If you're looking for authentic Chongqing-style hot pot in Pasadena, Chong Qing Yao Mei is definitely worth checking out. The broths were rich and flavorful, and I loved being able to customize my own dipping sauce at the sauce bar. They offer a great selection of meats, seafood, and fresh vegetables, so there's something for everyone. What really stood out to me were the grilled skewers, which are cooked fresh and start at just $2.99. They pair perfectly with the hot pot and add another layer of flavor to the meal. The skewers are available starting at 5 PM Tuesday through Thursday and all day Friday through Sunday. If you're a fan of spicy food and authentic Sichuan flavors, this spot is worth a visit. read more

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I love a place that asks if you've been there before so they can give you tips/information if you're unaware. Staff can be very helpful. Been here several times and enjoy it every single time; my go to hotpot place. It's decently sized and cute without lacking in personality. Portion sizes are fantastic and everything is super fresh. Everything comes out pretty fast and their self serve bar for small bites/sauce making is great! Choices on meat/veggies/noodles is perfection. Broth is always super flavorful as well. My only gripe (what makes this 4 stars instead of 5) is their broth can be very inconsistent with spice. Brought family that can't handle spice so when we ordered the beef broth, we ordered it mild and it still came out incredibly spicy, despite that not being the case when previously ordered. It made the one side nearly inedible for several people. There's a few large fairly inexpensive parking structures within a block of the restaurant which helps a lot with parking. read more

Food was great -- especially the fresh frog, freshly sliced fish, house-made shrimp balls, and beef tongue. Service was friendly throughout and the staff provided good service overall. The ambiance was traditional and cozy, with partial brick wall partitions that added some character and separation between tables. read more

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The food was great and the staff is awesome, very attentive and friendly. We even caught the weekend entertainment, so much fun!! read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Combo Soup Base, House Fried Rice - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

A good place if you like Chongqing style spicy hotpot. This place provides various self serve sauces. Food are fresh and delicious. Service is good, friendly and responsive. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Sauce bar - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

First time trying Hot Pot and absolutely loved it! Service was really friendly but could have been a bit more helpful in guiding us as this was our first time and didn't know where everything was (or all that was offered at Hot Pot) You select everything on an iPad. We added different proteins and veggies to a pot of flavored soup/broth that you pick at the beginning of the meal. We had one broth (I think it was a spicy beef - way too spicy for us) and the other broth was Thai flavored and was delicious. They had a little self service bar with sesame balls and other things to add to your meal that we discovered on our own halfway through the meal. Environment is very casual and fun, would definitely come back here again! read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - The tablescape - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

I'm usually not big on hot pot, but I was sold on Chong Qing Yao Mei! Delicious broth that packs a powerful punch (especially the spicy ones), as well as quality meats, flavorful bar sides (I loved the seaweed salad and spicy cabbage), and tasty sauces. The Home Style Fried Pork was delicious as well, sort of like chicharrón with an excellent cumin spice for dipping. Service was nice and came around from time to time to clear plates and replenish napkins. Definitely a legitimate hot pot spot that's reminiscent of those in China, and it's a solid A+. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Lamb, Home Style Fried Pork, and beef - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Really great experience with good quality food. We came for lunch and it was surprisingly empty. The selection was varied and had a lot of options. The price was also really nice and reasonable. The service was very good too but probably cause the place was fairly empty lol. I do wish they had a larger prepared food section but that's extra. I'll definitely be back. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

We ended up here because a big name spot let us down. What a find and lucky for us! The spot is unique and popping with customers, families and amazing aromas! We had the pork broth and the Thom Yum broth. So good! The meat was high quality, the vegetables were so crisp and the service was friendly and they hustled. Love the sauces station and the portions are big, so be careful what you order.LOL! You order your items through a QR code which is really great and puts you in control. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Marbled beef! - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Had a fantastic hot pot experience at Chongqing Yaomei in Pasadena! The broth was rich and flavorful.The meat was incredibly fresh and beautifully sliced, and the marinated beef with egg yolk was especially tender after just a few seconds in the pot. Will come back. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

