Boiling Point
1075 Bellevue Way NE.,#B4, Bellevue, WA, 98004
Boiling Point Menu
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Address :
1075 Bellevue Way NE.,#B4
Bellevue, WA, 98004 - Phone (425) 455-8375
- Website https://www.bpgroupusa.com/Company.html
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
- Mon : 11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Ryan C.
no good! weeeeelll, it's not good in one way. the MSG way, that is! i came home, woken up the next day with SUPER DRY throat! boy, they sure do use a lot of MSG! they originated from CA cause they have 2 other branches there but i can't find their website.. food was tasty (of course) because of the MSG. amount was reasonable. between the 3 of us, we got 2 hot pots and 2 additional rice. oh, and a serving of beef. the house special hot pot was super stinky because of the stinky tofu it has. the soup was lacking in flavor tho; the lamb hot pot was the otherwise. super tasty and less stinky. don't come to this place if you want to live long. they put a lot MSG in such a little amount of food! wow? the dipping sauce was good too. esp the hot sauce with fermented beans. for drinks, i got the matcha slush red bean ($3.5) and the honey milk green tea ($2.95). matcha was great! get it after you are done eating, if you get it early, it'll melt in the end. good for desserts! honey green tea was mediocre; when i look around, every one seemed to order the normal milk tea. i suppose it's good. 2 last things!! no dutch-ing here unless you bring cash as 1 CARD PER TRANS... and the other, don't wear nice clothes and leave your coat in the car! if you plan any important dates after dinner, CANCEL THEM! either your breath or your clothes will smell of stinky tofu! REMEMBER THAT!!
(3)An R.
to be honest the food is amazing!! I wish I can give it full stars!!! is one of my favorite restaurants. buttrrrrrrr, the services there is h!o!r!r!i!b!l!e!!!! seriously... they won't give you the seat as soon as possible. and feels like they will never smile. but there is a lot of customers everyday they might feel tired ...anyhow..it just doesnt make sense why the waitress are not friendly :( but still all the hot pot is great!!!!!! but if you cant eat spicy food just don't order over three stars. normally just two stars. If love spicy food hope you won't order five star!!! cause it Just like burning !!!
(4)Roy C.
I can't say I love this place, nor do I hate it. This particular style of hot pot is individual based, akin to the Japanese shabu-shabu, whereas the more traditional Chinese style is with a central communal pot. I've always loved shabu-shabu, so naturally I'd like this place. The choices are somewhat limited, but adequate. The place is smaller than what I expected; I wouldn't recommend it for large group (more than 8). This place shares the same shortcoming as Facing East, which is parking. I also recommend going there during weekdays instead of weekends.
(3)Tes L.
Boiling Point in Bellevue is not worth your money. They also have a very stupid cashier/payment system which only allows you to charge to one credit card for the full amount of the bill. We had four people in our party, and the person wanting to pay with credit card for his own amount can't even do it, while the rest were paying cash. I don't recommend going there, even if you are curious about the food. The food is not worth the price. Go to the Little Hot Pot near Factoria instead. It's much better.
(1)Andy J.
I agree with reviews out there that say Boiling Point has gone downhill. Being a Taiwanese restaurant, being frugal and cost conscious is something I expect. However, what they are doing on their portions and also services/amenities are atrocious as of late. The flavors are there, which is why the 1 star, but aside from that, terrible. Pros: 1) Probably the best source of stinky tofu that is boiled anywhere in the Bellevue/Seattle area. 2) Fairly good value at lunch time. Cons: 1) Service is horrendous. We were seated, and then other customers came and we were told to get up and wait for a seat. Think about that for a second. Have anyone ever been to a restaurant, been seated, given a menu, tea, and then asked you to get up? I didn't think so. It happened yesterday for myself and my wife. The proper way of handling that is apologizing to the customers that they should have seated prior to us, bite the bullet of responsibility, and give them the extra service they deserve. 2) The cost cutting has gone out of control. Volume of food is something that I take note of when I go multiple times and it's definitely gone down. Originally, the pot would be overfilling, but as of late, it's definitely reduced. 3) Atmosphere is just too much sometimes. They try to drown out much of the crowd noise with music, but it can really get bothersome having to essentially yell for others around me to hear me. (this is usually the case during dinner time, lunch time is much quieter)
(1)Nancy G.
Thought they might have the traditional stinky tofu...they don't. Go next door if that's what you are looking for. Because Boiling Point smells pretty bad just like others' comments.
(3)Jaime P.
I've been here countless times. Despite being a bit pricey for not so much food, I find myself wanting to go back every time. It must be the dipping sauces, they are awesome, makes every bite taste like a million bucks. In all honesty there are better soup places and your $16 will go further elsewhere but for a quick fill of soul goodness this place hits the spot.
(3)Kevin L.
Price cannot be justified with amount of meat they serve with each hot pot. Last time i went during lunch time, I saw them pull out pre-made "hot pots" from the fridge. These are all pre made, frozen and only heated to be served.
(2)Christy K.
I'm from Taiwan. I would just go there when i feel homesick. Their food and people always can make me feel better. I would say it is the most Taiwanese food in Seattle. However, parking is a little bit hard if you go there on rush hour.
(5)Xiangyu Z.
Order their No. 1 hot pot please, which is the best! :-)
(4)Mary C.
This is only a boba tea drink review. I love the place still has a hotpot restaurant. I also used to love the milk tea here. The flavor was great and their bubbles are fresh. I also fell in love with their pudding. There is a quite a few varieties. But about a month ago, the drink I got was not up to par. I thought it was due to a new drink maker. But later I realize that the have changed their tea. It now taste like water down tea. I usually don't like my drink very sweet (it used to be very very sweet) but now it is not sweet at all! very disappointed. The take out cup is much larger now.. but the tea is much worse. If you feel the same way, please tell the manager while you are there and maybe they will change it back.. So sad. got so excited we finally have a good bubble tea place in Bellevue.. Ahhhhhh....
(1)Corrine C.
We finally made it to Bellevue for lunch and decided to try this place out. For $10.95 we each picked an individual sized hot pot, the house special and the beef. Price included either iced black or green tea and a bowl of rice. It was just the right amount of food for me. My beef hot pot had slices of beef, a piece of imitation crab, a meatball, veggies, a little wheel of corn and couple slices of tomato, etc. I wish it had a little more vermicelli noodles in it but for a small additional fee, one can request additional items. The sauces are on the side - I stayed away from the spicy one and went with a combo of soy and garlic bean sauce. Pretty yummy! I did have to chuckle a little bit at the super small and shallow spoon in the sauce pots. Luckily there wasn't anyone else in line behind us because it felt like I was scooping and scooping. Don't forget to get punches for your punchcard too!
(3)Bruce L.
Bad tasting food, bad service, terrible smell (whole place smells like feet). Go to Facing East next door, which is fantastic.
(1)Vi P.
i cannot live without this place! nothing beats a nice pot of hot pot on a cold rainy day in Seattle! their hot pots are so addicting and is totally worth it! the only bad part is that there are some staff that can't communicate very well and sometimes aren't very friendly.
(4)mia l.
This place is delish! And it's reasonably inexpensive. ^_^ I always stuff myself full here. hahaha
(4)Peequi P.
The only reason why this place can remain in business is because people waiting for Facing East(restaurant next door) get tired of waiting and choose to take the quick option. That is the only reason!!!!! everyone knows this to be true. Dear Boiling Point owners: your portions are small, your prices are freaking high and menu is a joke. pack up and leave town please so that facing east(a real restaurant) can expand into your spot. Thank you. If you do not move within 3 months from this post I will have to force you to vacate. Your cooperation is appreciated.
(1)frank l.
this place was sooooo good esp. on a cold day. Seattle weather is horrendous, coming from Texas, Boiling Point saved the day! The special house sauce made everything taste better. Get the Stinky Tofu house special, comes with everything and the broth is excellent! Service is also fast and friendly.
(4)Chi L.
If you are thinking about eating there when it is hot outside. Please think twice. There is either no A/C in the restaurant, or it is just simply too weak. To me, it's quite unpleasant and unbearable............
(3)Megan B.
We really enjoyed this adventure and will come back again to try it all over again. The fish dumplings are yummy. Quail eggs are good hot (or cold! if hungry) Yummiest glass noodles, my fav! Pleasant surprise green tea with grapefruit. Didn't sound good but well worth the risk! Who'd a known? Sh-h-h-h
(4)Amy C.
while i love, LOVE their hotpot, they have this jackass of an employee that is keeping me from giving them 5 stars. that's right, his existence alone eats away 2 of their 5 stars. that's how much he sucks. i've been to this joint many times, and he's always been somewhat of a deb. but i was there for the food, so who cares. at least that was my attitude until he went out of his way to piss me off. we visited on a busy night, though we were the ONLY ones waiting. since i'd never had to wait to be seated before that day, i wasn't aware that they even had a waiting list prepared for busy times. after about 5 minutes of standing around at the door, he came over and asked for our names. i told him my name, and he looked at the list and pointed out that we weren't on it. i informed him that i didn't know there was a list, but we were the next ones waiting (which was obvious since no one else was waiting). he made a big stink about it and warned us that "next time you must put your name on the list or else..." wtf? who do you think you are? god you suck. so... do try their food, i love every hotpot on their menu. but if you see this thin asian dude with black thick framed glasses (i'm sure i just described more than a few employees there), please give him a stink eye for me. i assure you that he deserves it.
(3)Ivan M.
ooooweee! this place got that STANK! smells like a taiwanese night market for reals. i know this because i just came back from taiwan 2 weeks ago! aww yeah. but don't let the pungent reek of the stank tofu scare you away. the little hot pots (or is that little hot woks?) are fantastic. i came here with my folks, sister, and seed last nite and besides the smell, we had a fantastic dinner. pops got the house special with stank tofu. not the best stank tofu i've had (is there such a thing?) but it wasn't nasty. me and my sister had the lamb, i had mine 4stars, she had 3stars. lamb was thin sliced and cooked rapidly. veggies a-plenty in the super savory broth. the kiddo had beef, moms had the seafood. the individual portions are perfectly sized (i barely finished mine but i ate too much rice) and for the $11.99, it's a pretty good price too. don't forget the dipping sauces. i preferred the garlic bean paste. i've heard that service can be spotty but we didn't have any issues getting our waitress' attention for water, extra rice, or to put out the flames. mighta been cause it wasn't super busy when we got there, tho it did pick up as the evening went on. i'll come back again on a cold night.
(4)Elaine T.
My sister and I came here thinking we would have a low key and non-stressful night since we've been here before and thought the place was alright. Just when we thought the staff could not be worse, they were completely rude and out of line. They did not stop by to refill our water ONCE while we were sipping our hot and all too spicy soups. Then the waiter came up and said something to my sister in chinese that we had no idea what he was saying. Just because we look asian doesn't mean we immediately understand Chinese. Hello! The last time I checked, there was not an official language in the U.S. let alone Chinese! They proceeded to being slow in getting our check and in the meantime, saw three of them standing up by the register chatting. I don't understand how a place could have such poor operations and stay in business.
(1)Aram M.
Great soups. Good prices. Love this place. I keep coming back here for spicy Asian soup. I highly recommend this joint.
(5)Cesar V.
-[ - _ - ]- This place is a must do, but just once. the broth is kinda bland and the ingredients are few in the pot. the dipping sauces were ok. their drinks are good actually, sometimes i just come here for the blended drinks. go figure...
(3)Jackie W.
Cute litttle tidy place with a modern feel. Takes a twist on the traditional hot pot... more of personal hot pots. Decent selection... basic. I'm the type who likes to eat a little bit of everything... so this suits me perfectly! Sauces are not to die for, but they do compliment the hot pot well. The price fills this typical-sized Asian woman up pretty well. I had the mango drink too... yummy! :) I can't speak Mandarin well, but they do speak English :) Yes, you could easily do this at home... but if you don't want to prep and cook and clean, but would like something pretty healthy, then this is the place.
(3)Catherine D.
I love this place!! I was pretty much scared on what I have gotten myself into when my friend first took me to the place and I can smell the whiff of stinky tofu (although not that pungent) from outside the closed door restaurant. I was shocked by how pungent the smell was when opening the door - enough to make some people turn around and run away as far as they can. However, since my friend recommended it, I decided to stay, get used to the smell, and try out their food. The food is great. I love their dipping sauces and their green tea Ducked a star just because my clothes stinks like stinky tofu when I got out of the restaurant and more meat would've been awesome.
(4)Tom T.
I have visited there since day 1. Their food was okay, not much complaint there. its not something that I am dying, but nice to have once a while. However, its their service that I have problem with the big time. For some reason, they always hire bunch of high school or college students who seems like they don't give a dxmn about customers. I've seen a girl who seems like learning impaired or something that can't even talk straight... and one dude with stomach sticking out so big that I actually saw his belley from my seating position.... these kids really had no matters, and don't really care what they do. I've visited there about 5 times since they open, and I've have the same experience. I think the owner of this establishment is just too lucky that they don't have the competition with them so that they don't really give a damn about the quality of the service. if you really have to have a small pot of the hotpot that you could prob made from your home, but too lazy to.. then you prob won't have no choice but have to go there... but if you care for the quality of service as much as the food too, I wouldn't recommand this place at all..... seriously... I was so mad on my last visit with those spoiled kids...
(2)Julie Z.
I had the Kimchi Stew at Boiling Point. I found the soup a little flat, lacking the ooomp factor. This could be because they are still trying to develop the mother stock? I didn't really smell stinky tofu. I will be back to try their Seafood pot. In the meantime, i think they need to start offering HOT beverages. i downed a large ice cold green tea in the chilly Seattle weather and brrrr!!! ill give them 3 star to star and will probably upgrade to four stars the next time I come back. Good job keep it up!
(4)Eddie L.
we love this place. food is small portion, but still fill you up. carefully taking small kids as they can get burned from the open fire.
(5)Phily B.
OVERRATED! *Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap* This review is from Nansay, and I have never had such a horrible restaurant experience in my life! I'm Chinese, been to China numerous times, so I'm not squeamish when it comes to foreign foods. I eat chicken feet, pig parts of all sorts, and enjoy a lot what americans consider "weird" foods. Nevertheless, this restaurant does not do hot pot justice! Bear with me as I list numerous CON's and very little PRO's. PRO's: The honey tea with grapefruit was actually very delicious. .........nothing else. CON's: *The place smells horrific. I understand it's because they are cooking a lot of foreign animal parts, but did you know if you can SMELL the animal parts, it means the parts have not been cleaned out properly? That's a bit troubling...better ventilation, please! *The restaurant is DIRE need of a hostess. You walk in, and there are a mass majority of people cluttered up in the 5 feet "waiting area." No one greets you. I didn't even know the first time we went that you are supposed to put your name down on a list because I could not force myself up to the front to see the list. *Just in general, if you like customer service, there is no customer service here. *Be prepared to wait 30 minutes to get a seat. I'm shocked it's always this busy, but yes, the wait time is not good. *Bland hot pot! I do hot pot with my family at home all the time, and my dad can whip up a better sauce with random ingredients from the refrigerator than this place can. My hot pot tasted like water, with lots of salt, and stinky animal parts floating in it. Actually, I think I enjoyed the *one* fish ball I had, but that's about it. *I don't want to inaccurately quote this, but I believe they charge for rice and water. Our bill was much higher than anticipated, and we have heard from others they charge for rice (even though they brought it out with our meal, and didn't even ask if we wanted rice). I should have taken it as a sign when the first (2) times we tried going here, the wait was 40 minutes long. I should have not been persistent and tried again! Will NOT be coming back!
(1)Eastlaker B.
Yep, I'm a fan! Love the choices of flavors and the option of making your own. Complimentary iced tea provided at lunch (a tad too sweet), with green tea or black tea flavors. Love the shaved ice selection, but we were too full to try it. Will have to make room in the belly next time!
(4)Lan N.
I have to admit my 1st time here I was not as impressed as I thought I would be according to everyone talking this place up. I've since been there 2 more times & have become quit fond of this place. The negatives: You'll always have to wait, which wouldn't be such a problem except there's next to no room to stand inside...making the wait tougher during the winter/cold months. I didn't enjoy the different drinks as much as everyone says they are so good. The menu does not describe what is actually inside the hot pot, I end up passing many of the items to my husband. The hot sauce containers on some tables are so dirty looking. I know the space is already small but I don't like the fact the tables are so crammed inside that you're basically sitting smack dab next to the table next to you that you can hear them breathe. The positive: Very cheap, even if you get items on the side. I love to have ramen with the hot pot since I'm not a fan of rice. The flavoring is pretty good in the beef, lamb and fish balls. I like that they have many different side items you can add in addition to your main serving. Also, there are a a few larger sizes for those with a bigger appetite.
(4)Mary J.
I enjoy going to boiling point on a chilly rainy day. The portions served are very fulfilling and flavorful. My favorite flavors are curry fish ball, seafood, and Thai flavors. Avoid going right at dinner time or you will be stuck waiting for at least an hour. I'm glad they have expanded and opened a new location in Seattle.
(4)Poi U.
Hey what's up with the low stars. This place has awesome food. I guess some people really care about service and promptness, both of which this place lacks. You can be waiting half an hour to an hour to get a seat here, especially if you are more than 4 people. There's definitely not enough seats to accommodate people that are waiting. It's possible to put your name down, go get coffee, then come back. Anyways, the food is really tasty and well-flavored. I love Taiwanese food. Every time I come here, I share one hot pot with my boyfriend and we get extras we like, udon and quail eggs for me. I love the bubble tea/iced tea here.
(4)Thu N.
I wished there were more hotpot options :)
(4)Celine D.
My current review is for after they revamped the place with cleaner looking seats. They also did a whole revamp on their staff!!!! I am SOOO thankful for those sulky looking employees who are gone, especially one girl who looks like the asian Snookie. Anyways, Boiling Point's menu is pretty straight forward. They have adds-on for your soup. Your soup comes in small pots with personal "stoves". Adds-on that I would recommend: - Fish dumplings - Chinese donuts - Pork Intestine - Vermicilli (I usually skip rice) When in doubt, try their beef hot soup. Their service has gone so much better from last year, there are more males in their store now. They probably recognize me already cause I was there one day without my boyfriend and the waitress was wondering why i was alone and not with my boyfriend. HAHA. thanks boiling point, you guys always make my day!
(5)Hannah K.
I actually ended up at this place because Facing East was closed.. but I'm glad it happened! I have never experienced hot pot in such a way (individual hot pots). I came in and got seated after a few minutes. The waiters were fairly nice and friendly; they helped me out, as it was my first time there haha. I ended up ordering the Kimchi Hot Pot. It came out rather quickly and was a perfect portion for lunch. Not as much meat as I would prefer, but delicious regardless! I also got some macaron ice cream desserts, and my oh my.. those were deeelicious. I don't regret spending $4.50 on them! :D I could tell that this place is always busy, so mad props to the waiters who were constantly shuffling around. Would definitely go back!
(4)Priscilla L.
I am a firm believer. So delicious. I love that it's small and definitely can try different ones if going with a group of friends. Only down fall is that this place is quite dainty. i can't leave my table without rubbing my behind on someone else's table.. Personal space much?! :) other than that, service is great. food tastes good. So if they would provide the option of a SMALLER spoon and a bigger place, definitely a 5 star. or i can bring my own spoon and go during a time when no one is there.
(4)Carolyne I.
Tried this place for the first time and I was satisfied. I've tried a couple of their hot soups (curry fishball and seafood /tofu) - both were excellent and packed with goodies. I imagine their other soups are good as well, I wouldn't hesitate to try any of them out! Service is great, but there can be long waits at times if you go during a busy weekend day (it's to be expected).
(5)Melissa F.
Adequate, but barely. It's Taiwanese, which probably makes me give it an extra star. They are cheap, and not in the good way. Fish/lobster/shrimp balls are cut in half and carefully placed on the top with the sliced part down so it looks like you're getting 4 balls, but really you're getting two. You don't actually get that much - the bowls are pretty shallow and there's not enough of, well, anything. My roommate ordered a coke and it came flat and warm, and he only got like half a can dumped in a glass. Quit being so cheap, guys. I highly recommend Little Hot Pot at Crossroads over this place.
(3)Carolyn T.
Yummy......
(5)Jean Y.
I'm going with a NO on Boiling Point. A lot of friends recommended it to me, but I didn't enjoy the hot pot here. Note that this is not a place where you cook your own food. All the ingredients come out cooking already in an individual-sized pot set over a gas flame. Weak broth, few ingredients, no refills when the broth boils off. Service was negligent. The staff stood around chatting and didn't bring us the few drinks that were supposed to come with the meal. I can easily make better hot pot with stronger broth and more ingredients for the same cost at home. Hong Kong Cafe and Gourmet Noodle Bowl in the ID offer better value as well. Boiling Point's one winning point may be its rich offering of intestines not commonly found at Chinese restaurants in Seattle, if you like those.
(2)Phoenix mi m.
