Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Chong Qing Yao Mei

    4.3 (370 reviews)
    PriceyHot Pot, Chinese
    Open 11:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Waitlist - Chong Qing Yao Mei

    Waitlist closed

    The restaurant is not taking waitlist parties right now

    Chong Qing Yao Mei Photos

    Business Info

    CHONG QING YAO MEI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Chong Qing Yao Mei

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Shallom L.

    If you're looking for authentic Chongqing-style hot pot in Pasadena, Chong Qing Yao Mei is definitely worth checking out. The broths were rich and flavorful, and I loved being able to customize my own dipping sauce at the sauce bar. They offer a great selection of meats, seafood, and fresh vegetables, so there's something for everyone. What really stood out to me were the grilled skewers, which are cooked fresh and start at just $2.99. They pair perfectly with the hot pot and add another layer of flavor to the meal. The skewers are available starting at 5 PM Tuesday through Thursday and all day Friday through Sunday. If you're a fan of spicy food and authentic Sichuan flavors, this spot is worth a visit.

    Dee L.

    Food was great -- especially the fresh frog, freshly sliced fish, house-made shrimp balls, and beef tongue. Service was friendly throughout and the staff provided good service overall. The ambiance was traditional and cozy, with partial brick wall partitions that added some character and separation between tables.

    The tablescape
    Scott J.

    First time trying Hot Pot and absolutely loved it! Service was really friendly but could have been a bit more helpful in guiding us as this was our first time and didn't know where everything was (or all that was offered at Hot Pot) You select everything on an iPad. We added different proteins and veggies to a pot of flavored soup/broth that you pick at the beginning of the meal. We had one broth (I think it was a spicy beef - way too spicy for us) and the other broth was Thai flavored and was delicious. They had a little self service bar with sesame balls and other things to add to your meal that we discovered on our own halfway through the meal. Environment is very casual and fun, would definitely come back here again!

    Stefany W.

    Really great experience with good quality food. We came for lunch and it was surprisingly empty. The selection was varied and had a lot of options. The price was also really nice and reasonable. The service was very good too but probably cause the place was fairly empty lol. I do wish they had a larger prepared food section but that's extra. I'll definitely be back.

    Lamb, Home Style Fried Pork, and beef
    Rebecca T.

    I'm usually not big on hot pot, but I was sold on Chong Qing Yao Mei! Delicious broth that packs a powerful punch (especially the spicy ones), as well as quality meats, flavorful bar sides (I loved the seaweed salad and spicy cabbage), and tasty sauces. The Home Style Fried Pork was delicious as well, sort of like chicharrón with an excellent cumin spice for dipping. Service was nice and came around from time to time to clear plates and replenish napkins. Definitely a legitimate hot pot spot that's reminiscent of those in China, and it's a solid A+.

    Combo Soup Base, House Fried Rice
    Marisa C.

    The food was great and the staff is awesome, very attentive and friendly. We even caught the weekend entertainment, so much fun!!

    Marbled beef!
    Steve F.

    We ended up here because a big name spot let us down. What a find and lucky for us! The spot is unique and popping with customers, families and amazing aromas! We had the pork broth and the Thom Yum broth. So good! The meat was high quality, the vegetables were so crisp and the service was friendly and they hustled. Love the sauces station and the portions are big, so be careful what you order.LOL! You order your items through a QR code which is really great and puts you in control.

    Combination soup and some sides.
    Juliet U.

    Been coming here a few times now, and this place never disappoints. The ambiance is beautiful and makes you feel like you're dining out of state--very cozy, modern, and relaxing. The food is absolutely amazing. We ordered the combination soup with bone broth and the spicy tomato soup base. We went with medium spice, and it was really spicy but in a good way--full of flavor and definitely satisfying. If you enjoy heat, medium is a great choice. If you love intense spice, you won't be disappointed. One of my favorite parts is the sides buffet, where you can choose from a variety of dipping sauces or create your own custom sauce. They also offer peanuts and other snack options, which is a nice touch while waiting for your food. The quality, flavors, and overall experience keep us coming back. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys great food in a fun, elevated atmosphere!

    R C.