Another one of those places that I've passed by and wanted to try for years. Our party of 4 came for dinner on a weekday and there was no wait. We ordered the combo split broth (spicy broth & bone soup), some shrimp balls, napa, mushroom platter, and a variety of meats to share. Top quality meats and there wasn't anything we didn't like. It's not AYCE and we didn't over order but it came out to roughly $60ish per person. Overall a really good hotpot spot with vibey asian decor and I'd recommend this to anyone looking for hotpot in the area! read more

Chongqingaomei is my No1 place for hotpot. The place not only has traditional hotpot dishes, they also provides kinds of skewers. The beef skewers tastes very tender and juicy. Mushroom skewer with shrimp also delicious. Worth a try. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - beef skewer - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food here is excellent. I enjoy ordering from the QR code. Food comes quick. Very nice sauce station. Very fresh ingredients. Service is decent. Ambience is like an old style Chinese restaurant in the middle of old town Pasadena. I really have no complaints except the price. It's quite expensive considering you have to pay for the soup bases to even start. I have been there twice and I think it's good to visit every now and then. read more

I really enjoyed the shrimp paste balls at Chong Qing Yao Mei. They were fresh, bouncy, and tasted amazing after cooking in the hot pot, especially with the spicy broth. The ingredients felt high quality, and the whole meal was satisfying from start to finish. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

Been coming here a few times now, and this place never disappoints. The ambiance is beautiful and makes you feel like you're dining out of state--very cozy, modern, and relaxing. The food is absolutely amazing. We ordered the combination soup with bone broth and the spicy tomato soup base. We went with medium spice, and it was really spicy but in a good way--full of flavor and definitely satisfying. If you enjoy heat, medium is a great choice. If you love intense spice, you won't be disappointed. One of my favorite parts is the sides buffet, where you can choose from a variety of dipping sauces or create your own custom sauce. They also offer peanuts and other snack options, which is a nice touch while waiting for your food. The quality, flavors, and overall experience keep us coming back. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys great food in a fun, elevated atmosphere! read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Combination soup and some sides. - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

The staff was attentive and helpful. The sauce and snack bars pair nicely with the hotpot. The dining space was clean. We were happy with the hotpot options. Street parking available- come and give it a try! read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

Not super authentic, but I appreciate their efforts in making the experience palatable for foreigners, while keeping to the essence of Chongqing hotpot. My table ordered the spicy broth in medium spice, and it was a lot milder than I expected from Chongqing hotpot broth. In general, the broths are quite tasty, though. The meat is also very fresh. The service is a 10/10 for me. My table jokingly ordered all the meat options, and had forgotten to remove the excess items. The staff went out of their way to let us know we'd ordered too much meat for our table and asked if we wanted to remove a couple selections. And I'm glad we did. The portions for each plate were larger than you'd get from other establishments. One of the items we'd ordered (and kept) was pork brains. While cooking this in a ladle, the staff came by to say it would take 15 minutes to cook. You can tell (from the surrounding tables and the staff's actions) that they are accustomed to having customers who are not super familiar with hotpot, and they try their best to make it a great experience. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

This place is really good. I'm new to hotpot, so I'm not a pro or fluent with everything in regard to hotpot. First, the fried rice is so good and could easily feed 4 big backs. My favorite meat dish was the one with egg. It was so tender. The squid balls were delish. 'They were very filling , I thought the texture would be similar to fish balls but they weren't. The sauce bar had many options. I just threw sauces together. Also, tried sesame ball for the first time from the appetizer and it was so good. Also, the fruit tea was so good and refreshing. The only thing I was not a fan of was the egg dumpling. It wasn't bad but not my favorite. The flavor was very plain compared to other items. Also, the parking is 15$ in the two near by lots. Definitely, look for street parking. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I was in the area and wanted to check out a new hotpot place with a friend. When we arrived on late Sunday afternoon, the staff was relatively friendly and seated us very quickly. There was a few parties there but wasn't too busy. They quickly explained the menu is through a website that can be accessed on the QR code for each table. The only thing that wasn't able to be ordered through the code was the soup which we opted for the bone broth and tomato soup option. Overall the interface was relatively easy to use in terms of ordering. Multiple people can join the table ordering and you are able to see who ordered what. I would recommend looking over the set offerings before ordering. Cause I made the error of ordering full orders on the veggies as opposed to being able to try more on variety. It was also a lot of food for a full order, so we did run into problems of completing. Soup was flavorful. The snack bar was self service which had a few Asian snacks like shrimp chips, spicy peanuts, edamame and cucumber salad to just name a few. There was a sauce bar had a standard offerings not too extensive. Inside had a unique vibe there was colorful wall decorations. There's indoor and outdoor seating. Multiple tables big enough for larger and smaller parties. We just parked in one of paid parking lots in Pasadena. It was a short walk away from the restaurant. There multiple lots around the area. Not sure if the restaurant validates since we didn't ask. read more

