Impress Hot Pot
2610 N 1st Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85716
Impress Hot Pot Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Tucson for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Tucson for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Tucson for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
2610 N 1st Ave
Tucson, AZ, 85716 - Phone (520) 882-3059
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :5:00 pm - 12:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Travis J.
Dang thhat was good! The spicy shrimp hot pot was awesome. Great flavors all around. We also got the 1/2 & 1/2 bowl with a bunch of stuff to dip loved both sides of the bowl, but for me the flavor of the not spicy side was just a little bit better. Jenny was warm and welcoming too. I'll be back!
(4)Jill N.
Well, we wanted to like this place a lot more than we did. I was really nervous the minute we walked in.. it smelled funny, and really wasnt clean. Perhaps they just finished a large rush, but there were dirty tables all over. They have a condiment station that did not seem very sanitary. I am certified in food safety management, and I know most of the items would be ok sitting out for a long while, but, just sitting open and uncovered was not right.. I did not want to eat to much for fear of getting sick. My chopsticks had a weird film on it. Also, we were the last people in the place, and the servers came and sat in the dining room and ate while we sat and waited for our check. We ordered rice and never got it. We didnt say anything as I just wanted to escape. I wanted to try their BBQ, but it was raining out, so they couldnt make it.. I guess the grill out in theh back parking lot?? I would certainly not go back.
(1)Kelli V.
This is the second time I've eaten here and it was really good! This place offers a variety of meats and vegetable choices, in which we half order them so that we can try a lot of different kinds of food.
(4)Christina D.
If you want the hot pot experience and are looking for authenticity, Impress Hot Pot is the place to go. The menu is very inexpensive for what you get! Three of us went to hot pot last night, we each checked in and got the free egg fried rice. We ordered the Half and Half broth, along with several other dishes. Pork Belly, Lamb and Beef Combo, Potstickers, Mushroom combo, rice cakes, and some lettuce to wrap it all up in. It was pretty empty when we got there, but around 7 pm all the tables were full on a Wednesday night. The service was slightly slow, but the servers were very friendly and willing to answer any of our questions. We enjoyed the food we got and will be back for more!
(5)Taeho L.
If you're looking to explore new tastes, this is the place. The owner is an Eller student in one of my classes, so I decided to check it out. The place doesn't look like much from outside but there was a wait, which is a good indicator, especially, for places that don't lure you in with fancy signs. Definitely impressed; the best way to describe it is an Asian Melting Pot. Fondue style but with exotic broths, unlimited variations of sauce mixtures and large portions of meat and vegetables. My favorite was the mushrooms and beef.
(5)Richa S.
I really enjoyed this however the spicy broth was more cheap oil than spice. The oil tasted slightly stale/old too. Definitely not of good quality or fresh. We filled a whole soup bowl with the oil floating on top and there was so much left that we just gave up and ate around trying to avoid it. The price is decent. We cut it close to closing time so all of the condiments and sauces were dwindling or empty as well as them being out of lotus root. Sad, sad.
(3)Heather T.
One of my friends found this place and decided to invite a whole bunch of us. We ended up with fourteen people eating two hot pot bowls for about $80, which is really cheap even for Tucson. I recommend getting the half and half broth, the mushroom platter, and the assorted meatballs. They serve for an army, so definitely bring a couple friends with you. The service is really nice, and the restaurant was empty except for us, so it was really quiet. I will be returning, probably with my sisters and parents in tow.
(4)dee s.
Sooooooo good is how I would describe this place. Beware of the half/half spicy/mild soup broth. The spicy side is crazy spicy, as in you are not suppose to be slurping it as I was doing. I coughed like crazy after my first sip. As the waitress walked by to see how everything was going I happened to mention to her that the soup was REALLY spicy. She then informed me that it was not for sipping but dipping your meat/veggies in for flavoring. Boy did I feel dumb. She recommended creating our own dipping sauce using the peanut sauce as the base. That sauce is delicious and compliments the hot pot meal sooooo perfectly. Make sure you call to see what their daily special is. Monday is FREE broth day so that saved up about $7 dollars. Our bill for two with just the basics, no drinks came up to $27. It is a bit pricey but a nice splurge.
(4)Luke F.
The price is very expensive. Environment is dirty. Food quality below average. I highly doubt if they ever wash the dishes. do hot pot at your house.
(1)Betty T.
I have to admit: I chuckled when I read some of the reviews for this place, since I'm from the Bay Area and there are a ton of hot pot restaurants around. And I guess because I'm Chinese, so I know what hot pot is and I grew up with it. Anyway, I reviewed this place keeping in mind the fact that it's the ONLY hot pot restaurant in Tucson and probably one of the few legit places for any authentic Chinese food: it's good. There's all the typical hot pot foods on their menu. You pick what you like, pick your broth (spicy or regular) and you cook raw food in the broth and eat it. Oh, and you make a dipping sauce to dip the cooked food in. Since my boyfriend makes the best dipping sauce, I usually tend to just eat it out of the bowl after I'm done with the food! The one major gripe I had that made me knock off a star was the customer service. I don't know how many times I had to physically get up and go to the counter to ask for something for our table of 8 people. And no one explained the menu or anything to us -- maybe because my boyfriend and I were Asian? So they delegated the task to us? Still, it would've been nice to have someone give some suggestions and/or pointers to our non-Asian friends. I also saw a mother and her daughter leave because they didn't get any menus or anything when they came in, sat down, and waited for about 7 minutes. Maybe the place should consider hiring a little more help?
