Liuyishou Hot Pot (San Jose) 刘一手(圣何塞) — Restaurant in San Jose

I recently visited here, attracted by its promising menu and positive reviews. However, my overall dining experience left much to be desired, primarily due to the disappointing service I encountered. While the food was acceptable, the manner in which the staff handled their customers was utterly unacceptable.

Let's start with the positives. The flavors were adequate, but nothing stood out as particularly outstanding or memorable. The culinary experience alone would have merited an average rating, but the poor service overshadowed any enjoyment I derived from the meal.

From the moment we were seated, we noticed an undercurrent of impatience from the waitstaff. However, the real issue arose towards the end of our dining experience when we decided to enjoy some fruit as a palate cleanser. Although we had only been at our table for about an hour, the staff began making subtle attempts to rush us out. It became evident that they were eager to clear the table and seat new customers, even though we were still eating.

What bothered me the most was the blatant disregard for customer comfort and satisfaction. The waitstaff's behavior was intrusive, and they made us feel unwelcome and rushed. It is both unprofessional and disrespectful to push out customers who are still enjoying their meal, especially when they have been in the restaurant for such a short period. The overall lack of courtesy and attentiveness left a sour taste in my mouth, negating any positives from the dining experience.

Additionally, the lack of clear communication further added to the frustration. Instead of politely informing us that they required the table, the staff resorted to hasty and rude gestures, making us feel like an inconvenience. Such behavior not only tarnishes the restaurant's reputation but also showcases a lack of customer-centric approach and basic hospitality.

In conclusion, while the food here was satisfactory, I cannot overlook the deplorable service I encountered. The rushed and impolite attitude displayed by the staff, particularly in their attempts to force us out prematurely, left a negative impression on my overall experience. Until the management addresses these issues and improves their customer service, I cannot in good conscience recommend this...

Tips: Parking is very limited in this tiny plaza and it is shared with nearby stores. Pay attention to parking signs as there is security there patrolling the parking lots.

First impression when you enter the restaurant, there are snacks set up next to the entrance for people to enjoy while waiting. They also reward you for the time you are waiting for a table, very customers focus! 😌

This is not an AYCE hot pot restaurant. In fact I recommend having at least 4 people in your party to share unless you can eat a lot. Ordering is done on a digital ordering pad and it is a la carte style. There are also hot food dishes you can order in addition to the complimentary sauce bar with fruit and light dessert. We opted in for golden fried buns with condensed milk. 🤤 We were seated in a table with two separate burners, which was what we preferred. Many tables have a single large pot with a splitter in the middle.

The quality of the ingredients are very good and well cleaned. Our seafood platter came nicely displayed on a stone bowl filled with ice and cleaned thoroughly. It also tasted fresh although the scallops were kind of frozen. You can tell the food prep is thoroughly thought out as the bamboo was sliced and prep for you to enjoy. The fish filets were cut into bigger pieces so you can find it in your hot pot after it was cooked.

Because it is a la carte style, we ended up with a pricey bill as we were opting for a variety of ingredients. Again, this would be a better set up if it was for part of 4 or more to share.

Overall, I would recommend this hot pot restaurant over the other one that is adjacent to the hwy 85 on the same street. They are comparable in terms of the style of the hot pot but the quality of the food here is fresher and thought out. The service is also more...

The waiting list board provides a good communication with the guests on where your wait stands, but not clear on how long the wait might be. There are complementary snacks by the door and the cold water on the front desk for people waiting , which is really nice! This is our first time at this restaurant, it took us a while to figure out how everything works! We had to request the waiters several times using the pad. The waiters were very busy. So instead of explaining everything, they just placed orders for us. The menu doesn’t have clear descriptions on what the contents are. We end up ordered a single order of wood ear and a veggie combo which also has wood ear hidden under the other veggies. So the picture for the veggie combo on the menu doesn’t show the wood ear. The waiter who took order didn’t say anything. We were quite surprised to see so many wood ears when the food comes! The side bar ($5 each person) has 3 different appetizers , one fruit, and one dessert. Also varieties of dipping ingredients are available. The waiter put the order for us without telling us. So we have to ask what it is and where the side bar is. I guess we must have looked like a regular! For meat, we order the combo of lamb and beef. The types of meat on the menu mostly are for beef. Just as in veggie combo, it doesn’t state what kind of beef is included in the combo. The lamb is really good! The beef is good. I wish there are more choices of meat, eg. chicken! The complementary tea is pretty good!Overall...