Go-To Hotpot Spot in Manhattan
In a city overflowing with restaurants, it’s rare to find a place I keep going back to—but LaoJie Hotpot has totally earned that spot. It was originally recommended to me by a Chinese friend who really knows hotpot, and now I’ve been more than five times! That consistency in flavor and experience? Hard to beat.
Where Is It?
105 Bowery, New York, NY 10002
It’s not in the middle of Chinatown, but kind of tucked at the edge between Chinatown, Little Italy, and SoHo. The crowd is mostly Chinese locals with a few tourists sprinkled in. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another Korean here, so every time I walk in, they automatically speak to me in Mandarin 😂. I always smile and say, “Two people!”
Once you step inside, you’re hit with that unmistakable hotpot aroma (if you know, you know). The staff hands you a menu and a glass of lemon water as you settle in. The main offerings are:
- All-You-Can-Eat Hotpot
- All-You-Can-Eat Skewers
- Hotpot + Skewers Combo
What we ordered
Personally, I always go with the classic hotpot-only option. I’ve never tried the skewers, but FYI—they’re pre-grilled, not DIY like some lamb skewer spots. But let’s be real, the name LaoJie Hotpot says it all.
What to Order
You choose whether you want individual or shared pots. While a lot of foreigners go for their own, most Asian diners (me included) share one pot. I always go for a half spicy red broth (hongtang) and half milky bone broth (baitang) combo.
My must-have ingredients:
- Tofu fish cakes
- Wood ear mushrooms
- Dried bean curd sticks (fu zhu)
- Wide sweet potato noodles
There’s a huge list to pick from, so just go with whatever you like!
DIY Sauce Bar – My Favorites
There’s a sauce station you must visit while waiting for your food. Here are my go-to combos:
For the milky bone broth: soy-based dipping sauce
- Soy sauce (2 parts)
- Sugar (1 part)
- Chinese black vinegar
- LOTS of scallions
- 1 spoon of minced garlic
For the spicy broth: peanut-based dipping sauce
- Peanut sauce (2 parts)
- Sesame paste (1 part)
- Scallions
- A touch of oyster sauce
- Optional chili oil for extra heat
Highly recommend both—especially that soy sauce combo with the bone broth. If you love cilantro, feel free to add some too!
Time to Feast
Once everything arrives, it’s game time. You can always order more ingredients if needed. They also offer small side dishes and fried items for free, but I’m always too focused on the hotpot to bother with extras. I never get drinks or alcohol either—it’s all about maximizing the hotpot experience for me. And don’t worry if broth goes low. Server will refill your broth anytime you want.
The Random Dessert Surprise
After your meal, they’ll usually bring out a surprise dessert. Sometimes it’s just a grape-flavored hard candy, but if you’re lucky, you’ll get a chilled milk tea pudding with a hint of black tea flavor—so good! Definitely try it if you get that one.
Should you go?
LaoJie Hotpot is hands down my favorite hotpot place in Manhattan.
It’s the kind of spot that sticks with you.
We only had two all you can eat hot pot, so after tax we had $80.52 (tip should be additional).
Just one thing: prepare to leave smelling like hotpot from head to toe. Totally worth it though. 😄