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Potwhale

4.3 (139 reviews)
ModerateHot Pot, Chinese
Open 4:30 pm - 11:00 PM

Potwhale Photos

Business Info

POTWHALE ATMOSPHERE

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

Recommended Reviews - Potwhale

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Reviews With Photos

Menu
Monica R.

Great spicy food. Filling & flavorful. Great service. Casual ambience full of other hot pot foodies.

Two kinds of soup house special beef on the he right and medium spicy on the left
Jocelyn P.

My very first hot pot experience and I must say it has put every other Ramen experience to shame. I didn't even miss the carbohydrates and I'm usually an absolute crab fiend. No need for noodles. No need for rice. It is pure heavenly protein, and vegetables. I highly recommend to everybody. Service was working overtime and everything came out swiftly 12/10

Mild soup base & beef soup base (post meal)
Hannah S.

Always a great spot for authentic hot pot. This is one of two locations that I know of that have traditional hot pot & it's my favorite spot. There is a sauce bar where you can create your custom dipping sauces. It is a bit warm inside due to the multiple boiling pots of sauces which makes it perfect for winter. Accommodates large and small parties & the service is friendly and quick. Love to take friends here who have never experienced hot pot. Prices are fair but a bit expensive. For two I paid $55. Love this local spot in Tucson!

From one extreme to another... VERY SPICY TO NOT SPICY AT ALL!
Michelle D.

Clean, friendly, and most importantly...GOOD FOOD! highly recommend coming here if you like hot pot or want to try something new.

Meal spread
Gerardo T.

Menu choices were varied and meats were fresh. Hot-pot was delicious however spice levels are NOT for chumps. We ordered "medium" and ended up in tears. Service was fast. I thought portion sizes were small for the price. Atmosphere feels comfortable and local. Tables are large for big parties

Yummy yummy
Heaven R.

Very first time here! Super yummy , I brought my family visiting from California. They said 10 out of 10! The ambiance needs a lil art work or tall fake plants and it would look cute! The stuff animals at the front stand out and are nice! Overall the food was delish. Service was very quick and nice! I especially love that this place is open late The broths were very flavorful and I just love the selection to make your sauces! I will definitely be returning

Sauce Bar
Mandy T.

I came here with a friend in December for dinner. You choose if you want one sauce or 2 separate sauces then what you want to add into the sauces. You place the raw items in the sauce to cook. I liked the mushroom sauce but the mild sauce was really spicy and I didn't end up eating that one. I also wasn't a fan of the sauce bar and preferred the food without it. We added egg, sole, lobster meat ball, tofu, enoki mushroom, AChoy and spinach. Everything was really good. It was about $25 per person.

Ashley C.

This is one of those reviews with few pictures as I was so taken by the experience that I totally forgot until the end of the meal. I saw this place recommended from someone on an Instagram video and decided to try here instead of the E. pot place on Speedway I've had my eye on. The spot gave the mom and Pop vibe I was looking for and truly is a diamond in the rough. It's located in a plaza, which I would not expect, a restaurant, but upon walking in, any doubt you may have is instantly rectified as it appears very clean..it has paintings on the wall..and as a open floor plan. The tables remind me of a cafeteria as they are tables with a bench on each side. Each table also has a built-in stove top, which allows them to place the pot. After you're seated you receive two menus, one that allows you to pick your base and the other, with multiple options you can add to your pot. They give you a marker and pen to mark those things in the paper and laminated menu and come out to get it from you after a few minutes. I did feel the service was lacking as I had a few questions and was never really able to ask them since the server really only came to get our menus and leave. I did expect them to do more of an intro or explanation. They also have a walk up condiment bar that has things like oyster sauce, cilantro, garlic paste etc. that you can add to your pot but it's $1.50 extra to use it (they don't tell you that). The actual food was great and flavorful. Be careful that mild is SPICY, I would suggest just trying another base if you don't love spicy. There's some ingredients in there that does something weird to your tongue/taste buds. I can't explain it but it almost alters your taste and is intense. The meat also came frozen (we got 2 kings of meatballs and some of the beef), which I thought was interesting. Anyway it's a lot of food! I do think it's still a little expensive but it also could be managed with how many toppings you put in it.. came to about $33/pp for our meal.

Interior decor by the entry way
Beverly S.