    The staff was attentive and helpful. The sauce and snack bars pair nicely with the hotpot. The dining space was clean. We were happy with the hotpot options. Street parking available- come and give it a try!

    Yiyi H.

    Not super authentic, but I appreciate their efforts in making the experience palatable for foreigners, while keeping to the essence of Chongqing hotpot. My table ordered the spicy broth in medium spice, and it was a lot milder than I expected from Chongqing hotpot broth. In general, the broths are quite tasty, though. The meat is also very fresh. The service is a 10/10 for me. My table jokingly ordered all the meat options, and had forgotten to remove the excess items. The staff went out of their way to let us know we'd ordered too much meat for our table and asked if we wanted to remove a couple selections. And I'm glad we did. The portions for each plate were larger than you'd get from other establishments. One of the items we'd ordered (and kept) was pork brains. While cooking this in a ladle, the staff came by to say it would take 15 minutes to cook. You can tell (from the surrounding tables and the staff's actions) that they are accustomed to having customers who are not super familiar with hotpot, and they try their best to make it a great experience.

    Melinda C.

    This place is really good. I'm new to hotpot, so I'm not a pro or fluent with everything in regard to hotpot. First, the fried rice is so good and could easily feed 4 big backs. My favorite meat dish was the one with egg. It was so tender. The squid balls were delish. 'They were very filling , I thought the texture would be similar to fish balls but they weren't. The sauce bar had many options. I just threw sauces together. Also, tried sesame ball for the first time from the appetizer and it was so good. Also, the fruit tea was so good and refreshing. The only thing I was not a fan of was the egg dumpling. It wasn't bad but not my favorite. The flavor was very plain compared to other items. Also, the parking is 15$ in the two near by lots. Definitely, look for street parking.

    Combo Soup Base - Bone Broth and Tomato Broth
    Christina T.

    I was in the area and wanted to check out a new hotpot place with a friend. When we arrived on late Sunday afternoon, the staff was relatively friendly and seated us very quickly. There was a few parties there but wasn't too busy. They quickly explained the menu is through a website that can be accessed on the QR code for each table. The only thing that wasn't able to be ordered through the code was the soup which we opted for the bone broth and tomato soup option. Overall the interface was relatively easy to use in terms of ordering. Multiple people can join the table ordering and you are able to see who ordered what. I would recommend looking over the set offerings before ordering. Cause I made the error of ordering full orders on the veggies as opposed to being able to try more on variety. It was also a lot of food for a full order, so we did run into problems of completing. Soup was flavorful. The snack bar was self service which had a few Asian snacks like shrimp chips, spicy peanuts, edamame and cucumber salad to just name a few. There was a sauce bar had a standard offerings not too extensive. Inside had a unique vibe there was colorful wall decorations. There's indoor and outdoor seating. Multiple tables big enough for larger and smaller parties. We just parked in one of paid parking lots in Pasadena. It was a short walk away from the restaurant. There multiple lots around the area. Not sure if the restaurant validates since we didn't ask.

    Rob C.

    Plenty of good food that is served and I definitely will be back. Hot pot broth was excellent. I love how the flavors blended together, nothing was over compensated or over salted which was good. The skewers I enjoyed were good. They have a deal on them $8.99 and they throw it on the grill. Ordered lamb, beef, shrimp, plus the meatballs were heavy too. They don't skimp here and that's a good sign. Don't sleep on the sauce bar here either they've got some good choices plus their in house sauce hits. I left full and happy.

    See all

    13 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    29 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Snoopy S.
    8
    308
    251

    1 month ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of May L.
    435
    321
    1008

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 14
    Thanks 6
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 3
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 2
    Love this 5
    Oh no 1

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 24
    Thanks 10
    Love this 24
    Oh no 1

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Tang T.

    Tang T.

    Thank you so much

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kayla G.
    193
    46
    56

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aryo S.
    918
    508
    1372

    2 years ago

    Helpful 21
    Thanks 4
    Love this 15
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 95
    Thanks 32
    Love this 110
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dawn T.
    0
    133
    112

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kenny G.
    153
    55
    36

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 10

    Chong Qing Yao Mei Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chong Qing Yao Mei

    When do they have the face changing show? My kids really would like to see.