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Plenty of good food that is served and I definitely will be back. Hot pot broth was excellent. I love how the flavors blended together, nothing was over compensated or over salted which was good. The skewers I enjoyed were good. They have a deal on them $8.99 and they throw it on the grill. Ordered lamb, beef, shrimp, plus the meatballs were heavy too. They don't skimp here and that's a good sign. Don't sleep on the sauce bar here either they've got some good choices plus their in house sauce hits. I left full and happy. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

If you like Hot Pot, you'll definitely LOVE Chong Qing Yao Mei because this place is actually pretty darn amazing. From the decor to the food - it's great! A wonderful place for date nights or family nights, it's a place for all. Staff are attentive and knowledgeable. My favorite of their hot pot item is their noodle and of appetizer is their beef skewers. Always my go to place for Chinese Hot Pot - highly recommended! read more

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This place has such a fun vibe. I love how colorful and decorative it is both inside and out with posters, lanterns, umbrellas, and covers. Once you sit down you can scan the QR code and start to see the menu (and even order as a group with everyone adding what they want) There's a large selection of broths available for your hot pot that you can split down the middle of the pot so you can have options. I love ordering the extras like tofu, potato, lamb, and even kabobs! There's also a little sauce bar/ toppings station where you can get as much green onion, garlic, sesame seeds etc ...and boy did I get a lot! I really appreciated that they moved me to a quieter table when I asked because I think we were first sitting next to the kitchen where items were being thrown into the sink and it was quite loud with crashing noises every so often. The staff was really kind and accommodating when I told them I'm noise sensitive and they were sure to sit me at the perfect table. I had such a good time and everything tasted delicious! I can't wait to return here again to try more!!! read more

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Ambiance: it's a trendy hot pot place in Pasadena with very old fashioned decorations, front patio outdoor dining area, and spacious dining room inside separated in three sections Service: self serving ordering system, you scan the bar code on the table and place your own food orders Food: variety choices of food, and good combinations available, note their menu descriptions may vary from the actual items, self serving sauce and snack stations combo soup base - *** two choices of medium spicy beef oil with surcharge, none spicy bone soup, the beef oil broth was insanely salty and not spicy, bone soup was flavorless House Special Bowl Dishes (Meat) - **** 6 bowls of crystal beef, beef trip, marinated chicken feet, spam, egg dumpling, recommend House Special Cups Dishes (Vegan) - *** 9 cups of frozen tofu, lettuce, corn, daikon, dried tofu, black fungus, potato, seaweed, tomato Spicy Beef - **** topped with egg, marinated and soft, recommend Home style fried pork - **** crispy pork, good either eat directly or cooked in the broth, recommend Price: generous portions and reasonable prices, expect $50 per person for a very fulfilling meal read more

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their spicy hot pot base is soooo good and actually spicy. meat quality is whatever but the broth makes everything worth so good read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is my 3rd visit here and always loved the experience and food at this hot pot spot. It's a bit on the pricier side and is ale cart but the food quality is always really good. This time around I decided to try out more of the skewers that they server which I believe is a newer item. The skewers are made on a cooker outside and brought in after they are done. Some notably good ones are definitely the beef & pineapple skewer, lamb skewer, and the oyster mushrooms skewers. Can't go wrong and all super delicious. Also really enjoyed the potato spiral they had which was much better than the ones you'd find at a fair because they batter it before frying. In terms of hotpot we only tried out a few items this time around but everything was fresh. Loved that they have a pretty extensive sauce bar to make your favorite sauces. You can expect to spend ~$45-$60 per person if you're a big eater. It's worth every bit of it though so worth giving this spot a try. Parking - Love parking at Delacey parking lot which is a short walk to here. It's $1 for the first 2 hours then $2 for each hour after. read more