(4)Steven G.
Its okay. Nothing extremely special stood out to me about the foot itself. The broth looks good but tastes really plain. The spicy soup was indeed very spicy but it wasn't an authentic spicy to me. They seemed to just overload it with spicy oil so it didn't taste very good. Pricing was a little on the high side for the amount of food we actually got. The restaurant itself was extremely clean and organized. They had some really high tech burners and the service was great as well. It is a good try for the first hot pot place in Tucson but I have definitely experienced much better.
(3)Greg E.
The unassuming facade of Impress in one of the shabbier strips on 1st Avenue led me into a similar no frills interior. The place is hardly decorated at all but the super casual setup didn't bother me. How It Works The menu allows you to pick up to 2 different broths and then check as many items as you'd like. These items range from shrimp balls (recommended) to tofu to mushrooms to pieces of beef. I'd say 3 items per person would be more than enough (depending on which items you get). The hot pot comes out and they set it up so that it boils right on your table. You then drop your items in as you eat (items only take a few seconds before they're ready to take out again with the provided spoons). As you eat you take your food out of the pot as you drop more in and can then dip them in a sauce that you make yourself by visiting the sauce table. The Food I really liked the food because it was simple, healthy and affordable (about 3.75 and item). However if the though of eating some boiled spinach with some sesame oil doesn't sound good to you, you may not like it. The food pretty much tastes like you'd expect because you are taking the raw ingredients and doing some pretty minimal cooking to them. The Service Service was great. You can tell this is a small operation (only a couple people working the place) but the staff couldn't have been nicer. I used a Yelp deal ($20 for $30) and there was some confusion about how the deal worked. However they gave me the deal anyway and made sure that we were happy with everything before we left. Misc. -Definitely try the fish or shrimp balls (they are pre-cooked and aren't as gross as they sound) -You can also order rice and a few other non-hot pot sides In Conclusion If you want to eat something a little lighter and healthier this place is a good bet. The uniqueness of the Hot Pot style is a big plus and the fact that it's small and local also should be a reason to at least give it a shot.
(4)Sylvian F.
Once the novelty wears off and you get the hang of it - you realize that the food you are eating is really fresh and delicious. Probably some of the best shrimp you can get in town - put it in the spicy broth. Google some news articles about Pei - the young entrepreneur that started this place - pretty incredible guy. Let's hope this is the start of Tucson awakening to good Chinese food. Just one thing - Impress, why does it take soo long to get a meal started? The food is raw - you're just putting it on plates and bringing it out to the tables, but it takes longer than most made to order cooked meals.
(4)Carrie B.
I know I could learn to love IHP but, they didn't have any highchairs for the baby so we were in a quandary about whether to stay or go. Truthfully the girl running the show seemed pretty glad about the choice we made to leave and the 2 patrons lurking at the table in the corner waiting for the 5:00 pm staff to come on were vibing us so bad I was actually glad to leave! So, maybe we'll try again but I can't say when as we went to Takamatsu instead and were blown away by THEIR willingness to take reservations, high chair availability & AwEsOmE service. MAYBE (BIG MAYBE with a lean towards not) see you later IHP.
(2)Chrissy K.
I've enjoyed my experiences here. I only discovered it a few weeks ago and have since eaten there an embarrassing number of times. The food is delicious, authentic, fresh, and decently priced (i.e. you could buy equally-sized portions for about the same price at a market). The sauce table is what makes it, so go crazy- personally I am a huge fan of the satay sauce. If you're non-meat eater like myself, they have a vegetarian water-based soup option, and a nice veggie & noodle selection. The main cons about this restaurant are that it seems a bit understaffed (but they are all super nice!) at the moment, and the water feels like it takes AGES to boil, so there is always a a bit of sitting around. I wish they would refill their sauce bar more frequently, because if you go when it's busy sometimes there's not as much as you might like :( (RE: satay sauce obsession)
(4)Jessica L.
On a cold and rainy night, hot pot is the perfect food to warm you up. It is fun cooking your own food with family or just a big group of friends. We came after us Asians were reminiscing about delicious Chinese foods we would normally eat at home and while traveling in China. I had heard about this place from some of my coworkers. Apparently we weren't the only ones who had this idea because it was packed and the wait for a table to seat 7 was about half an hour long. We got the half/half with medium spicy. Fair warning, the spicy soup is HOT, great for if you are used to it but don't underestimate it. The normal broth was flavorful but the spicy was a bit oily (never had spicy hotpot so not sure if this is the norm). The beef slices and enoki mushrooms were my favorite part, but everything was quite good. They also have a variety of sauces at the back of the restaurant if that's your thing (try the peanut sauce!). Just a few suggestions to the owner if he is reading: bigger bowls, possibly deeper pots, wider variety of drinks, add chicken to the regular menu, more wait-staff would not hurt. Since hotpot is more of a fall/winter thing, I hope this place is able to survive a hot hot Tucson summer.
(4)Alana J.