    It's on Fridays around 7pm

    How's the parking situation?

    There is street parking on Green St or you need to park in a nearby structure like the one on De Lacey.

    What is that spicy chex-like cracker snack at the appetizer/snack bar? That stuff was delicious but I don't know what it is!

    Is this ayce?

    No it’s not

    Any schedule change due to COVID-19 outbreak?

    We no longer have dine in services and are working toward to go orders on Uber Eats and other online platforms. Updates will be available on Instagram @chongqingyaomei

    Do they serve hotpot for 1pax?

    Yes, you can dine as a party of 1

    Is it ayce?

    No, at the moment we do not have AYCE option

    View All 13 Questions

    You might also consider

    Mama Lu’s Dumpling House

    Mama Lu’s Dumpling House

    3.8
    (435 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    Mama Lu Dumpling House is my favorite Chinese spot in the area. The dumplings are amazing, which is…read moreexactly what you hope for when going to a place known for them. You really cannot go wrong with the xiao long bao, steamed buns, or any of their other dumpling offerings. Beyond the dumplings, they have a lot of other dishes I really enjoy. Some of my favorites are the beef rolls, spicy wontons, green onion pancake, chow fun, orange chicken, and chow mein noodles. The noodles are especially good and, importantly, not overly greasy or oily, which can sometimes be an issue at other places. The prices are also competitive, especially considering the portions and quality of the food. It is the kind of place where you can order a good spread, share a bunch of dishes, and feel like you got a solid meal for the money. I also love that they bring out sugared peanuts when you sit down. It is a small touch, but a really nice one. The restaurant has plenty of seating, though service can be a bit slow at times, so good luck flagging down a waiter when it gets busy. You can also tell they are a high-volume dumpling restaurant because there is often steam in the dining room, which can make the restaurant feel a little warm at times. A couple of practical heads-ups: the tables are on the smaller side and can get crowded quickly if you order a lot of dishes, so just be mindful if you are planning to feast. You will also likely need to park in one of the structures around the area, but there is a large parking structure right across the street and plenty of parking options around Old Town. Overall, Mama Lu is a great spot with excellent dumplings, solid noodles, competitive prices, and a menu that keeps me coming back. Definitely one of my go-to places in Pasadena.

    My family group of 6 adults ate at the Pasadena location of Mama Lu's (61 S. Fair Oaks). This was…read moremy 1st time. They sat us at a small table for 6 people right by their front door & in front of a blowing fan. The table looked too small to hold all of the 8 dishes that we would be ordering. I asked for a larger table, but they said the table for 10 would be too large. There were several larger empty tables. The restaurant was not busy. As it turned out, our table was too small to hold our 8 entrees. The server wasn't even sure herself on how or where to put our orders on the table due to a lack of space. We had to combine several of our entree dishes onto 1 plate to make room on the table. The service was terrible because no one would check up on how we were doing, & no one would take our mountain of extra dirty serving plates away. Staff were standing around instead of being attentive. We got up & brought the many empty dirty serving dishes to their main counter ourselves. We had to ask for water refills because no one came to see if we needed anything. They then had the audacity to automatically charge us an 18% service fee ($19.83) for their bad service. The bill totaled $139. Tipping is NOT optional, even for bad service! The food tasted OK, not great. The facility & restroom was clean. Available street parking was very hard to find on a Saturday at noon. The Pasadena location was a big disappointment & a bad experience. I will not return, & I do NOT recommend eating there. It was not enjoyable. NOTE: The Chinatown location of Mama Lu's has excellent & very friendly service, larger tables, better tasting food, & an adjacent free parking lot. I highly recommend that facility. I've always had a good experience at that location.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    French beef stir fry
    French beef stir fry
    Green Onion Pancake