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I know we're all obsessed with super spicy tallow hot pot now, but this isn't Sancheng lameizi or Laomatou. This is Chongqing Yaomei in old town Pasadena. The concept is pretty much the same, you order your soup bases, I went with bone broth and the spicy tallow, of course. Grab your unlimited appetizers and make your own sauces from the self-serve bar. Then order all your ingredients from your phone. Presentation? A1 here. Bonus points because the server will help you mix the egg into the beef, this makes the beef SO tender. EXTRA bonus points because the server brought me his own sauce concoction, which was soo sweet of him. And they even do grilled skewers in their outdoor patio. Thanks for reading! ^-^ read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Lamb skewers -- comes with 4 skewers - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

Food was good. My favorite thing was their specially made ready dipping sauce. One thing I have a complaint about is they forgot my shrimp paste balls. I can't blame them completely because I forgot that I ordered them myself lol. But now looking at the photo I took and the receipt I didn't get it haha. read more

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Still my favorite hotpot place in all of the general LA area. Great quality and and value. All their broths are fantastic. They now have a selection of made to order skewers. The lamb was juicy, tender, and well seasoned. The staff provides consistently excellent and friendly service. read more

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Best hotpot in LA!!!! I tried all of them by now and this one is the absolute best! Authentic delicious, friendly prices I've been going there twice a week for a while lol read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great friendly service and delicious food. There's street parking or parking garages around the area. Inside is pretty cozy with a sauce bar that has appetizers and desserts as well ($3 a person automatically charged). You order by scanning a QR code and adding it to your order it's really convenient and easy to use. Fair pricing for the big portion size. The fatty beef, marbled beef, shrimp balls, and mushroom platter were tasty. I wish there were spinach in the veggie platter. Cool random dance show that comes on idk the schedule but it was a fun surprise. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

This was an awesome find last week and what I will call a gem in Pasadena. A true hot pot establishment with efficient service, awesome eats and some nice atmosphere. There was a wait list which we joined using their waitlist pad out front which was connected to Yelp's waitlist feature. The restaurant itself seems to have both indoor and outdoor seating but I don't believe they use the outside as much especially if it's cold out; this was the case on the day I visited. Tables are big and wide to accommodate the experience. The atmosphere and decor is great with lanterns, banners, neon signs and posters. Service was quick and attentive. To order we had to use their online ordering system after scanning a QR scan which tallies up items and allows you to order more if/as needed. Item's are brought out quickly. They have a true authentic sauce/condiment bar/side bar which you should use to customize your eating experience with sauces, side dishes and even a dessert. The menu has a bit of everything from a wide selection of broths (single types and combo included as a choice as well as applicable spice levels), meats (exotic included), seafood, vegetables, drinks and more. My experience included a combo soup base (two choices) bone broth and spicy beef oil (mild) and the following items: 8 seconds potato thin slices, Chinese yam, watercress, rice cake, New Zealand lamb, and marbled beef. I enjoyed a Tsingtao beer as well. The quality and quantity of everything was really great and more than enough. The broths we choice were both great and had a depth in flavor. The mild version of the beef oil was spicy for me and I can handle some spice so I would suggest starting from a mild version for the broths for any first timers to this establishment like myself. Prices are comparable and fair and meet the quality of the service and food. Parking includes various metered street and the various public parking lots around this area which should be plenty. There's a parking lot right next to the establishment for example. read more

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The hot pot slash melting pot and the place where diverse cultures and individuals can blend together to form a foodie family bond. We ordered a variety of meats and vegetables and some meatballs for those in our party that weren't feeling too adventurous, LoL. We got the pork bone soup base which was very well executed and that we all agreed on. Before we started our feast he had some of their oh so mouthwatering skewers that were cooked to perfection. Now since we didn't want to come out smelling like we were in a Hot Pot! LoL. We dined Al Fresco and I'm so glad we did. They had a live two person band playing an and that made the experience more enjoyable. Service was on point and they kept checking in on us. The patio is eye pleasing and the inside looked pretty cool too for next time. Street parking available and also garage parking a few feet away. For me, this is a perfect spot to meet up with friends and family and get to know new fellow foodies. And that's my take on it, Peace read more