I have been here a few times now, and I still really enjoy it, even after my amazement wore off. We usually get the half original, half spicy broth, because the spicy broth, while it is super tasty, is SUPER spicy. I made the mistake of trying it with my spoon the first time we went in...all I can say, is unless your trying to impress your girlfriend, or enjoy incredibly spicy things, don't do that. But it is delicious when you get the beef an mushrooms in there! Not the broth...the beef and mushrooms. We also like these...I don't know what they are called...but white mushrooms that look almost like q-tips! They are always crisp and tasty. I love their sauce bar, where you can make your own. The owner made mine for me the first time I went in, because I had no idea what to expect, I just saw and article about it in the paper and realized it was less than two blocks from our home. For the two of us to go, it's usually around $30, and we leave completely stuffed! It's a great value. This really is a fun experience, and once you get done playing, and experimenting with the different veggies, meats, sauces and broths, the freshness of what is served keeps you coming back.
(4)Saba B.
Where to begin...we'd both read the flagging reviews, but cooking on the table sounded interesting. My friend and I had lots of catching up to do, so the snail's pace service didn't bother us until all of the shrimp paste and spices I begged for to alleviate the blandness required some sort of beverage, and our overly sweet green tea had been drained long before we began loading our hot pot. We ordered the original with fish balls, glass noodles, and mushrooms, and nothing had kick. The sesame "paste" on the side was chalky and viscous. The balls were doughy, flavorless blobs, and no amount of cooking could change that. We finally figured out the tabletop stove that our clueless server had locked at 1100 degrees, but our meal became more of a rescue operation as the thin chicken broth threatened to drown any sort of freshness from the wood-ears and shiitakes. Impress was quiet on a Saturday night, and I'm not surprised. We had to approach the "waitress" who was busy sitting behind the counter cleaning menus for any sort of service, including the check and payment. Won't be back.
(1)Josh H.
Alright, I'll say it: I'm impressed. Very friendly and attentive staff, very good food (especially if you're low-carbing it like my fiancee), and decent prices, though they can sneak up on you a little if you're not careful in what you order. We had the shrimp, pork belly, lamb and beef sampler, mushroom sampler, meatball sampler, and vermicelli, and it was too much food for us. Both of us have basic chopstick proficiency, but the noodles proved difficult, and the shrimp (head on, awesome) ended up being a bit messy to eat. Along with an order of dumplings (which weren't what I was really expecting, sitting in broth with a bunch of chili oil on top). Making your own sauce was fun too, my favorite was a mix of the chili sauce, a little bit of the sesame paste, a little chili oil, some ginger and garlic. This would be a great group activity. Li, the owner, walked us through the proper sauce construction and cooking process, and both staff members were very friendly. I hope the word gets out, this place is really cool.
(4)Dora M.
The food was really tasty! I enjoyed the idea of a pot of broth and picking your own ingredients. I was very satisfied with the raw shrimp and the vegetarian options they offered. I was impressed with the selection of toppings for the "build your own dipping sauce" VERY FRESH INGREDIENTS! The waitress was very helpful, and had great suggestions and explanations! I'll definitely be coming back to this place!
(4)Steve Z.
What a wonderful dining experience at a modest price. For your first time here be sure to ask your server for instructions on both ordering, the cooking, all the wonderful fresh ingredients in the very tasty broth. Be sure to include lots of fresh veggies along with your meat/fish and noodles. And be sure not to over cook things. A trip to the heart and table of China right here on Tucson's 1st Ave.
(5)Stephan H.
This was my first experience with hot pot, but it was pretty amazing. They have lots of choices (especially for veggies) so you can try all sorts of combinations. A good place to hang out with friends for a casual dinner.
(4)Vivian K.
Yay! Tucson's first Hot Pot Restaurant! I have been waiting to come since they opened a few months ago, but the warm weather did not give me enough motivation - hotpot is perfect when there's a little chill in the air. Anyway, I finally got to try it. Impress Hot Pot does not have a fancy décor, but it is a clean place. I am a big fan of hot pot and seafood, so I was so excited to see what they had on menu. When the server saw me as an Asian, she asked if I wanted a Chinese or English menu. Chinese menu!! Score!! I was excited because I know it is going to be real Chinese food instead of American-Chinese food. Since I asked for both menus, the server assumed I knew how to order, so she did not give us an explanation on how hotpot works. Although I did know how to order, I would suggest they provide some instructions anyway so that first time customers can feel more comfortable in a different cultural dining environment. Other than that, the service was extremely friendly, and the staff kept coming back to check on us. Super nice! When I went, Impress Hot Pot provided a check in offer to Yelpers that was a plate of Egg fried rice, so my husband and I got free fried rice to go with our meal. Wow!...It was astounding!!! The most authentic Chinese fried rice I have ever had in Tucson. I will keep coming back just for it. So, how does hot pot work? You choose your own soup base, order whatever items you like from the list, and make your own sauce. Then you wait for the soup base to boil and place your food items in the soup to cook. When the food is done (it doesn't take too long), you scoop your food onto your dish where you can flavor it with your sauce before eating it. I loved that Impress Hot Pot had the Yin-Yang Pot (divided in half to hold two different broths), so my husband and I had the Half and Half soup base option (half spicy/half original) in one pot. It took a while for the kitchen to prepare our food -- longer than I expected. Since most of the items are raw ingredients, it should not take too long to deliver them to our table. Anyway, the soup base was not bad and most the items we ordered from the menu were very fresh except the clams. It did not taste bad, but it was too sandy. The best clams are fresh and still living. Our clams were frozen, so the sand could not be purged out. I talked to our server about this issue, and she immediately got the attention of the cook who came out to apologize, and they took off this item off our bill. Additionally, they compensated us with a plate of Pot Stickers that were so delicious!! It certainly made up for it. Impress Hot Pot is an unique place, and certainly offers a fun dining environment for a small group of people as everyone can cook together in an informal atmosphere. They make every effort they can to ensure that you have an enjoyable dining experience. I definitely would have given them 4 stars if it were not for the clams.
