湘聚 香锅里辣

Good is amazing here. The sauerkraut spicy fish is amazing. Good spice, very flavorful. There are lots of vegetables under the fish and noodles that absorb the flavor of the broth. We had them cook us some vegetables and we picked the vegetables and it was very different than traditional Cantonese cuisine. It is refreshing and new the flavors. The fatty beef dish was really good. Reminds me of hotpot. The crab dish is out of this world amazing. I cannot describe the taste. I’ve never tasted this flavor before and couldn’t stop eating it. Relaxed atmosphere with bench seating. Very comfortable. This is my second time eating here and I highly recommend trying the food here!

I went to XiangJu XiangGuoLiLa after being invited by some locals—always a good sign. I ordered both the malatang and the ma la xiang guo, which was half the fun because you get to pick all your own ingredients. I even added frog to the xiang guo, which was unexpected but actually pretty interesting. I went with mild, and honestly, it was still a bit spicier than I anticipated—next time I’d probably go lite. That said, I really enjoyed the whole experience. It felt interactive, authentic, and definitely worth checking out if you want something different.

Not sure why all the reviews are saying the service isn't good. This is just your typical Chinese restaurant. All those reviews are plain ignorant to a different culture and their behavior. Anyways, the food here is really good. I am a big fan of spice and the food here hits the spot. I enjoyed the chicken in chili oil. Cold and refreshing. The malatang is also very good. Meat and veggies charged by the pound. I had plenty of food amongst a group of 4 people. Stuffed our bellies full. Bowl of rice is included per person. The service is great. The woman in the blue hat was very enthusiastic and eager to assist in ordering the perfect ratio of veggies to meat in our bowl of mala. Great spice. Constantly coming over to refill our water cups. Thank you.

I was surprisingly pleased to find a place in Brooklyn Chinatown serving up an authentic dry pot. You go to the counter and pick your ingredients and they make it for you, and pick spice level. Setting was like your old world chinese style restaurant. I picked lotus, konjac noodles, yam noodles, wide yam noodles, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo, tofu, tofu skin, bok choy, enoki and king oyster. It was a TON of food. The only things for me were that it appeared on the menu to be 8.99 a plate, they meant 8.99 a pound! It also was not spicy enough for me and did not have enough flavor. Ended up paying around $32 which was not what I wanted to spend. Had to takeaway and it lasted three meals for me with the rice they gave. Staff and service was attentive as well.

This is the worst restaurant I’ve been to in more than 50 years. The lighting, and service speed are fine — but the pickled fish was terrible. It had a strong chemical-like smell and taste, and my wife and I couldn’t eat it after just two bites. We even asked nearby customers, and they told us they never order the pickled fish either. We politely asked to replace the dish with something a little cheaper, but the owner refused. We then paid the bill and left. Shockingly, after we had already left the restaurant, the owner followed us outside and harassed us for almost 20 minutes. We felt extremely unsafe and ended up calling 911. If you’re sensitive to strong smells or chemical-tasting food, avoid the pickled fish. And be aware: if you complain, the owner may react aggressively even after you leave.