves including beef, tofu, fish roe balls, potato noodles, and milky beef. Everything was very fresh and high quality. Only things I probably wouldn't get next time would be the potato noodles and milky beef as they weren't that special. Our waiter was great and we really enjoyed his service. Totally understand why this restaurant has a huge following! read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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This place is amazing, service is extremely attentive and value is great given the quality of the food. The flavors are well mala balanced and extremely tasty, I really enjoyed the non spicy tomato broth as well. The food is fresh and no off taste even with the offal cuts. I'm looking forward to coming back on future visits! +1 Vibe +1 Taste +1 Presentation +1 Service +1 Value read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Chongqing Lao Zhao is a must-try if you're craving that real Chongqing hotpot experience. The broth hits with that bold Chongqing kick, but the heat fades just fast enough to keep you dipping for more The space is beautifully designed too, giving total Sichuan vibes from the moment you walk in. If you're in Flushing and want a spot with amazing flavors and a stunning atmosphere, this place needs to be on your list. Already planning my next visit. read more

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Would you like to be transported back in time to ancient china? How about just testing your spice tolerance to see if you can hang with the best? Well, if you want all of that, PLUS hot pot, look no further - this is the place to be! There is a reason this is one of the highest recommend spots to visit when you're in Flushing. First off, entrance? SO UNASSUMING. It's like, the tiniest door, with no real obvious signage. Once you go through, you basically feel like you're in one of the ancient alleys of China - decor is 1000% great. We had a larger party of 7, and they were luckily able to accommodate us since we lined up a few minutes before opening on a Friday. We actually got IMO the best seats in the house - towards the back, elevated up on some steps, a mini pavilion essentially. But enough about the decor.. how was the food? Well.. GREAT! And honestly, for NYC prices, not too expensive (but a bit pricy for flushing I guess). The quality was top notch (highly recommend trying the mala quail eggs) and the spice of the broth was GREAT! We went with medium since our server (amazing btw, thank you Sean / Shawn / Shaun??) said that he can't even go near hot, it burns his eyes. Medium was just perfect - felt great eating it with some sweats, regretted it the day after, which means I couldn't have asked for a better experience! Meats were good quality, veggies were yummy. I wish the shrimp paste had more in terms of quantity, we barely had seven bites for each of us, but it was really good. Also, pro tip, probably don't order Napa Cabbage, a lot of their other dishes will sit on top of a whole leaf, so you'll probably get enough from that unless you want to consume half a head. Sauce bar is $2 a person - which might be shocking for some to know they charge it, but it's pretty much the norm at a higher end hot pot place in big cities. At least they don't charge $6-$8 like some places and only throw in a few apps/desserts to try to justify it. Overall, really loved this place, and would definitely go back. read more

Highly recommend. Would definitely go back. The food is fresh. There is a wide selection of food for at a reasonable price point. I like the a la carte style menu. One thing to note - we got the mild hot pot base and it was still pretty spicy. If you can't handle spice well, you should ask the staff to remove some of the hot peppers since the broth gets spicier as time goes. The interior decor is also fantastic, with even the tea cups and aprons matching the vibes of the restaurant. The staff is also attentive without being overbearing. All in all, would definitely come back! read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - hot pot spread - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

The food and soup base was fresh and tasted great. The service was also quite excellent. The ambiance is probably where it sets itself apart. The decoration is awesome and definitely made the experience better. The pricing was definitely a little steep 9/10 read more

I often hear people refer to this place as the best hotpot place in New York City. I don't disagree, I think this place excel at all categories; great and unique food selections, beautiful interior decorations, and fantastic services. The only downside is the potential long lines but that's because of the great reputation they have built. My party actually came before 11am to wait inline and put ourself on the waitlist. We could have been seated but I was running late and everyone needs to be here to be seated. They were nice enough to still offer to seat us at 11:30am if all parties arrive then. The interior makes you feel like you have teleported to China. The rustic rural ambiance really adds to the experience. They provide you a sack to store your jackets to avoid the food smell as well as aprons for the splatter. Their self service sauce bar has plenty of options. The waiter is so friendly and kept offering to refill our pickled cabbage and cucumber seed (complimentary sides). The pickled cabbage is addicting - but also spicy! We got the mushroom soup and the tomato soup base. We all liked the tomato soup base the best but it does taste a bit more on the sweeter side. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Upon arrival the interior of this restaurant was beautiful. It was like no hot pot I have gone to. Our server helped us navigate through our experience suggesting what meats and how much would be enough for a party of two after noticing we had over ordered!. Our server helped us navigate through our very pleasant experience. I would suggest to make a reservation to avoid wait times but over all great experience as well with the drinks. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Tomato & Mild - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Food first, thoughts after... A solid choice for hot pot. Good flavor and exceptional service. The decoration and bowls used were a nice old Chinese touch. Good quality ingredients and always has a line outside the door. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

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Had an amazing experience with our group of 5! Walked in on a weekday evening expecting a long wait, but we were luckily seated immediately at the only remaining open table. Not only were our servers extremely polite and professional, but they were very on top of everything from explaining where our jackets go to the recommended cook time for some meats. The tomato soup broth was my favorite (compared to the mild spicy and mushroom broths), and I loved the milky beef, snow pea leaves, celtuce, and milk mochi as well. All very unique items to an authentic Chinese hotpot! They also have an extensive drink selection. Spent ~$50 per person after tip/tax which I think was VERY well priced for the ambiance, service, and food. Would absolutely come back again any chance I get! read more

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Best hotpot in NYC! Came as a party of 6 at 11:50 Saturday and there was no line. Tried the mild + tomato base, generally cannot tolerate much spice and did not think the mild was spicy enough! Tomato was very yummy but pretty sweet. Loved the milky beef and marbled beef slices the best! Note, it is $2 per person for sauces. Amazing attentive service and beautiful ambiance!! read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York

One of my absolute favorite hotpot experiences! The interior is beautifully decorated, you feel like you're transported to another world to eat hotpot and there are multiple floors to sit and eat on. The spices/broth are so rich and the meats are so tender and delicious. Every meat is a la carte, so you can really build your meal the way you want. There is a sauce station to make your own sauces at an extra charge. The service is attentive and fast to come with our orders. This is a very popular spot, so the wait time is extensive (we waited 2.5hrs to be seated at rush hour dinner time). But this is restaurant worth the wait. read more

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Was a 1.5 hour wait on a weekend. However, we didn't mind since we were not busy. Super cute inside and the entrance wasn't too hard to find. The hall way to the entrance was very tight though. They call you when your table is ready so you can walk over. The staff was very kind when we were ordering. He even helped us by pulling out some pictures, after I showed a picture of what I wanted to confirm its correct. The inside vibes and decor is also so cute. There are lots of options in terms of soup base pot and food options. They have the basic broths that most hot pot places have. I like a la carte since I get more for my value personally than buffet and don't feel the need to "get my values worth". The food was delicicious and despite the meats being $6-10 per portion, they were big delicious portions. You can ask them to build you sauce or make your own. I would definetly visit again if I'm in the area, craving hot pot and have some time in my hands too wait. Defintely a very comfy cute place for delicious hot pot! If anything I'd recommend coming once just to see the amazing interior design. read more

Chong Qing Lao Zao - Herbal and tomato - Hot Pot Near Me - Flushing, New York