LaoJie — Restaurant in New York

I've eaten at LaoJie so many times, but the most recent visit was really so expensive for the experience, I honestly don't recommend going here anymore, unless you can eat your worth and more.

I suppose AYCE places aren't made for me, because I simply don't have the physical capacity to cram a large amount of food into my stomach. Whenever I try to eat more than I can handle, my stomach is upset and I spend the rest of the day on my porcelain throne. I'm also not a fan of hotpot, especially since I can just do that at home, with similar ingredients. Sure, the home ingredients aren't as fresh, but at least I buy what I can eat, and what I like eating. I don't like the idea of paying so much to cook my own food in a restaurant, and I have to tip the servers on top of that, when all they do is pick out the items and bring them to you. They don't even fill up your water and you have to fight to get their attention. Generally, the servers only come by every so often, and mostly leave you alone, which can be a good thing if you're trying to eat in peace (hard to do, with the blasting music killing your eardrums) but bad when you want something done.

This place needs to keep up with the times. Loud music is not enjoyable when eating, we need our own tablets that we can pick from, eliminating the middleman who's often not there to see if we need anything. The popular hotpot locations in Flushing have already adapted this new way of ordering food. Some of the tabletop stoves don't work and we're asked if we can share a hotpot...no thanks.

The food overall is good. The meat and the vegetables are fresh and delicious. They have a sauce station with all the fixings and I love their Mala soup base which is bomb when you put anything that absorbs soup into your hotpot, like tripe, tofu skin, udon noodles, lotus root, and any kind of green leafy vegetables. There's a good selection of food items you can add, and they are all fresh, from my experience, although sometimes the crabs are not.

Personally, I like the BBQ more than the hotpot, but it gets one note after a while because the seasoning on everything is basically the same. You have the option to only do BBQ but I doubt that's enjoyable, your throat and taste buds are going to be dried out in no time. But if you only do hotpot, that might be more with the price. Combined hotpot & BBQ is too pricey, especially now that they've increased the price to $40 per person. I recommend the spiced pork belly skewer the most, but if you're not doing BBQ, you're not really missing out as much as you think.

The best part is dessert. I love their mango pudding, which has a jasmine milk tea base. Last time I was here, they didn't give that to us, so not too pleased about that.

I honestly don't think I'll be returning. There are better hotpot places popping up everywhere, and LaoJie has lost...

I was able to make a reservation for 6 pm on a Friday for four people on the night prior. I heard it can get pretty busy so it's a good idea to reserve. We were running late so we called to change it to 6:30 and they said it was fine as long as we were out by 8 because they had another table. Not sure if they were just saying this because it didn't seem that busy when were there so luckily, no one enforced this 8 o'clock rule. They have seating on the main floor and in the basement, which is where we were seated. Ordering is very efficient. The waiters take your order with an iPad and the food comes out very quickly. As soon as you pick up a menu and open it, somebody runs over to take your order. I don't think we ever had to flag anyone down to order something. The food is your standard AYCE hot pot. My favorites of the night were the fish paste (really appreciated the fact that they had this because most AYCE hot pot places do not. In fact, I think Laojie might be the first I've encountered), fatty beef, pork belly, fish fillet, pork kidney, and crab (the crab wasn't mushy like it typically is at AYCE places). You should avoid the seaweed knots, and the clams (which are huge and chewy). The sauce station seems a bit lacking compared to other hot pot places I've been to, but it's not the worst.

Since it was my dad's birthday, his meal was comped (you just have to be sure to bring ID). We also brought a cake for him (not mandatory unless you come three days before/after your birthday). Just a warning - if you are trying to keep the cake a surprise, this is not the place to do it because they are not discreet about it. They will straight up ask the whole table when you want the cake to be brought out. They also never asked who the birthday person was, so I guess they just assumed since we had brought our own number candles. I prefer Hometown Hot Pot in Chinatown but if I wanted to stay in Brooklyn, Laojie is definitely a better AYCE option than 99 Favors.

Tip - their only desert option is a milk tea pudding, which is actually pretty bangin’! It’s a nice change from the typical red bean soup...

Been here twice now, and I will continue to come back. This place has the Trifecta : Fresh Food, Great Service, and Unique Decor. Oh and did I mention it's AYCE?! For $21.95 (Dinner)

The name "Laojie" literally means  "Old Street" in Chinese. You can definitely feel the old school vibe as soon as you step in. Then you are hit with the smell of hotpot!

If you have a big group, you should definitely call ahead and make a reservation. They have seating downstairs to accommodate large groups! The 1st floor is a bit smaller in comparison. You would see & hear classic Chinese  hits that your parents listened to on the 1st floor, projected on the screen with lyrics. In case you want to sing along in between bites.The basement floor playlist is completely different, think Tay Tay and Jlo & Pitbull.

If you are new to hotpot, this place is a good place to start. Why? Because they have picture menus!!!! YASSSSSS!! You literally can see what you are ordering before ordering it.

The waitstaff here are very friendly!! They are all dressed in uniform  (almost like a sailor?) So they are easy to spot. When you are ready to order, they whip out an ipad mini device and take your order! Super efficient.

You can choose to have your own pot or a communal pot. I prefer having my own. After you pick your soup base, you can feel free to order away! It's an AYCE afterall.

Go hit up the sauce bar after your order, and by the time you are done with your very own sauce concoction,  your food would magically make its way to the table. After that,  just Cook, Eat, Order and repeat.

Forgot to mention,  they give you a plastic bag to put your coat in, so your coat won't end up smelling like hotpot. They also provide hair ties  if you need to tie your hairup and get down to some serious eating mode!

Oh and they give you a probiotic drink (similar to Yakult) to end the...