Lao Ma Tou Hot Pot

One of my favorite hot pot spots in town. I love the variety items in the menu.My favorite orders are:1. Beef tongue2. Pork brain3. Fish roe4. Mushrooms

I came here twice and this is a solid hotpot place in Irvine.Food: The self-serve bar is a bit lacking compared to other hot pot places I have been too. The sauce bar is good and they refill it often, and the desserts are solid. But the small dishes were less satisfactory and more basic compared to other hotpot places in Irvine(e.g. Shancheng Lameizi) . For $4 a person for the self-serve bar, it's a bit disappointing. However, their hotpot soup base and meat quality is very good. You can definitely taste the flavor in hotpot, and it doesn't taste watered down. I suggest getting the half spicy, half bone soup.For meat, I suggest getting the, USDA prime ribeye , and angus beef short rib slice. Both of those are fair prices and are actually quite large slices. I also suggest getting the shrimp paste balls, sweet potato noodles(really chewy) and crown daisy(vegetable).I also suggest coming around 5:30-6:30 for dinner because there's usually little/no wait. By 7:00 it gets very busy. And I also want to mention than after eating, your clothes will definitely smell like hotpot(there isn't much ventilation inside).Overall solid, and I would come back again.

Food is delicious, meat options are very tasty and awesome veggie selection. Amazing flavor and spice options for sauces and broth. General aesthetic and ambiance was really nice, no loud music and place is very oriental in Chinese aesthetic design. Service was really good and staff are on point with checking in. Would recommend and will definitely be returning!

Hot pot heaven! Loved this spot--great quality, generous portions, and a cozy ambiance. It might seem pricey at first, but the portions make it totally worth it. Plus, the service was on point! Definitely coming back. #HotPotLover #FoodieAdventures

This is my favorite hotpot spot! I've been to many hotpot places in Orange County, and this one has the best and most authentic soup base, which is essential for a good hotpot. They offer a huge selection of hotpot items, so it's best to go with a big group to try a little bit of everything.The service here is great. The servers check on you throughout the meal to ensure you have enough soup and that everything is satisfactory. They also provide aprons to protect your clothes from splashes. There's a small charge for the sauce bar, but it includes snacks, desserts, and fruits, which I love.Ordering is convenient with a QR code system. Everyone can order on their own phone and see what others have added to the order, reducing miscommunication and helping track the table's total order. The food usually comes out pretty fast; by the time I'm done getting my sauce, some items are already at the table.

The food was so good. Omg. Our waitress was so kind worrying about the spiciness of the hot pot. Thank you~ we ended up getting the least spicy spicy soup. The restaurant was clean, the dip bar was great, overall, an amazing supper. Thanks!

There's plenty of parking (depending on the time and day you go). We had a group of 5 people and ordered about $160 worth of items (it is NOT AYCE). It's expensive, but if more people split, it's not that bad. Once you go in, you'll be seated and you can scan the QR code on the table to order. You can order 2 broths since the pot is halves, perfect for those who like to try different things. Once you order your food items, you can make your sauce at the sauce bar. They have different types of sauces, desserts, and appetizers for you. Overall, everything was delicious and the service was great!Service: 5/5Tip(s):- Plenty of parking (depending on time and day you go)- Make your own sauce at the sauce bar- This is NOT an all-you-can-eat (AYCE) place- Restrooms available

With so many places to pick from this has got to be on your list of hot pots to try! The broth is rich. The restaurant is nice. And the staff are always ready to get you your next plates of yummy food!

This is a traditional Chinese hotpot place with one big pot in the middle and the option of splitting in middle for two different soup base. I like how they take order electronically using QR code like many other Chinese restaurants. The service was average, I had to ask for broth refill many times when my soup is getting really thick. They didn't offer apron upon arrival until I asked for it. Sauce bar is self-service. I think the food is not very fresh compare to other hotpots I have been to. The soup base is comparable to other places like HaidiLao. It didn't really stand out. Their highlight is the crispy pork 現炸小酥肉，it was very crispy and fresh. One thing to note is that although it seems like a huge plate, there were barely any mouthfeel of pork. When you take a bite, I feel like i only had batter. The decor of the restaurant is nice, like any other Chinese hotpot place with some elements of red. Again, nothing stood up for me. This is not a place I would get out of my way for.

Food was goooood here! Really enjoyed the bone broth soup and the ribeye! My bf got the spicy soup base level 1 and he was already sweating so much haha. We also got this beef and lamb combo plate but that was definitely not as worth than getting a ribeye. The combo plate meat, it shrinks a lot! I really enjoyed the the selection they had for the sauce bar too.The wait wasn't too bad compared to Rowland Heights. It's about the same size as the Rowland heights restaurant, and parking is easy as well! This is definitely one of the pricier hot pot places to eat at but really good experience!