Cheryl Woo

I’ve been wanting to try this spot as I’ve heard so many good things. It definitely did not disappoint and expect a wait during busier peak times. I loved the spacious interior and the staff were super attentive. they give you a paper to mark down what you want. I loved the soup base. the tomato soup base was my favorite. they have a good selection of meats and vegetables. highly recommend this spot for hot pot especially as the weather gets colder.

RJ

If you're looking for spicy hotpot, look no further. They're known for their spicy foods. I have a high spice tolerance and the food had me sweating but enjoying myself. We did the three pot soup base Tomato-sweet, tangy and savory, can't go wrong if you like tomato base The OG- we did medium spicy and that was tasty, flavorful and medium was more than enough level of spiciness Chinese herbal- good but there's LOTs of ginseng so if you don't like ginseng/slightly bitter flavors, might want to avoid this. We ordered an assortment of protein and veggies to go with our soups. The taichi beef was super spicy as it was filled with red and green chilli. Thinly sliced beef and ribeye were great. We also tried meatballs, thinly sliced chicken and enjoyed it all. The place is super cute on the inside. There's a little pond with koi fish inside. The ground floor has regular seats but there are some seats on the other floors where it's traditional and you are seated low to the ground. The sauce station is on the second floor and self serve. I was very pleasantly surprised by their brown sugar buns which was basically fried mochi with brown sugar syrup. I love the texture of mochi and the outside was very crispy, inside was chewy and the syrup was pure sugar goodness. They also have really cute booths upstairs where some have traditional floor seating and some are built to look like little homes.

+3

Kevin (AussieFoodieAdventures)

Lao Zao Chongqing Hot Pot has this beautiful store front. As you enter the wooden doors, you are transported to a traditional village setting of stone and bamboo architecture, hanging lanterns and a water-wheel that separates the higher floor from the lower floor. Even before you sit at your table to savour the food offering, the setting of the restaurant really sets the mood. Service was very efficient and super friendly. The staff were very helpful and provided wonderful recommendations and suggested portions. We opted for the Triple Flavor Pot which consisted of a mushroom soup base, a tomato soup base and mild beef broth soup base. The beef broth was my favourite but a note of caution, the “mild” is fairly spicy especially as the dried chilies continue to infuse in your pot. Would recommend taking out the dried chilies if it gets too spicy. The complimentary starter of spicy pickled vegetables was also amazing so much so that we asked for extra. Some of the standout dishes that we ordered; Milky Beef - when severed, the milk would be poured over the beef and this supposedly helped tenderise the meat. Either way, the beef was delicious, tender and succulent. The Shrimp Paste was served in a hollowed out bamboo, in a crushed ice bucket with its own unique serving spoon. This was fresh and tasty and definitely worth trying. The Stir-Fried Bean Curd Rolls was another favourite. Cooking time for this was a few seconds as it would soak up the soup and inflate very quickly when cooked. We also tried the Thick Sliced Tender Beef, Marbled Beef and Beef Ball which were all amazing. Definitely great to go with a group so you can try the variety of meats, seafoods and vegetables.

+9

Cheryl Pink

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. 🔥🍲

Nina M

Amazing service! The food is fresh and creative, and the spicy level is perfectly balanced and totally manageable. The environment feels very traditional and cozy — I really enjoyed it! Highly recommend!

Pat B Boon

It is another restaurant for Mala and Shabu that you should definitely not miss. Starting with the warm atmosphere at the restaurant since opening the door to the shop, it is like you are really in China. The quality of the meat and the food is good to very good, which is definitely not my first time. I have been here more than 5 times. I like the taste, the staff and the atmosphere are good and clean. Overall, if you come to party with friends, you must come here. Even if you step out of the shop, you will have the smell of shabu and smoke on you. I still like to come back to eat here. I recommend it for shrimp, not bamboo and the meat is both fresh and good.