Perfect place for a hot meal. They offer a variety of thinly sliced meat, veggies, and seafood. There's a station where you can mix your own dipping sauce and the place gets busy as it gets late at night. Nicely decorated and very spacious for groups of people. It was our second time going there and we had leftovers even for the three of us. I think the food is fairly priced. Highly recommend!!!

Delicious and authentic hot pot! SO hard to get good Asian food in Tucson, but this place is terrific. The broth was super flavorful and the fixings were generous. Be warned though--medium spicy is very spicy. We like the standard broth as well as the mushroom. Try it -- you won't regret it! As good as hot pot I've had in Queens -- I've had a lot -- and that's pretty much the highest compliment I can think of.

House mushroom broth & level 1 spicy

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

It was our first Hotpot experience. So much fun. The food was phenomenal. Looking forward to trying more things on our next visit.

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2 years ago

Just be aware they offer huge servings meant to be shared! But very good hot pot - would definitely return.

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4 years ago

Omg! Yum. Yum yum. The selection is great. Could be a little more but still a good amount for what you get.

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6 years ago

The hotpot was taste so good, I like spicy food the most, and potwale definitely is the best hot pot in Tucson

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

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Xin H.

thank you for your support!

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Page 3 of 4

Ask the Community - Potwhale

Anyone know how to reach them? The number on yelp, google, and Apple Maps isn't them

Try this number (520.2439347

Is Potwhale actually open? I tried calling their number and it's disconnected.

yes, we are open! I haven't paid for the phone sorry!

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Jun Dynasty Chinese Restaurant - Dumplings In Red Chili Oil 红油饺子

Jun Dynasty Chinese Restaurant

4.2(624 reviews)
2.4 miCountry Glenn
$$

The best Chinese food period! I brought a chef friend from Los Angeles and she concurred. Another…read morewell traveled friend can't get enough either. The people who work there are really good and attentive. Same crew for the past few years. My favorites would be green beans, kung pao chicken and moo shoo. The hot pots make many happy but idk it wasn't for me. Theres always a line on weekends but they have a great online order app and I have used it and run over to pick up. We like it so much we've catered a little party of 10 with Jun dynasty. The back room has a few big round tables and it's a fun way to share food and get your friends together.

We were on the hunt for a new family dinner spot and craving great Chinese food with solid vegan…read moreoptions for us adults with dietary restrictions. Enter Jun Dynasty. We pulled up to a completely full parking lot and a crowd of people waiting out front, which is always a promising sign. When we asked for a table, we were quoted a pretty long wait. To be fair, we did not make a reservation, so that one is on us. Normally I am not the type to wait that long, but the restaurant smelled absolutely amazing. That aroma alone convinced us to stick it out, and I am so glad it did. Once we were seated, our drink orders were taken and delivered quickly. The menu had a wide variety of dishes, including several vegetarian and vegan options, which we really appreciated. It would have been helpful to have more detailed descriptions on the menu, but our server was happy to answer questions and walk us through everything. We ordered the ma po tofu, braised tofu with vegetables, and vegetable chow fun noodles. My daughter went with the orange chicken and wonton soup. About ten minutes later, the noodles and soup arrived. The bowl of soup was big enough for the entire table, which made my daughter very happy. The noodles were delicious, and shortly after we started eating, the rest of the dishes came out. The braised tofu was loaded with large chunks of bell peppers and flavorful black mushrooms. The ma po tofu came in a vibrant red chili sauce topped with Szechuan peppercorn and brought just the right amount of heat. Everything was absolutely delicious. I am really glad we decided to wait and give this place a try. Jun Dynasty definitely earned a spot in our dinner rotation, and we will be back soon.

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Jun Dynasty Chinese Restaurant
Jun Dynasty Chinese Restaurant - Pork Dumplings in Red Chili Oil

Pork Dumplings in Red Chili Oil

Jun Dynasty Chinese Restaurant

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Golden House - Fried rice - yummy