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This place was such a vibe. The retro 1930's China decor instantly sets the mood, and the food totally lives up to it. The hot pot was flavorful and comforting, with a rich broth that kept getting better as we ate. The skewers were a highlight--bold, spicy, and seriously addicting. Everything we ordered came out tasting fresh and well executed, making it perfect for sharing and lingering over your meal. Great spot if you're craving authentic flavors, spice, and a fun dining experience. I'd absolutely come back. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei is located in Old Town Pasadena off of Green Street and when you walk in, you have been transported to a hot pot restaurant off they streets in China. I have to admit, walking in does feel intimidating but the don't worry. The service is amazing and they teach you upon request how to enjoy authentic Chinese hot pot. I loved the fatty beef, golden egg beef and the shrimp balls along with the rolled tofu and thick clear noodles. Oh yeah, if you don't know how to make a dipping sauce, ask the staff to make you some. Just come in with an open mind and enjoy a whole new cultural experience. read more

If you're craving authentic Chongqing hot pot, this place absolutely delivers. The broth is incredibly flavorful with that perfect balance of spice and numbing Sichuan pepper that makes every bite addictive. The ingredients were fresh and high quality, especially the beef and mushrooms, and everything cooked perfectly in the broth. They also have skewers now! The sauce bar is also a huge highlight. You can mix your own dipping sauces and really customize the flavor, which makes the whole experience even more fun. The atmosphere is clean and modern, and the staff were friendly and attentive throughout the meal. This is easily one of the best hot pot spots in Pasadena. If you enjoy bold, spicy flavors and a great group dining experience, you definitely need to try it. This is my millionth time back!! Even though they speak Chinese.. they also speak English to me and they always make me feel welcome and always communicate.... unlike Chubby Cattle in Rowland Heights. read more

Great service, and yummy food! I loved the marinated quail eggs side. I didn't get to try much variety since I got full fast and they were closing soon. I enjoyed how the place is decorated too. Would go again :)! read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Decoration - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

One of my favorite hot pot places in the area! Chong Qing Yao Mei is my go to whenever I'm craving beef tallow spicy broth. They also have the split pot available so when I go with family or friends who don't like spicy, we can also order their bone broth which is also super flavorful. Scan the QR code and everyone can start ordering to their hearts content. Sauce bar is similar to other hot pot places but I love how they always have the deep fried sesame balls. Service is always friendly and ambiance is decorated as if I'm back visiting China. On weekends, they also have the face changing performance. Great place to eat with a group! read more

First time at a hotpot. The server was great in explaining everything. Food was great. Broth was very flavorful. Kids love it.

Best Chinese hotpot I have ever had. The bone broth is my favorite - flavorful and not too salty. The meat portions are so generous that it feels like AYCE. Sauce bar has everything that I like including red bean sesame balls!!! Service is quick - barely had any wait time after ordering. Our waters were always full - thank you Kenny! decor is super old school Chinese style with classic Chinese music playing. Plenty of metered street parking nearby or just park at the Delacy Parking structure. read more

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Nice cheaper alternative to Haidilao Hotpot, with just the basic meat options and less flexibility with soup bases. You can get up to 2 soup bases here, whereas you can get 4 at Haidilao. They also don't have the fancy meat cuts like wagyu and kobe beef, but it's still good quality. I came as a group of 2, but think it would have been a better experience with 4 or more. We got the special soup (spice level medium) and bone soup bases, and we thought this was very heavy for 2 people because of the grease, to a point that our stomachs had to tap out pretty early. I'd probably get something lighter like the tomato soup base if I came with just my boyfriend, but I can't resist good bone broth. Everything was very fresh from the vegetables to the handmade noodles. I think it's worth getting the rose shrimp balls because they taste a lot fresher than the other fish balls that have a more processed texture. The crispy fried pork is excellent as well. It feels a bit excessive because it doesn't go with the hot pot, but I'd get this again because the batter is so crispy and the pork is pretty tender. I really liked the interior design of the restaurant - the colors and the posters on the wall make you really feel like you're in a Chinese night market. The vibe felt less pretentious than Haidilao. read more

Chong Qing Yao Mei - Crispy fried pork - Hot Pot Near Me - Pasadena, California

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