Lao Ma Tou Hot Pot

Lao Ma Tou Hot Pot in Bellevue downtown is nestled right in the heart of the city, perched on the second floor of Soma Tower. While street parking is available, it can be a bit of a hunt depending on the day, so be prepared to walk a few blocks to reach the restaurant. We opted for a weekend lunch right after they opened, scoring a table with ease thanks to their online reservation option.The restaurant's style is reminiscent of Haidilao and other hot pot joints, with orders placed through an iPad starting with the choice of soup base. We went for the half pork bone and half mushroom base to steer clear of spiciness. The soups were generously portioned, requiring only one refill throughout our meal. While the taste was satisfying, it didn't bring any surprises.Now, my favorite part of any hot pot experience is the sauce bar, and Lao Ma Tou Hot Pot didn't disappoint with a variety of sauce bases and toppings to mix and match. The appetizer options were plentiful, though many leaned towards the spicier side. We couldn't resist ordering the stinky tofu, a dish I've been craving since my Beijing trip. While the flavor was adjusted to be less spicy and stinky, it was still a delight to introduce my girlfriend to this unique dish.As for the meats, we tried two different types of beef and a beef tripe combo. While they were tasty, there wasn't much to write home about as the real stars of the show are the soup base and dipping sauce, which complemented each other perfectly.I must give a shoutout to their dessert options, included in the sauce bar, as well as the free ice cream offered at the end--a sweet endnote to our meal.Overall, Lao Ma Tou Hot Pot offers a wide variety of dishes, including some unique specialties like the stinky tofu. Because the prices are on par with other premium Bellevue downtown restaurants like Haidilao, I see it as more of a special occasion spot rather than a regular haunt. If you're looking to switch things up from your usual hot pot joint, this place is definitely worth a try.

I really liked this place! Mostly because they give free ice cream at the end of the meal :) We got half tomato, half spicy broth. The spicy broth was the mildest one, but it was soo spicy! We took out a lot of the peppers and then asked to add more broth and it was much better. The sauce/appetizer bar is great, and pricing is similar to other hot pot restaurants. Parking in garage is 1 free hour.

Delicious hot pot in downtown Bellevue! For broths we had the house spicy and tomato. Big warning on the house spicy broth...even the "light spicy" is extremely spicy! It's very tasty but it will burn you twice if you know what I mean, especially vegetables that seem to soak up all the spicy oils. Our favorites were the beef short ribs and lamb shoulder. Fish filet was pretty good too, though I think we overcooked them. We also got Mexican shrimps that were huge but I wish they were de-veined, that was my only gripe of the meal.I really appreciated the wait staff, they were patient and explained how to order off their iPads, and gave recommendations that we enjoyed. The underground parking lot is kinda narrow and limited, so I bet it's a nightmare on busy weekends.

I've been meaning to try Lao Ma Tou for a long time. I'm glad I was finally able to go. I'd argue it's one of the best hot pot restaurants in the Seattle area. The ingredients are fresh and the broths are on point. The sides bar is also great and even has Bing Fen (Ice Jelly). The restaurant is very elegant looking and quite large. The servers are also very attentive and there is garage parking. The price can be a bit high especially because it's not AYCE. Still, I'll definitely be back.

I really enjoyed my experience here! It's located in Soma towers and they have validated parking in the garage for convenience.Lots of great options for broth- highly recommend their famous frog broth! Also their spicy ones are so good too. They have lots of great exotic proteins like frog feet, animal blood, etc!! The staff are all friendly and nice. There is a sauce bar area to make your own sauce and also grab fruits. Overall it was really delicious and I really enjoyed trying different proteins that aren't available at other hot pot places. Very authentic Chinese hot pot. Very clean and modern inside, just beware that you will smell like hot pot when you leave! I even enjoyed the free vanilla ice cream cone at the end :) I would definitely come back here again~

Another new hot pot place in PNW! We had a dinner reservation here around 8pm on a weekday and it was pretty busy. I would say Lao Ma Tou is pretty similar to Hai Di Lao in terms of service/ambiance. They are located in Soma Towers on the 2nd floor. We got half pork bone and half spicy broth. I only tried the pork bone because I don't handle spice well, and it was really flavorful, probably one of the best soup bases I've tried in the area so far. We ordered an assortment of meats, vegetables, and other sides, but the most memorable would have to be the lamb, which was really good. Would definitely recommend getting that, but everything was pretty solid overall. Service was good, everyone was super friendly. Price point is probably pretty similar to Hai Di Lao, maybe a bit cheaper. 1 hour free parking in the Soma Towers garage. Would love for there to be better ventilation in the restaurant though, because my clothes were reeking of hot pot when I left.