Golden House

4.3(390 reviews)
10.9 mi
$$

Another update! Today we went nuts and ordered the Meat Combo Appetizer AND our own entrees. The…read moreappetizer was so much fun: 2 Egg Rolls, 2 Crab Puffs, 2 Shrimp Tempura, 2 Beef Kabobs, 2 BBQ Ribs. The egg rolls are huge, crispy, and not the least bit greasy. The shrimp tempura is light and crisp. The beef kabobs are well flavored and cooked crispy, which is an interesting and yummy presentation, The ribs are large and flavorful. The crab puffs are amazing! We could have eaten ten of them; a crisp outside is stuffed with a melting cheesy crab mixture. Divine! House -made Chinese mustard (so good and really clears out the sinuses!) and sweet dipping sauces completed the appetizers. I've reviewed our entrees before and they are as delicious as always. I had the Three Delight Moo Shu, a platter filled with fresh vegetables, shrimp, and chicken; accompanied by sauce (hoisin?) and rice pancakes. I enjoy making my little "burrito" bites! My dining friend had the Mongolian Three Delight; shrimp, chicken, and beef prepared with at least three kinds of onions and a mildly spicy sauce, and a large bowl of rice. My friend has a spice-loving palate, and was brought a bowl of hot chili sauce. Visible pepper flakes floated in the sauce and it was pronounced perfect. I love being greeted by name and the food is scrumptious. Golden House is immaculate throughout and it is a pleasure to visit and enjoy their food. See you next month, Ming!

SO incredibly grateful to have somewhere to eat close by that's not only local but has TONS of…read moregluten free options. I truly feel normal eating here having celiac. The food is amazing and the staff / owners are genuinely so kind. My husband and I just love this place, we eat here a lot! My favorite is the gf chicken fried rice and he just loves the gf orange chicken! So crispy and yummy!

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Golden House - Crispy noodles

Crispy noodles

Golden House
Golden House - Dining area

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Dining area

The 81 Hong Kong Cafe

The 81 Hong Kong Cafe

4.2(291 reviews)
1.1 mi
$$

Stopped by for an early afternoon brunch today. Big mistake…read more But first, let me say that our server was friendly and attentive and could not have been more helpful. Promptly seated, drinks brought out, order taken and food delivered fast, hot and correct. The background music was some chinese music tv station playing modern easy listening tunes and, along with the comfortable chairs and solid table made for a relaxing environment. The food? meh. You can see our order in the latest photo and how expensive it was. the Lo Mein was mostly tasteless and certainly lacking in thast "lo mein flavor." Although the meat was tender, the sauce was just a sticky brown sauce. Surprisingly, the Spicy Pickle Tofu was essentially the same sticky brown sauce as the Lo Mein but with some fried tofu in it and without the noodles but nothing otherwise remarkable. You can tell by looking at my earlier picture attached. The old picture shows a bright and colorful plate. The dish today was a dark brown (you could hardly see the tofu from the beef) as everything was just dark. Eggplant seemed to have a similar brown sauce as well but the eggplant was otherwise tasteless. Nothing popped. Chicken bites were bland and not at all crunchy. Just fried to soft texture but no real flavor. According to our server, the menu was just recently updated about a month ago. We noticed because one of our favorites was the Fried Taro Pie which is now gone from the menu and the server said yes, that's right. Maybe this place has a new owner or chef, but it's no longer in my top asian restaurants for Tucson.

Talk about food quality and quantity, 81 HK cafe is very good and on top of it!!! Having a mint…read morepork rice with egg Taiwanese style!!! It's an excellent and good quality of Chinese foods!!! Services were rushing due to I was here on Saturday night!!! Everything is perfect here especially when customers want Taiwanese Chinese foods!!

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The 81 Hong Kong Cafe - Tomato Beef Rice Bowl

Tomato Beef Rice Bowl

The 81 Hong Kong Cafe
The 81 Hong Kong Cafe

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Chef Wang 状元楼 - Bbq pork dim sum

Chef Wang 状元楼

3.9(310 reviews)
1.6 miNorthwest Tucson
$$

Such a great spot for authentic North-Eastern Chinese food as well as some other Chinese regional…read morevarieties like Sichuan. I love their tofu pot with cabbage, the cold appetizer combo with wood ear mushroom salad and Chinese shredded potato salad, the málà (má: numbing, là : spicy) vegetarian plate and the tea mushroom pot. I definitely want to try more! My general rating system: 1 star: I would stay away 2 stars: Has some good things about it but I generally don't recommend. 3 stars: Pretty good. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back but a decent place 4 stars: Great place. I would go back. 5 stars: I highly recommend stopping whatever you are doing and making plans to try it out! An Evie favorite!