Today was the special anniversary so we lucked out and got 3 pots for the price of 2; each pot at a price of $11.99. 4 STARS for food + Halloween decorative atmosphere. I was originally taking my friend and her daughter to Facing East then she saw the banner for the deal and we came here instead. It had a potent odor when we went inside but there's a reason for that as they are famous for their smelly tofu hotpot dish. It's definitely Tawainese smelly tofu... authentic taste too. My friend loved it... one smelly tofu was plenty for my tastebuds... I was happy sharing the curry tofu and the seafood tofu with her daughter. 2 Stars for Service as it definitely needs improvement... they had plenty of empty tables but just kept the customers waiting by the door or outside of restaurant. To owners or employees: PLEASE consider your customers and seat them first and not just stare at them with blank faces; otherwise... it was a good experience.
(3)Kitty M.
I was craving hot pot and came here because my go-to (little hot pot) in the area closed down! I can't give this place more than two stars. 1. The wait time is horrible -- seating is very limited so expect a (long) wait to get seated. I waited over 30 minutes to get a seat at 9:30pm on a Thursday night. A previous time, I waited over 60 minutes and gave up because it just wasn't worth it. 2. BAD SERVICE. The speediness of service isn't great, and even a smile would go along way. Note to those who haven't been here before: sauce and water is self-service by the cash register. 3. The food itself is okay, at best. They have individual hot pots at $11.99 each, and comes with a bowl of rice (for dinner; at lunch, it comes with a drink also). After my last visit, I vowed to never come back here. The time you spend waiting, plus bad service, just isn't worth it. Little Hot Pot -- WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME??
(2)Christine Y.
I was a bit disappointed with Boiling Point. For the price I'm paying I expected more food. It may look like a huge pot but there's actually not that much. The flavor was also just mediocre, nothing to be wowed about. It's a fun experience but I wouldn't come back a second time.
(3)Amanda K.
Definitely Taiwanese. It's rare to find an authentic Taiwanese restaurant in Washington, but finally (besides Facing East) one has been brought to us! Even during those hot summer days, I enjoy coming here. Just beware that the air in the restaurant is not good, blame the soup! I came here with my friend, Faith H, her mother, and my mother for lunch after Sunday service. Thankfully, we didn't go next door to Facing East. That place was packed! But when isn't it? The menu is simple, just choose the personal of your liking and customize if desired. I never customize mine because there is plenty of ingredients in there already. I've only gotten one pot here, and that is the beef pot. This time around, I also went with the beef pot. Faith H. did too, but our mothers ordered the lamb pots. The food doesn't take long to come, but while the staff is busy assembling the pots, make sure to stop by the sauce bar. The sauce bar contains 3 different sauces. My favorite is the garlic black bean sauce, it adds a kick to your food. Additional to your meal, you get a choice of iced red or green tea. I've never tried the green tea before, but I'm sure the red tea is a better choice. Each pot also comes with rice, but I barely touch it. My beef pot contains nappa cabbage, straw mushroom, vermicelli noodles, tofu, tomato, fish cake, slices of sukiyaki beef, and meat balls. The soup is definitely addictive, beware! For girls, I think that one pot is more than enough. As for guys, they'll probably be hungry after a short while. Give this place a try! You'll get hooked on the soup. (=
(4)Claire T.
This is a type of food that you either love or hate. I am happening to be the one who loves it. I like their Taiwanese Spicy Hot Pot which is extremely spicy. I also like their milk tea, one of the best here in the state. The reason i gave 3 star is because their customer services need to improve a bit.
(3)Sarah M.
Wow. I was warned about the stinky tofu, but I didn't know it would really be that pungent. As soon as I walked through the doors, the smell hit me. But that didn't stop me from enjoying the delicious beef hot soup. I've tried curry, house special (that's the one with the stinky tofu) and beef, and out of the 3, I think beef tastes the best. the dipping sauce is awesome (garlic soy sauce, garlic bean paste, spicy oil) which you mix yourself. It goes so well with everything! It's semi sweet, salty, and has a slight garlic flavor. One hot pot leaves me stuffed, although it wouldn't be enough to be split between two people, so I always get one for myself ;) Also, adding instant noodle to the hot pot (for only $1) would be advised. it fills you up even more, but it's so good!
(4)Henry K.
I love their curry fishball hot pot! Parking is difficult, wait is usually very long.
(4)Cherene R.
Something about the warm, stinky smell of this place gave me the great first impression that this place must be some authentic Asian hot pot. This was also one of those places where it would have been handy to know some Chinese since the menus and signs were in Chinese and it was somewhat challenging to communicate our orders to the servers when spoken to in English. Each individual well-sized portion of hot pot was about $12 for dinner. By this, I mean that these hot pots were made for one person, but leaves that one person very, very full. You could also order additional sides if you wanted to for an additional fee - like enoki mushrooms, half-boiled quail eggs, fish balls, and pork blood. For the traditional Taiwanese dish from home, the house special seemed like a popular choice since there was stinky tofu in it. However, I ordered the seafood hot pot and was very pleased with my choice. There were clams, unpeeled shrimp, cod filet, and some cabbage and vermicelli in it. There's not much more to say about the hot pots aside from the fact that they were really hot - like spicy-hot AND temperature-hot! I mean, they were served with a little fire burner underneath. Being the most impatient person ever when food is right in front of me, I burnt my mouth several times that night. Also, I remembered sitting there thinking to myself that this could be quite dangerous for people with long hair when they lean over to eat. Little did I know that there was the Chinese sign on the table that gave this very warning and I didn't bother to look at the English translation on the other side. -_- Luckily, I was just a smart cookie who naturally knew that fire was bad for the hair (or probably just someone who learned from experience earlier...who knows). They also had this matcha red bean slush that I tried. Very sweet and delicious! They serve their drinks in an assortment of glasses and the presentation is quite cute. :) If you have problems finding this place, it's actually right next door to Facing East. Soooo, just look for a plaza where you have a bunch of Asians waiting outside because seating is very limited in both of these places. Also, just note that this place only takes one payment per table and they don't split the bill, so make sure you either bring cash if you're all going Dutch or have someone willing to pay for everyone. Oh, and don't forget to bring your punch cards for a free hot pot or drinks!
(4)Bo H.
Food and service is great, but parking and capacity are big concerns. Most of time before 1pm, no parking spot. Even you are lucky, still wait on the line. Hope they can move to a bigger place.
(3)Thuy T.
The food here is incredible and it's a great place to go to if you are in the mood for hotpot. You just have to know what you want, because it's a "do it yourself" kind of environment. I didn't fully get the drift of everything until the 2nd time that I went, but after that, it was all smooth sailing. I have no complaints about their food at all. It is good and very reasonably priced. However, the customer service is bad and they do a poor job of answering questions. If you don't know what you want, then that's your problem. They are very busy around dinner time, so they just try to get through as many people as possible since there aren't too many tables. I just feel as if their place is way too small for the amount of business that they get.
(4)Nam N.
i'm hesitant to give this place more than 2 stars for a few reasons... 1. $15 a bowl for dinner - looks nothing like the advertised pictures and there's tons of vegetables and not so much meat... makes it not very bang for buck worthy. 2. the service is a bit lacking. nobody smiles. and you get your own sauces and water - my first time being here i didn't know that and asked for water 3 times and nobody got it. then i saw other people getting their own at a little station up front (i would have done so, had someone told me) 3. you have the option for spice levels and they claimed #8 hot pot was beyond the 6 star rating they have... but all they do to increase spice levels is sprinkle more hot peppers on top. its really not THAT spicy. compared to thai chili peppers its pretty mild. 4. when asking the server what was in the pre-made bowls, he said he didn't know but recommended the house special - didn't tell me that the tofu in there was stinky tofu. so i took a bite and it was as if someone farted in my mouth. 5. didn't noticed i was over charged for other peoples drinks on my tab til i got home. so 3 people and $60 later (including gratuity) i truly felt a hot pot at home would have been 10 times better and a lot cheaper as well. there wasn't anything that was special about the food, the flavor, the price, the service, the atmosphere. i'd rather have a vietnamese hot pot for a fraction on the price and still feed 5 people.
(2)Jenny C.
For 11.99 for dinner you think you would get more than a half filled bowl of rice and a serving of mostly cabbage with a few slices of meat. We ordered the lamb and house special pots. My lamb pot had 6 thin slices of meat, one triangle of tofu, one two inch piece of imitation crab, one egg, one small bunch of enoki mushrooms and the rest was cabbage and green onions in the broth. The house special was very similar except it had one quail egg, fermented tofu, and a different kind of meat. The WORST part here is the service and their lack of concern. My boyfriend has a peanut allergy and when we asked the server if there were peanuts in the hot pot or dipping sauces, he looked confused and said no. GUESS WHAT? The hot pot had peanut oil, leading to an unpleasant allergic reaction. If they had had actual peanuts and neglected to tell us, an ambulance would have been outside of the restaurant. I would never go back again to a restaurant where they don't care when you tell them you have a peanut allergy and they offhandedly tell you there is none in their food.
(2)Paul M.
Fantastic place for Stinky Tofu lovers. If you don't know what it is, then well, I do not think this place is for you... Boiling pots are fantastic, very tasteful, spiced just the way you want it. Just be careful when you eat it- the entire time there I was traumatized by a thought of having that thing on my lap. A trip to the ER for sure... And one very well kept secret about Boiling Point: this place is patronized by the most beautiful girls on the East Side! Check it for yourself if you don't believe me!
(4)Tien T.
Greatest place on earth!! On cold Seattle nights, my comfort food is hot pot!! There is a reason why this place has a constant waiting list even at 9pm at night. Each hot pot is a personal one and you can have it as spicy as you like. Although it will depend on the cook if you don't get it to the spice level you wanted. If that happens, just go to the front and get the thick garlic sauce and mix it with the spicy oil and add it to your broth. Also, you can always add any of their ingridients ala carte as well. The best deal is at lunch.....free iced tea with every hot pot!! Trust me...don't leave here without trying one of the teas. Only con I have is that they always run out of the spicy tofu, but then again I can't really blame them since I go late at night for dinner so I avoid the crowd.
(5)Ninja S.
I was going to have a business lunch at Facing East, but they were closed for some reason, so we came here. My acquaintance made the mistake of ordering "I'll have what he's having." He didn't know what he had coming. Since I ordered the special of the house which comes with intestines, some kind of horrible smelling congealed blood thing (which tastes about what you would expect a foul smelling congealed blood thing to taste like), and other mysterious additions, my dining companion was not pleased. I enjoyed my meal, but I would suggest that people who come here have a keen understanding of what this place serves and what to expect before they arrive. This is crazy "eat all of the animal parts" nutball chow. Be ready.
(3)Michael W.
My first experience with individual hot pot was pretty good. I ordered the Kimchi hot pot as I love Kimchi and make my own at home regularly. I was disappointed with the overall flavor of the hotpot. It was very bland and honestly didn't taste like Kimchi much at all. By the time I dug the cabbage out of the soup it was pretty much flavorless. The broth really didn't have much Kimchi taste to it either and I am guessing maybe I should've added more of the sauces to my dish and chalk it up to my inexperience. Overall the service was great even though we had a large group and took up 20% of the whole place they were really nice about it. I definitely want to go back now that its a lot colder out and try out a different combination with more sauce.
(3)Annaliza D.
I love this place, but I wish this place was bigger. I also wish that the water they give you is actually cold water.
(4)Thanh L.
Decent food once you can get past the smell of stinky tofu. Don't worry, your nose will adjust once your food comes out. The food was decent but the service was not helpful. This one tall skinny waiter only provided yes or no answers that were not very helpful. I asked him if the tofu in the hot pots were stinky tofu only and he said yes. I asked him if they could not put that in and he said no. I asked which hot pot does not contain stinky tofu and he said no. Then he left to give me some time to think. I settled on the Thai hot pot since it didn't picture tofu. It was good but overpriced for just one person at $16. The place is pretty much self serve but there are not signs to indicate that. The water is self serve as well. Would be nice if they told me it was self serve.
(3)Masen G.
I heard about Boiling Point from friends and upon looking at the website, I was really impressed. The menu is simple and straightforward. This is a hotpot spot with no gimmicks. When I went there with my boyfriend we were surprised to find that it was very small and really humble in design. Although the restaurant is cramped, it sets the restaurant's atmosphere as homey and family-centered. We waited for an hour, but it was worth the wait. The prices are reasonable for the food. Ingredients are fresh, the broth is rich with flavor and there's plenty of variety. Staff were attentive and very nice. I can't wait to go again!
(4)Vicki L.
we came here earlier for lunch to celebrate the lunar new year over a steaming bowl of hot pot and left satisfied and happy! As a disclaimer I should mention that I've never eaten hot pot at a restaurant - I've only ever had it authentically made by my mom and eaten it family style with my relatives every chinese new year. Alas, this is my first chinese new year away from the family, but I couldn't imagine not having hot pot - so after much consideration between eating in the I District or in Bellevue, we settled on Boiling Point since we assumed that the I District would be way busier and more hectic. I ordered the curry hot pot sans meat, and the boyfriend ordered the Kimchi hot pot. Both dishes came smoldering hot with tons of fresh ingredients. The Kimchi hot pot has less fish and much more kimchi overall, with a rich red broth. The curry hot pot has a really good amount of fish balls, veggies, and glass vermicelli. everything tasted fresh (although I didn't eat the imitation crab meat) and while it's not as good as eating hot pot at home, it's still pretty darn good. lunch for two was $24 including our iced green teas which came with our meals for free (just a warning, it's sweetened and REALLY sugary!). Definitely coming back here whenever I'm in the mood for hot pot. (also, the restaurant CLEARLY states that you can't split checks on a sign at each table, just FYI).
(4)Willamenia B.
Long wait but worth it. We went at 7 during their dinner rush and waited over an hour for a table. I love having my own personal hot pot that I don't have to share, especially when going with a group since I like my broth spicy. I ordered the beef with medium spice which was plenty spicy for me. I can't imagine what the flaming spicy would be and those that do order it probably have little lining left in their intestines. The beef bowl comes big portion of cabbage, noodles, beef, mushrooms, tofu and crabstick. The place would be fun for a group if the wait wasn't so long.
(4)Ray T.
Great food Had to wait 20 minutes....no big deal....I came to eat. We order the Seafood & Tofu hotpot and the Tomato Veggie hotpot, both with no spicy. I ate well. The Seafood & Tofu had some seafood and more tofu. I like tofu so I didn't mind. Only 1 foochow fishball though. The Tomato Veggie hotpot was a mixture of napa, enoki mushroom, corn, noodles, tofu and tomatoes. I particularly enjoyed the broth from both dishes The service is unpredictable ranging from very attentive to disappearing act...the place was full the entire time and it was 9:30pm on a wednesday. I liked the prices ($12 and $15) of the meals we ate....I felt they were more than reasonable. I almost forgot....don't let the stinky tofu scare you away....you will miss out on some really good food. I told my friend to breath through her mouth because she couldn't take it no more and almost bailed....afterwards she was very glad she stayed Looking forward to my next visit. I really hope they expand their occupancy because they definitely have the waitlist for it.
(5)Annie F.
A friend recommended this place and of the 2x we have come here, we've waited over 20 min for a table. Parking is really difficult as the parking lot is small and all the spots are usually filled up. Once inside the wait staff is pretty friendly and quick. The menu is pretty limited and you can not special order the soup except by adding ingredients. One bowl is enough for two people with a small appetite but otherwise it is one bowl per person. The individual hot pots can be mild or spicy and can be fun to pick at. However, the broth tasted bland and watered down. The one good thing I liked was their hazelnut milk tea. As far as value, I felt a meal somewhere else could go a lot further than here.
(3)Helena C.
Delicious!!
(5)Lucie L.
SO, I've been coming here a lot! I love the food, it is so addicting! Probably once a week I come here with either my brother, boyfriend, friend, you name it. Today's experience was pretty bad. .. I come here and the restaurant is almost full but they had two seats left so we got seated right away. Right after our order was taken I look behind my shoulder and there are a ton of people waiting! I noticed that everyone around me has their drinks and rice and soup but we just have our soup. So while this MAN was giving us our rice a few minutes later I was reminding him that we had ordered some drinks and he starts YELLING at me with his hands in the air saying "YOU SEE THAT LADY OVER THERE?? SHE MAKES THE DRINKS! YOU SEE THAT WE ARE BUSY??" And I am just so shocked and I said that I was just reminding him and he just cuts me off and says "WE ARE BUSY! YOUR DRINK WILL PROBABLY BE HERE IN 5 TO 10 MINUTES, OKAY?!" With lots and lots of hand motions and BIG facial expressions and said with bad grammar. But seriously..when are they NOT busy? They always are! I was so shocked I couldn't even eat for a few minutes until I could digest what just happen to me. After we finished our food I went up to pay and was talking to the nice lady that I always get served with and she made me feel better so I will probably return because of the food but will be avoiding that MAN!
(1)Nikki K.
Their food is just decent, the only reason I go there is because they close late, 11:00pm. I got there at 10:05pm after my late evening class, put my name on the waiting list. There were two table ahead of us. After waiting for 10 minutes, the server told us they stopped serving already. It was 10:15, they close at 11:00. Sure, I can understand if you decides to cut the line off early if there arr many people, but at least put some kind of SIGN up! Block out the sign up sheet/add a crossing line what so ever, at least SOMETHING! Not till I waited there starving then came to me "oh, sorry forgot to tell you, we decided to stop serving!" I'm not sure they are having management problem (the servers there are pretty young, maybe they don't know what they are doing) or the management simply doesn't care about their customers. Anyway, similar situation happened at least 3 times. That's is, I am spending my money somewhere else.
(1)Singto K.
Wow, Boiling Point is amazing! All this time, we've passed this place up in favor of Facing East next door, and needless to say, we were definitely missing out. Individual hot pots that are mouth burning goodness of hot, spicy, and pungent! How it works, pick from one of seven hot pots, you can add items, such as meats, noodles, veggies, ect. Grab some garlic, soybean paste, and pepper oil, to dip, and you're good!
(4)Sandra Y.
My BFF Dana introduced me to this spot. We came for lunch when the deal is better ($11 for a personal hot-pot, small bowl of rice and beverage of choice during lunch, $12 for the same amount of food and no beverage during dinner). My staple order: Seafood and Tofu Hot Soup and Iced Black Tea BFF's staple order: Beef Hot Soup and Iced Black Tea I brought Boyfriend here once and he ordered the Curry Fishball Hot Soup. Although quite amazing in flavor and taste, I couldn't imagine eating an entire soup pot of curry. Definitely a personal opinion, I guess it just depends how much you like curry. The best part of this joint? The garlic bean sauce you can dip your meats, seafood and veggies into. I would definitely recommend coming here for lunch and not dinner though, I can't justify paying $1 more for the same amount of food and not getting a delicious drink :(
(4)kehlee t.
Went here today for lunch with my friends at 11:30-11:40ish am. When we got there, the sign clearly said it was open at 11am, HOWEVER it was still closed! I find this very unprofessional. First time seeing a restaurant not open on time. They actually lost a few customers. While we waited for about 5-10 minutes at the door, I would say there was another group of 5 and another couple who was also waiting for it to open. We all ended up leaving....bummer. The pictures they posted outside was so yummy looking. I really wanted to try it out! I will come back for the food again. And hope it is OPEN ON TIME because we all have work to go back to.
(1)Bert V.
This place is pretty decent. Menu ordering is fairly simple as you pick from a short list of hotpot styles. The place reeks of kerosene and stinky tofu, not overly horrible, but seems like a necessary evil to deal with based on the food they serve here. Just leave your jacket in the car so that it doesn't get smelly. Service? Pretty much non-existent. Don't expect anything beyond the bare minimum here and don't be surprised if they ask to take your order even before sitting down at the table or even having a first glance at the menu.
(3)Ben H.
Blecch. I've been here 3 times now, and I've decided not to come back. I wanted to like it, since they have Cho Dou Fu, but the other ingredients are never fresh, and "hot pot" is not supposed to be something made up ahead of time (way ahead of time in this case?), then warmed up. Go have Little Sheep Mongolian Hotpot in east Bellevue instead. Also, the teenage-wait-staff-in-trucker-hats look is SO tacky!
(2)Katherine Y.
Great place for individual hotpot!! I love the stinky tofu. We have tried the kimchi, the lamb one and the stinky tofu. The service is generally fast but there's always line out at lunch. It is really good! Highly recommend it. By the way, the iced black tea is included for lunch deal. That's yummy too.
(5)Alan B.
Went there the first time with my Wife. We always wanted to try it, but it's kinda expensive for what it is. So we went there for the Lunch meal with a drink. The sauce is good, the hot oil is pretty spicy. They did have a sign to warn you. The food is okay, I would probably try different flavor next time. But honestly I can probably make it at home and it would taste as good.
(3)Claire C.
The lychee black tea with Lychee Jelly and Boba is the best of the best so far i have tried in Seattle! :) A surprise with friends. Will come all the time after. Really remember of the taste of Taiwan and China. :) Love it! The boiling pot itself was good, but not as fantastic as the drink. :)
(5)Brian D.
Pros: - Tasty soups - Drinks are decent but don't order the smoothies. They are not real fruit as advertised. - Pretty good service Cons: - Make sure you're ready to go back home after your meal. Your clothes will carry a stinky tofu stench all day - Overpriced add-ons and drinks - Line is always long
(3)Abdullah A.