(3)Ming-Min L.
although the authenticity level here is rather high, i wouldn't rush to come back. first, the good points (in no particular order): * original broth is good, and nice to see some wolfberries and jujubes floating in there * great variety on the sauce/condiments table * menu is simple * love me some chinese cooling herb drink * reasonable prices then the bad (in no particular order): * no matter how you order the spicy broth (mild, medium or hot), it will come out the same (i.e. unpalatable): waaaay to much oil and chilli paste. DO NOT drink this broth unless you want acid diarrhea. * terrible service. they're very busy and very understaffed at dinner. one lone white girl held down the fort while a room full of mainland chinese kids were slurping away. a friend and i waited quite a while to get set up and have our order taken (understandable, considering she did everything including taking orders, clearing tables, ringing people up etc.). the two tables next to us remained unbusssed and gross the whole time we were eating. * sesame oil is cheap and i can taste the "mei jing" in some of the condiments conclusion? this would be a much nicer place if they could up their service. i guess the owners probably don't care because the young chinese kids will continue to flock here for some semblance of authenticity.
(3)Nick B.
I can't say that I agree with the majority of the Tucson Yelper's. My mother took my wife and I here when we were in town for xmas and I had high hopes. Walking in I immediately felt like I walked right into an Asian district in some metropolitan city. The Interior was very bright with undecorated white walls and large family size tables allowing large parties. I chuckled inside when I saw that all the patrons were Asian and we were greeted with stares from curious tables. It was at that moment that I knew I was going to get an authentic meal. The menu was so confusing for newbies that we were forced to ask many questions that were left un answered by the waitress who just started work that day. So our order was a huge shot in the dark. I felt like the juice was not worth the squeeze. The process of cooking the food with the confusion of what goes together left me more frustrated than satisfied. The food did not taste bad by any means but I feel like I rather have spent my money elsewhere. I know that some people will look down on this review due to my ignorance to this type of dining but it's a good thing I never claimed to be knowledgeable. So take it for what it's worth.
(2)Hannah T.
my parents and i ventured here the other night before we went and saw bill maher at centennial (whoa, you got me. i'm a liberal treehugger jew.) on my recommendation because i had been reading so many good yelps about this place and i'm always down (up?) for trying new cuisine (as long as it's not spicy or meat) and interacting with my food. because lorddddd knows i love me some interactive food (see previous: uswirl). i think it's honestly the best thing to hit the food scene since trucks, and i love that i can control what i'm eating, how i'm eating it, and what flavors go together in my (admittedly, tiny tiny TINY) bowl of broth and goodies. so yeah, that was one thing i should say: the tableware was sort of designed for either a. dwarves b. munchkins or c. asian people. probably c. the bowls were just so tiny and like I'M SORRY I'M A DUMB WHITE PERSON but i really do not know how to handle myself around chopsticks and YOU NEED TO GIVE ME A FORK. I'M SORRY. I AM. criticize me all you want for non-assimilation and being a stubborn american, but i feel like a partially paralyzed dinosaur when i use chopsticks. and i'm a hungry girl. gimme my fork, yo. the food that i was consuming with said chopsticks and/or fork, though, was honestly delicious and so fresh. every ingredient was crisp and ripe and looked so appetizing without even having to throw it into the swimming pool of broth (which i thought was hilarious and fun... my parents, not so much), and the egg-fried rice that i got us for free with checking in on this bad boy was scrump. i loved that you could make your own sauce, which kind of was set up in the corner and made me feel like i was doing something illegal and wrong but i think it's just a new restaurant and they need time to legitimize their process but my sauce was the bomb diggity (peanut butter, sesame oil, satay sauce, green onions, ginger and garlic. nomnomnom). i think overall this was a good first foray into the hot pot food scene, but it was definitely cumbersome, confusing, and seemed really overwhelming with all of the utensils (or lack thereof), small plates/bowls, and ingredients. it definitely will take more than one try to get you on the same level as the asians i saw deftly dropping and slurping and dunking and twirling their ish to the left, right, and behind me. but, on a side note, that is the true sign of a good ethnic cuisine restaurant: if the resident people of that country are eating there, regularly, in good quantity and with aplomb, then don't feel like such a goy if you're the only white people in there. you just know something other people don't. (read: what good food is). try it out. don't get scared of the process. it's just new to us stupid, fork-wielding/dependent americans.
(4)Leah W.
Awesome place great different food you will not find anywhere else in Tucson try the tofu sticks they are fantastic ! :D
(5)Lea G.
Hooray for hot pot in Tucson! The food here was really nice and fresh, as one would hope from a hot pot establishment. The house broth was more interesting than the mild option at the other hot pot places I've been, and came with a nice assortment of stuff already in it for flavor (tomato, green onion, mushroom, goji berries, ginger, etc.). The lamb was nice, though the beef was only okay compared to the kobe I've been spoiled with elsewhere. We had the pork potstickers, mushroom platter, meatball platter, cellophane noodles, spinach, beef, lamb, and fried starch balls. The only disappointment was the fried starch balls, but the name got me curious... they're really just like crusty bread for dipping into the broth and fully unremarkable. The price was solidly decent (though maybe I'm just used to California prices since moving), and we came away at about $25 a person. The downsides to Impress were: 70% the too-loud pop music, 25% the language barrier (though very nice to see real Chinese folks working the place), and 5% the rather sterile decor. But for Tucson, this gets a solid 4 stars and I'd highly recommend it for people who like Asian food.
