Pot Pot Malatang-Bristol — Restaurant in Bristol

The place looked fairly busy so my partner and I gave it a try. The food is was sub standard rubbish, grossly overpriced with a passive aggressive head waiter and an over complicated ordering system. I had the build your own bowl, I didn't enjoy the ordering process, I felt most of the options were just cheap, bought in highly processed proteins like pork sausage balls, watery won tons and processed chicken. The vegetable add ons were minimal. Ended up paying £16 for a little bowl of packet noodles. They've put alot into the gimmick and little in the way chef talent. I wouldn't recommend this place. I make a better noodle bowl at home at 11:30 after stumbling home blind drunk. The beef I finally ordered was just flavours offcuts that had been stewed to within an inch of its existence, and left all the flavour in the pot. Overall a silly gimmick that's priced like an airport. Very disappointed. My partner ordered the wonton and broccoli as her main and was totally let down with only 2 wontons as a portion and they were soggy, watery and flavourless. The saving grace was the condiment rack, with which you can season your own food, luckily I'm a chef and managed to make the meal palettable. But if I wanted to pay to prepare my own food, what's the point of going to a restaurant and having a professional chef make it for you. 99% marketing...

I have mixed feelings. The food is 4/5 but the size of dish which I received is more as 2.5/5. From one of the side, it is very tasty malatang with fantastic soup base but from the other side I paid £30 for 2 drinks and malatang and I have been still hungry after my portion of food. I was even worried I ordered too much but in reality it was the opposite.

My malatang was with marinated beef (which was fully covered by the flavour of the soup), beef aorta (8 small slices?), enoki mushrooms (just a tiny bit of them), fried tofu (2 cubes cut to halves) and noodles (once again: small portion). I wanted to try other options but many bits have been of out stock (e.g. handmade noodles which was one of the main reason why I came to try it). Yes, it is comfortable food but it is one of the most expensive Chinese food which I ever experienced in the UK and with the smallest portions as well.

EDIT: I visited it second time and tried different soup base and meats (bits which I wanted to try 2 weeks ago were still unavailable). I had diarrhea for the rest of the evening. Cannot recommend it specially for that price and posibility of having later...

Pot Pot Malatang is a must-visit if you love customisable, fresh and flavour-packed meals. The whole experience is interactive since you get to pick exactly what goes into your hotpot, from the freshest mushrooms and greens to fishcakes, handmade dumplings and more. The spicy broth was full of depth and you can really taste the care they put into each bowl.

The starters were spot on—the tempura prawns were incredibly crisp, the spring rolls were light and golden, and the fried dumplings had lovely soft interiors. The wontons in chilli oil were a highlight, full of flavour with just the right amount of heat. Portion sizes are generous and perfect for sharing, so you get to try a bit of everything.

The staff were patient and helpful, especially when it came to explaining how to build your bowl and offering recommendations. Prices are fair for the quality and the vibe is welcoming, making it a great spot for groups or casual dinners. Very happy to have found this place—definitely coming in again to try more combinations.

Highly recommend for anyone after a warm, delicious and genuinely fun...