I had the curry fish ball hot pot and my friend had the special, full of weird random delicious things. Mine had fish balls, fish cakes, imitation crab, some beef, lots of veggies, some noodles, and it comes with rice. It was all very tasty, I liked the variety, and I like how you can add more random items if you so desire
(4)Krystle Q.
As others said, be prepared for a long wait. This place doesn't take reservations, and the staff is not the best at sitting big groups. Once we had a group of 6, but they sat 5 groups of 2 and 3 people before they sat us because they were waiting for a specific corner of the room to open up. We ended up waiting for about 1 hr 45 min before getting seated because they kept saying another 15 min, another 15 min, etc... The best time of day to go is as soon as they open. One hour in, and no guarantees! :P Regardless of this bad service, I love the food so much that I keep going back for more every time I am home from school! It's so fun having your own burner and bowl of soup. The variety of the ingredients in the soup is vast from noodles, to veggies, to meat, and seafood. I usually get the beef soup, and it tastes delicious every single time. Yes, I will be going back again and will just have to deal with the wait, hence the 3 stars for only the food but -2 stars because of the service!
(3)Krista U.
*brrr* *brrrrr* *brrr!!!* My friend took me to this place on a particularly cold evening for some hot pot to warm us up! The hot pot was indeed hot, but we were freezing every time the door opened (which was often)! We ordered the Curry Fish ball and the Seafood options for $11.99 each. They were pretty good but I found myself wanting more flavor. I think I'll need to come back to have a more well rounded scope of what this place has to offer. I also ordered the Hokkaido milk tea which was good... but I'm not really sure what it was! HA! Anyway, I'll give this place another shot. But I really didn't think it was super amazing...
(3)Melissa C.
This has to be the worst dining experience I've ever had in my life (granted, I could have just been having an off day but I can usually dismiss that if the food is even partially decent). I can deal with bad smells, but the stench that this place has is far beyond terrible. So, I'm looking at their menu, and my Andrew Zimmern-wannabe-a$$ decided to be adventurous and found the stinky tofu, the one thing on the menu that probably made the entire place smell like the nasty stuff that clogs your drains. haha...the best part is that as my friend was about to shove a huge piece down his throat, the waiter did not warn us about how potent the stuff until it was already on my table. My friend luckily save himself from a huge chunk of nasty which, I'm sure would have the been the point of no return. He cut their piece into essentially a little dot on the tip of his chopstick, and after taking it down, he could not drink enough water to wash away the the damage that was done. I couldn't even bring myself to taste it... I was ducking and covering under my table to get away from it. In addition to the decaying side dish that we ordered, the soup had to have come straight from the depths of hell because no matter how hard I blew on that soup, it would not cool down! I think I walked away from that place with 6th degree burns in my mouth. Not the kind of burns where you fling food in your mouth and you're able to suck in air until it's tolerable. This was the type of hot where you put the soup in your mouth and your lip muscles don't have the strength to stay up and your boiling soup ends up on your lap and you burn your private parts. Yeah...not speaking from experience or anything...smh... Yeah, so take this place seriously when they name the place "Boiling Point." Between feeling, tasting and smelling, my senses were singed!
(1)Chloe L.
I loveeee boiling point! Too bad there isn't a location in the east coast. I've been here twice, 1 in Arcadia, CA and this one in Seattle. Both are delicious! My favs are the seafood and beef! Great price, great hotpot for a cold gloomy day!
(5)Ryohei A.
Just coming back from Taiwan, I can tell you that this place is pretty darn good. The flavor is pretty close of that to Taiwan, and presentation is about right. The service suuuuuucks though. I don't know if this place is owned by some young hipster but no one came to us for a loooong time and they took forever to clean 3 tables. We were watching 3 dirty tables not been bussed for good 10 minutes. (I almost helped them!) Even with that, the food was good. Good enough for 4 stars.
(4)Sovannary S.
One hour wait, and if you don't speak their language they won't acknowledge you.
(1)Jamie V.
Definitely lives up to its name. Steamy, hot, individual soups served on individual gas burner things filled with all kinds of good stuff (also way too much cabbage). I usually get the beef hot soup either 1 star or 2 stars. The 1 star is not spicy AT ALL, but the 2 stars combined with the temperature of the soup really intensifies the spiciness. The sauce mixtures deserve a star of their own. Service has definitely gotten better since the first time I came here though there are a few employees that could learn that a smile goes a long way. The place is kind of small and there is almost always a wait, even on a Monday night.
(4)Jacob W.
Very tasty hot pot, only 7 base hot pots to choose from, but you can add on a lot of stuff if you desire. If i'm super hungry I like to addon some ramen for $1.00 and just throw it in the pot at the end. Comes with rice and during lunch you get a drink as well. I really like their drinks especially the foamy black/green tea! Packed on Mondays because Facing East next door is closed...haha.
(4)Mandarava M.
They need to improve their service. They tend to forget things. Lunch is a good deal (11.99 with hot pot +rice+ black/green tea). I would not come here for dinner. It's too pricy for dinner. I would just go to little sheep for all you can eat hot pot. The food is alright but this is the only place for stinky tofu!!!
(3)S H L.
KIMCHI HOT POT!! w/ spicy @ #4 Delicious Delicious Delicious ! ! ! The broth is tasty and it's piping hot when they bring it to you. The kimchi hot pot comes w/ shrooms, noodles, pork slices, an egg, and cabbage. Only 3 stars because the amount of stuff you get is so little and you're paying about 12 bucks a pot for dinner. Try it! It's so good on a cold day!
(3)Cindy T.
HOT POT, HOT POT! HOT-SPICY-SEAFOOD-SOUP-TAIWANESE- DRINKS. This place is very cozy, smells of Taiwan/hot pot sauces. Overall, it super clean, menus are great-colorful, pictures, detailed description, and pictures are also posted on the wall. Lunch is $10.99, and dinner is $11.99, for one hot pot, one bowl of rice, and a drink. Choose between black or green tea, and I absolutely love the green tea. Sweet, tangy, light, makes me want to drink that all the time. They also do refills on the soup for your hot pot. So...if you like the soup/broth, and you are running low, ask for a refill for your pot! I always usually get the house special or lamb, although I think any type will be good regardless. They have a mini sauce station near the register which you can choose your own sauce to dip if you wish. They have three different options, or mix all or a couple together. Yum! Atmosphere is cute...very Asian themed (music-a mix of English & Chinese alternating), decorations of cute themed Asian-like pics/decor. Also serving bubble tea (bbt/boba/milk tea..however you want to call it!), stinky tofu, and other various items. Highly recommended. (Although, on the pricey side) Staff is attentive, although you need to wave your hand or call out to them if you want something. They don't do much of checking up on you (i.e. "is everything going good? How's the food?") None of that American-style service. Chinese language is spoken (best to communicate to them if you can speak it) although the wait staff can speak English..if you show that you aren't/can't speak Chinese. What's cool is that if you are unable to finish your drink (your green or black tea) you can take it to go! Ask to take it out, and they will put it in a small bbt cup, wrapped and everything. Yay! If you are a fan of this place, take advantage of their punch cards, if you plan on coming back!
(4)Tina W.
This is my backup restaurant whenever the line at Facing East is too long. A great backup place to eat that is! I love their hotpot and slushy drinks. The only problem is... I can't go anywhere else afterwards. My whole body stinks from hair to socks afterwards. Must go home and shower before I do anything else or meet anyone else. You've gotta dress down to eat here, cause this place REALLY stinks of stinky tofu pots!
(4)Rikku C.
I am writing a review because i noticed that most reviews are so negative and i had great service when i was there. I went around 3pm with a friend when it was pretty empty. the employees welcomed us the moment we set foot. over all, my friend and i commented on the great service and the pricing of the meal.
(5)Kel M.
This is the place to go for hot pot. Served on a burning flame, the presentation is impressive. Nice dish to warm up on a cold day. So, I tried the "stinky tofu"... it is an acquired taste. Fast friendly service. Parking lot.
(4)Jason P.
Walk in smelling stinky tofu and walk out smelling like stinky tofu!...This TW hot pot place is bubbling and steaming with a selection of hot pot combos. For the non-TW's this place can point your taste buds in directions to exotic destinations. This past weekend they had a buy 2 get one free special so we checked it out. I ordered their house special which has a nice variety of meats, veggies, and stinky tofu. This was my first experience having fermented tofu (I associate it with cow dung). I'm not sure I'm a fan yet...All in all I'd say the hot pot is pretty good. Their portion is satisfying and flavor good, especially when you can spice it up to your liking with sauces from their condiment bar (bonus points). Their pig's blood with barley ala carte is good as well, similar to blood sausage. I heard their drinks are pretty good. Me being in the non-TW category, I'd say three stars and bonus points for haunted Halloween decorations.
(3)Jasmine W.
The single-person hotpots are pretty well priced. They also have a good selection of milk-tea and bubble tea served in mason jars. You won't leave feeling like you were jipped on serving size. Thumbs up.
(4)Phuong M.
I've never had Taiwanese food before so this was my first experience. Taiwanese Hot Pot is different from the regular Chinese Hot Pot. At Boiling Point, you get your own little hot pot. You have a selection of 11 different types of hot pots you can get and add spicy stars to how you like it. I tried the lamb hot pot. Its not that bad. It came with a lot of different things in the hot pot other than just lamb, there were veggies, fish cake thing, an egg in the middle, half pork ball, porks blood, mushrooms, and some noodles. I was kind of disappointed in the amount of noodles there were though. I felt like there were only few strands, was expecting more. Over it is not bad. The broth doesn't have that much flavor, so I recommend getting the dipping sauce. I had the garlic dipping sauce which was really good. There were suppose to be 3 but when I was there, there was only 2 the bean dipping sauce was missing. Expect this to happen because apparently they don't refill the sauces once they are all gone. The service was mediocre because they were short staff. And expect it to be packed during lunch since it is a small place. Only worth it for lunch because they have the lunch special which is $1 cheaper than the dinner but it comes with sweet tea and rice.
(3)Chris S.
NOPE. Not good. Shit just sits in your hot pot and boils down to hell and back. I think I'd prefer to add things into my hot pot at my own pace rather than everything cooking down to an overpriced mush. Kinda skimpy on the protein considering the price, but all Asian restaurants in Bellevue are overpriced, so what can you do? Not go. That's the answer.
(2)Eclat L.
OK hot pot...
(3)Kenty S.
long lines but worth the wait. i love the Hokkaido bubble tea!
(5)Cynthia V.
The food is amazing! I've come here multiple times and the food is consistently good. My favorite is the curry flavored hot pot. It has a good mix of everything. Fishballs, meat, and vegi's. The hot pots go well with rice. The sauces are always very tasty. I like to mix the soy sauce one with the chili oil one. My boyfriend likes the bean paste one. I've also tried the driks. Delicious and they come with a fun twisted straw. They are also open later than most restaurants. The only thing that holds them back is the poor service. They never check up on you to make sure that the food is ok, and we always run out of water! They give us tiny little foam cups of water that never get refilled unless we ask. But I love thier food!
(4)Brain Y.
Good food, not a big fan of the smell from the fermented tofu.
(3)Robert K.
Fair pricing for what you get, hot pot that tastes simply just average. Hint: I wish they would have better ventilation as the "fire" they use to keep the pot hot has a strong smell. If you don't like that odor, don't come. Dishes: recall having some sort of standard beef hot pot.
(3)Pink N.
This place is one of my favorite !! I like to order beff hot pot and sea food hot pot !! They both taste amazing . You get a unique pot full of flavor super lite but you also get a lot of food !!
(5)Sam P.
I went here with the wife a few days ago, with the knowledge that when the temperatures drop below freezing (which they've been doing quite a lot in greater Seattle with our late-Feb snowstorms), hot pot is a great way to keep warm. I ordered the Lamb hot pot for $11.99, which came out in a few minutes with a side of rice. The portion size was generous and unlike some other Chinese/Taiwanese hot pot joints, the ingredients were extremely fresh. My only regret is not going for the dipping sauces located along the back wall of the restaurant (near the cash register). However, I was disappointed to find out that none of the drinks offered were hot. All the teas are served cold (with or without ice). I can understand the logic of offsetting hot pot in the summer with an icy drink, but it doesn't make as much sense in winter (I drank hot water in lieu of their cold drinks). Nevertheless, this is my new favorite place for hot pot in the Puget Sound area. I'll be back.
(4)Jennie Y.
I dunno if it's because I went to the location at Little Taipei in LA as my first experience, my second experience with boiling point at this location wasn't as spectacular. Food's still good, but felt the flavor was a little lacking compared to my previous experience. Service wasn't nearly as good either, but still very decent experience overall. Would come back again if I'm around the area. Really good tapioca with your bubble tea.
(3)neldog W.
My little piece of Taipei in Belelvue, you gotta luv it. My fav is the kimchi pot. Good milk tea and boba!
(4)Alan N.
I was watching some older episodes of No Reservations the other day and saw the episode where Tony goes to China. He ate something called stinky tofu and decided to check this place out/take the roommates out to dinner. We braved fierce winds and hard rain on I-405 and made it there safe and sound. Collecitvely we ordered the House Special with Stinky Tofu, Hot Lamb and Seafood & Tofu dishes. + Dipping Sauces: I swear you can never go wrong with dipping sauces at most any restaurant and this place had a mean red bean curd and garlic soy sauce. The spicy chili oil definitely had some kick. +/- Stinky Tofu: I was a little disappointed. The whole point of coming here was so I could try this stuff and at first I thoroughly enjoyed it. By itself, the stinky tofu, the stuff is atrocious but with the soup and the sauces it was quite good....for the first few bites and then the taste and smell of someone farting in my mouth became a bit overwhelming. I definitely think it is worth a try and feel it is something that you either hate or love. For me I had a bit of both going on. +/- Bellevue: If you knew me then you would know that I have a bit of spiteful disposition towards Bellevue. Bellevue is too cookie cutter. Bellevue lacks an identity. - Prices/Quantity: I felt the dishes were overpriced for what you were getting. They aren't horrible prices/servings just not what I was expecting and could do better elsewhere. My parents thoroughly enjoyed the place and the food. Personally I was a little under the weather so that might have played into why I didn't like this place as much as I was expecting. I would say that it is worth a try but I am doubtful I'll go back again.
(3)Pani L.
We came here when the restaurant a few doors down was closed for a remodel. There was some hemming and hawing until we walked in and realized we were the only folks in the place of European ancestry. We knew we were in for a good meal. The server who took our order was culturally sensitive and let us know that the fermented tofu was smelly. You could tell she was concerned as this dish is an acquired taste and not made with the American palate in mind. I thought the tofu was great! Add a mixture of the dipping sauces and I thought it really brought out the flavor of the tofu. Let me add that I have a limited sense of smell after working with chemicals in a lab setting for years there are just somethings I cannot smell anymore. My partner did not care for it at all and will not describe to me what he thought it smelled like as not to ruin it for me. We also ordered the lamb pot (comes with a gratuitous egg!) with an extra order of fish balls (they were ok) and a couple sides of rice. One pot of soup was more than enough for the two of us and our server was more than happy to bring us extra rice. My partner ordered a lavender milk tea with boba and he thought it was "wonderful and lovely in every way" and he'd order it again. I ordered the honey green tea with boba and it was refreshing and light. The food and service was great and I wouldn't hesitate to come back.
(5)Jon C.
"What is that smell??!" That was the first thing that came to my mind when my friends and I walked into the warm, steamy restaurant on a cold December night. Later I found out it was the fragrance of stinky tofu. It was my first time ever smelling it, and I don't think it's something I'll ever forget. Imagine every person at their table was sucking in the boiling soup and slurping in the noodles and meat from their personal mini-hotpot. If you can imagine that, then you have a pretty good idea what Boiling Point is like. The dinner menu offers 6-7 different combinations of what I would call "hotpot" although that term is not entirely correct. You can add side dishes to your "hotpot" such as pork blood, seafood, additional noodles, etc at an additional price. You also have the option of adding/combining their three signature sauces into your hotpot: garlic (my personal favorite), spicy, and soy/sesame. Overall, the soup is very delicious, flavorful, very filling. I had the meat "hotpot," and will definitely order it again. I give it 4 stars instead of 5 for a couple reasons. One is their service, it was hard to ask for them for the check when my friends and I wanted to leave. The other reason is the price is $12 which I believe is a little overpriced for hotpot in general for one person and should be lower like closer to $8-10. Another small reason: they don't take credit cards. So if you're planning to go, BRING CASH. Would I endure the smell of stinky tofu to eat here again? Absolutely.
(4)Alice L.
As a stinky tofu lover, I find the stinky smell of this place a bit unappetizing. But that's just me with a sensitive nose, so I still gave this place a try. Posh place, nice menus and deco, the staff was helpful, but not as helpful as the friendly staff over at Facing East next door. This place is known for the hotpot designed to serve individuals. The concept itself is refreshing, but I still love the feeling of having everyone hovering over one hotpot, with half spicy half original soup, and share the meat/veggies/noodles altogether, like a big family! We tried the seafood and kimichi flavors, but personally I didn't taste much differences as both had similar ingredient and the kimichi one wasn't spicy at all. The portion is actually pretty small for the price of $11 + tax. For $15 you can get unlimited hotpot at this Szechuan restaurant on Main street. Yes, I would much rather do that instead. One things that is worth coming back for is the hokkaido milk, love it! I'll probably get this one to go though, feel like the stinkiness stick with you, especially for girls with long hair.
(3)Rudy W.
well, I don't give place a 4 star because I'm not really a fan of hot pot. but my wife is. so my wife probably rate this place a 4. so if you a taiwanese, this place can ease of your home sick.
(3)Steven F.
On a cold night, this place is packed. I enjoy sharing food with my friends but boiling point allows you to order your own personalized hot pot. You always wanna try new and more items so just order a hot pot off the main menu and for a buck or two, add extra meat, vegetable, etc. I ordered the beef hot soup which has a decent kick as is. You can increase the spice if you want. As a hungry guy I added extra meat which was perfect for me. The seafood pot was good too, the shrimp, fish, etc was tastie. I did not order bubble tea or milk tea but as I was waiting, people were walking in and ordering it to go in groups so it must be somewhat good?!?
(4)Richard U.
okay....to be completely honest I actually came to eat at Facing East Taiwanese restaurant (which is Awesome) but I forgot that they close between lunch and dinner! nuts! but, luckily this place shares the same parking lot and is in the same little strip mall so in I went starving! A nice suprise for me. Taiwanese Hotpot is something new to me. I was the only patron in there and suprised the staff somewhat when I showed up pre-dinner rush and all. Several bubbling hot soups that stay heated thanks to a can of sterno underneath. You can also add additional bits (intestines, quail eggs, extra meat) as desired. I went with the lamb hot pot which also had congealed pig blood, Krab stick (that's faux crab) pickled vegetables and clear noodles. The broth was nice and spicy. The hot pots are served with a small bowl of rice and they have three dipping sauces (spicy fermented bean paste/house sauce/garlicky soy?) which are great. It was yummuy. It is a good idea that they have many warning signs to keep kids under tight control here because I can see the disaster of a rambunctious toddler knocking one of those things over! Ouch! Prices are very reasonable. I think my meal was roughly $13. Service was fine when I was there and the waiter was helpful as clearly myself the the two other guys in the restaurant had no idea what we were doing. In my opinion another nice asian food option when you are on the eastside. Willing to come back to try the stinky tofu....
(4)Ed F.
I've eaten here 4 times and tried 4 different soups. All consistent & delicious. The waitresses are pretty & the service was very attentive on each occasion. My only complaint is the price; $15 per bowl is positively inordinate for the rather diminutive portion you receive, even for Bellevue. Do the right thing Boiling Point. - "Big Chain Restaurant Corporation"....charge a fair price for a bowl of soup...$10 bucks and your profit margins will still be well into the black.
(4)Eugene W.
Are you kidding me?!! This restaurant provides two different napkins (first restaurant i've been to that does so). One kind for first serving and display (the same kind you find at jack and the box or so). When you request for additional napkins, they provide you the ultra thin kinds that are useless. They're not for people who reach their boiling point and sweat like balls after eating hot spicy food. I've been told by their staff members they do this to cut down costs. Food is already over price (after tax and tip, $16 per bowl), how cheap can you be with the napkins? Next, they're not flexible with payment. You can't split payment with multiple credit cards, etc. I'm certainly not going back or bringing my friends there. **************************************************Â**************** Update 1/8/14 I had the opportunity to try again. I'm changing my review from 1 to 5 stars.. They resolved the napkin issue ;). Food and service was great!
(5)Adam C.
"So hot. So bubbly. So stinky. So wanty!!" When I read the description of their stinky tofu soup, I was excited for what was sure to be a unusual meal. The menu is simple: choose a main ingredient: stinky tofu (not as unpleasant as might might sound), beef, lamb, veggies, etc., specify your spiciness, and add from the list of totally optional add-ons. They include extra meats, dumplings, various forms of tofu, and more. All soups come packed with a variety of tofus, veggies, fake crab meat, and a small bowl of rice. Soups will run you $12 and the add-ons are 50¢-$2. The soup arrives in a little hot pot atop a flaming Sterno. Don't start eating right away! The soup is cooking on that flame and is probably boiling, so unless you want third degree burns on your lips and down your throat, hail the waiter and have him extinguish your fire after a few minutes. The broth is unique: not hot pot, not ramen, not pho, Just its own thing. There are sauces available over near the kitchen. They are not brought to you. The soup on its own is good, but when I added that garlic bean sauce, I was hooked. The creamy garlic and house sauces were also very tasty. All beverages are served with a bendy crazy straw! What more could you ask for? Separate check, you say? Well, don't bother, because that ain't gonna happen. Defying all logic, not only will they not split across multiple credit cards, they won't take the bill as part cash-part card. All or nothing and -1 star for it. On the whole, a tasty and unique souping experience. I will be back.