(4)Kay A.
Four of us went to Impress today for the first time after reading a review in the Tucson Weekly. We had a great time - the food was fresh, hot (and spicy) and very reasonably price. There was just one young man acting as waiter, table busser, etc - and he did a great job. Our one regret was the lack of a nice beer to help wash down the spicy food. (We wanted spicy and got what we asked for!)
(4)Stefany F.
I originally wanted to come here for lunch, and although the sign said Open, the staff said they were closed. Very disappointed in that. However we came back for dinner, and it wasn't too bad! Was something new and different to try!
(3)Evan Q.
Very good environment, decent food. I used to travel to Tempe for hot pot, this place saves me a lot of gas and has better food quality. Must try their egg fried rice, taste so good. Some cons: they need more waiter/waitress, food a little pricy. It's very easy to spend 25+ per person for their hot pot for two people. Bring more people to even the cost.
(4)E N.
I would give this restaurant a two star rating because it does offer a exciting new way to enjoy chinese food. However, when I went, I ordered the spicy hot pot and it was brimming with oil. In addition, the spices used in the pot got stuck to all the food, and although they added great flavor to the broth, they took away from the food because they were extremely strong. They had a variety of sauces and seasonings in the back of the restaurant which was nice because you could also use that to enhance the flavors in your dish, which were arguably needed because the meat was dry, and everything you cooked was overpowered in the flavor of spicy oil and copious amounts of random seed things... Although I would agree that it is a good value, and the idea that the restaurant has, is something that you should try at least once, I don't know if I would recommend this place...
(2)Aaron G.
My wife and I had been looking for a good hot pot place for a long time since we left the Bay Area of California. Well let's be honest, we've been looking for ANY hot pot place. We get there and are immediately impressed by the price tag to this place. Everything was very inexpensive. We order the Half and Half pot for our friend that doesn't do spicy. We get plates of rice cakes, mushrooms, and all assorted meats along with some pot stickers. We got more than our fill to eat, but still had about half our order left. Needless to say, I walked out of that place uncomfortably full. All in all, we spent about $30 for dinner for 3, and it could have fed 5. The service was a little slow when they got busy later in the evening, but the wait staff was very friendly and accommodating. My only real issue with this place: they don't have a liquor license. Hot Pot is so much when after you've had a few to drink. Not so much a complaint as it is a suggestion. Impress Hot Pot is delicious and cheap, and I recommend it to anyone who loves authentic Chinese food.
(5)Jason L.
The meat is not fresh at all,I went there for 3 times and i would have diarrhea afterwards. My father is a Korean, we went back seoul every single year during summer vacation.I know how great the hotpot is. I LOVE CHINESE HOT POT VERY MUCH, SO PLEASE STOP FKING RUINING IT. THANK YOU!
(1)julie r.
This is a great place for adventurous eaters. My husband and I have been three times and we have a pretty good plan of action. We like the original broth. The spicy one has too many things in it that get in the way of enjoying the food. You can add your own spices via the sauce making table. My favorite sauce combo is sesame paste, peanut butter, fermented bean curd, ginger, scallions, and cilantro. My husband piles up on the chili for a hot version. The menu is a piece of paper with photos and check boxes - more interactive fun. We get the mushroom combo - oyster, shitake, wood ear, and enoki (a must if you like mushrooms), lamb and beef slices, spinach and cabbage, and usually some type of noodle. They have vermicelli, rice cake (which are little discs), and glass noodles. Vermicelli and glass can be a bit unwieldy. You dump everything in, cook away, then eat in small portions in your little bowl. The broth has a rich flavor, and it's fun to get different things in each spoonful. We seem to come at the right time since we've never had to wait. If you check in with your Yelp app, you get a free order of fried rice!
(4)Jeff B.
Every week I read the restaurant review in the Tucson Weekly - because of the positive review I ventured to Impress Hot Pot on 1st near Grant in a nondescript strip mall. Small, clean & unpretentious, the owner, Li, walked me thru the eating procedure; he was friendly, polite & very helpful. I ordered the mild broth, mushroom platter, kelp knots, clams & tripe- the broth was subtle & delicious, the other items were fresh & tasty. He explained the comdiment table 2 me (many interesting choices) and, except 4 the fermented bean curd (mushy & salty), there was a tasty variety of items. I also ordered 2 appetizers 2 take-out: tripe and paper thin sliced tongue (very good, but over-priced @$7.95 ea.. I spent more than $40 for lunch, but I over ordered & I had enough food lefy for several hearty meals. I'll go back, but it would be so much more fun w/a group of people; a fine, authentic Chinese addition 2 the Tucson culinary scene.
(4)Richard R.
