Pink Bamboo Hot Pot Cafe — Restaurant in Portsmouth

Dude. I am so happy about the Pink Bamboo Hot Pot Cafe's opening in Portsmouth! I found it through positive Yelp reviews & took my boyfriend there for a date night. It's not in a great spot, sort of off the beaten path, so I fear they'll have trouble attracting customers, but having been there twice, I feel confident that word will spread about the quality f their food & service, & they'll do just fine.

Upon our first visit, my boyfriend & I took a hot pot table & ordered what was our first hot pot. The waitress was friendly & helpful, walking us through the process & mixing our sauce for us in demonstration. The chicken was thinly cut & clearly of quality; the flavorings of the hot pot were strong but not overpowering, & the sauces were spicy & flavorful. The only downside was that it took awhile for the hot pot to be served.

What we really went back for were the appetizers. The boneless spareribs are seriously AMAZING, & I don't particularly like beef. Sweet, thin-cut, not fatty. And the crab rangoon is among the best I've had - very creamy & cream cheesy. We didn't love the eggrolls (too tough) but enjoyed the shrimp spring rolls upon our return.

On our second visit, I split the sesame chicken with a friend, & we both loved it. It wasn't greasy at all, as Chinese food sometimes is, & it was a large enough portion to split while we were so stuffed from appetizers, but it also would've been a manageable size for one if we'd been a bit hungrier. It was succulent & sweet, everything we wanted a sesame chicken dish to be. Before Pink Bamboo Hot Pot, I wasn't even sure I liked Chinese food; now, I think I only like Chinese food if it comes from Pink Bamboo Hot Pot!

I've been here multiple times now, with multiple people & everyone loves it. Did I mention that they deliver? Their wontons with spicy peanut butter sauce are to die for. I usually order two orders of them & refrigerate one for lunch the next day. It's possible that they taste even better cold! They always give me extra fortune cookies, too.

The servers are friendly & attentive, & the owner, Felix, came over to chat with us to be sure we were enjoying our experience. We also loved their scorpion bowls, which come on fire (!) & don't taste too alcoholic, but they definitely pack a punch! I wish their dishes were served with rice, as this seems to be a key ingredient in Chinese dishes, & $1.50 feels a bit overpriced for a rice side dish, but that's really my only complaint!

Great, friendly service & quick delivery of delicious food? I seriously can't ask for anything more. This is one of the few places truly deserving...

This is absolutely not a dine-in restaurant or a hot pot restaurant. Yes, there are tables and yes the option for hot pot is available...if you are willing to wait 3 hours. That is not an exaggeration. There seems to be only one person working the restaurant, even on Sunday during peak hours. Our first order was taken down 40 minutes after being sat down. We ordered Hot Pot for two people. 2 hours later, we were given each a moderate bowl of assorted veggies, one small plate of shaved beef and one small plate of assorted seafood (3 raw shrimp, 3 small scallops, imitation crab sticks and 3 small mussels). Hardly anything to rave about or justify a 2 hour wait. I mean, half of our very bland broth had evaporated by the time we received any of the raw protein or veggies. The waitress tending the tables was RUNNING around the restaurant also making drinks, taking orders, bussing tables, answering the phones, acting as the hostess and doing a lot of apologizing. We were patient because she was doing her best but was not able to provide adequate service to the 6 dine-in tables and the numerous amount of phone calls. At one point she was visibly overwhelmed and only received a pat on the back by another employee who at no point made an effort to help her. We gave takeout a chance; thinking that it may have been a bad day and having been partially convinced by the raving reviews. Although our food was ready in 15 minutes, it was just as bland and stingy in ingredients. I personally would never recommend this restaurant. It is in desperate need of additional staff and a review...

I made a reservation today for 3 people and I really enjoyed my experience! I was caught up in traffic so I called in around the time I should have arrived and the person on the phone was very kind about keeping my table open for me! For the food; The hot pot was very good! While the broth could have used a little more flavors (Ginger, leek, etc.) I still really enjoyed it! With hot pot you get a side of green onion and minced garlic which is unlike any other hot pot restaurant I've been to. The quality of the meat was very good and the enoki mushrooms tasted great too! The sauce they give you is unique, but I liked it a lot! Their orange chicken is some of the best I've had in the area tbh! All the food is at a reasonable price as well! The atmosphere was very cozy and inviting to dine in. The workers there are doing a wonderful job despite being so busy. Our server was very kind and I was very pleased with the service she gave us! Overall I'm glad I gave this place a chance. I will become a regular and visit as much as I can! Thank you guys for...