(4)KC C.
Service: This place has got to be one of the worst places I've ever been for service (excluding super cheap chinese/vietnamese restaurants). It was staffed mostly by Asians in their late teens/early 20s. They were not accommodating at all. I came with my 4 year old niece, and it was super hot. There was a wait, but that was fine. My niece being four does not like to standing for any period of time with nothing to do. Since all the benches in the shade outside the restaurant was full, I asked if I could borrow a chair for my niece so she could sit down while we waited for a table. The host seemed like he wanted to help, but he needed to check with his manager. He came back and told me he couldn't because they had limited seating. However, there were at least a couple chairs in the restaurant not being used and even more chairs in the hallway in front of the bathrooms that were not at all in use. Once we were seated, our drinks took forever (we got our hot pot before we got our drinks). I even saw someone get a to go drink before we got ours. I asked for a booster seat for my niece (I was given the option of booster or high chair), and I received a high chair with no explanation. When I asked which of their juices were the sweetest for my niece, the waitress told me that they're BOTH sweet (there were four drinks). So I did not enjoy the service at all. Food: Making up for the service, the food was pretty good. I had a seafood & tofu. The amount of vermicelli was very minimal (a few strands minimal, and it didn't add to the flavor, so why even bother if you're not going to give me more?) I really enjoyed the three sauces they keep on the tables. They made the toppings taste delicious. Without those sauces, the toppings were only okay. Most of them don't have a flavor of their own. The broth was pretty good as well. My cousin had the hot taiwanese bowl and man his was deliciously spicy. His toppings for the most part just tasted spicy. For a lunch, the portions was all right. The complimentary? green tea was nice and refreshing. The winter melon juice was pretty good too. The food was a 4, but the service brought it down to a 3.
(3)George T.
Good food, but horrible service. This place makes me mad with their service. I've been there twice, being happy would the food turns into being angry at the entire trip thanks to the waiters and waitresses. They give you mini plastic cups...they don't even have glass cups. I had to go up to the waiter 3 times for water! Waitresses are eating on the job...very unprofessional.
(1)Kevin W.
Small restaurant, may have to wait. It's like an updated take on hot pot where everyone gets their own mini cooked-for-you-already hot pot. The stinky tofu house special is delicious; may be noxious and offensive for those who aren't used to eating it. Their smoothies/slushies are pretty good too. Only complaint is that the stews/hotpots seem to lack meat, so be sure to get an extra side of meat. Maybe instead of ordering a drink, just get meat instead.
(4)Kay C.
Wow this is fast becoming one of my favorite places. I came here twice just last week. Maybe it was the freezing cold that induced me to do so, but it was worth it. It's not traditional hot pot by any means, it's really your own pot of hot boiling soup with tons of meat and veggies in it. Of course you have to get the House Special - stinky tofu, pork intestines, pork blood, veggies, fish balls, meat balls, - all that in your pot. And the special sauces add smth to it too if you choose. I thought there was plenty of meat - I got lamb the 2nd time I came and there was a lot of lamb in it - this was not as good as the House special I thought in terms of intense flavor but it also hit the right spots.
(5)Maple C.
Be ready for some serious strong smelling odors here from the stinky tofu. It's definitely not the most appetizing smell; we almost left after taking a few whiffs, but we stuck it out, it just took a couple of minutes to get used to it. It's a cool experience I guess to have a personal sized hot pot, but you dont get much meat, you just get a lot of veggies. Given this, I would say this place is kind of expensive for what you get. Also, don't try to the cookies and cream shake; it was super watery and honestly, I thought they just gave us chocolate milk.
(3)Becky Y.
On my first visit I had the tomato base which was ok but not great. They were "out" of the miso base and 2 other types. My son had the lamb which he really liked. Went back early today planning on getting miso - and.found out they only "sometimes" have it on the weekends. Left without ordering anything. Sad becaue I heard really good things about the location in Irvine, CA
(2)Terry K.
Food was okay. Didn't have too much flavor in the soup. But my friend who is from Taiwan seem to love it. I ordered Taiwanese hot pot and it was 14.99 + tax. There's fire beneath hot pot that was meant to keep the soup warm but instead, it made my soup boil for another 30 minutes. The soup is so hot so you need to put it in the rice bowl and wait until it cools off. Just in terms of food, I would give 3 stars. But the service I received was exceptional. Two waitresses that served our table were very gentle and helped our table without interrupting our conversation.
(4)George L.
food is awesome. service not so much...
(4)Samantha G.
I only had Taiwanese hot pot once in my life prior to Boiling Point, which I really enjoyed. A few weeks after my first taste of hot pot, I was excited my friends wanted to make a stop here after hitting up Snoqualmie Casino. Luckily, we were the last group Boiling Point took in (last call is around 10:30 pm). Prices seem pretty reasonable: $12.99 for a dinner sized pot. I was hoping to share but everyone wanted their own pot so I went with the beef hot soup. Personally I had a hard time finishing mine so I hope I'll go with someone to share with next time. Anyways, the food: I was surprised how spicy mine was, considering that it was only 2 stars. Good thing ordering some milk tea helped with dealing with the spiciness or else I probably would have not have ate another bite. I enjoyed everything in the pot: slices of beef, fish balls and veggies. I recommend ordering an add on of ramen too. Each pot does come with a bowl of rice. I heard there's a new location at the ID, which is great since I don't venture out to Bellevue often.
(4)Kayan H.
Came here with my family, so 6 adults and 1 baby, which was a bit much. I'd say this place and its concept is good for small 2-4 people groups. But if you're going to have any more than that, just hot pot at home. The space was very crammed and they couldn't fit a child seat for us, so we had to hold a squirmy 1.5 yr old on our laps, near open flame - bad idea. Luckily, no one got hurt. The next day we did hot pot at home and all agreed that it was a much better experience for all.
(3)Michael G.
The concept is unique, I'll start with that. The execution, however... not so much. First of all, as you may have read, saying that the parking is limited... would be a nice way to say it. They must have assumed only people with Prius's or Mini Coopers would eat here (or the neighbooring Facing East) because it seemed all I could find was "compact" parking spots. That and the "15 minute only" spots by the bank. Then there was the wait. Maybe you've read about that too. Arrived shortly after they opened, at 1125am or so on Sunday. The place was already buzzing. People at every table, people waiting outside. Which, from what I now understand, is pretty normal here. It was about 45 minutes before we were seated and if it wasn't my wife's willingness to stand in front of the host stand, I'm not sure that would be the case. In short, Asians are more then willing to cut if you're not assertive enough.... lol. Having visited and lived in Asia much of my life, I am no stranger to this, nor bothered by it. But my wife's own words "I hate cutters" she stood in front of the hostess for much of that 45 minutes while I watched dancing dogs on Youtube with my girls in the car. Let me point out that none of this would bother me if the food was worth it. It's exciting to invest time if something is good enough. When I tell people I'm a foodie, I want them to know it's not about eating alot, it's about researching alot... and finding the best food around. But I digress.... I had the "thai flavored" soup, my wife the Beef hot pot and my mom in law had the miso. I noticed both were as excited as I was while waiting. Watching the hot bowls of everything from udon noodles to shrimp fly around the room, boiling right at your tables, we had high hopes. I'll just come out and say it, I thought my soup lacked the "zip" I expect from "Thai soup." Tamarind... essentially. And maybe that's why they call in "thai flavored soup" as opposed to tom yum but if so... I think it's fair to say this flavor would be what most anyone would expect but instead the broth seemed a little bland. And maybe I'm in the minority here, but I thought the bowl was just a little too busy. Perhaps it's just my preference but I guess I'm somewhat of a minimalist when it comes to ingridients. Din Tai Fung comes to mind, as an example. And funny I bring that up, the goal with coming here was dabbling in something besides our Sunday brunch "usual" (Din Tai Fung) and ultimately, I just didn't find enough to want to come back. As much as I stay out of Seattle for the parking, it seemed that in least in this case, maybe it wouldn't have mattered. In case you're wondering, neither my wife nor mother in law were that impressed, either. Can't say I'll never come back.... the Tawainese "special" and the Korean Kimchee soup sound tempting but not sure I'll come back to this specific location and think it'll be back to DTF on Sundays, at least for now :)
(3)Sumi A.
3 stars for the sensational food, and rich stinky tofu broth that they have down to a science. I'd eat here every week if it were closer! Zero stars for the nonexistent customer service (per my girlfriend: you get better service if you yell at the staff in chinese).
(3)Manjae P.
Fatty beef is good, shrimp balls are awesome and their vegetable is pretty fresh. All in all, pretty good hot pot.
(5)Sandy W.
BOILING....HOT......SPICY.....ALL IN ONE POT...LEAVING ME A MUDDBUTT LATER.! I've been coming to Boiling Point since I discovered it in 2009. It's weekly ritual to always come here and order either THAI FLAVOR SOUP or BEEF HOT SOUP with 1-2 star, side order of Ramen Noodles, and extra enoki mushrooms PLEASEEEEE! I still think their soup is tasteful and fulfilling! Their service is okay....it's gotten better now than a year ago. As for desserts, I wouldn't recommend their MACAROON ICE CREAM, it's way too expensive and it's really not that great. They order these macaroon ice cream from a bakery located in California. The texture for the macaroon part is quite disgusting and the ice cream is BLAH.. blah like my face when I was biting into it. I would recommend their Honey Milk Green tea. It's delicious and it has the perfect amount of sweetness. Not over bearing like most bubble / boba tea. It's so good, I always order two like a BOSS....feeling like a fat kid later...:(
(4)Heather M.
It's a set price of $15 for a hot pot of ur choice, flavor of food is good, the amount of food u get isn't all that much, I got the beef bowl and had about 5 pieces of meat along w/ a variety of other things like 2 tofu pieces, mushrooms, etc. place is kinda small not ideal for groups larger then 5
(3)Tracy C.
The food is delicious! On those cold winter nights, the hot soup hits the spot. My only issue is the cramped seating arrangements. But overall, it's a great place with great food.
(4)Mimi S.
I have tried every hotpot, and I like all the hotpots they served (besides #8). Although this place only has 3.5 stars on yelp, it is one of the most popular restaurant among young Asian population in Bellevue area. Two things to keep in mind: 1. Parking spot is usually hard to find in this small plaza 2. The Taiwanese spicy hotpot (#8) is extremely spicy!!!!!! Even you are used to Szechuan cuisine, you should think twice before ordering it! Trust me!
(5)Jenny D.
I really loved the food, I can't say anything bad about that. This was my first time trying boiling point so food was definitely a plus! But unfortunately, the service kind of sucked. The servers knew it was me and my friends first time there so we weren't really sure on how to order or what would happen exactly. But after we got our food, they basically just forgot about us. For a super small space, they didn't seem to tend to the customers or to check if everything was all good. Overall, huge plus for the food but only fair customer service. I would probably try the Seattle one next time.
(3)Chris O.
5/5 pretty good. Glad to see they finally got some servers who knows how to treat customers properly.
(5)Addi C.
I've been to boiling point about 15 times and used to like it but I feel like they're going downhill. Broth: hit or miss depending on what you order & how long you keep your individual pot boiling. I recently had the beef hot pot & it wasn't as flavorful as my bf's lamb hot pot. Inside The Broth: not worth the price. You can always count on tons of napa cabbage and a little of everything else. We had 5 tiny shreds of meat (big reduction from a few years back), a tiny slice of corn, a tiny bit of vermicelli, 1 slice of tomato, 3 slices of tofu, half of a "fish" ball, 2 slices of naruto, imitation crab & 1 dead clam. If you're going to only serve 1 of something, at least make sure its edible. They use to have enoki mushrooms and pork blood but to me they're clearly too cheap now. The small stuff: the bowl of rice got smaller. They don't carry vinegar (this is usually a given at chinese/taiwanese restaurants) or near as many sauces as they use to. Drinks: They serve water in paper cups that are prefilled so when you get it, the paper is starting to feel like its going to rip on you. The bubble tea drinks used to be served in large glass cups but has been reduced to small plastic take out cups. Convenient for take out but for the price, you should really buy bubble tea elsewhere. Service: its always been mediocre but it depends on the server. 20 seconds after we got our menu, they asked us what we wanted to order while we were clearly still looking at the menu. Lastly, i showed them a punch card and they told me it expired. I told them there is no clear expiration date on it (i've never had a punch card with an expiration date on it) and all they said was "sorry now our punch cards are white, not brown." Parking: always a nightmare during meal times since they're next to facing east. Its worse when people fail to park straight. Don't give me a stink eye you have difficulty getting in/out of your car when your husband was in a rush to light up that he didn't park straight. Overall if you want an individual hot pot, boiling point is one of the few places for it - its why I kept going back. For a few bucks more, i'm getting all you can eat hot pot. I will not be returning anytime soon.
(2)Anthony N.
On those cold rainy Seattle days, soups are always so comforting. Boiling Point is one of my go to places. I prefer the Seattle location over the Bellevue one because it's bigger and doesn't smell like sticky tofu (as much). The individual hot pots are a perfect size and I always get a side of quail eggs (6 for $1). My favorites are the beef and curry hot pot. Both have good flavors. My biggest grip about the Bellevue location is the lack of parking. The Seattle location is next to Uwajimaya and Boiling Point validates parking in their lot.
(4)Vanessa R.
I love the entire boiling point franchise, the service was great. The food is always incredible! But be warned this place is ALWAYS busy, so just a heads up be prepared to wait. The parking lot situation is HORRIBLE though. It is in a little complex that seriously has every spot with a sign to another store or restaurant, it literally took me an additional 20 minutes to find an actual spot, it was a terrible situation overall, but I'll only dock a point for that because I absolutely love Boiling Point the great tasting soup. The Thai flavored soup is my go to order, and it never fails to satisfy. As long as you have patience for great food, this place should be great! I prefer to go to the International District mainly because of the parking situation.
(4)Leona Y.
Be prepared for your clothes and hair to smell after leaving this place! There is very limited parking since they share it with a bunch of other businesses so be sure to arrive early to guarantee a spot! The restaurant itself isn't that large either and there's usually a line by 7pm. I usually order the beef hot pot since I think it has the best broth out of all of them. You don't get a ton of meat and they give you a ton of veggies instead but you can always order extra meat on the side or any other items you'd like to add. They have a punch card here where you get a free hot pot after 10 purchases which makes me come back for more! Better than their hot pot is their bubble tea! It's not too sweet and their boba is usually perfect. They have a separate punch card where you get a free bubble tea after 5 purchases.
(4)Melize S.
I always look forward going to this restaurant...either with my husband or friends...I enjoy the great tasting soup and the add ons that we can order....their specialty drinks are one of a kind and you cannot find the same quality of their flavors in any other restaurants...the only thing that I think needs improvement is the space...since they are very popular, the waiting period for incoming customers range from 15-30mins minimum to an hour...probably a bigger space would help...
(4)Sara P.
Taiwanese spicy pot is the best!! It is good for two people to share and order some add-on!! You need to wait all the time! But it worth the time! Remember to try the red oil sauce if you love spicy food, it is really spicy!!
(5)Kristian L.
I really don't know what the fuss is all about. The only thing I like is that each person has their own individual pot and the service was pretty quick and accurate. Other than that...I don't like how they put everything in the pot when they bring it out. All the food is cooked and overcooked by the time it's at my table. I thought the point of "hot pot" was so you can cook your own food and your own leisure. This is pretty much like eating at King Noodles in International District, where you can select individual items. I can pretty much custom make my order at King Noodles to look like Boiling Point's. If you want a true "hot pot" experience, you should check other places like Little Sheep, Gourmet Noodle Bowl or even Seven Stars Pepper.
(2)Tien N.
Boiling point is never one to pass up when it's around your hungry stomach. But this location is extremely busy, small and it kind of has this fermented tofu scent lingering on the wall. It's not as comforting... But still love their Thai flavor soup with instant noodle, sliced beef, quail eggs and crown daisies. Yum!
(4)Aris L.
i went here for dinner...i always ordered the same dish the beef soup..i love their garlic sauce...if you have party more than 6 people the wait time could be longer and you might seat separately...staff were friendly.. CONCLUSION = RECOMMENDED!
(4)Woo K.
Boiling point, the first thing that comes to mind on a cold Seattle night. Or when my nose is congested of a cold. Or when I'm hungry and all I want is boiling point- all the damn time. My first reaction to this place is that it stinks. I'm like what is that stench but why am I so excited to put it in my mouth? Don't be alarmed fellow yelpers, the stench is nothing like the sweet savory broth that you consume. This is a different type of hotpot than the traditional ones. It comes out with all the ingredients already in the soup boiling away but the portion is just right. You have the choice on different styles of soup base and meats or seafood. I especially appreciate how accurate they are with their level of spice. I'm pretty weak sauce so I stick to the mild beef soup which has become my favorite, it has a kick of spice but nothing the average person couldn't consume. For you spicy lovers there is the level 5 option that will have you steaming with joy. Don't forget that you can add on extra goodies for all you hungry people out there. I'm a fan, simply because I crave this stuff weekly and have become a regular. Small cozy place, good service, yummy soups. What more do I need?
(4)Minji L.
What is the hype? All I could smell was old meat and seafood in my hot pot. The stuff is definitely not fresh and the rice also smelled like it hadn't been pre-washed before being cooked. I won't be back.
(1)Bing Y.
Poor service! We have 5 people, waiter added us on the waiting list and we wait for 40 mins. Then there is a table for 4 available, but he insist it's dangerous to add a chair to seat us! Make us continue to wait! Damn bad service!
(1)Gracelynne A.
I really like this place. I would love to come here more often how ever the wait is too long! Wish they would expand!
(3)Jenny H.
Happy to find an individual hot pot place in Bellevue with spicy mala flavoring. Came during lunch with a few friends. We ordered different hot pots and all of us left quite happy which says a lot to me. Sometimes only certain dishes on the menu are good but it doesn't seem to be the case here. For lunch it was about $15 per person and included a cup of green or black tea. The mala spicy one was great with just enough spice for me. I tried a few sips of the curry one and enjoyed that one too.
(4)Dino D.
Not many places I know serve personal sized hot pots. This place is always busy. Minimum 30 min wait typically. Try to keep your party to 4 or less, 2 is even better. Parking is usually difficult as well. Park along the back street if you need to. Ordering the extra beef is worth it if you're hungry since the amount of beef in the regular hot pot is just adequate but the side order of beef will give you quite a bit more for just a couple bucks extra. Also, your clothes will reek of food after you eat here.
(4)Jacq M.
I love this place, me and my yoga buddy go here often, they have great service, the waiters are kind and attentive. They keep on filling your bowl with broth if you ask for more, the place is a bit small and the lines are very long, especially during peak hours like lunch and dinner. It's a crazy line during winter season and cold spring months. Be prepared to wait like 30-45 mins, but people wait because they have delicious soup. The prices are very fair. They also have bubble teas which are not that great, so don't order that, haven't tried their desserts yet, I highly recommend the beef, seafood and kimchi soup. Their kimchi are good too. Only downside is it's very small and I don't know if it's safe for kids coz the waiters are carrying hot soup while walking. The place is very small hence the long wait, the bathroom is not that clean, the place is fairly clean but the food is really good.
(5)Helene L.
Food: Good! Lots of options. Hot Pot Experience: nothing spectacular. You would Not enough yummy sauces. Service: Fair. Value: Fair ~$15/pp.
(2)K K.
I am in love with their Hokkaido Milktea!!! Service will never be good there, but at least they have awesome drink and food to offer. This Bellevue branch makes better drinks than the Seattle branch. Parking can be tricky due to small lot, and the bank (right next door) actually keeps track of who's parking in their lot while not banking with them: they will TOW!
(4)Peter N.
I recently moved from Los Angeles to Seattle and was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar restaurant also expanding to the PNW. Knowing how busy this place gets in LA, I only plan on coming here if I can arrive 5 or 10 mins prior to opening. If you miss that window be prepared to wait 30 mins to an hour for a seat. The food here is pretty consistent with the taste and quality of their other franchises. The sauce is a nice complement to the hot pot dishes. I usually get the hot beef or the kim chi. The miso one is pretty good too. Their tea tastes good but you only get one cup of it. Their boba and other blended teas are a nice way to cool down from all the boiling soup. The branches in Seattle don't have the large size for drinks. As of the last time I went there they still didn't have their shaved ice ingredients available. Hopefully they can sort that out soon. I was originally going to give this place a 3.5-4 star rating but the last time I went, I had to ask my waitress twice for water that she didn't bring. It was a busy time so I didn't mind asking again since she was busy. What I did not expect was her going behind the counter and talking to her coworker in Chinese about how troublesome I was for asking for water. I guess she didn't think I understood it too. I will probably end up coming here in the future. If you can deal with the customer service that resents you for making them work, it's a good place to warm you up on those rainy days.