Went to Impress 2 nights ago after seeing it on Yelp. I am familiar with Chinese hot pots since my ex-roommate, who is an American born Chinese, and I once hosted a hot pot dinner a long time ago. One of my friends was married to a Chinese woman and I went to a few hot pot dinners at their house as well. I never knew there were hot pot restaurants in the USA--although from other reviews California seems to have quite a few. I ate at a shabu shabu place in Korea once. The place is small so I can understand why some people would have had to wait. I got there after 6 and it was only half full--it did get packed later. One problem with this type of place is it does take a long time to eat. I saw a table for 2 that finished only a few minutes before my table of 5 was done. It did appear they ordered quite a bit more food than us. The service was fine for me. I purposelessly feigned ignorance and the server did explain a bit about the hot pot although she forgot to mention the dipping sauces until I had my wife ask her about that. I do agree with another reviewer that servers could be better at explaining the whole process since probably most people will not know what to do. Also explaining how to operate the electric stovetop would be useful--she did explain it after she was asked. The restaurant did appear to be very clean. The hotpot we chose was simple: original broth, lamb, mushroom combo, crab sticks( which are really the fish-based fake crab leg things), spinach. Also ordered pot stickers as an appetizer--they were good, pork-based dumplings but the sauce they came in was a bit too spicy for my kids--good to stir in the hot pot though for a little kick. The hotpot was very good. I was surprised the soup tasted so good since I have never seen a hot pot with goji berries or the traditional Asian dried dates or tomatoes. I was the only one who liked the lamb, which does taste a bit bland but I imagine most meats would if boiled in water. The crab sticks and mushrooms were a big hit. Not sure why chicken is only offered on Sundays. The dipping sauces offer many, many options--much more than the traditional sauces I am used to, and thankfully without the shrimp paste I do not care for. I really didn't need the sauces but everyone else enjoyed creating them. I don't recall any music while there. Overall it was a good experience and all 5 of us enjoyed it. Will definitely go back.
(4)Choon T.
Good place to get decent hotpot in Tucson.
(4)Chi Y.
this is a great place, lots of choices, very friendly staff, reasonable price. Even much better than many hotpot restaurant in China. I like the decorations on the wall. unlike other chinese restaurant in town that bring you back to the 1980th China, this place has definitely keep up with what's china is like now. You will be surprise by how the free water melon and how they cut it, especially if you are get tired of the fortune cookies
(5)Li F.
As a Chinese and a big hot pot fan,I strongly recommend this restaurant! I have to say this is by far the most authentic Chinese food in Tucson! The staff are very friendly with excellent service, even asked for our advice after dinner. I will absolutely come back again with other friends!
(5)sian t.
good food, good place and nice service
(4)Hollis A.
Wow, it was our first time it was wonderful ( really enjoyed the Elvis soundtrack). I recommend the half-and-half spicy so that you can control the temperature of the food. It's delicious, and reasonably priced. I love the tons of garlic and fresh ginger. We got the mushroom platter this time, Great choice, next time we'll get all the platters to add variety to the soup. Open five to midnight, which I found surprising. It's across the street from the Golden Nugget, hard to see shopping center next to a self serve car wash.
(4)Monica E.
This was, surprisingly, my first time enjoying hot pot, and I am pleased to announce that it was very enjoyable. Let's get the little annoyances out of the way first. OK, the space is sparse. I mean, really. Where are the additional plants? Where are the wall hangings? Where is the nuanced feel of comfort? Not to be seen. Granted, this place is brand new. And it certainly has that feel: Bright lights, bare walls, little ambiance. But, goodness, the food is good. Tip No. 1: Go with the cucumber salad. I don't care what else it is you plan to order, make sure to order the salad. And when it arrives, you may think, "Huh?" Yeah, again, presentation is not necessarily what this place is all about 100 percent of the time. But the cucumber salad has got to be the lightest and yet most flavorful cucumber salad I've had in some time. It's not dripping in sugary sweet syrup. It's just perfect. It will be great for the summer months. Tip No. 2: Come with a group, and splurge. We went with the mixed bowl, then ordered beef and lamb, the mushroom platter (YUM!) and a couple types of greens. All very good, though we could not tell the difference between the lamb and beef. Terrible I know. Tip No. 3: Go crazy with the sauce table. Yep -- a sauce table, where you can mix together green onions, cilantro, garlic, ginger, peanut sauce, oil, peppers. All sorts of goodies. And experiment. This proved to add the necessary boost to the mild broth, which was very, very mild. And FYI: This place does not yet have a liquor license (as of Feb. 10, 2012).
(4)Mo O.
Probably the worst shabu shabu (hot pot) I've had in my life but maybe that's because I've been spoiled by some really amazing shabu shabu in the past. The restaurant was a little dirty, didn't have a great range of veggies, and were out of some of the meats we wanted. The broth was incredibly oily and chocked full of dried crushed peppers that did nothing to add any sort of spice to the broth. The restaurant itself was deserted (even of staff) kind of warm and our beverages came to us warm as well. I regret to say I won't be coming back again.
(2)Cheryl M.
I think the newness of Impress has worn off. Our last visit wasn't as impressive as the first. When we got there we waited a while for a table which was fine, but our server was also the server for the entire place and she was having a tough time keeping up. She wasn't really around when we needed her and when we had questions regarding the food she wasn't really able to answer much. I think the problem was the language barrier more than anything. As for the food, I've decided if I go again I'll stick to vegetables. The meat, both beef and lamb are so incredibly fatty that it's hard to get the taste of fat out of your mouth. They really do need to trim it more. I think at this point I may not return again until the quality of the food improves. Note: They do not serve alcohol which is a big huge bummer.
(3)Aishan S.