+1

DN

I came here after a concert and the restaurant was very crowded with people waiting. Luckily, my group had 6 people so we were seated immediately. It was past midnight by then, so some items were sold out, but the broth and beef dishes were all delicious. I especially liked the tomato broth because it was very flavorful. Will definitely come back here when I'm in Flushing because of the delicious broth, reasonable prices, and unique Chinese atmosphere.

Better Food Better Mood

This place is phenomenal and lives every bit up to the hype! Immediately as you walk in, you’re hit with the mouth-watering and aromatic fragrance of the mala. The interior design and decor evoke feelings of awe and wonder. And the swift service is impeccable. The hotpot’s broth is very flavorful and delicious. For those who are ordering spicy, fair warning, it is HOT. I can handle spice really well, but even medium had me slightly struggling 😮‍💨 The ingredients were all fresh and the portions were great too. I do recommend the milky beef, it’s sooo tender. (Wasn’t a huge fan of their spicy beef though since it was too salty.) The shrimp paste is also good👌 Definitely revisiting in the future!😍😍

+2

Nyzal C

Amazing experience here. The food was fresh and delicious! Broth was super good. Mild Spicy was just spicy enough without the overwhelming heat. The service was really great as well. Our server had great recommendations and she even made us a great dip to try!

Mir

Excellent food, service, and decor. We felt like we stepped back in time to ancient China upon entering the restaurant. We got there around 3:55pm on Saturday and there was already a 1 hour wait! We left our names and went outside to explore the local area. They texted us when our table was ready. At 5pm, we heard the staff tell people that the wait time was 2 hours. It looks like a super popular restaurant and for good reason! We got 3 broths - herbal, tomato and mild spicy. All broths were good. Tomato is quite sweet and the kids loved it. Herbal was really good but kids weren’t a fan. Spicy was too spicy. Keep in mind that the mild spicy hot pot broth is actually us more like medium spicy! I liked it but after a little bit, I couldn’t eat any more spice. The server was so helpful and always came by at just the right time to refill our water. It almost felt like we had our own server who was serving just our table, and that is a testament to how attentive the server was! Would definitely come again! Edit: We came again with family and it was as good as we remembered it. We came on a Wednesday evening at 6pm and there was no wait for a party or 7 people. We had amazing service and very fresh ingredients for the hotpot. The three broth flavors we got were herbal, tomato, and medium spicy hot peppers. It was spicy! But yummy spicy. Next time we would do mild though.

+22

Anjali Paul

Came here for the first time at 1 am tonight! I wasn’t expecting anything but was craving hot pot but I’m soo thankful we came here. Our server Jack was exceptional! We got the beef tallow broth in medium spicy cause we’re spice feens but even the mild was a lot for us but still sooo delicious! I recommend the mild even if you are a spice head. Our dinner for two was only $85. We loved it ! Will definitely be our go too late night hotpot spot! Everything we had was soo good and flavorful. I recommend the cilantro meatballs they’re made with pork and as well as the premium ribeye !

+8

Sils Wei (Sil)

Hands down one of the best hotpot experience I've had. The Chongqing medium spice is perfect balance of spice for your average spicy food enjoyer. Mushroom soup base is also excellent! Our server was on point and was very helpful with explanations where needed. The decorations inside are also awesome! Must try for spicy hotpot enjoyers.

+5

Gib CMF (Gibby)

Excellent service and atmosphere! I love how attentive the waitress was. She even gave me a hair tie because of my long hair. She also suggested me that to order too much food which I really appreciated. And glad that I listened to her. :-) The mushroom broth tastes really good. It would go well with anything. I also got a spiciest one which was not spicy enough for me. Although I liked it.

+2

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.\n\nIt feels like an elegant hot pot…

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…

Perfect food experience. Great food and ambiance. The server was attentive and helpful.

Perfect food experience. Great food and ambiance. The server was attentive and helpful.