(2)Sophia S.
It's my favorite hotspot place, even in comparison to swish swish. Taste is authentic enough to Hotpot in Taiwan and I like the individual portions. Service can be hit or miss but I will say service has been good the last 3-4 times I went in. The initial smell when you walk in will probably scare some people off, specifically those who have never heard of stinky tofu. It literally stinks. But once you get seated and order, your nose adjusts. Highly recommend.
(4)Ulysses L.
Hot pot can be delicious, but only if you have great stew, sauce, and ingredients...Boiling Point largely fails in this regard. Also, before I dig in to my dish, I like to look at it and have it stare back and say to me, "I am going to fill you up!!" - there were no such sweet words. At Boiling Point, the individualized little hot pots they give you are quaint but not filling, and sluggishly cook your food at temperatures I'm sure are much lower than the name suggests. PROS: This place is Bellevue-certified, and by that I mean it's cute, clean, and not in an alley next to guys playing dice on cardboard. You can tell they spent some money on getting nice menus, tables, chairs, hot pots, etc. If you come in for lunch, which for most of the dishes is 12 dollars, you get a free drink (soda, green tea, black tea) which is generous. The black tea is probably the best part about this place. CONS: I don't really feel like I got what I paid for. The pictures on the menus have been expertly taken by a photographer who knows how to make a banquet out of a snack - you think you will be given a large amount with much variety, but the pots are shallow, and I noticed that much of what you get are cheap veggies like cabbage. Meat is scarce. A side of meat is around $3.50, veggies around $2, and you can get ramen or udon noodles for $1...these prices are a bit much for the taste and amount. If you want sauce, you must fetch it yourself (there are three varieties) using these tiny tea spoon things that I'm sure hobbits find convenient. Don't expect stellar, friendly service - though the waiter was responsive, he never smiled and was probably overworked. I have heard this place reeks of stinky tofu, but my nose-y senses were not tingling in a bad way here. Boiling Point, overall, isn't outrageous - just disappointing. If you can, try out hot pot places in Seattle's Chinatown that have bigger portions and even unlimited refills.
(2)Julie P.
Meh, I think this place is overrated mostly because it's probably the only decent hotpot in Seattle so everyone is giving it good reviews. The hotpot is good but nothing to get excited about. The hotpot is single serve or like us, we shared 2pots between 3girls. I wish that they had better menus that weren't so worn out so that you could actually read the description of what each flavor hot pot is. We ordered the curry fishballs and beef hotpot which was good, but both of them tasted really similar. I was told that the kimchi was not that good by others. The service was slow, we had to remind 3different people that we ordered an extra tea and even asked them twice to bring out an extra set of utensils for us. It wasn't even busy at all. Everyone in my group had been to Boiling Point before and they all agreed that although the soup is good, it's not a place they've told others about to try out. I'd probably come back but don't expect too much from this place.
(3)Tom K.
This place is delicious. Always his the spot. However... The wait is super long and it kind of smells funny. would be a 5 star place but the wait is killer. I always get the #2 seafood tofu soup. Wife gets the #4 beef hot soup. Never really tried anything else. The sauces that are used for dipping is good too. Come for lunch and get a free drink.
(4)Annie T.
I love this restuarant! I've been here so many times that I've collected 2 stamp cards full. My recommendations is to come here during lunch to get their lunch special, which you save a dollar and get free black/green tea. They have this on the weekends so its very convenient. The best 2 pots IMO is the kimchi and beef. I always add quail eggs on the side for $1 and sometimes pork intestines. They are pretty generous with the portions. It gets so warm eating the hot pot though, I wonder how they will do during summer months?
(4)Vy D.
urgh...If you like to eat without having idea how your food looks, this is your place. Went into the restaurant and I thought: "Oh God this place is darker than my bedroom" Yikes... Broth are variety but then later I saw the waiter added the same broth to my different Hot Pots [We had Kim Chi and Japanese Miso broth]. I wonder why...Hmm.... Yes! It's Haloween, but dont make people p** in their pants before they actually find a toilet seat. Oh M Gee I hate their restroom! Lowest purple light and a skeleton right by your side when you come inside the restroom. Good luck with that! Add-ons were ok....Yummy sliced beef/lambs/pork. Veggies was awesome The waiting-area was way too small. We always felt like people were starring at us while we were eating. Plus, the waiter tried to rush us while checking. Excuse me, I hate being rushed. One more thing, no offense but with the fact that I'm Asian doesnt mean I can speak Chinese. They kept bursting Chinese into my face until my Taiwanese friend asked them to speak English to us-.- Food may be 3.5 but the service just bring everything down. The water station was a totally frustration to us. They put dirty cups on the counter tops and somehow the clean ones were "hidden" underneath the counter. And when I asked them, they just ignored me....
(2)Andrew W.
Be prepared to wait for at least an hour. There is no doubt that this is the most authentic Taiwanese hot pot in town, offering a wide variety of the most popular broths from Taiwan. However, the wait and service need a little bit more work. When a table of 4 left, we were excited that we could finally order. Unfortunately, it took another 15 minutes for them to remove the pots and clean the table.
(4)Flora C.
I usually go to Facing East when I visit this parking lot but never gave this place a chance until a friend invite me here. (Note: Facing East's MSG effect is unbearable.) I ordered the Korean Hot Pot and liked it even the soup is not orange or red. In a clear soup base, there are plenty of veggie and some meat with a spicy kick. The side self-made dressing mix was interested. I like it. For drinks, I have ice tea with aloe cubes. This drink was not too sweet and it was soothing with the hot pot. Best of all, the food fragrant does not stain my clothes after the meal. I will definitively come back to try other dishes. Note: Short wait, fast service, and fair priced. Very limited parking space.
(4)Tim R.
They are busy all the time which is a good sign but place is really small too. Portions are okay. It was really good but I wish I had more. Got the beef one.
(4)Madison L.
YUmmmmm! I love hot pot! There were so many options there but since I'm a big beef fan, I went with the beef hot soup with very spicy level. I'm so glad we were able to choose the spicy level because in most hot pot places, you either have to make it yourself (they give you side peppers and sauces) or there are no options! I can handle spicy food really well so this was a treat. Okay, about the hot pot - pretty good! There were plenty of things floating in the hot pot soup to pick out and eat. There was a little bit way too much cabbage for my liking and the imitation crab was a little weird for me. I do love the fired tofu skin and the flavor of the tomatoes in the broth. That was pretty unique for hot pot for me. I was impressed that the hot pot was filled to the rim. I was full after finishing everything and drinking some of the broth. Milk tea there is delicious! I love the taro flavored one!
(4)Jake L.
Although the wait can be long, it is worth it! In terms of food there are different assortments of hot pot flavors and side dishes to accompany your hotpot if needed. There is also dessert and bubble tea if you are interested. This place is definitely a place worth checking out if you are craving Taiwanese style hotpot!
(4)Nathan L.
To my surprise and everyone's hype, this place was not as good as I thought it would be. Though I will give this place points for having a really unique eating experience. Unlike many hotpot places around Seattle, Boiling Point provides you with your very own miniature pot to eat from. However within that pot is minimal meat with a whole lot of vegetables! The taste was alright, which I kind of expected more (I had the beef hot pot). If you are like me and love meat than this def. isn't the place for you. On a side note, this place had one of the BESTTTTTT milk tea's I have ever had. WOW. I've had my fair share of milk teas from Seattle to San Francisco to China to Hong Kong to Taiwan and trust me when I say this that their milk tea here is superb (they have 3 different ones I think for just milk tea)
(3)Meghan C.
I love this place. The Hokkaido milk tea is the bomb! Stay clear of the macaron ice cream sandwiches though. Those are awful! They taste like straight sugar and are hard as bricks. My friend and I hurt our teeth on one and had to throw it away after a couple of bites.
(5)Jean V.
I love their hot pot, especially during lunch hour when it's ok $11.99 with a free drink (well tea drink)! My favorite is the curry fish ball, it's full of flavor. I thought the portions are good because I always leave the restaurant full. The only downside is the service there. It's not one of the best, but it's not the worst. They don't smile and they're not very friendly, but they work pretty hard and they're attentive.
(3)Florence C.
I love this place! Every time I am in the area, I make it a point to come eat here. I did this the other day when it was 90 degrees out (although since it was only 11 in the morning when they first opened, it was only 74 degrees at the time)...that's how much I love them! I've tried a variety of their hotpots, mostly at lunch time, and I think they are the same for lunch and dinner, but lunch includes either a soda or iced tea and I think it's a couple bucks cheaper! My favorite is the #1, House Special. It includes all kinds of good stuff: stinky tofu, pork blood, fish cake, quail egg, beef, tomato, fish ball, and some more. All placed in your own personal little hot pot, served to you with a little fire underneath to keep it boiling. The tofu is not as stinky as I would like it to be, but hey, it is still delicious! My son had the curry fishball hot pot the other day, and that was yum too...and I don't even like curry! The pot does get a little too boily sometimes, so if you ask them, they can put the flame out for you. I will continue coming back here every chance I get!
(5)Wilson U.
Boiling point..Don't be shocked if you smell something odd and almost bad in the aire as it is fermented tofu. This is an interesting place offering individual sized and crafted hotpots with additional sides that can be ordered. I'll give it a 3.5 with potential for 4. Will need to do another visit to see about consistency. They have a pretty good sized shaved ice/slush dessert list but it is SEASONAL. I guess that makes sense but it would be perfect after a hot meal as they serve. I had the Taiwanese spicy hotpot...It wasn't lying about the spice level so I would agree it is not for the faint of heart. The broth was tasty, spicy, and piping hot. Kept piping hot with the little flame going under the pot stand. The ingredients my hotpot were great, I had a couple clams, some squid rings, pig blood, intestine pieces, cabbage, noodles, mushrooms, and some other ingredients I forget now. I also ordered a side of fermented tofu (stinky tofu) to put in the hotpot. I thought it was pretty good and something you definitely need a breath freshener as well as maybe a change of clothes if you are planning on going out after the meal. The green tea milk with half sugar was a decent finish to the meal to balance the spice. They have a stamp card as well for regulars to get a free milk/boba tea drink. I was surprised when the stamp card was provided with the bill. Few things to note: Parking lot is small with it being in a plaza with other businesses and another very popular restaurant. The line can get long. Nudge through the crowd to the sign in list to put your group number down and note this isn't a big restaurant so groups large than 4 may not be a good idea unless you want separate tables and probably different seating times. This isn't a fast food type of place.
(3)Mike G.
It's not bad, we wait a long time and the service is not the best, the food is ok, nothing crazy, meat ball, sea food and dry noodle. I tried this restaurant only one time and I know now that's it. Make money and no quality...
(2)Jan M.
I love this place. I'm not sure what they do to the soup but it's super addicting. Most of the time it's super packed so be prepared to wait 30 to an hour to be seated. I tend to order the beef hot pot but if you are up for a challenge def try the tawainese soup.
(4)Kat L.
This place has gone down hill since my first review January, 2010. I use to LOVE it, I went about once a week. I keep going back thinking things will go back to their greatness, but I don't think so... lets review why this place is no longer great: 1. They are ALWAYS out of stuff, especially the sauces. You would think that who ever does ordering can get this right... 2. The amount of stuff they put in the pot becomes less and less. When they first opened I would get so stuffed without finishing it. Then I went to being able to finish it. Now I don't finish it because 50% of my bowl is random noodle bits. 3. The spice level is never ever constant 4. What's supposed to be in the bowl is not always in the bowl On the bright side, I think service has gotten a little bit better.
(2)Kevin W.
It's my favorite restaurant in Bellevue. Hotpot here is really great. Downside is that you'll have to wait over 20 minutes to get seats.
(5)Srta L.
I have been a fan of this place. I love love love their dipping sauce. The chilli is spicy! I think I have tried 80% of their food in their menu. I think still my favorite is the house and thai. Great place it is always full house so be patient. It doesnt take that long of a wait. Worth it PS: like the lychee black tea :)
(5)Jo P.
2 Warnings: 1. The Stinky tofu smell overtakes the entire place and it is STRONG and STINKY. 2. The Garlic bean paste sauce contains peanuts - useful information since my Fiance is very allergic. Each bowl comes with rice & individual fire to keep it pipping hot through the entire meal. I can not personally finish an entire one on my own so we usually order one with a bunch of extra sides (extra slices of meats, instant noodles, rice etc...) and the servers come around and refill your broth, so it works for us but the majority order one hot pot per person. House Special - I wanted to try out the Stinky Tofu but it was too overwhelming for me and I couldnt enjoy the hot pot. They keep telling me it's an acquired taste but not sure I can get there with that smell. Beef Hot Soup - My favorite - basic beef broth and you select the degree of spiciness. Be conservative as it can get very spicy. Spicy Thai Soup - soup taste similar to Tom-Yum soup - lots of Lemon Grass. I recommend the Yogurt Slush, it's my favorite drink to accompany the Hot & Spicy soups! Service is touch and go & partial self-serve: get your own sauces & water. Sometimes you pay up front sometimes they take your payment depending on how busy they are.
(4)Katya O.
I have been wanting to try this place since I always see a huge line when I go to facing east which is located right next door to boiling point. My friends decided to take me out here for my birthday. We arrived at about 5:30 and there was already a hefty line. We ended up spending about an hour waiting to be seated. It was very slow since hot pot is not exactly a quick eat type of food. Starving to half dead point we were finally seated. I ordered the beef hot pot from the menu and when the food came out I was not very impressed. The pot was mostly filled with cabbage and I could barely distinguish hints of noodles. The entire place also smells pretty distinctly (I think its the stinky tofu), which I would be willing to overlook if the food was worth it. Overall I was pretty disappointed with the experience.
(2)Linda H.
Boiling point is one of those restaurants that is unique from their Individual hotpots to their yummy stinky tofu! (your taste buds may vary). Perfect Seattle weather food. Their iced teas taste great too and it comes free with your lunch. Conviently located in Bellevue which is great if you live or work in the eastside. Hotpot for lunch anyone? :D
(4)Sean C.
Fahrenheit 212, er, Boiling Point, the Bellevue home of individualized hot pots, is a welcome complement to its far more popular, larger and stressed neighbor, Facing East. (In fact, while I suspect they don't appreciate the constant comparisons, I also suspect that most of the patrons either are or were the latter's overage since it too is hidden from street view but does not come with the same reputation and thus the objection is more of an existential lament.) It is however worth its own exploratory trip even if one doesn't end up wandering in due to impatience or ravenous hunger. $12 at dinner yields one of the seven soup bases (ranging from curry fishball to seafood & tofu, each with a long list of ingredients), one to five stars. Additionally, a myriad of semi-exotic add-ons (which range from quail egg to pork blood to cuttle dumpling, $1-$3) and sauces (with names like 'garlic bean') are also available for dipping the ever-hot spoils as the pot continues to bubble long after tabular arrival. The results are hot (temperature), hot (spice), hot (brow) and to finely complement that, consider, even if a bit on the sweet side, the subset of "slushes" (shakes, $3) made with real fruit (including mango and lychee) which arrive almost overflowing from a towering, innuendo-inspiring glass that is nigh impossible to maintain grace or even innocence while starting to drink from it. (I felt cooler yet dirtier afterward.) Price is the solitary factor keeping F212/BP from cult favorite status as there's a bit over one good serving but not the two one would expect in the range at most Asian restaurants in a single hot pot. However, under one particular set of circumstances they approach ideal: if you want to avoid fried food, alcohol, silicone and/or popped collars after the polite portion of suburban urban all but shuts down around 9:30 even on weekends, they are open daily until 11 for a joyous boiling hot hotpot fix.
(3)Trang P.
I am going to jump on the Boiling Point bandwagon because: A) they have a huge selection of hot pot soup flavoring B) you can usually get full off of 15 bucks C) you don't over stuff yourself with the all you can eat D) the hot pot bowls are individual bowls (unless you want to share) E) they have yummy bubble tea choices F) i haven't ran into any a hole servers. Overall, it's good for Bellevue and I heart Taiwanese food. This place DOES satisfy my craving w/o making me feel like a fat ass like the other all you can eat hot pot places. Give it a try.. it definitely does the body good during the colder season.
(4)Sam T.
Food is delicious...almost...ALMOST worth the wait... They need better organization...and better service... But if you could get seated quickly I would give this place a 5 star...
(4)claudia y.
ducked in here to get a honey aloe green tea. pretty good!
(3)Jen L.
I love the idea of a personal hotpot, but it's so busy there that it's hard to find someone to turn off your soup as it's boiling a foot from your face. Also though the flavors are delicious, I think they use MSG because I had a massive MSG headache afterwards. After the first few minutes all the veggies and meat are way overcooked. I definitely like cooking my own food for hotpot to perfection... not past perfection into destruction.
(2)Dan P.
Ok I'll let y'all in on a little secret...it should be obvious but from the looks of the crowd yesterday, maybe it isn't. They open at 11am. If you want to get a table, get there slightly before 11am and get in line. You are pretty much guaranteed to get a table at opening (unless everyone reads this and then starts doing what I do). if you get there at 11:10, you're out of luck. You will have to wait *at least* 1 hour. You know why? It's because everyone else got there at 11am! You can't eat in 30 minutes because it's hot pot...it's too hot. The earliest folks who got seated at 11 are going to leave at roughly 12:15pm or so. There is really no way around this. Many don't seem to get this because I always see people walk in at 11:10, get surprised that there is such a crowd, put their name down on the list, and stand there thinking that someone will leave any minute now. Sorry, it's just not gonna happen. Usually they get the hint at around 11:45 and they go somewhere else (or eat at Facing East - also delicious btw). At other times during the day, it is usually a 30 minute wait. Service is a little slow. It takes about 10 minutes for someone to take your order, 15 minutes to get your hot pot, 10-15 minutes if you order some tea, etc. It comes with green tea or black tea...both iced and delicious. No, you don't get free refills. Parking sucks. The lot is always full and almost every spot is a compact spot. I'm Asian but when you get a lot full of Asian drivers (both guys and girls), it's downright scary.
(4)Jen C.
I just went there today. And I saw the most disturbing thing I've ever seen in a restaurant... I know what I saw but I am not sure exactly what it meant, so you be the judge. I ordered a Thai-style hot pot (the last one on the menu). Everything seemed normal, until I noticed small pieces of rice floating around in the soup. At first, I didn't think too much about it as the hot pot comes with a bowl of rice, so I thought maybe it was I who somehow contaminated the soup. However, I realized it wasn't me when I peeled two pieces of meat stuck to each other. A small amount of rice was sandwiched in between two pieces of meat ! Why are there rices sandwiched between meat!!? I asked for a waitress to come immediately to see it and asked her for an explanation. She told me that she has no idea why there's rice sandwiched between two meat, and insisted that ingredients came pre-packed so there's no way this can happen-- she even suggested that maybe it's I who contaminated the food. I was disgusted and lost my appetite completely. Even though she offered to bring me a new pot, I declined and I left most of the hotpot unfinished. I've been a long-term customer to the place, despite its bad parking situation and long waiting time, but I am sure I will never go back unless someone can give me an explanation what I saw meant.
(1)Cecilia V.
I honestly don't understand what's so great about this place.... It's expensive, and it does not taste good... I got excited to try this place hearing that everyone has said that it was good, but I feel like this is no flavor in anything. Such a waste of money when hot pot at home tastes so much better. I was really disappointed and I get really angry every time I hear someone getting excited about this place.
(1)Alex B.
The hot pots are savory. There are both authentic hot pots with adventurous ingredients (stinky tofu) and hot pots that appeal to everyone (shrimp, lean meat and veggies). I would say don't go if you don't like spicy food, because the spiciness is what makes the hotpot delicious.
(5)Ashley C.
Tried bp for the first time a couple days ago and I had the Korean kimchi hot pot and it wasn't that great. The broth was bland. There was barely any kimchi inside and it was pretty much loaded with plain Napa cabbage on the bottom. I'll try something different the next time. The milk tea boba is the bomb. And the macaron ice cream sandwiches are yummyyy!~
(3)Maria G.
