LaoJie Hotpot Manhattan

A new favorite of mine when it comes to hot pot. From ingredients to offerings to customer service, Lao Jie is my go to place for a warm hungry meal. The selection is expansive with ingredients that other all you can eat restaurants don't typically offer. Not only that their seafood (crab and large clams) is very fresh and appetizing as well as their wide selection of 6+ soup bases. At the end of it, they provider a unique jasmine yellow pudding that is "not too sweet" (code for just right sweetness). I would buy that as dessert to go. During dinner time, especially weekends they do get busy and so if you have reservations they start you immediately. Otherwise, the service and staff members are welcoming and attentive.

wasn't sure if it was an off-day for the waiter but the service was a bit horrible for us. We had a group of 6 and waited 10ish mins for our table on a Saturday evening. The waiter was in a foul mood or something was just rolling his eyes every time we wanted something; it got to the point where we tracked another waiter down instead. Even though this is an AYCE, we ordered alcohol.. guess that was too much work for him.!

To-go spot for AYCE hotpot beside Hometown Hotpot a few blocks away. I've always made a reservation before coming here to avoid long wait times. The food here is great and they have many options for hotpot. I love the large variety they offer for all the meats and veggies. Also, if you go on your birthday it's discounted!! Side note: they provide a large bag for you to put your jackets in so they don't soak up the hotpot smell.

As the year is coming to an end, my friend and I decided to wrap up 2024 with a bang...at none other than LaoJie Hot Pot (老街火锅吧) for AYCE hot pot in Lower East Side, Chinatown. We'd made a reservation for 4:30pm few days ago and saw that hardly anyone was there because it wasn't after work hours yet upon arrival. Huge plus that the reservation for a party of two is allowed w/o needing at least 4+ people in the group compared to other hot pot spots.Got greeted by the staff as we walked in right away. The Manhattan location is just like the Brooklyn locations (upstairs & downstairs) - very decently sized with retro-styled booths for larger parties and tables of four to fit smaller groups of 2-4 people.Chinatown Laojie Hot Pot is hands-down one of the best spots for hot pot in the area. People gathering to mix their own sauces in the self-serve sauce bar + the delicious aroma of simmering broths + a lively, welcoming vibe. The restaurant is clean and well-organized, which made the experience even better.LJHP's retro-style decorations are a feast for the eyes, welcoming diners to a mix of rich Chinese history down the memory lane. The vintage posters, cassette tapes, traditional red lanterns, dim lighting, and rustic wooden furniture help to create a cozy & authentic setting. Every corner is thoughtfully designed, making it as the perfect photo opps. Customers can really feel the charm of classic Chinese culture throughout the space. It's not just a meal--more like an experience!The menu is decently large, offering some of its fresh ingredients to cook in your choice of broth. My friend and I both chose the herbal soup base--as it had just the right amount of flavor w/o too much MSG. The angus beef and lamb slices were super fresh and the texture melted on our tongue; the vegetable (spinach + A-lettuce) options were pretty fresh as well.Overall, pretty good food + flavorful & not too salty broth. The highlight of the whole experience was definitely the free house-made fragrant mango milk tea pudding at the end for dessert. I wish they would sell that from the menu. Could eat at least a few bowls after hot pot.Service was quick and friendly, staff had checked in on us very often to refill broths in the pot and our water cups. Prices are reasonable even for dinner time considering the quality and portion sizes. They accept both cash/credit card now. If you're a hot pot lover, this place is a must-try!Good thing that we went there earlier--didn't get crowded until around 6pm when others started coming as we got ready to leave. There was even a party of 7 sitting in the front by the doorway at the waiting area.The Downsides + Improvements could be made:1) Staff had forgotten some of our food options twice (only gave 2 pieces of sausages & no fried tofu skins) throughout the meal despite not being dinner rush hours.2) Only two napkins were brought to our table, I'd to get up & search for a stack of napkins myself by the sauce bar.3) Staff hadn't offered a plastic bag to put our jackets in to prevent from smelling like hot pot when we sat down at the table. Didn't know we could've asked the staff either beforehand until reading other Yelpers' reviews.Thank you for reading! That's it for now....

(Overall: A) - I greatly enjoyed this AYCE Hotpot place for under $50/pp. Before the meal started, the staff already made a great impression by providing a large plastic bag to wrap our jackets, which solved a longstanding mystery of how I can get rid of the hotpot/kbbq smell from my clothes. Their menu has an impressive array of choices to choose from, ranging from your classic cuts of proteins and cuts to some more adventurous such as aorta and tripe, loved by those born with this taste. There is a healthy array of vegetables and carbs, as well as a good selection of sweets and appetizers to round out the meal, which can be ordered by piece -- I really enjoyed the fried pumpkin. LaoJie was quite spacious and all of the food was presented nicely and seemed reasonably fresh. Good quality hotpot overall!Food: +1Presentation: +1Price: EAtmosphere: +1Service: +1 Menu: +1Overall: +5 AInsta/Beli/TikTok: @amei_eats

Forever my favorite hot pot restaurant in NY. For $36.98pp, you get AYCE hot pot with a huge variety of protein, veggies, seafood, noodles, and more. The service is also quick as everything is brought out soon after we ordered. Everyone gets individual hot pots, so you can choose whatever soup base you like. I usually enjoy the tomato, but ventured off with the dark chicken this time which was soothing. There's lot of great seafood options like crab, clams, and mussels to make your money's worth. We also ordered some drinks along with our dinner, which were tasty. At the end of the meal comes the best part --the rose milk tea pudding! Seriously one of the best desserts I've ever had and I always look forward to this here. Come for your birthday and you get to eat free with 3 paid guests too.

I may be biased because I absolutely love hot pot with a passion. AYCE hot pot less than $40? Say less!! There were so many options, the quality was great, free sauces and dessert. We waited for 45 min on a Saturday night when we were quoted 1.5 hours. It's very vibey and lively in there. This is definitely going to be my go to hot pot spot. I am still dreaming of the food.

If you're looking for the ultimate hotpot experience combined with delicious skewers, this place in Manhattan's Chinatown is a must-visit! I recently went with a group of colleagues to celebrate my birthday, and it was truly memorable.The all-you-can-eat (AYCE) menu was impressive, offering a wide variety of flavorful options to satisfy every craving. They even had a great selection for vegetarians, which made it easy for everyone in our group to enjoy. The broth was rich and perfectly seasoned, and the skewers were grilled to perfection.The staff deserves special mention--they were incredibly friendly, attentive, and accommodating throughout the evening. They made sure our table had everything we needed and even surprised me with a thoughtful birthday gift from the restaurant, which added a personal touch to the celebration.The lively yet cozy atmosphere made it the perfect spot for group gatherings, and the quality of the food was top-notch. I highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for an unforgettable hotpot experience in Manhattan Chinatown!

Winter is amongst us so you know what that means.. Hotpot time!!!Was in between this and Hometown. So happy we decided to go with LaoJie. Had the herbal broth. It was very rich in flavor. AYCE spot. All the items we ordered was fresh. They refill your broth frequently. Service was friendly.Left with a full belly.

My friends and I only got the hot pot (no skewers) and for less than $40, I thought the quality was not bad at all. I was surprised they had beef tongue and that already made the experience worth it for me. Their spicy beef soup is more of a mild than a medium when compared to other hot pot chains. The sauce bar is free and we also received a free dessert at the end. We also did not have to wait long for our table and got in within 45 min when we were originally told 1.5 hours. I highly recommend the AYCE hot pot here!