Lao Ma Tou Hot Pot

Took my Korean friend for their first Chinese hotpot experience. They had the bone broth base, while I went with medium spice. We ordered meat, various vegetables, and soju. My friend really enjoyed it and said they want to come back next time!

They have an appetizer and dessert bar, and all of the hotpot items were super affordable. My favorites were the shrimp/fish balls, tofu, and lamb. We also got spicy beef tongue and fish slices. I really liked both of the broths we got (tomato and mushroom) too! The line is usually out the door here, but we were luckily able to get in after a short wait! Service was great and staff was attentive!

Ahead of my trip down to SoCal, one of the things that I hoped to do was to hit up one of the any hot pot joints down here. While we've got plenty of great spots in the Bay Area, it's undeniable that the roster of options to choose from isn't nearly as extensive or varied. So, needless to say, I was super stoked when I found out we were going to be coming to Lao Ma Tou for dinner! Of course, it didn't hurt either that the reviews for this place are so incredibly positive, too! Now, I have to say - between their giant signage above the restaurant and their bright, overly Chinese-themed decor, it was impossible not to ese Lao Ma Tou as we pulled into the parking lot. However, as somewhat over the top as all of the decorations that adorned the front patio area looked, it really did feel like I was eating at a hot pot restaurant somewhere in China (I loved the red light fixtures on the ceiling when you first walk inside). As for the menu, it's set up a la carte rather than AYCE, so your bill can tally up pretty quickly if you aren't paying attention. However, it makes sense when you consider how impressive their collection of meats, seafood, vegetables, and noodles are and the quality of everything. For our group's pot, we opted to get a HALF SPICY & HALF TOMATO BROTH BASE and a variety of goodies to drop in - LAMB & BEEF SLICE COMBO, MA TOU MEATBALL COMBO, USDA PRIME RIB SLICE, PORK BELLY, MUSHROOM COMBO, VEGETABLE COMBO, QUAIL EGGS, and the WULONG YAM NOODLES (there were probably other meats, but I lost track). While I liked both broths, I thought the spicy one (some kick, but not very intense) was better than the tomato one (slightly sweet). As for the goodies, everything we got was solid - the cuts of meat were great, the vegetables were fresh, and the mushroom plate had several types. Of the meats, I especially liked the USDA Prime Rib Slice (nicely marbled), the meatballs (so juicy!), and the slices of lamb (tender, not gamey). Along with whatever items you order off their menu, their DIY sauce bar, which has a good mix of condiments available, also has some snack and sweets to offer, including shrimp chips, peanuts, fresh fruits, sweet tofu, and a sweet red bean dessert, among others. In particular, though, their Jian Dui (fried read bean sesame balls) are insanely delicious - practically every one of us kept going back up for more! With regards to service, the workers are pretty friendly and rather timely, as everything here moves at a steady clip. While just about everything we had was pretty tasty, I will say that Lao Ma Tou feels a little pricey for what you get. Even after considering the quality of the cuts, some of the plates still seemed light on value (a couple only seemed to have about 6-8 thin slices?). Granted, it's mostly because we were trying to be mindful of how much we were ordering, but I definitely left hungrier than if we had gone to an AYCE joint (we would've paid less, too). Despite that, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy our meal here. I imagine there are better places to be found in SoCal than Lao Ma Tou, but this definitely wasn't bad for my first hot pot experience down here!

Love the decor and service. Really makes you feel like you're in Asia eating hot pot. Get there early or make a reservation though. It's popular! The food is great and they have interesting cuts of meat (multiple tripe cuts, duck intestine, etc.) soups base is delicious.

既然選擇了遠方，就別怕風雨兼程， 也別再頻頻回頭，無需糾結太多，試過了就不後悔，努力過了便無遺憾～ 老碼頭， 羅蘭崗生意數一數二好的麻辣火鍋店，我第二次來，去的時候是一般的weekday，不到七點就全滿了，還有人在排隊，外面火鍋店那麼多，沒有促銷，沒有特價，還能這麼的紅紅火火，就是東西新鮮，好吃，還有他家辣鍋的獨特風味、相信他家的麻辣鍋底是很多愛吃辣的首選，其實白鍋也是不錯的，個人覺得比海底撈好吃，他家也有好吃的餉玲， 還有一道炸豆皮， 這道一定要點，很好吃，喜歡吃麻辣鍋的，爾灣好像也有一家，這家要放在口袋名單裡歐！