I had an interesting experience. The food was great the first time with a friend. The very next day…read moreI ordered take out and it fell drastically in quality. I can recommend dine in. Although service was lacking and not attentive. We got the spicy crunchy shrimp, the crab puffs and the pork pot. Shrimp was amazing and deliciously spicy. The next day for take out it was overcooked and rubbery. The crab rangoons dining in were also fantastic. I was mind blown. For takeout they were undercooked. Lastly the grilled pork pot for dine in was just okay. I would lot order again. Flavor lacks and pork could have been softer. Presentation is beautiful tho. We also got Xiao Long Bao, broth filled dumplings, which were overcooked and busted so we didn't get to enjoy the soup inside. We were also served this with forks and not spoons for the correct way to enjoy it. Very strange. I may dine in again but I wouldn't rush to come back.

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Chef Wang 状元楼 - Inside

Inside

Chef Wang 状元楼 - Spicy Beef Noodle / 麻辣牛肉麵

Spicy Beef Noodle / 麻辣牛肉麵

Chef Wang 状元楼 - Spicy boiled fish!

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Spicy boiled fish!

Ba-Dar - Fried Rice with Chicken

Ba-Dar

3.9(397 reviews)
8.1 miBroadway-Northeast
$$

Underrated, lesser-known hole-in-the-wall serving up classic with a little flair…read more It's easy to miss this place, and I'll be honest, parking is a little bit of a pain. But squeeze right in to the little lot for lunch and prepare to leave happy! What's to love: Oh wow, they have lunch combos on weekends. That's rare nowadays! And their sides are a little bit different--instead of regular fried rice, they've got BBQ pork rice to accompany your dish. I was really hesitant, but that stuff is delicious. I had some with crispy orange beef--which was perfectly tenderized on the inside and crispy on the outside. If that sounds too rich for you, rest assured there are a dozen vegetarian-friendly combos as well. Service is kind, food comes out fast, and you can overhear happy long-time regulars raving about their food like they're discovering it for the first time. There are a ton of nondescript Chinese restaurants in town, and Ba-Dar is one of the better choices.

I've come to appreciate Americanized Asian cuisine (AAC) and its place in our culture. AAC…read morerestaurants don't serve 100% authentic dishes but it's good anyhow and that's okay. The fact is, unless I'm in a restaurant where there's roasted duck, pork, or chicken hanging from hooks, the expectation for "authentic" Chinese food is low. Ba-Dar was a surprising hit closer to the authentic side of the scale. The staff was super friendly and made it a point to connect with my wife and I as well as our kids. The three dishes and one appetizer we ordered came out quickly and was enough to feed our party with leftovers. I probably won't make it a point to come by the next time I'm passing through town but Ba-Dar was an enjoyable experience for tourists and locals alike. Enjoy!

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Ba-Dar - Inside

Inside

Ba-Dar - Welcoming fried wonton

Welcoming fried wonton

Ba-Dar - Sign

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Sign

New Asia Chinese Restaurant - House special chop suey

New Asia Chinese Restaurant

4.2(130 reviews)
3.4 mi
$

Went in around 2pm today to get some lunch. What a gem! Seems to be a mom and pop family run…read morebusiness including a couple of the kids hanging out. Immediately greeted and offered a booth in the pleasant dining room given menu along with getting my drink order. My drink came out fast and was a neat plastic cup full of ice along with the can - pretty perfect for me. A few seconds later my small order for the hot and sour soup arrived and it was a good sized small bowl but the soup was delicious. I've missed this in Tucson. Shortly, my order of the house special chop suey came out. It was fresh, hot, in a flavorful brown sauce. Full of the chicken, beef and shrimp along with lots of crunchy vegetables. A large portion and so good. This could be the kept secret in Tucson. Go check it out!

Saw this as a recommendation somewhere else on Yelp and decided to give it a try for dinner. We…read morecalled in an order for pick up and it was ready within 15 minutes! The dinner special was a great deal, the portions for soup and the other items were more than reasonable. Our favorite thing however was the BBQ pork wide ride noodles. We can't wait to come back and try the BBQ pork in something else because it was fantastic. They also already had spicy mustard and sweet & sour sauce in the bad without having to ask. The inside was rather small and warm when we went to pick up. We will be back again, but likely for take out only.

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New Asia Chinese Restaurant - Nice dining room

Nice dining room

New Asia Chinese Restaurant - Crab Rangoon

Crab Rangoon

New Asia Chinese Restaurant - Diet Coke and cup with ice

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Diet Coke and cup with ice

Potwhale - hotpot - Updated May 2026

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