    See all

    Green Onion Pancake
    Yang Chow

    Yang Chow

    3.8
    (717 reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$

    Upon recommendation, I decided to visit this restaurant with a friend. We really enjoyed the…read moreslippery shrimp ($24.50) and Szechuan (orange) chicken ($22.50). Bowls of steamed rice cost $2.50, and we each got one. Portions are generously large and worth the cost; we took leftovers home. The tea offered to us tasted good. The slippery shrimp had a nice crisp with a pleasant blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. There's a slight spice from the red chili that felt mild on my tongue. This was our first time trying out the dish, and we liked it the most. The orange chicken tasted solid, and it had a slightly crispy texture. For some reason, the rice had an aftertaste I wasn't familiar with, but it was still fresh. There was a fortune cookie at the end of our meal. I'd come back for the slippery shrimp and order something other than the orange chicken. The restaurant opened at 11:30 am, and we were one of the first customers to dine in. The ambience was quiet and relaxed, but they got busier as many more people arrived. Service was good as the staff packed our leftovers in containers for us. Our server asked us where we were from as he was used to seeing regulars during the time we visited. Before we exited, we took some time to see framed photos of celebrities who visited Yang Chow before, including Conan O'Brien and Magic Johnson.

    We've been loyal customers of Yang Chow for over 20 years, but we will never give the Pasadena…read morelocation another dime. We placed a large order including slippery shrimp, Szechuan beef, and wonton soup, but the chicken lo mein arrived with charred pieces and tasted terribly burnt. ​When we called, the manager, Phil, was incredibly rude. He demanded we drive 30 minutes back just to return the noodles for a refund, defensively asking, "What else do you expect me to give you?" When we tried to reason with him and reminded him of our 20-year loyalty, Phil literally said, "That's not my problem," and "I don't care." ​Everyone knows that businesses are struggling in this economy, and a manager with this kind of attitude is definitely not making things any better for the restaurant. It makes zero sense to treat a 20-year regular like a scammer over a side of noodles. Phil's horrific attitude and total lack of accountability just cost them a lifelong customer. Avoid this location.

    Photos
    Entrance
    Entrance
    Shrimp with lobster sauce
    Shrimp with lobster sauce
    Slippery Shrimp

    See all

    Slippery Shrimp
    Lunasia Dim Sum House

    Lunasia Dim Sum House

    3.8
    (2.5k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Overview: convenient kiosk ordering, tough parking, delicious dim sum…read more ---- We decided to order some dim sum to-go and got the classic offerings of siu mai, har gow, cheung fun, chicken feet, pan fried turnip cake, ginger beef tripe, black bean pork short ribs, and egg tarts. Everything, and I mean everything, was so delicious. One of the best dim sum places I've been to. The pricing of the items ranged from $8-$10 per item we ordered which is expensive but as a treat every once in a while and for the amount of time and effort that goes into making dim sum, it was worth it. I've tried making dim sum at home and it is so hard! Pricing breakdown: $8 items: - har gow (4 pcs) - siu mai (4 pcs) - black bean spare rib - pan fried turnip cake - egg custard $9 items: - chicken feet $10 items: - shrimp rice noodle roll I think they no longer have the tripe on their menu anymore bc I couldn't find it on their online ordering. Also their chili oil was priced at $0.98, which was kind of small, I would do without it next time. ---- The parking was really tough, luckily I had another person with me drop me off then I ordered and then we double parked waiting for it to be finished. The inside of the restaurant felt like an elevated dim sum place, things were neat and a darker ambiance which felt more intimate if you decided to eat in. We took ours to-go and it was still so good! ---- Overall: if I'm ever back in Pasadena I'll be sure to stop by for dim sum, classic dishes with an elevated taste, pricey but worth it

    Perfect family dim sum experience for us…read more We took out my parents and in-laws for dim sum: my parents' very first time ever. We did wait about an hour, but honestly I didn't mind at all because it gave us a chance to relax, talk, and catch up as a family. Once we were seated, my parents were immediately impressed with the decor: elegant and cultural without feeling overly modern or cold. And can we talk about the tea kettles? They looked like literal pieces of art being poured at the table. Ordering was super easy with the QR code system, so my husband handled the whole spread: shumai dumplings, chicken feet, sesame balls, and more. Everything came out hot, fresh, and beautifully plated. The ENTIRE table agreed on one thing: the chili oil condiment deserves to be sold in bottles to take home. It was that good. Smoky, just the right amount of spicy, and addictive. Now for the real test: my in-laws. They've been to *many* dim sum places and are not easily impressed. They declared this place to have the best chicken feet that they've ever had: meat easily sucked off the bone, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and perfectly seasoned. High praise coming from dim sum veterans. Most importantly, my parents' first dim sum experience couldn't have been better. They loved everything from the ambiance to the food to the overall experience. My husband and I want to come back to explore more of the menu because there's clearly so much more to try

