重庆老灶 Chong Qing Lao Zao

We arrived at 1pm on a Saturday. There was a 1-2 hour wait. We decided to sit in the front desk area and review the menu. It was a crowded space and very cold but you can go to nearby bar for a cocktail. They will text you when your table is ready. We were seated within an hour. Hao, our server, was friendly, helpful, and attentive. The decor is delightful. The food is delicious except the beef tongue was too chewy. The variety on the menu is plentiful. Great selection of drinks. The music is relaxing. All the staff were professional. We will definitely return.

I came in by myself for dinner and Shawn gave me the best service I’ve ever experienced. He was an incredible waiter from start to finish — kind, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. He took the time to explain how hot pot works and made great menu recommendations that were spot on. His knowledge, patience, and positive energy made the entire experience smooth and enjoyable. Shawn has a rare ability to make you feel completely comfortable while also delivering top-tier service. Truly the best waiter I’ve ever had. He made the night memorable, and I’ll absolutely be back because of him.

The place is famous of long waiting line for a good reason, it is best hot pot spot in New York City, tastes real authentic as you were in China. They offer a good selection of items on their menu, all fresh and high quality, which is important for hot pot. Few different types of soup base, even you don't eat spicy you can choose mushroom or herb one, both were tasty and good. My favorite dish is the beef with milk, it's fun to watch the waitress preparing it and the meat so tender and fresh after putting into the hot pot. This place is my No.1 choice when it comes to hot pot.

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.

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.