This place was just average for me. It was really cool to find a hot pot restaurant, and they do a decent job of serving this style of Chinese food, but because it's the only restaurant that offers it, they're over-burdened by customers. We probably waited 30 minutes for a table on a dark rainy night. We were starving. I think we arrived close to 8:00 pm with grumbly stomachs and high expectations. We couldn't decided if we wanted to stay and try out the hot pot, or leave and grab some quick food at nearby Guero or BK. I'm glad we stayed, but the food was just mediocre for the price we paid. The spicy soup is a lot of fun, but a bit impossible to eat/drink. It's definitely HOT HOT HOT Hunan-style! (And we only ordered medium spicy.) My mama, a native of Hunan, China, would be proud. It was a fun experience, but the wait and the lack of service left me ambivalent at best.
(3)Bbfe I.
I have driven past this place a million times and I had no idea it was a restaurant until I saw it pop up on yelp. Everyone I told that works in the same area had a similar response, they need to do something with the exterior to make it more obvious because it is a really cool and tasty place. Don't be stressed about the spice that other reviews have mentioned they have listened and toned it down quite a bit, in fact my whole family of spice overs agreed that next time we will ask for them to make the hot extra spicy. We felt it was a good price for the amount of food and really enjoyed everything, give it a try!
(4)Corey D.
I'll keep this one short and sweet. Little love for Impress right now and even less impressed. I arrived with a friend at 7:35 and was told it might be 15 minutes to half an hour. Understandable... when we arrived every table was full. Until five minutes into our wait when a couple finished, paid and left, followed by a group of six who did the same. And then we waited. And waited. And watched two girls walk by the tables multiple times, without any intent to clean them off and seat us. So finally at about 20 minutes in I asked one of them if we could take one of the tables and if she could bus it, she said something to the other one (she was eating and couldn't be bother I guess?) and the other continued to fill water pitchers. That was it for me...
(2)John M.
We'd never had hot pot before, and it was a fun experience. Sort of like the Melting Pot, but with way less atmosphere and way cheaper. My wife is a vegan so we got all vegetables--the mushroom platter and various greens. This was both dirt cheap and incredibly healthy; something to keep in mind if you are on a budget and/or a diet. Service was good, but then the place was about empty when we were there (early dinner on a weekend). One tip: don't get the spicy broth unless you really like spicy food; a couple near us ordered it and couldn't eat any of the food cooked in it.
(3)Jessica H.
This restaurant has a lot going for it already! Seriously, go try it out...it's worth it for the experience alone. The fact that this was started by a UofA business student gives it even more credibility. He is working his fanny off to get this restaurant off to a good start. If you've never had hot pot or shabu shabu, be prepared for an adventure. You get to play with your food and not get yelled at by mom ;). Even better, the staff is super helpful in identifying newcomers and helping you understand how the whole process works. The owner stopped at our table to give my roommate a little "Hot Pot 101". Basically, you pick your broth (hot, mild, or mixed) and then you pick what you want to put in it. We also got a few tips on what we should order (what he liked best, what you should order if you like a certain thing). We went for the three star hot broth, the hottest level they had. It's spicy, and we were warned, but the complexity of different tastes in the broth is so great the spice only adds to the flavor. We went for the mushroom platter, soft tofu, fried tofu, Chinese cabbage, fish balls, vermicelli noodles, as well as an order of soup dumplings. We didn't opt for any meat this time around. I think if I go back I'll definitely try the beff. The dumplings were delicious, the broth light and perfectly paired with the side. We had so much left over, we took a container home but left a bunch on the table. All together, it was $30 for two people and PLENTY left over. When, not if, I go back, I'll definitely order the mixture of broths. I wanted to try the mild, white broth, but I was so excited about the spicy shabu shabu I couldn't do both this last time around. They're still in their trial opening phase (2 months of business so far), but I can tell they're working out what works best for them and applying it! It was super busy, and I can only imagine it's like that most evenings.
(4)Pamela S.
File this under fun food experiences! My friends and I went there for a birthday and we had an amazing experience. The staff was incredibly friendly and very helpful at explaining what to do. For those who never been to a hot pot restaurant, it's a little like Korean bbq. You are given a broth, spicy or mild (or half and half), and you order items to cook in the broth. There's also a spice table where you make your own dip. It's very hands on, which means you can experiment and make something unique to your tastes. A side note, the staff found out it was my friend's birthday and they went out and got balloons and a card saying "Thanks for coming to Impress Hot Pot." That is REALLY going the extra mile. I can't wait to go back.
(5)Amanda P.
Went on a Monday night. They literally had nothing to order. No drinks besides water. No clean dishwater and it was well a different experience. They had a paper menu. One to be exact with scribble all over.
(1)Adam G.
Tasty food, excellent soup. The menu is a touch sparse on the meat options, but overall has a nice variety of things to dip into your bubbling pot of soup. The lamb was delicious, the beef was good. Shrimp balls were good in small doses but got to be bit much after a while. Kudos on the mushroom plate - a good selection of shiitake/oyster/enoki/wood ear mushrooms. The floating goji berries and some other berry in the soup gave it some nice colour, and tasted good too. The main downside to this place is the ambiance - or lack thereof. Stark walls, bright fluorescent lighting, and horrendous loud music that caters more to the Britney-obsessed teeny bopper crowd than to most people. If it hadn't been so loud, I could forgive the abhorrent choice of music, but it was blasting its way into my consciousness way more often than I would like. Also, the sauce selection could use a bit of improvement, but I can happily use just the garlic, ginger, cilantro and sesame oil and be a happy guy. For the food, I'd definitely come back. For the ambiance I'd stay far far away. Decent money for the value, but then again I am used to SF Bay Area prices. At $46+tip for two people this isn't a deal, and we could have spend maybe $5 less to be satisfied.
