It was so different to go through a hot pot meal slowly in a group of 5 rather than as a couple. It just felt like being in China -- there was so much we could sample: fungi, leafy greens, seafood, meat and bean noodles....The choice of hot pot sauces (buffet style) is terrific and we tried sesame-based sauces that we had not sampled with hot-pot before. Highly recommend.More

There is a flight of stairs that leads down to the restaurant from the street level. The restaurant itself is nondescript in terms of decor, but it is comfortable with plenty of adequate seating. Don't be deterred by it's lack of ambiance because this is...without a doubt the best place to go for authentic Chinese food! If you are looking for run-of-the-mill Americanized Chinese food, this is not the place for you. But, if it's great Chinese food that you're interested in, the Hot Pot is the place! The menu has a wide selection of authentic, creative and flavorful dishes. Enjoy!More

We are Americans who grew up only knowing Americanized Chinese food until we visited and eventually lived in southwest China for a few years. It is nearly impossible to get good, authentic Chinese food here, and even harder to find hot pot. This place is...great! I've only had the hotpot, but my husband has been here for lunch and said it was great too. We got the split pot so our young daughter could easily regulate her spice intake. We recommend the frozen tofu since it acts like a sponge to soak up the tasty broth.More

I could get used to the Hot Pot concept. If you want to try this form of dining - which involves putting raw meat and veggies into a boiling broth and letting it cook for a while - you should make a reservation because this...small unassuming place doesn't have a hot pot burner on every table. You also could use some help in deciding how much to order, but if you've never been, don't expect the staff to be any help. The night we were there, the place filled up with students quickly and they wanted the table back pretty fast. Our order of beef was loaded with fat and we needed to send it back. Each of the dipping sauces are an extra buck but you're going to need them because the food will have no taste without them. And I recommend you brush up on your chopstick skills before you go. It has potential and probably gets better with repeated visits, but first time you go, go with someone who understands the concept and has been there before, otherwise you may not want to give it a second try.More

We've only ever ordered carryout from here, so I can't give any opinion about the Hot Pot here. I'm fairly certain this is the only hot pot place in Ithaca, but we never tried it because for whatever reason it seemed dodgy to my wife...- had some issue with the smell of it one time when we came in during a busy dinner hour. But the carryout that we've ordered has all been very good, so I expect the hot pot is good as well. The go-to surprise favorite here is the fish w/pickled mustard greens: definitely a must-try!More

I am from Northeast China and I can say that the food here is very authentic. The taste is so close to what you can get in China. I dined in once and we order take out almost every week. Have tried quite a few...dishes, most are excellent! I am so glad I can eat food from my hometown when I'm so far away from it. Please note that the style in Northeast China is different from Szechuan food, or Cantonese food, or American Chinese food. So the taste might be different from what you experienced in Chinese restaurant of other styles.More

The hot pot is expensive and not good at all. It is in the basement, so the environment is uncomfortable and sort of smoggy ...

Haven't received such bad service anywhere else. I'd strongly recommend against going there. We went there in a group of 12 and ordered various dishes from the menu.The waiter came back and said that a third of the dishes we ordered were unavailable. Alright, we...ordered other items instead. The waiter again comes back and says that half of the dishes we ordered are unavailable, which includes dishes he did not point out from our first order. After a lot of going back and forth with the orders, we finally place an order that includes 3 crispy tofus, a ma puo tofu, chicken lo mien and a certain fried rice, etc. The orders came in rather quickly, except for the fried rice, which never came! That is still fine. After we are done with the food, the check comes. And the nightmare begins. They include the fried rice in the check, and even though we repeatedly contest that there was no fried rice served, the waitress refuses to believe us and says that she remembers serving the dish to our table. She even points to one of us saying that she laid the dish in front of that person who had ordered it. Well, the truth is that the person who had ordered the fried rice was someone else on the table, not whom the waitress was pointing to. There was simply no fried rice served. She starts talking loudly in Chinese to another waiter, and running back and forth around our table. She even points to leftovers in our plates arguing that they are from the fried rice, which is ridiculous, since those leftovers were from plain rice mixed with curry. It was only after we speak up and point out to them how bad their service was, that the waitress gets slightly defensive and takes a step back. We finally get the check with the fried rice removed, all this while being looked at from a distance in a rude fashion, and being pointed fingers at. Seriously, the part where the waitress rudely and loudly started picking on the leftovers on one of our plates, to prove that the item was served, is just unprofessional and unthinkable. I'm not going there again, and urge others not to go there either.More

This place is absolutely fantastic, particularly when you are craving real, non-Americanized Chinese food. Two of my favorite dishes are salt-baked prawns with pepper and stir-fried prawns with pickled chili and minced pork. Don't bother peeling the prawns -- just eat them shells and all....They are delicious. I have also enjoyed the twice-cooked pork with garlic and leek and the dry cooked string beans. The restaurant has had some growing pains, particularly with respect to timely service (as can be seen by previous reviews.) I typically solve this problem using IthacaToGo, so I can do something productive while waiting. The restaurant appears to stop taking to go orders during busy times (e.g., Thursday - Saturday dinners), so be forewarned. Having said that, the service issues appear to be getting better. My one complaint is that the dumplings are often served steamed when fried are requested. Even though I know about this problem, I can't stop ordering the three type dumpling...More