Overall average: 4.05 Wanted to try a new place and stumbled upon this restaurant in the area. We didn't put in a reservation and just walked in. Luckily, we showed up about 15 minutes before the dinner rush and got a seat right away. We got super lucky because there was a huge line outside for those without reservations as soon as we started eating. Food: 3.85/5 The meat was quite fresh and they offered a variety of beef/lamb combos. However, options were lacking, especially in the seafood and meatball department. Menu was not spectacular, but I enjoyed the overall food quality. Their sauce bar had a variety of great options and it felt very upscale. Alongside their sauce bar was the dessert bar. They're in collaboration with HUI LIU SHAN so you get unlimited dessert!! I loved the abundance side options they have for creating your grass jelly bowl. I'd recommend NOT getting the Barbie beef tower though. It's all for the gimmick and you'd get much more beef if you ordered a regular plate. There was much less beef on here for $20 than you would if you ordered a regular plate. The Barbie also had her private parts hidden by what seemed to be a sharpie. I was not happy about eating ink (although I didn't ask what it was. It really seemed like it was sharpie though). It was so very creepy looking if I am going to be honest. They had options for a dual broth (like many restaurants offer) but I stuck to one this time. I got the chicken bone broth and I really liked it! It was not too salty and had a lot of ingredients inside that made it extra refreshing. Service: 3.95 Food came out super quickly and they checked on us multiple times. However, what dragged the rating down was that we had a few different waiters and not all of them were super friendly. Ambiance: 4.35/5As soon as you step in, you'll know it's a fancy place. For the price, I'd say the food was pretty mid, but you're definitely paying for the restaurant atmosphere. From the high rise ceilings, to the carefully oriented gold/black themed decoration, it felt super high class and fancy. Verdict: I would come back for a birthday celebration, taking that they have back/upper rooms for that. I don't think I'll come back on a regular basis if I were craving hot pot just because I can get similar quality food at a cheaper rate. This meal came out to a total of $170 after tax and tips for just two people. We also paid $18 for parking because we weren't aware there was cheaper underground parking if you ate at the restaurant. I wish there was a sign earlier as we entered. Overall, it was a good first time experience, especially for wanting to try somewhere new.

This place does not mess around with their spice. We got the spicy broth (you select mild, med, hot for this, we selected mild) and I had to stop eating it. It was HOT, like 4/5 stars hot. It was too much. I'm not sure if it got mixed up, or that's really the mild, but either way. Despite the spice, the broth had incredible flavor. I would've devoured if the spice didn't stop me. The second broth we tried was the pork bone broth. Very flavorful, with a neutral profile. I really loved the lamb in this. This place is somewhere I'd recommend if you're wanting to try some of the more authentic protein options, veggies, etc. They have some stunning platter options as well if you're looking for a little bit of everything. Overall service was fast, and just the right amount of attentive. Pretty quiet restaurant, though it also is pretty small in the lower level area. I wouldn't say it's my favorite hot pot, but if I went back and got a true mild spicy I might like it more. Some things that were incredible: the fried pork. Comes with tingly pepper spice and it's just delicious. Lamb, cooks up to perfection and was so incredible in the spicy broth. I could do without the spicy beef. It's too thick of cut that putting it in broth to cook just results in a tough chewy meat with odd texture. We barely touched that one.

Made a reservation for dinner at 8:30pm on a Friday. We were able to start ordering on the tablet while we were waiting for our table to get ready. I got a free rib eye by showing my student ID and posting a story on IG and tagging them. Each of us also got a free beverage (non alcoholic canned beverage only) by following them on IG -- awesome deals!! The food was what you could expect in a good hotpot restaurant. The interiors were nice with high ceilings.The staff was very friendly. They reminded us how much more food we still had. We ordered so much and got so full that we had to take the remaining ingredients home. They also served ice cream for free as dessert. Def will go back again!!They could validate the parking in the garage for you. Parking in the garage is also free for the first hour.

Lao Ma Tou is conveniently located just a 5-minute walk from Bellevue Square, which is perfect for me as I love the ease of getting there. The interior is beautifully decorated with traditional red lanterns, adding to the cozy atmosphere.Two appetizers that really stood out for me were the fried pumpkin cake and the fried Chinese sausage. The combination of the crispy pumpkin cake with condensed milk is very tasty, and the Chinese sausage brought back nostalgic flavors of home.For something adventurous, I highly recommend trying the House fried stinky tofu. Despite its pungent smell, the taste is surprisingly savory and delicious.All the meat dishes were fresh, and I particularly enjoyed the three colors noodles. The green noodles, likely made from spinach, were my personal favorite, while my friend loved the purple ones, possibly made from purple yam.We also ordered the dragon boat platter, which offered a delightful variety including meatballs, beef tripe, shrimp paste, shrimp and more. This platter allowed us to sample a bit of everything, especially enjoyable when paired with the spicy pot. The spicy broth had a rich, deep flavor with just the right amount of heat - perfect for spicy lovers like me!The staff at Lao Ma Tou were attentive, and quick to serve, adding to the overall enjoyable experience. I'm already looking forward to returning to try more of their specialties!