Perfect food experience. Great food and ambiance. The server was attentive and helpful.

Great hotpot place in flushing. They don't take reservations so you have to go in and out your name down. The wait time around dinner can get up to 2 hours long so make sure to plan ahead of time…

Incredible broths, quality ingredients, amazing variety of proteins and vegetables, friendly staff, and a charming ambiance. First time there and it was heaven in a pot!

Incredible broths, quality ingredients, amazing variety of proteins and vegetables, friendly staff, and a charming ambiance. First time there and it was heaven in a pot!

Incredible broths, quality ingredients, amazing variety of proteins and vegetables, friendly staff, and a charming ambiance. First time there and it was heaven in a pot!

I honestly see the hype about this spot. It gets super busy around dinner time so expect a wait time. We got the tomato and herb soup base. Both soups were flavorful even after they added more wa…

I honestly see the hype about this spot. It gets super busy around dinner time so expect a wait time. We got the tomato and herb soup base. Both soups were flavorful even after they added more wate…

Food first, thoughts after...\nA 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 …

Excellent hot pot. The broths are extremely flavorful and the ingredients (meat, seafood, veggies, fish balls, etc) were all high quality. Also loved the rustic vibe- you feel like you're transport…

Food/drinks: yum! Super delicious traditional hot pot. Great for sharing and large parties. I loved their bamboo covered shrimp!! \n\nAtmosphere: very cool!!! It's a themed atmosphere, it's very cr…

Food/drinks: yum! Super delicious traditional hot pot. Great for sharing and large parties. I loved their bamboo covered shrimp!! \n\nAtmosphere: very cool!!! It's a themed atmosphere, it's very cr…

Food/drinks: yum! Super delicious traditional hot pot. Great for sharing and large parties. I loved their bamboo covered shrimp!! \n\nAtmosphere: very cool!!! It's a themed atmosphere, it's very cr…

Shawn's the man! Great service great food! Also time get the rice wine and rice cake!

Wow! The broths are so flavorful! All the ingredients were really fresh as well. Some of my favorites were the shrimp paste and the combo beef organs. Wait can be long but you can walk around the m…

So many soup base options and hotpot items! Pretty tasty, but I think the most unique thing about this place is the soup bases.

A bit pricey but everything is worth it. Best to come as a party of four as it allows you to try many items. The staff are very helpful in advising you not only what to choose but also how to and wh…

The restaurant decor was amazing, simulating a traditional Chinese house/building. The restaurant is structured with pockets of tables on 3 levels which decreased the noise level. My friend and I o…

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.

This is hands down the best hot pot I’ve had in New York. The wait can be pretty long, but it’s absolutely worth it 🔥 The broth is incredibly flavorful and well-balanced — even after cooking for a long time, it never gets overly salty or dry, which really sets this place apart. All the ingredients are super fresh, from the meats to the vegetables, and you can tell a lot of care goes into the quality. The overall dining experience is very satisfying, and you actually get to enjoy your meal without feeling rushed 🍲 Honestly, this is one of those spots you’ll want to recommend to everyone. If you’re ever in Flushing, this place is a must-try ✨

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, whi…

very good ! def makes ur clothing smell ! the wait is crazy but worth it !! alil tight but the food is BOMB

very good ! def makes ur clothing smell ! the wait is crazy but worth it !! alil tight but the food is BOMB

The decor here is very aesthetic and feels like China. The soup bases are very flavorful and the selections of items to choose from are plenty. The only downside is that it's not great for large gr…

The food here is really incredible. The atmosphere is amazing. All of the theming and old revolution era Chinese posters are incredible. The wine came in Mao mugs... so cool! Only reason not 5 star…

JAMES WANG

First time today, I feel it’s not that different from other hot pot places although my wife love it and the place is always packed, our waiter was great. They should add more snacks like other hot pot places. I love the Pickled Cabbage the most out of all the dishes we have had today.

+2