One of China's Spiciest Hotpot in NYC

Published on May 20, 2023 by Cindy Chen on laichi, food

The Restaurant

Step through their doors and take a trip to historical China. This restaurant’s brick and wood interior takes you from New York City to an earlier time miles away, however, equally as busy. The wooden benches, red banners, lanterns, and water wheel really add to the overall warm ambiance.

Chongqing Lao Zao (重慶老灶) in Flushing brings the famous spicy Chongqing City style hotpot to New Yorkers. Their spicy tallow soup base comes in three levels of spicy and you can definitely feel the temperature rise. Their hotpot ingredient list is extensive with a wide range of meat, seafood, and veggies. If spicy food isn’t your thing, or you’re vegetarian, they have additional soup bases such as tomato and mushroom. A little something for everyone. Don’t forget to take a trip to the sauce bar and make your own dipping sauce.

Our Recommendations:

If you’re going to hotpot, a dual flavor pot is a must. They have a triple flavor pot if you want an additional flavor. Definitely get the spicy tallow (level to your taste) and mushroom. You have to give the traditional Chongqing spice a chance and then a milder soup base to sooth the tongue.

Outside of the staple ingredients like slice beef and shimp paste, try the spicy and milky beef. All the veggies are good, but we recommend kelp and Chinese yams. Get the potato noodles, very slippery but they can sit in the broth for a while and have a good bite. Create your sauce mix with your heart or try ours: soy sauce, sesame paste, fermented bean curd, garlic, scallions, and cilantro.