    Photos
    The outside of the restaurant.
    The outside of the restaurant.
    Back of the restaurant with plenty of parking.
    Back of the restaurant with plenty of parking.
    Nice, modern look and feel

    See all

    Nice, modern look and feel
    Sichuan Street Food

    Sichuan Street Food

    4.5
    (108 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    I've been coming here at least once a week for the past five months, and this place continues to…read moreimpress every single time. The service is consistently great... attentive, efficient, and genuinely welcoming. Fair warning for anyone new to Sichuan cuisine, the dominant flavor is "spicy". That said, the dishes are not just about heat... they're layered, aromatic, and incredibly well-balanced. Every dish I've tried has been outstanding, both in flavor and presentation. If you're a fan of bold, authentic flavors and reliable service, this spot is definitely worth visiting. Tip - If you're new to the cuisine, I strongly recommend getting everything MILD spicy. I've been told by some of my colleagues that MILD spicy is still pretty spicy, so be warned. With that said, strongly recommend the dishes below. Lamb with Cumin 11/10 - My favorite dish here by far. Aromatic, flavorful, and the spices are just on point. Dan Dan Noodles 9/10 - Solid and consistently good. The sauce is properly seasoned and truly compliments the perfectly cooked noodles. Shredded Cabbage with Pork 9/10 - Not to be confused with twice cooked pork. This dish is so simple and bland looking, but it's packed with flavor... so good! Garlic Pork Belly 8/10 - This is a cold dish. The meat was perfectly cooked and properly coated in chili oil. Solid and consistently good. Kung Pao Chicken 8/10 - In my opinion, it's an elevated Kung Pao Chicken. Solid and consistently good.

    This place is crazy good. When you think of Szechuan food you're probably thinking SPICE, but you…read morecan adjust the heat of most of the dishes here so you're not frying your tongue off. It can get really busy, though, so expect to wait or just call in your order and take your food to go. I recommend the soy sauce tofu with beef dish. It's fire. Massive W. Gen Z words. Good.

    Photos
    Sichuan Street Food
    Orange Chicken
    Orange Chicken
    Rice- comes with the dish

    See all

    Rice- comes with the dish
    Colette

    Colette

    3.8
    (1k reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $$

    Overall we enjoyed our meal and experience and would totally come back to try other dishes…read more Food - everything was fresh tasting. Lobster: we enjoyed the Colette special sauce, it was aromatic with the basil, good level of spice, and lobster meat was cooked perfect. Salt and pepper calamari: great crunch, wish it had a little more salt & pepper & garlic seasoning most pieces weren't coated, but the calamari texture had the perfect chew. Crispy vermicelli with beef: loved the crispy noodles and soft beef stir fry textures together, definitely ask for chili oil with this dish, it needs that extra umph of flavor for the noodles. Salted egg yolk pumpkin: I normally love this dish, only wished the outside was crispier, got soggy fast and with how thick these are cut you want the crispy exterior, but flavor was good. Only thing that made me feel a bit "eh" was the chipped plateware they have and continue to use. Service - wonderful! Everyone was so friendly and had nice customer service. They even helped recommend dishes and also share opinions on what we shouldn't order which I loved. Parking - free parking lot! There are a few spaces right in front of the restaurant. But around the side there's more parking as well.

    Very good food and service I like the food there…read more They have a very good chef I send all my friends there too and they love it

    Photos
    Patio seating
    Patio seating
    Assorted mushrooms with tofu
    Assorted mushrooms with tofu
    Salted egg yolk pumpkin

    See all

    Salted egg yolk pumpkin

    Chong Qing Yao Mei - hotpot - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...