I was not expecting to not like this place! I think I came in with too many expectations. I looked through the pictures on yelp and read great reviews. I was very much anticipating to visit this place since I have heard good things about this place since several years ago. My friend and I visited here recently during lunch time. It was not too busy when we arrived. However, tables got filled up really quickly by noon, it was rather full. Interior/exterior: rather smaller than I had expected. For some reasons given its popularity, I was expecting the place to be much bigger. I almost missed the entrance when I tried to find the restaurant. Once I got inside, my first words were like "this is such a small restaurant!" They have lots of tables for two and a couple of tables for four. It was really crammed. It was hard to walk around without hitting other people or tables. Food options: not too many choices to choose from. They have the signature hot pot dish and several other hot pot dishes to choose from. Otherwise, it was just choices for add-ons and beverages. Service: it seemed like they were short of staff and only two waiters busy walking around taking orders. Another table and my table both had to walk around to find the waiters to make requests. The female staff did not even spare one single smile or one word responding to our requests. THAT WAS A FIRST! I have been to restaurants where the service was bad, but never been to one where they don't even say "ok" when you ask for your bill. Food: when the hot pot was served, I was rather disappointed. First of all, the pot was shallow. I thought it was kind of dangerous how the hot soup was almost spilling over the pot. There was not much content in the actual hot pot. The hot pot was much smaller than I thought. My friend and I had to order lots of add-ons. The price for add-ons are reasonable but the individual amount is very small. The hot pot seemed to cook rather slowly. We eventually ran out of the soup and the waiter was nice enough to add more soup to our hot pot. We did not try the house special stinky tofu so do not have comments for that. However, the complementary iced tea was excellent! I think the iced tea was my favorite during my visit. The self-service sauce was also great. Hot pot was $11.95 during lunch time. They do let you share with other people so that is nice. But the minimum purchase has to be $13 for two people ($6.5 per individual). So it is ok to share a hot pot for $11.95 and order add-ons to bring your total bill over $13. One concern of mine was if the food was cooked thoroughly. Normally it only takes a couple of minutes to boil an egg. However, it took at least 7-10 minutes to have the egg fully cooked in our hot pot. Thus I did a quick search on the King County Public Health Restaurant Inspection page, it seems like they do have some issues with temperature control. info.kingcounty.gov/heal… __________________________________________________Â__ Routine Inspection/Field Review 08/23/2012 28 Unsatisfactory Inadequate hand washing facilities (10 points) Improper cold holding temperatures (greater than 45 degrees F) (10 points) Wiping cloths improperly used, stored (5 points) Improper thawing methods used (3 points) Return Inspection 03/27/2012 0 Satisfactory Routine Inspection/Field Review 03/02/2012 53 Unsatisfactory Room temperature storage, improper use of time as a control, procedures not available (25 points) Improper methods used to prevent bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (15 points) Improper cold holding temperatures (greater than 45 degrees F) (10 points) Improper thawing methods used (3 points) Routine Inspection/Field Review 11/16/2011 30 Unsatisfactory Room temperature storage, improper use of time as a control, procedures not available (25 points) Wiping cloths improperly used, stored (5 points) Routine Inspection/Field Review 07/26/2011 3 Satisfactory In-use utensils improperly stored (3 points) Routine Inspection/Field Review 11/15/2010 10 Unsatisfactory Improper cold holding temperatures (greater than 45 degrees F) (10 points) Consultation/Education - Field 10/26/2010 N/A Complete Routine Inspection/Field Review 09/23/2010 0 Satisfactory Routine Inspection/Field Review 12/15/2009 5 Unsatisfactory Thermometers not available or used as required to evaluate temperature of potentially hazardous foods (5 points) Routine Inspection/Field Review 12/04/2009 65 Unsatisfactory Room temperature storage, improper use of time as a control, procedures not available (25 points) Food obtained from unapproved source (15 points) Hands not washed as required (15 points) Inadequate hand washing facilities (10 points)
(2)J. S.
Customer service is terrible. We had waited over 40 minutes. NOT first come, first serve. Our group was 4 persons. I could understand the waitress served one person after our group on the waiting list because there were only two seats. Then, the waitress served 6 persons after our group and let us continue to wait. Bad customer serviceï¼
(1)Paul H.
I'm usually the only white guy in this joint, and that's a good thing. My girlfriend is from Vietnam and she can usually tell me what I'm eating. All I know is that I like how it tastes and it stinks so good.
(4)Terence L.
A definite to go to whenever I drop by Los Angeles or Seattle for the weekend. If you like fermented tofu/ taiwanese hotpot, be sure to give this place a shot and you will not regret! Go with number 1 if you dont cant take/ dont like excessively spicy stuff. Go with number 8 if you love spicy stuff (be warned.. not for the faint-hearted!)
(5)Dan W.
Ordered beef hot pot with extra plate of beef. Ummm. they brought out the extra beef to me right away.... looking at a plate of beef slices while I wait 10-15 min for my soup bowl to show up?? yeah.... Definitely get the extra plate of meat though as there wasn't much with the soup. Lot of flavor in the soup. I like medium spice and they got it right for me. Superb service. Just kidding. It's OK. Always busy, sometimes a 20-30 min wait, and the smell is always wafting outside the restaurant. Parking can be a pain, especially with tight spots and Asians who don't know how to park.
(4)Ari T.
I am sorry to say this. I will never come back here again. I came here last Friday with two other friends. Okay, we are Asian but do all Asian speak Chinese? Hell No!!! I don't understand why Chinese always speak their language to any Asian look. When I say I don't speak Chinese, they gave me a strange look. It is annoying. I like their food, but survive is horrible here. If you don't care about survive you are fine to go.
(1)Kitty T.
NOT IMPRESSED!!! After seeing countless pictures of this (what seemed amazing) place, I wanted to definitely try it out for myself and see what all the hype was about... My boyfriend and I were hungry and finally decided to try out the place. Parking was a pain in the ass. We had to wait in line (which wasn't too long) and when they finally called our names we got seated next to the window. I had to squeeze my way into the booth (i swear im not that fat) cause seating in there is soooooo tight. My boyfriend and I ordered the beef soup broth. I ordered a side of fish balls and calamari rings. I mentally prepared myself for this amazingly awesome soup. I took a sip of the broth and was sooooo sad. Disappointed. It tasted band. Nothing special about it at all and the lady who served us even forgot to light the fire on the base they serve it on so our soup "boils". I'm a firm believer in second chances so I will give this place ONE more try. Definitely will try a different broth, obviously. The only reason why I gave is place 1 star was for the honey green tea with aloe I had. It was refreshing. P.s. this place is stinky. So beware.
(1)Ku S.
I've been to boiling point twice a week for the past month and collect these stamps; every 10 stamps gets you a free meal. I had my 10 stamps ready for my free food. I proceed to pay with my stamp card and he says I don't have 10 stamps because the last time I went, they signed off the 10th spot instead of stamping it. He blamed me for not getting a stamp, indirectly called me a liar, and said people do that to get free food.... really. Pretty sure I can pay for a meal like I have been the past 7 or so times I've been. I never had that said to me at a restaurant before and never had I tried to argue over something so trivial. The food is great though! Would have given a 5 star.
(1)Amanda S.
Another great visit at BP. Only reason why I moved to 4 star is because I noticed that the quality of the lamb and beef sides are getting really bad. Not tender at all, the cuts are thick and the meat cooks all chewy. Also, the clams did not open up in my pot......
(4)Samantha L.
The food is decent, I dont really like how they have everything in the pot at once it does get rather soggy by the end. The broth somewhat lacks flavor also when you ask for more broth they just pour in hot water. The parking lot is horrible here i've witnessed many people's cars get dinged. The wait it usually pretty long as well. The customer service is below average as well
(3)Quan Z.
The money spent here is not worthy at all. I am wondering why there are always lots of people waiting there crowdedly: possibly just because this restaurant is very small. The service is bad: they just want u to leave quickly by passing the receipt. Overall, I won't choose there anymore.
(1)Lisa K.
Only been there once and tried the Thai soup. Loved it so much! I also really like their mango slush with tapioca! Service was good, everyone was very friendly! Will definitely go again!
(5)Peter S.
I honestly came here for only one reason: shaved snow. Lord only knows why these fools have shaved snow up on their menus, so my lady and I had been calling periodically to see if they finally got it, which we were always given the answer, "very soon". Even though we knew they didn't have it at the time, we went anyway to give this place a whirl, and as for quality of food, it's not bad. Boiled veggies and meat really isn't my thing. My tongue constantly kept asking me, "Where is the flippin' taste?" Add small, cramped quarters with pungent stinky tofu aroma lingering all over with the lies of the shaved snow to top it all off, and I came to the conclusion that this place sucks. I think I'm more annoyed about the misinformation. Just say you won't have it, don't keep telling me to check back soon. Also of note: the parking here is a nightmare. Tiny parking lot and a gaggle of Asian drivers in their overpriced hoopties... Nooooooooooo thank you.
(1)Alanna M.
This place has a funky smell when you first walk in but the food is good. Their ice green tea that comes with your meal rocks. The hot pot is so hot and bubbling! The menu is very foreign friendly with photos! I had #9 which was good. You can add additional items on the side for extra $, each item varies depending on what you are getting. Peak time can get busy and lines out the door so be warned. Friendly service.
(4)Linh N.
I went here with my friend a couple weeks ago being our first time. Parking is such a pain, but I was happy our wait was just 5 minutes long seeing that everyone on here complains about the wait time. We got seated by one waitress then moved by another. The second one was not nice at all. She moved us because she wanted to save that spot for a large group. Instead it felt like we got moved so she could put her two friends there. Anyways, my friend order the curry fishball and I got the thai flavor with a side of udon, quail eggs, and enoki mushroom. The soup was really good and flavorful. My friend said the same about her's. I didn't feel like my pot was lacking meat or anything. I also didn't notice any weird smell when I walked in. It might just be my asian nose that's immune to the smell. The only complaint I had was my friend got water instead of the tea because she thought it was going to be unsweetened and when we ask if she could still get the tea after we had order our hot pot. The waitress said that would be an extra charge? That's ridiculous. I don't understand that, why charge just because someone changed their mind.. Overall it was good experience. The food was really good. I really do like the idea of individual hot pots. Might actually come back soon just because I'm now craving for hotpot.
(4)Michelle L.
More like 3 1/2 stars. Food always hits the stop, no doubt. I ALWAYS get the kimchi hot pot, with a side (or 2) of the enoki mushrooms and napa cabbage, 3 stars. The garlic bean sauce is on POINT, takes the meal over the top. HOWEVER, the service is...eh... Yea, I understand that they are busy, and these kids work really hard! But..please check up on the customers at least once, guys! I don't see you once our food arrives! You guys work hard, so I appreciate it, but it doesn't hurt to check on us
(3)Karen L.
House special hot pot and stinky tofu FTW! I love the house special hot pot, mostly because it has stinky tofu! Boiling Point, you have redeemed yourself! The BF and I come here occasionally when we're in the mood for something warm and savory--we even came here during the snowpocalypse (we took the bus, decked out in our boots, snow jackets, beanies, and gloves!). I love the lunch special--$10.95 for hot pot and a drink! Also, their milk teas are delicious!
(4)Nancy C.
Have been craving to come back, unfortunately my second visit wasn't as satisfying as the first. A friend brought to my attention that the broth tasted like water and just plain spicy-ness. He had to jazz up the flavor with their bean paste. I concur with that comment. Also, both times not only myself, but my girls left that left thirsty. This time around by night falls, my throat is hurting. And usually when I have something heavy on msg = throat hurts it usually leads to me being ill. So folks, another words, boiling point got me sick.
(2)Lily L.
This review is solely based on my last visit there, which is my first in 2 years or so. I have not been back within the last two years simply because the wait is just too long. This time, perhaps because we arrived right at 6 PM, the wait wasn't unbearable. As we seated, the waiter came by and gave us a briefing (since my friend was new). A few pointers regardless how busy a restaurant is: -We needed to ask for water a few times -Tables are still too small for hot pot; however, the new burners are quite useful. -There wasn't much option for sauces as there was before. -The wait is still long; perhaps they should input the beeper idea like The Cheesecake Factory. -Hot pot could have had more meat Surprisingly, the wait at Boiling Point was longer than Facing East. Facing East did NOT have a line. Shocking isn't it? Regardless, for Taiwanese food, Boiling Point does a pretty good job. We were satisfied with our dinners and it was actually filling. The thing about this type of hot pot is that if your friends don't mind, you can always share several hot pots and try multiple soup bases. I never thought about it before, but it is something of a new concept to the "family dining" experience. It's not settling for what's in Bellevue, but because there are many places in Bellevue with decent hot pot, I think this location (also ran by students) does a pretty good job.
(3)Lindsey N.
First of all, I am a foodie and I love hot pots. We finally went to BP to see what all the hype is about. 6:30pm on a Sunday and there were about 10 groups ahead of us. The wait wasn't too bad, less than an hour. The hotpots are served on individual burners so most people get their own. The bowl is big but shallow and most people we observed finished everything. We didn't. We suggest sharing one and ordering a few extra sides. The hot pots we had (Thai & fermented tofu) were average at best. Nothing special about the broth. It's mostly napa cabbage aand very little meat/seafood. Drinks (even plain tea) are overpriced. The macaron ice cream is not good and definitely not worth $4.50. The wait time is long because the restaurant is small. It only has a capacity of 38 people. Service is extremely poor. The people next to us asked 3x before they got a water refill. The parking is built very compactly and it wasn't fun for all the SUV drivers.... We don't understand all the hype. Everything is average at best....
(3)Todd T.
Get here before 5:45PM or expect your wait to easily top 30 min for a seat. There are always hordes of Chinese girls flooding to eat here, much more than the capacity or the parking lot can handle. Also, be warned that there is always the stinky aroma of the House Special hotpot floating around the walls. I personally am not a fan of pork intestine and stinky tofu, but as long as it's not in front of my face, I don't mind the floating aroma. However, if you're sensitive to it, definitely ask to make sure your order doesn't contain those ingredients, and hope that you're not seated to someone who did order it, as the seating is very cramped / tight and your table next to yours may have an order. I usually order the spiciest variety (Taiwanese Spicy Hot Soup, which is kind of a misnomer as it is most definitely Sichuanese in flavor and origin) and a tip would be to order tea, milk / snowflake ice / bubble tea, or extra rice to contain / mitigate the spiciness. They have a pretty extensive drink menu which is nice, but often I don't have enough room in my stomach to handle those... If you believe in traditional Chinese folkloric medicinal guidelines at all, you'll know that mixing hot food with cold drinks is a recipe for indigestion / stomach revolt. I've anecdotally experienced this firsthand with cold boba / cold coffee + hotpot. It's not a pleasant feeling. Hence, I prefer relieving the spiciness / hot-ness with tea, or if you can't deal with tea, even ice water might be preferable to the sugary boba drinks. But that's just me, YMMV.
(4)Mg L.
Super low speed as hell, and I waited for at least half an hour to get our order. They told to me they lost our order sheet, so we need to re-order again. Then, I waited for 20mins more, they forgot to do it. And lying to us said they are making the orders right now. They never changed their service from 2010 until now. They seem have a lot of workers there, yet it seems that they aren't efficient and always make mistakes. I won't go this store again, worst experience ever.
(1)MoMo G.
I always came for the stinky tofu hot pot however recently noticed a total change of flavor in the tofu, it has become bland and there's no flavor at all! Please bring back the old stinky tofu!
(3)Nancy T.
I love everything about this place, except the wait time. I guess it's not uncommon to wait for good food. This is my favorite hot pot restaurant. Try the beef hot pot if you're unsure of what to order. It's delicious!
(5)Michael L.
They got new menu items and new tray things for the hot pots, cool! Still really happy with this place, it's a great way to warm up on a cold day. The service is still about the same, they are slow and you have to grab your own water and sauces. The food has remained the same since the last time I reviewed and I still really like the House Special, it has stinky tofu in it which makes it unique. Recently they got some new menu item, they are a lot larger than the others and costs a little bit more too. Boiling Point is still a great place to eat and you should come experience it before it gets too warm!
(4)Nicole N.
Not worth the drive nor the hype This place is definitely overrated .. I came here during the weekend and the parking was horrible .. then we have to stand outside in the cold to wait for table The service was bleh .. they barely care if we ask for anything .. and finally, the food was so bland .. they basically use the same soup for any type of hot pot .. even when I was pouring in the soy sauce .. I still can't taste anything .. UGH .. very disappointed one thing I must agree is that hot sauce is crazy .. USE IT SPARINGLY people or else you will burn your tongue off
(3)Ahmad R.
Are here for the 1st time yesterday. Had a party of 7, and they were able to accommodate us within 30 min (I anticipated an hour). Only reason I gave it 4 n not 5 is cuz our server barely spoke English, and it literally took us 7 over 10 min to order. However, everything else was on point. Food was great (for 6 of us, 1st time) and service was good. Will definaltely come back, but probably with max 4 people!
(4)Susan C.
I've visited several Boiling Point restaurants and the hot pot was consistent with the others I've eaten. I ordered the House Special with Stinky Tofu (yum! my fav, naturally being Taiwanese descent). No real need to order any sides since the pot is filled to the brim. Some people order the drinks, but I love to slurp the soup, and save room for the food. I was stuffed that I took a nap after the food coma! I do wish to comment on the servers. They were seating customers inefficiently. One customer occupied a table for four. They could have easily seated two people on the other side. Since you eat from your own pot, this seating arrangement would not have created any awkwardness for reaching over as nine of that would take place. Another example is that there were two tables pushed together to accommodate a party of four. When this party had finished the meal, the servers should have separated these tables to create two tables for two some the next two groups to be seated were couples. When there are fifteen and more waiting such inefficiency cause even longer wait time, not to mention the potential extra business profit that could be generated!
(3)Long P.
The wait is outrageous (45+ minutes) and the parking is terrible, but definitely worth a visit. The service is excellent, and I applaud the staff for being courteous, calm, and professional even though it feels like a circus in there. The entire menu consists of personal hot pots, and a regular size has enough food for two people. I would recommend: -CURRY FISHBALL hot soup: Vermicelli noodles with sliced pork, fishballs, Enoki mushroom, imitation crab, corn on the cob, tempura, and chinese string beans in a curry broth. -SWEET MILK teas: Any of 'em!
(4)Yuyin V.
The atmosphere was very fun with the boiling hot pots but the food was just okay. The ice cream French macarons was very good. What's holding me from going back is it's too tight so the lines are always long.
(3)Patrick L.
This place is the shit! I've been to my fair share of hot pot joints, as well as enjoying it at home with the family growing up, and every Winter since. The concept of hot pot is simple, but so damn good, especially on cold Winter nights. There are other versions of it out there such as Japanese and Korean shabu shabu too, but they're all fairly similar. What sets this place apart from most I've been to, is that they do not do do a communcal family style pot, nor do they offer AYCE. Instead your order an individual portion which takes awhile and arrives boiling and bubbling on top of it's own burner. They offer several different pre-arranged combos which come pre-cooked, so that's also very different than what I'm used to. When it first landed on the table, it looked smaller than I anticipated. When I started digging in with my chopsticks and soup spoon, it seemed shallower than I'd hoped for too. However, at the end of it all, it seemed to be a bottomless pit where I kept pulling up all kinds of delicious stuff. I ordered the curry fishball and added on napa cabbage and udon noodles, which was almost overkill since it already included vermicelli, soft tofu, fishballs, meat, and so much more. The only negative thing I can say is that I hope they will revise their menu so that they list each of the ingredients included in each of the preset options rather than the vague copywrite they list currently. It would really help avoid overlap when ordering add-ons. Also, a few people in our group ordered bubble milk tea and were disappointed that they were on the high-end for price, yet 1/2 or 2/3 the usual size. One last thing...don't go here anywhere close to a peak day/time if you're hungry. The wait is horrendous, but understandable, since it's so popular.
(5)Karen X.
Worst Service Ever. The waiter we had was straight up rude and disrespectful. Inattentive, not a single smile, and took a long long time to check up on us. Asked for water and he seemed so unwilling and a bit confused.. We had a group of 6 and he just clumped all the cups together in front of me and left. I thought it was strange he expected me to pass the waters all around the tables. On top of that, the water had a soapy flavor, like the dishes weren't rinsed completely clean or something. Worse off, with barely any good service they automatically added in a gratuity of 18 percent on the bill. If it was good service then by all means they deserve it, but with their inconsideration's and negative energy it was a bit annoying to see. I've been here a few times and each time the service let's me down and is frustrating how these servers lack respect and good personalities. Because of this I don't plan on going back.
(1)Phuong B.
Good hot pot menu, good smoothie menu, good dessert menu! No complaints all around. I particularly like how the people are accommodating to your dietary needs. I very much love the Thai hot pot, but don't eat the meat, so they are willing to substitute meat for something else. Or maybe I've been lucky, who knows. Only downside, you'll smell funny afterwards. Restaurant doesn't have the most pleasant aroma.
(4)Phoebe B.
Long wait times, but amazing food! Tried the chicken hotpot, guava/passion fruit green tea and macaron icecream
(5)David L.
I've been here a few times and it seems the meat portion is getting smaller each time. The best deal is at lunch because the meal includes an ice cold tea which helps with the heat from the hot pot. Be warned though, you have to come early because it gets packed. Also, parking in that lot gets packed as well. Try street parking in the back or park elsewhere and walk. Not really great for parties of more than 4. Other than that, seating is quite typical. The soup does get very hot so don't be playing with your soup. The hot pot comes with a bowl of rice and you have the option 12 different hot pots. I mostly get the lamb. There three sauce on the table. Play around with the combo and you get up to 5 different mixtures. With all that out of the way, i'm going to review my last visit here with two other friends. I had to park around back since the parking lot was full. No biggie as it was expected. We got seated after 15 minutes. My friend got there first and put our names down so probably took 30 mins since her arrival. We were given foam cups for water and the server took our orders after about 5 minutes. I ordered the Lamb and my friend ordered the Tofu. I think it's house special? Anyways, other than the meat being a bit scarce, the soup was pretty good and everything else tasted fine. My friend said her tofu tasted funny though. I didn't have a taste so I can't say anything more than that. We got our cups filled with water when asked, which is something i noticed about the establishment. If you dont ask, you won't get any refill, just like the soup. If you want more soup, they will add at no extra charge. It's plain broth, just so you know. When it came time to pay, my friend had these stamp cards but had expired. They did not pity him. HAHA. Not a big deal. It clearly said it was expired a month ago. They will actually transfer your stamps to a new card if the existing card is not expired yet. I guess it's a ploy to get you in more often? cause i dont see why they would put an expire date on the card. That's all i got for you. The soup was good, but it lacked the amount of meat for my needs. Service was satisfactory. Oh, just so you know they have more sides like noodles, eggs, etc and you can add more meat too for extra. They also have desert which I've only tried the bubble tea. Not bad. It's not as sweet as your typical bubble tea. My friend loves this place. It's okay to me.