(3)Christine L.
So first off...living in Arizona and eating hot pot during the summer is the worst idea in the world!! But we could not help ourselves because of it was new in town and people have been talking about the restaurant. Especially the price!!! I would have to say the price for 1 pot (ying yang), 2 vermicelli, 1 plate of beef meat balls, 1 plate of beef, 1 plate of crab imitation, 1 plate of shrimp for $35. For the stuff we ordered, I think that's a pretty good deal and the soup was DELICIOUS! Except for the fact that the spicy side of the pot was oily. The waiters was extremely nice, especially when I had them switch out our pot because there were mushrooms in there. I'm highly allergic to mushrooms. And they did it for us immediately. Another thing I was extremely surprised was to see how organized and clean the restaurant was.
(4)Shawn C.
One of a kind experience in Tucson! Bring your appetite, curiosity, and sense of adventure for Asian cuisine. Be careful, the items add up and you can end up shocked at the bill. Thanks to the helpful staff! PS- If you order it Spicy, be ready to leak from your eyes and nose. I get everything hot/spicy, and this gave me a run for my money. Heads up.
(4)Jonathan K.
Finally, authentic Chinese food in tucson! Chinese hot put is a bit like Shabu Shabu in Japan, except this is more braised than a soup. You pick from among various meats, seafood, tofu (three types!), vegetables (yu choy, bitter melon etc). You boil them in flavored broth, remove and eat. The braised ingredients are placed into s small bowl full of a sauce you concoct from a table of choices (onion, peanut sauce, chile, garlic, cilantro, vinegar, etc). The remaining stock can be eaten like soup if you'd like, but the braised ingredients are the main attraction. You can get as exotic as you want (e.g. pig's blood). With the combination of ingredients, broths, sauces you can tailor the food to your mood, everything from all meat to totally veg. Nice staff too, even too helpful at times. A warning: if you get the "spicy" broth, do not drink it separately like you do the mild one... it is oily and full of chile. I am a chile-head who can eat anything and the "medium hot" went right through my nose.
(5)Eleana H.
ok this place is good.. but for some reason their house spicy broth was so oily.... (and not THAT spicy) it literally had a quarter of oil floating up top and it scared me a little bit. When the broth started boiling though on the electric stove, the oil started to separate so I was able to quickly fish out my mushrooms, noodles, and veggies out of the pot. I will be back.. but next time I'm going to try a different broth because this last time unfortunately I couldn't drink it because all that broth would have given me a tummy ache! A+ for their selection of asian veggies (especially love their mushroom platter), meats, fishballs, and various sauces though =) Bill came out to 20.00 for two =D Not too bad !
(3)Alwin L.
The pricing here was very fair, and they had a good make your own spice and sauce section with hoisin sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, bbq sauce, green onions, cilantro, etc. We got their chicken, pork, and beef meatball platter, lamb and beef slices, 2 orders of napa cabbage, spinach, 2 orders of enoki mushroom, eggplant, crab, rice cake, and thick flat noodles. For our broth, we had one of their house spicy soups and a half and half with their house clear broth and house spicy soup. Our group of 6 was full and satisfied at the end. I thought the food was decent, a little too salty after being cooked in the broth overall.
(3)Jason C.
This place has weird smell and It wasn't clean. The food quality is average. It didn't feel fresh at all. The hot pot is extremely oily which make me a little bit uncomfortable. It is extremely pricy due to lack of cleanliness and average teste of the food. (Around $15~20 per person which isn't worth the price)
(2)Poppy R.
i recently went here with my boyfriend. He's black and I am white. We were the only people that weren't of an asian background. It took about 20 minutes for the waitor to even ask for our drinks. We got the spicy broth which was very good but we didn't get half of what we asked for such as spinach mushrooms tofu and meatballs. I feel like I would have really liked this place but I was just disappointed in the staff. It made me really sad cause that ruined my first experience at a hot pot restraunt.
(2)Myles B.
I was looking forward to trying this place out and I was not disappointed at all, despite some very unflattering (and frankly unreasonable) reviews. Me and my buddy ordered the half and half broth, which was half spicy, half not-spicy. The vessel it came in was very cool and innovative. The spicy side was VERY spicy but packed with flavor. My only knock on it was that there was so much stuff (chiles, chili flakes, etc.) that it got a little tough to sift through. It would have been cool if they could have found a way to add the spices, but not have them floating freely in the broth, like wrap all the solids in a cheese cloth tea bag. The non-spicy side was exquisite, when I go back I will probably only order that. We over-ordered on stuff to cook. We got the pork, beef, meatball plate, head-on shrimp, spinach, lettuce, and vermicelli noodles. I know...reading it written down makes me realize we ordered way too much. The pork and beef were very tasty, of course it's unseasoned so the dipping sauces and broth being so flavorful is a must. I wasn't a huge fan of the meatballs, but that was just personal preference, the quality of their product is top notch. I also ordered a chicken gizzard skewer which was incredible. Their sauce station is very cool, and I made a very garlicky sauce which had my breath stinking for the next 12 hours, but that's my own fault. Very friendly and accommodating staff, diverse menu with something for everyone. Looking forward to my next visit!
(4)