(3)Clinton T.
It's cold, it's wet and on these nights in the PNW nothing sounds better than a boiling cauldron of hot spicy soup. That is exactly what I got at BP. The Beef Hot Soup was fantastic. I enjoyed the various ingredients but found the Krab an odd addition. My friend had the Kimchi Hot Soup and it was good but lacked the richness found in the Beef Hot Soup. Would I eat here again? Hell ya. The Taiwanese soup is next on my list. The wait time on a Friday night wasn't terrible considering we arrived right around prime time. We waited about 30 min. The parking sucks but I was prepared for that having eaten at Facing East next door several times.
(4)Doug T.
Personal hot pots, Taiwanese, Thai, Korean and Japanese.. no ambiance but great food. if you come in a group.. carpool because parking is a royal pain.. It's next to another great restaurant facing east.
(5)Xiao L.
This place used to be my favorite place for "hotpot". I brought my college roommate to the restaurant last week and we both ordered the Taiwanese spicy pot(not sure about the English name for it). It tastes really good and spicy for me. Somehow my roommate and I both had diarrhea after dinner that night . My tummy hurts.
(3)Chipsie P.
Not worth the hype at all :( I ordered the Thai Flavor hot pot. At first you might be impressed by the portion and it's fun to have your own hot pot. But then when you dive into it...what a disppointment....very little (frozen) seafood and meat...2 clams out of 4 were open....The only thing I liked was the fishballs....Otherwise it was mostly cabbage. The broth was rather bland! The whole thing was just MEH :( Not worth the $20 I paid for. So disappointing! Go elsewhere!
(2)E Y.
I don't really get to have hot pot too often where I am from so I was very excited to check this place out while visiting my cousin in Seattle. We got the House Special and Taiwanese Spicy hot pots with additional add-ons to share between 3 people which was more than enough food. I am happy to say that it lived up to my expectations. The broth was piping hot and flavorful. The Taiwanese Spicy hot pot was the group favorite-when they say spicy, they mean it! The House Special came with the fermented tofu but none of us really cared for it... too stinky for my tastes! I was sad that they were out of their green milk tea so I tried the lemon black tea instead but that was way too sweet. Parking lot was tight but we were able to find a spot pretty quickly and we only had to wait about 30 minutes for a table.
(5)Sam T.
Boiling Point is a great late night place to grab some Taiwanese hot pot. There are 8 different hot pots to choose from, all with their different soup flavors and different meats, seafood and veggies. I always get the beef hot soup. If you're new to it all, look up on the wall and the convenient pictures guide you to your food. Surprisingly, what you get looks very much like those pictures so you're rarely disappointed. If you want more of a particular thing, they have a menu of add ons. You can get virtually any vegetable, meat, seafood, tofu, noodle or weird intestine thingy added to your hot pot. Note that you can't get anything taken off. I think it's to keep things consistent. There's also 3 different sauces on each table. They have a sweet soy garlic sauce that I drench everything in. There's also a fermented soy bean paste. Last, there's chilly oil. Don't try to be a hero with the chili oil. You've heard of Montezuma's Revenge right? Nuff said. Pro tip: if you really want an epic hot pot experience, get the Taiwanese Hot Soup. It's atomic. The spicy level on that one is around 7 or 8 (out of 5). Everyone I see eating it, no matter how macho they seem looks as if Wolverine is redecorating their insides. I had it a few times and I don't dabble in that witchcraft anymore. Montezuma remember? *Ahem!* If you're getting all hot and bothered with all this hot and bothered talk, they have some really good iced teas. Try the lychee or the grapefruit. They're both refreshing. This place is really popular, so expect a long wait. Don't just stand outside waiting to get in the door, put your name on that list ASAP. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, the service there is IMPRESSIVE. For as busy and cramped as that restaurant is, not to mention all the open flames on each table, the servers are impeccable. Tip them well.
(5)Diana N.
I have been wanting to try Boiling Point for quite some time now, but every time, it was always busy with such wait long times. Finally got in on a Tuesday night, not much of a crowd then. - I usually like to check reviews before trying new spots, unfortunately I really do not understand what all the hype is about. Space is very tight, and as much of an eavesdropper I am, I would actually prefer not to. The tables are that close I can overhear any conversation.. I ordered the house special with two star for myself, (maybe it was my fault, I should have gone with something more simple like beef since I don't even like fremented tofu.) My bf got the Korean kimchi, we both enjoyed the food but it wasn't like the best thing ever. The service was fine, like it should be since they were not busy anyway. *You will leave smelling like tofu the rest of the way home.
(2)Jenny L.
Hot pot is always good, but especially better in Seattle when it's cloudy and cold outside. I got the beef hot pot to share with my cousin and an extra bowl of rice. We didn't know if it was going to be enough, so we ordered another side of beef. We could have done without it because it was just too much. We didn't even finish. The table next to us each ordered their own and there was at least half or more left in their hotpots when they left. It's not something you can really take to go, I guess. -1 star because they didn't have the shaved ice like advertised. Good service and good food. I will be back!
(4)Merry T.
Good hotpot in Bellevue Area! Always ordered the beef hot soup, and always consistently taste greatttt! Order their green tea as well, and its perfect with the hot soupp... yummm.. their service is much better now than it used to... so, two thumbs up, a four star!
(4)Ular L.
I eat here at least once a week and I'm giving this place 3 stars because one, parking sucks, the wait is always long, they always run out of shaved ice and macaroon ice cream, it's stupid how they give punch cards but on your free hot pot you can't order numbers 8-10 , the place stinks and Bellevue location is too small ! But other than that, this place is a must go too, after a heavy night of drinking !
(3)Jacqueline T.
Probably not the type of hotpot people are accustomed to. Not a sharing hotpot (tho you could share the pots). I love to come here during the winter! Get your own steaming hot, scrumptious meal! I love come for lunch, cause you get a free green/black tea!! which is really nice (not too sweet). Selection is limited, but for a hotpot place like this I like.. cause it makes your decision easier. Make your own yummy sauce to taste, and voila! I'd like to believe that its more on the healthier side too! ;D Cause you get all of your basic food groups!! I like all the uber soft veggies that have been marinated in the soup! Service is surprinsingly alright for a chinese run place. I guess they need to keep their ratings up, since they are right next to the ever so busy "Facing East". Caution: Has very strong "STENCH" of stinky tofu. With a word stench, you know that its an aroma you wont' like. They also have a stamp card! Buy 10 get 11th free! They don't like splitting your bills. So try to bring cash!
(4)Aunt L.
We came here to celebrate my father in law's birthday. We were a party of 7 (including two children and an toddler). We ordered four pots of soup, plus a few extra sides (tofu, stinky tofu, and fish balls) and it was just about right for us. We had the miso soup (my favorite!), spicy beef, stinky tofu, and thai. All of the soups were excellent, the ingredients were excellent, the service was really prompt. My husband (a native of Hong Kong) LOVED the stinky tofu, and my kids were happy to pop back fish balls, tofu, and udon. I will definitely be back! The only issue was, as others have mentioned, parking. We came at 6pm on a Thursday night and just happened to get lucky. When we left, the parking lot was starting to get ridiculous.
(4)Kim H.
I came upon this place after trying Yummy Hot Pot, since most reviews on their page were pointing towards Boiling Point. I loved Yummy Hot Pot, and was excited to try this place out since everyone said it was better, but I was disappointed. Between the three of us, we ordered the seafood and tofu, miso, and spicy thai. None of the broths were as flavorful as Yummy Hot Pot. I was especially disappointed in the seafood and tofu, which had no flavor at all in the broth! The clams were tiny and it was pretty much all shell. No one came by to check on us after delivering our orders, and they gave us water in tiny plastic cups which no one came by to refill. We even had to get up to grab our check. I'll give that they had a lot of meat in the hot pot, but if you want more flavor, better services and no wait, give Yummy Hot Pot a try. In the end, it wasn't worth the drive up from Renton!
(2)Lyn N.
I've been here about three times now. The wait time isn't so bad it's about 5 mins top. It's a bit small but feels really homey. The service is great and they check on your fire ever so often if you want to keep your pot hot. I never order more than just their hot pot because it really fills you up. The pricing for everything is pretty decent if you only have a $20 you'll be fine. It's great for bonding or a date. The only thing is that tables are a bit close and it could get pretty loud but once the foods out you'll notice how quiet it gets.
(4)Xiaolin Y.
Terrible service and terrible waiting policy! I will never go back again! The food is not worthy for the waiting time!
(1)AT C.
LOVE this place. but HATE the long wait every winter/rainy day. everyone wants hotpot so the wait has been ridiculously long. food itself is always good and consistent to me. nothing to complain. :-) feeds my cold weather cravings every time.
(4)Jean P.
I went there for lunch at around 1:00. Parking was difficult. It was due to the limited amount of parking spaces in that complex and having two popular restaurants next to each other. The restaurant was also packed and the waiting list was quite long. I waited about 30-45 minutes for a table. Those were the only negatives. The positives were the cost, quality, and quantity of the food. The cost was about $12.00 with a cup of rice and a glass of black/green tea. The waiter will refill your soup if you asked. I got the house special hot pot and it was great. The portion was large and good. You also have a selection of three sauces. You should definitely try the hot sauce.
(4)Olivia S.
I use to talk crap wondering why these Asians were mobbing in front of this store next to Facing East which was already amazing! Little did I know, until I found out what the hype was all about. After I went, I almost didn't want to tell any of my friends about it as I wanted to keep it a hidden gem, because there is a ridiculous wait! Uh, can I just say I wish we had more places like this in our town? Yum Yum... hot as hell boiling in your face but the personalized hot pot is just delish. They have amazing tea and beverage selections too, boba, smoothies, etc. I love the beef soup, kimchee, and Japanese miso flavors. Uhhhh can I also say how freaking fire the Taiwanese style soup was, my inner stomach lining was burning all day long after eating it.. I love the add-ons. I usually get the tempura, foo-chow fish balls, ramen, and veggies. It's pretty filling but you can't go wrong with these add-ons.
(5)Lucinda G.
It's an interesting place for hot pot. I tried twice - the stinky pot was very good, and beef pot was so so. The cold beverages are nice especially when you are having hot pot in summer.
(4)Silvana E.
We love this place and go there all the time for lunch which includes a soup, rice, and a drink. We always are the only non-Asian people in there, which I love! To die for: 1) spicy fermented tofu 2) their bubble tea 3) Kimchi or Miso Hot Soup knocked off a star for the long wait times and the overworked staff that has a hard time attending to the customers.
(4)Boummy S.
Long wait but well worth it! I'm addicted now!!! So yummy even though the place wreaks of fermented tofu. Must try for not just the experience but also the food. My fav was the Taiwanese spicy hot pot *warning: flaming spicy!!!! *
(4)Zhen X.
Came here for dinner the food was great, but the server who name is ivy , oh my god, sooooooo rude!!
(1)Nina H.
I actually really liked this place! But it's a little sad because it's right next to Facing East and well, Boiling Point was empty when we came here while their next door neighbor already had a line on a weekday evening. But then again, they are totally different foods. I actually thought this hot pot place only served ultra spicy "ma-la" hot pots so I never wanted to come. They actually have non-spicy pots for people like me so I was relieved. I ordered the non-spicy beef hot pot and it was good! It had everything that I wanted in a hot pot, you know, lettuce, meat, fish cake, delicious broth, etc... I was satisfied! The single pot is definitely enough food because they give you a bowl of rice too.
(4)Drew N.
Seriously , this place made my whole day. Words can't describe how big of a soup fan I am and this place was about as good as they come. Great service .
(5)Emmy K.
Had beyond the worst experience at boiling point. In order to alleviate the 40-minute wait, my friend and I went to get bubble tea from neighboring restaurant. When my name was called, the unsympathetic waiter at boiling point's reception saw our bubble tea and in an extremely rude manner, said, word by word, "before you can be seated, I don't want to see those things on my floor." We were waiting for a long time, excited for the food- and the unexpected, unwelcoming words instantly murdered the mood, leaving us with an awkward shock in this horrible treatment. No matter how popular the restaurant is, a business and its staff should never greet its customers in such haughty and disdainful manner. In response to the waiter, sure, you will never see me on your floor.
(1)Jenny A.
I don't know what it is about this place but I'm drooling as I type this! It's amazing, delicious, and spicy spicy spicy! I always order the kimchee tofu soup and add in udon noodles, fish balls, and tofu and the bf gets the beef soup.. mMmmM. It's big enough to share between two but why would you want to do that when you can customize it to your liking?! Oooh wait, don't forget to order the hokaido bubble tea too :) BUT, and yes there is a but lol, the lines are crazy long!! so DO NOT go on an empty stomach, trust me, you will be dying of hunger before you are seated.. Gooooo now!! P.S they just opened a new location in the Int'l District in Uwajimaya. Haven't been there before but I assume it'll be just as busy and popular.
(5)Maylee L.
This place smells like expired tofu. The line is so long. The food is extremely mouth firing. Every spoonful is hot, especially when you get number 4. I survived it! Even though my lips are super red and crying as if I lost a mother. The food is very healthy and a fantastic substitute if you like pho! Very harmful and warmful. Don't go on a super hot day, you'll be dead in no time!
(4)Q D.
Dangerous place to eat. My wife got split-ed *hotpot* soup all over her leg and clothes, the waiter refused to take any responsibility but called the other customer "too fat". This place is too small and over crowded to hold the amount of tables they are serving. The aisles between tables is too narrow that they let customer squeezing to the seat. A customer squeezed in to her seat by passing our table and accidentally hit my wife's bowl and split-ed the hotpot soup all over my wife's legs, clothes, and hand bag. The male waiter (the guy without glass) refused to take any responsibilities or help, and said it's all about the other customer's fault (who could barely move in their tiny space), because "they reminded her to be careful but she was too fat" - unbelievable excuse!
(1)Hao Z.
I guess word has got out, and this place is too crowded now. Except a 30 minute wait if you go on a Tuesday at a time normal people don't eat (like 4pm or 9pm), and a 2 hour wait otherwise. Please stop going, so that I can actually find a seat. Thank you
(3)Quang N.
Smelled like stinky tofu haha. Not surprised though. It's good food but I don't see what what the hype is about. There are plenty of places that you can get all you can eat hot pot for the same price. The wait is long depending when you go and service is okay.
(3)Joy H.
In the end, the ultimate question is: Facing East or Boiling Point? Answer: Facing East for the win! When both of these Taiwanese faves are right next to each other, it may come down to which line is shorter! I prefer Facing East for their menu selection and eats although I do like hot pot! I'm just more used to the all-you-can-eat types. Boiling point is good and for $11.95 / pot, it does fill you up (especially with the bowl of rice they provide), but I just wished that there was something a little bit more. I love having hot pot at home and the individual sized pots are fun, but it's just missing something else! The wait time is fairly long too - we waited about 45 minutes for a seat around 7pm. I also happened to witness a situation where a family brought in some food for their lil' kid and the waiter scolded them for it saying "no outside food". C'mon, it's food for a little kid, not some adult!
(3)Tuan N.
I'm originally from San Gabriel Valley in SoCal so I've known about this place for a while as there's a bunch of them all over. So my opinion might be a little biased since I just really love Taiwanese food and hotpot specifically. However, this place doesn't seem as good as the ones in SoCal but it's still amazing. I always like to come here every time I'm in Bellevue and would eat hotpot during the hottest days of summer since it's one of my favorite things to eat. Plus I just have terrible timing for food cravings. I always get the House special which has pig intestines and fermented tofu. So if you're a little worried about having stinky breath then I'd either have some Listerine strips handy and a couple of mints,or just order some other hotpot. Taiwanese food seems unique in where it seems to really pride in how horrible something smells as far as food goes and to me this place doesn't smell as bad as the other Boiling Points I've been too, which could probably go a good thing for general business heh... In addition to amazing hotpots, they also have a great selection of teas to accompany your meal or to have as a dessert afterwards. I'm usually always concentrated on eating my hotpot that I just forget about my drinks anyway but luckily they're provided in the normal to-go cups that boba tea places use. Service here is actually a lot better than what I'm used to, so to me it's superb. Very rarely do the Boiling Points in SoCal check on how you're doing or even really know English that well. So that's a plus for this place. If you gave this place a shot, then I'm sure you'd love it almost as much as I do. =D
(5)Joe S.
Not too much selections, but probably the only place you could get a decent hot pot. My favorite has got to be number 8, it's a little spicy though. It is a different type of experience, so I would recommend all food explorers to give this a chance! Something I found to be helpful was that the hot pots can be shared for two! I barely finished half of mine.
(4)Bao Q.
This place is amazing. It's probably my favorite restaurant on the east side. The hot pot has a good variety of stuff, and the bigger portions have plenty of meat. The spicy sauce is delicious. The only downside is there's often a wait, and the parking lot is often full!
(5)Amy C.
This is a bit of an odd hot pot restaurant. I was expecting the food to come raw and separately, but it all came inside a personal pot. Quite tasty, though, with many different flavors to choose from. Also, they have this Taiwanese sweet milk that I didn't know existed in the states.
(3)Ken L.
"Originated from Taiwan, stinky with a great savory taste, non-greasy and non-fattening are the distinctive features of our famous soup base. So hot, so bubbly, so stinky, so wanty!" is their saying. They offer seven (7) different soup offerings and a tons of other add-ons such as Sliced Lamb, Pork, Beef, Pork Intestines, fish balls and host of other items. My favorites include the intestines, fish ball, quail eggs and the kim chi. You can choose a spicy level from 1 to 5 stars and I found that 3 stars isn't really that spicy. You may want to do a 4 star or above if you want some good heat. Their hot pot offerings include House Special Hot Soup- a variety, Seafood and Tofu Hot Soup, Beef Hot Soup, Lamb Hot Soup, Korean Kimchi Hot Soup, Curry Fishball Hot Soup, Tomato and Veggie Hot Soup, and also Bubble Tea Drinks and Fruit Slushes. Three different sauces that they offer with your soup: Spicy garlic bean paste, garlic creamy soy sauce, house special spicy sauce. You can combine all 3 sauces and make your own sauce! Use it to dip your meat and veggies! My findings after dining here: Soup has a good taste but unless you get extra side dishes, you most likely not be full/satisfied. The so-called stinky tofu is not really stinky at all and it is more the aroma than the flavor. A tip when getting your hot pot is to wait about 3 minutes or so and let the ingredients simmer to fully cook to a good temperature. Really watch out on the tofu though since it is spongy and can release really hot juices on your tongue and burn so be careful. One method I use is blow on it to cool it off, break it up in the one rice bowl they give to you and dip it into the sauce to take the heat out. Not the most hardy soup I have ever had but nevertheless I feel this is a great place to head to on a cold day.
(4)Julie Marcellina V.
I Came here because of the good reviews on yelp. I walked into the restaurant and thought "what is that horrible smell?" 1, don't go here if you can't stand weird smells. The AC was also kind of high, so bring a sweater if you get cold easily. I ordered something on their picture menu. Unfortunately they ran out of a few things on the menu. It's pretty cool because you can add stuff. I added little eggs and shrimp. Yumm! No complaint. It was delicious and I'll definitely be back for more. :)
(4)Diana C.
I was so excited to try this place out since hot pot is my favorite thing to eat, but I left pretty disappointed. The place is pretty small so there usually is a long wait line. Parking lot is small as well. Go during off hours to avoid the lines. There weren't very many hot pot options to choose from. Although the pot looks very full, I did not feel satisfied after I finished. The food was just okay and I didn't feel full afterwards. I felt like the amount they have per ingredient was very small. I like to eat all you can eat hot pot and choose my own ingredients, so I think that also contributed to my disappointment. I left thinking I could've just paid a few more dollars and gone to an all you can eat hot pot place. I will still be sticking to my favorite hot pot place.
(2)Vu D.
Food is absolutely delicious. However, I think with this price you can actually get a lot more food at Gourmet Noodles Bowl in Seattle or Mongolian Hot Pot just few miles away with the same quality (delicous). But if you are the kind that enjoys less food, light meal and protein, then you should definitely check this place out !
(4)Jeffrey C.
Boiling Point is a new restaurant two doors down from Facing East. This is a great little place to eat. They have real "stinky" tofu. The entire place smells of it. Some people cant handle the smell. All their menu consists of a hot pot (per person) that has either: stink tofu, kimchi, seafood, beet, vegie, and others. Roughly $11.99 per pot. Soup broth has been boiling for over 10 hours and come hot and boiling to your table. TRY THEIR REAL MANGO SMOOTHIE!!!! best ever. wait times are crazy!!! generally i have to WAIT ONE HOUR. weekends are longer. Their food is addicting but wait lines and above average prices are a turnoff.
(4)Paul B.
I see myself coming here more in the winter than any other time. But then again, Seattle is freezing most of the time any way. If you're expecting the more familiar Hong Kong styled hot pots where everyone shares out of the same pot, you are coming to the wrong place. This is done Taiwanese style, and you get a personal pot for yourself. Pick the spice level of the broth, what kind of meat goes inside, and what types of condiments you want on the side. It's pretty simple - makes you feel like you're in Asia - and serves as a good substitute when Facing East is too busy to seat you next door.
(4)Calvin M.
Really should be 3 1/2 star. They sell fermented tofu, so the place can stink a little bit. I ordered the lamb pot ($12). The soup was very good. They had a lot of ingredients in the bowl, such as clear noodles, napa cabbage, eggs, and fish cake. But it was a small pot and they didn't give a lot of meat. After the meal, the waiter told me I can order a separate plate of raw meat and add it to the pot, which was boiling the entire time. The soup got so hot that I told them to put out the fire. Another minus is that they put a little too much MSG in the soup. I'm still thirsty from it right now. Overall, it was a good place to eat. And if you have money to spend on the extra plate of meat, it would be more satisfying. It's a fun place to eat and I would come here again.
(4)Kerou C.
I've been here a few times now and so I think I have collected enough data for a fair review ;) firstly the place is very small so there are often no seats, and the restaurant is next to the highly overrated but persistently crowded Facing East, so there is never any parking. That said, the food is pretty decent though I wish the broth was stronger and I wish the meat came on a separate plate so it doesn't get overcooked. I would suggest that you order one pot per two people and just order extra meat and veggies a la carte - it tends to be cheaper that way since they refill the broth for free. My biggest complaint, however is with the service. They are pretty slow at bringing out your food considering how fast it should be to throw some meat and veggies in a pot with broth. Because of that, their turnover rate is slow and you often have to wait a long time to get a table. Their tofu could also be a bit stinkier but then Taiwanese people always think that :). Non-Taiwanese are often just horrified by the smell. Despite all that, it's pretty decent hotpot for what you can get in America but,as with most Chinese restaurants in the US, it doesn't compare to what you can get back in Taiwan :)
(3)Alison G.
I absolutely LOVE this place. You get your own individual hot pot for ~ $10.99/$11.99 (lunch/dinner) and a bowl of rice. I'm not sure if the rice is refillable but with so much food as there is, you won't even need it. Everything is heated by a flame underneath the pot which can be put out if you ask one of the servers. There are also additional sauces (free) and add-on's (small $) if you enjoy personalizing your meal. Everything is served hot, tasty, and I always leave satisfied. I even bring my own take-out container to save my left overs for later but I'm sure they have one if I were to ask. If you go at a weird time during the week day - around 2/3pm - there isn't anyone there. Otherwise, the place is always packed. Can't wait to go later today!
(5)Jared S.
A good place to grab a warm bowl of slurpin' spicy whatcha-ma-callit. Not the best hot pot I've had, but if you don't want to head over to the ID it will do in a pinch. Prices are average for average sized portions with average flavor. So, it gets an average amount of stars.
(3)Jessica W.
I love this place! It has the best boba I've tasted in bellevue. I always get the house hot pot that comes with stinky tofu. Sometimes we order extra intestines and add that for sweet flavor. I usually get mild in terms of spicy and find it already somewhat spicy. If you really want a kick of flavor, use their special dipping sauce with the hot oil. So delicious! They also give punch cards, so if you go there enough, you can get a free hot pot entree! Definitely one of my comfort places on a cold winter night.
(4)Hap N.
Not going to lie, but I don't know how fresh some of their add-ons are. I've had Boiling Point in Hacienda Heights, CA twice, and a lot of people eat there because it's right where all the Taiwanese and Chinese people live. So needless to say, pork blood, stinky tofu, and other add-ons are more in demand. Anyway, I ordered a side of pork blood, like I usually do. Next day, I had some BAD reactions on the back of both my hands, and didn't go away for 2 months. Lesson learned, do not order "bizarre" food at places where the general public probably are not ordering them---chances of them being fresh are slim.
(2)Winnie B.
Hao chi! Not so baby friendly. Think fire, tight benches/ tables/ spaces. Eat there when you have a baby sitter. Great snack/ small meal. Limited Compact Parking spaces.
(3)Wendy Y.
I loooooooooooooove hotpots....especially when I'm in seattle/bellevue and it's cold (which is pretty much all year round minus 2-3 weeks)..and this place is sooo tasty, especially if you like stinky tofu lol....Otherwise their curry fish ball hotpot or the lamb hotpot is good alternatives. They provide 3 types of dipping sauce but I typically just use the bean paste one...that was tasty to my taste bud....I like to come here for lunch when it includes a free drink and is still a dollar cheaper compared to dinner....My mouth is watering from thinking about tasty hotpot...yummmm...... :)
(4)Why T.
MMMM so good! I just had this for lunch today and it was super yummy!! I actually never had hotpot at a restaurant, only at home, but this was super yummmy. On a nice cool day, eating some spicy and hot hotpot that makes your nose runny.... yum :) First off, someone said that they don't take credit cards, well they are wrong. they do. I used it today actually. They dont take amex or discover, but they take the two "main" ones, visa and mastercard. And who doesnt have those cards right? OK, yes the service sucks... sorta.. i guess it was annoying that you had to get their attention in order to get your check, but i think i would rather get that then waiters that are too pushy about checking to see if your food was good, or if you're satisfied or whatever, because you know how annoying that could get. So i didnt mind. And once you got their attention, they brought over the check right away. OH and go for LUNCH instead of dinner. well that is if you can. The serving size is the same, but for lunch, you save a buck and get rice and tea on the side. the tea was YUMMY. It's not like the normal chinese restaurant tea, it's like perfect for white people sweet tea. i normally dont like those sweet teas, but this one was yummers I had the beef hot soup one, very tastey, and you can choose from 5 stars. Had the 3 star and it was not too spicy. just spicy enough to have some flavor but you can still taste the meat. Will be going back real soon
(4)nancy w.
I'm a fan of this place because it is probably the best place on the eastside to get bubble tea and slushie-like things! The rest of the places are sub-par and I don't even bother with slurping noisily until I get a blissful brain-freezie. Today I had one of their signature hot-pots. My first reaction was: OMG it's on fire! I nearly leaped aside as I imagined myself becoming engulfed in flames. But my dining partner just looked at me in shame, and calmly asked the waiter to please set her meal on fire. The table of young hipsters seated besides us also asked for more fire! In my mind, I was definitely feeling cornered by a raving pack of hungry pyromaniacs. The other feature of dining at this venue is that there are tins of sauce to draw from. They are like fountains of tasty power! However, with incredible taste comes incredible responsibility, otherwise known as incredibly small condiment spoons! They are the tiniest spoons with the longest ladle. I really wanted to take one home and use it to feed my iguana (yea! If I had one!)! Anyway, take my review with a packet of flame retardant.
(4)June P.
OMG I love this place, I'm not a big fan of Hot Pot cause everytime we eat it, its full of meat and I don't like eatting meat. Usually when I eat it, i only eat the clear noodles. But now I have Boiling Point! Price is great, its about $10 a pot and 1 pot is good enough for 1 person or 2 to share if you're not too hungry. The great thing about this place is there are different flavors you can get the House special which includes stinky tofu, or beef/lamb/curry/Veg etc. My fave is the Kimchi (comes w/egg, tempura etc...) and I like to add a side of tofu for $1 or tofu skin for $2 and $1 ramen on the side. Yum! The best part is the dipping sauce they have on the side! The sauce is a MUST have! I like to pour it into my pot and dip on the side. Can't go wrong with this place esp on a cold rainny day! --- Now I'm from California (Los Angeles) and drove all the way up to Vancover for a roadtrip and HAD to make a stop at Boiling Point just so I can say I've been to every single one.... Then I find out after I left Vancouver that there was a Boiling Point there that I did not stop at... I was soo dissappointed in myself for not doing the research..... Now I need to make another road trip to Canada just to eat at BP....
(5)Christie J.
I'm a huge fan of this place! My roommates and I have gone a handful of times and have tried most of the different hot pots. The food is spicy and the drinks are tasty. You can't split the tab which is kind of annoying, but I'd still recommend this place and return again and again.
(5)Alice Y.
We really like this place. I am a big fan of hot pots, all kinds of hot pots and I am glad to know a restaurant like this exists right here in Bellevue. I love that their portions are just nice for a person, I usually choose not to have rice because I ALWAYS finish all the soup and it is just too much food with the rice. But yes their soup does not disappoint and if you want some extra flavor to the ingredients in the soup, you can always head to the 'Sauce Bar' for their sauces! The only downside is that you will have to wait during the weekend nights and there isn't any place for waiting patrons to sit inside the restaurant. But otherwise, Enjoy!!!
(4)An N.
Had to go here on my trip back to town. Still a fan! I still get super full from one hotpot and didn't have any problems. I've tried all of them and like them all. You get a free black or green tea for the lunch price which was an added bonus. The red bean green tea slush is great!
(4)Pete U.
Nice little place and food was good. Staff is very nice. Be bake soon ^_^
(4)Jimmy W.
i went here because i was in the neighborhood, and facing east was closed. decent hot pot. for the same price you can go to various hot pot places (such as gourmet noodle bowl) and have even better hot pot that is also all-you-can eat. so, i'll pass on this place in the future, unless i just happen to be in the neighborhood again and really want hot pot.
(3)Billy A.
This is my first try for this restaurant. The price is resonable for a hot pot with decent amount of food in it. It comes with a bowl of steam rice. They have varities of drinks as well. I like the sauces as well. I will come back again.
(4)jay w.
when i walked in this place the smell was terrible and i wanted to leave immediately and i should have, but did not and regret not following my nose so basically..i paid $15 w/ tax/tip for one pound of boiled cabbage topped with maybe 2 or 3 strips of various meat, in a place that smells like b---hole. You do not not even get rice for free here. the flame thing was not adjustable, all the other hotpot places i last remember came on a gas burner which was adjustable. So basically I watched as the flame went full bore yellowing all my veggies and turning the meal nutritionally vapid. although anything worth eating did taste fine, there was so little of it and i was not going to eat freaking half a pound of cabbage stems to fill myself. when i got the check i got a eat here ten times, get one free card..hahahahahahahahahaha yeah right...eff this place, i am not coming back
(2)Sunny L.
2.5 stars. The food here was really nothing special and, as others mentioned, there is an overwhelming smell of stinky tofu as soon as you walk into the door. I got the House Special Hot Pot (with the stinky tofu) and it was just average. The service was not good. We waited forever before a server came by to take our order and no one checked up on us at all throughout the entire meal.
(3)Robby C.
The only reason to visit Boiling Point is when the wait list at Facing East is too long for people to bother putting their name down. Our visit was on a rather rainy day and it seemed like proper weather to be partaking in a meal of spicy hot pot. However, we were thrown off by the slow service and it seemed that our presence in the restaurant almost seemed to be a bother to the staff. First of all, the hot pot experience that we have come to known to embrace is one of community dining where friends, for one meal, enjoy a time of bonding reminiscent of a makeshift. However, the hot pot experience at Boiling Point takes that idea and turns it into a literal hot pot: an individual order of food in a pot over an open flame. Concept is a novel one, but something about having a pot of soup to oneself seems to make the dining experience a lonely one regardless of the size of the group. Ordered the beef hot pot, of course, but we might as well have ordered any one of the hot pot choices as all the orders at our table seemed to have only subtle differences. Tofu and slices of rice cake with a few other ingredients of tofu and tomatoes, the dishes might as well have been interchangeable with a community plate of meat. The beef hot pot was filling, but somehow it seemed lacking as we were sure that we ordered a meat dish though we somehow received more vegetables and other ingredients that were obviously not meat or anything that could have even remotely counted as a substitution for the beef. If the popularity of Facing East was not continually growing, we have a feeling that Boiling Point would have been gone long ago.
(3)Marc F.
Too good! You'll never forget this place. Never.
(5)James C.
This is a public service announcement. Think of it as an insiders guide... 1. If you need something, you will need to chase down one of the servers. Waving arms wildly sometimes help, but this place is understaffed. 2. You can ask for more broth! If your pot is running low, the servers can add more broth out of a thermos bottle. 3. You can ask for your fire to be extinguished! The servers has a couple of special tools to put out the alcohol fire gel early if you are done. 4. If your fire goes out, but you still have plenty of soup and stuff, you can have them replace the stove and relight it. 5. The optimal sauce combination is 2 spoonfuls of bean paste sauce with 4 spoonfuls of garlic soy sauce. If your answer to 1-5 stars is less than a 4, leave the spicy oil alone! Hokkaido tea, AFAIK, means extra creamer.
(5)Brittany S.
So me and my sister ended up coming here because the wait at facing east was taking way too long. We came on a Saturday evening and the first thing you smell is stinky tofu.. yum. The place was filled up and there was a wait, where you write down your name + the number of people in your party. For those with large parties of 6+ be prepared to wait for a while. I noticed at the time, there were 2 large parties going on, of about 8 people each, and of course they were taking their dear sweet time so a party of 7 that came before us didn't get seated until we had almost finished our meal. For their menu, they have about 8 main hotpots, the sort of "mini hotpot" that you have to yourself. The cost is around $13. All hot pots come with a bowl of rice and you can get your own condiments (really great sauces btw) and if you want, you can order an extra side of something. After we order, the food did take a bit long to come out. The order/timing of how things come out is a bit scattered: they bring out all of your sides first. Then you'll get your hotpot. Some people didn't get their rice bowl until a good 5 minutes later. And if you ordered bubble tea, that def wouldn't come until towards the middle-end of your meal. BUT I thought the food was really yummy. I really missed the taste of stinky tofu and I thought there was a good amount of food in my hotpot. But for those meat lovers, you might want to order a side if meat because that was sort of lacking. Would def go again!!!!
(4)Tara P.
I LOVE BOILING POINT! It's a ritual for my friends and I to have BP at least once a week. Their Kimchi pot & Curry pot are my favorite, so flavorful and tasty. I grew up in Indonesia so I ABSOLUTELY LOVE spicy food and this just hits the spot. Most of the time, I can't even order 5 stars. If you can't tolerate spice, I recommend not going over 2 stars. The only problem for me is the wait time, they really need to expand!
(4)Crystal N.
Curry Fish Ball is my favorite. A must in the winter. It might be a little smelly and the service is not the best but the taste and cost keeps me coming back.
(5)Michelle E.
Great when you want something quick and hot. They are open late now until 11pm, so there's finally a place to get soup after most places close. : ) I personally love thier house special hot pot with the fermented tofu. Also goes great with the dipping sauces.
(4)Allyson M.
Yummy for a close place for hot pot I like this place. It's a bit hard to find but the food is really good.
(3)On C.
good: -curry fishball soup & matcha ice cream macaron was great -food is guaranteed HOT and stays warm bad: -wait was 30-40 minutes for seating -20 minutes for the food to come -water tasted gross -I didn't enjoy the odor from the house special soup which was the scent you smelled when you enter the restaurant
(4)Ashley H.
I've tried a few Boiling Points before and I have to say that I think the ones in SoCal are better. This branch is one of the smaller one that I've been to and the wait is crazy. I've been here with a party of 2 and more and the wait has always been over 30 minutes. For food, their individual hotpots are alright. I've noticed that they will sometimes skim on the meat and pack it with cabbage. #8-10 are priced to be more expensive and have more bang for your buck. I'd recommend the Taiwanese Spicy if your starving and the beef if you're less than that. The milk tea is not that great; it tastes a little watered down rather than "more tea" or "more milk based". Customer service is so-so. You'll have to reel in your server because its so busy all the time. I had a tough time because spicy isn't my friend and I needed to refill the tiny water cup they give out.
(3)Jenn L.
I had been wanting to try Boiling Point for a while now, but the long line has always deterred me. I highly recommend going at an unusual meal time if you're not in the mood to wait. I believe I went around 3 PM on a Saturday and still had to wait about 20 minutes. I had the Spicy Taiwanese Hot Pot and I believe my mother had the House Special. The Spicy Taiwanese Hot Pot was so delicious and definitely hit the spot on a gloomy, rainy day. I did not like the House Special as much, but it was still good. I really like that they give you black or green tea with your hot pot, and the iced green tea was delicious. The snow cubes are also super yummy and well-portioned post-hot pot treats!
(4)Julia Z.
The place is alright, nice to have somewhere to go for a quick meal with consistent flavored (chain store send out already set sauce and ingredients for pots)individual hot pot. Nothing is amazing, to when you are hungry/cold and wanted convenient hot food. Dessert are better packaged(shaped) Popsicles and icecream sandwich. I appreciate the Asian flavor a they offer, but not special compare to other Asian places in the area. It's also a little messy and the hot pot smell will stick to your clothes.
(3)Brian P.
Oh goodness. The sickness is real. First time I was not digging it, but once you get in the groove you'll get hooked (assuming you actually enjoy soup). Fantastic service! Traditionally, you don't expect any service at an Asian restaurant but Taiwanese places seem to have it down (Facing East too). All the staff is extremely friendly. They have punch cards too! TL;DR - Awesome service, awesome food, awesome drinks, and awesome desserts.
(5)Nami N.
I went to lunch time. Easy to choose menus bcz see all pictures. Reasonable prices and free green tea or jasmine tea at lunch time. Try them!!! Highly recommend here!!!
(4)Jenny J.
- Get a punch card for both the hot pot (10 times) and the drinks (ONLY 5 TIMES -- DEALS!). - My boyfriend and I always share a beef hot pot and get additional sides. We have come here religiously for the last three months. When either one of us gets sick
(4)Jessalyn C.
Got food poisoning from here, haha. I assumed it was from not letting my egg cook all the way. The room smells like gas. Expect a long line; bring a tv or something since it'll take about an hr to get in. No, they don't take your phone numbers, so you have to be in the area. The food is meh. I can easily make my own hotpot and even put more food in it than filling half the pot with like cabbage. I got the lamb hot pot, so it had some lamb (which was chewy), pork blood rice cake (omnom), and a few fish balls. WARNING: I was surprised, but a 3 star was pretty spicey, haha. My s.o. and I kept drinking our small cup of water. Oh yeah, they give you really small paper cups and barely refill it. You have to ask them to refill every time. (We asked probably 10 times). I'm glad I experienced it, but probably won't be back. I do like their ice cream macarons, which are shipped from california (the more you know)
(3)Yen E.
My first time at boiling point and I absolutely love this place! Parking is a total $%@! and sometimes wait can be long, but my friend and I got lucky the couple times we came. They have different soups and you can add and minus ingredients to please your belly. I got #4 Beef hot soup and didn't add much else to it, but did order extra kamabako. We ended up sharing a macaron ice cream which I thought wasn't tasty at all. Well worth the wait and super filling. Wish they would open one in Pierce County though!
(4)Chelsea S.
Had a great lunch experience at Boiling Point on a Friday. Beware, this place does fill up fast so come early. We got there at 11:30, got seated right away, ordered our food and drink within 5 minutes and our food was brought out to our table only about 5 minutes after that. However, midway through our meal I looked up and there were probably 10 people standing at the door waiting for a table. The food has a limited menu but still several flavors to chose from and each personal pot comes with so many goodies tucked in. I went for the curry fish ball soup and was not disappointed. My medium spicy broth was filled with fish balls, enoki mushrooms, vermicilli noodles, an egg, pork, tofu skin, fried tofu, green beans, and other things that I cannot even recall at this moment. I loved the contents of my pot and I liked the flavor of the broth. It was not quite as rich as I thought it would be, I don't know if I was thinking it would be like ramen broths or the hotpot that I am normally used to that simmers for hours and all of the meat and vegetables flavor the broth with time. However, it was very good and plentiful and I would get it again. For lunch you also get a free tea which although good was too sweet for my tastes and I really just wanted water. The decor is very modern and minimalist but the dining room is very clean and there were plenty of servers. It was a quick in and out for lunch and something out of the norm for me but I loved it!
(4)Vivian W.
I have always enjoyed coming here during rainy days, which happens quite often in WA. Their food is good, if you are into hot-pot. They do not have a wide variety and the different flavored pots have been the same ever since I could remember. Their serving size is decent considering all the meat and vegetables they put in the pot. They do have many add-ons that you can chose for about 1.50 to 3.00 dollars extra. All pots come with a bowl of rice, and I think you do have the option of opting for brown rice. One thing I noticed today was that their Hokkaido Milk Tea has decreased in flavor and concentration. 6 months ago I thought it was one of the best milk teas I have had. It was creamy, thick, and not too sweet. Today it tasted more watered down. There is almost always a wait because the place is kind of small, but I think it is still worth it. The stomach wants what it wants! No lie.
(4)Hau V.
Wow this is fast becoming one of my favorite places. I came here twice just last week. Maybe it was the freezing cold that induced me to do so, but it was worth it. It's not traditional hot pot by any means, it's really your own pot of hot boiling soup with tons of meat and veggies in it. Of course you have to get the Boiling Point , The Taiwanese Soup - all that in your pot. And the special sauces add smth to it too if you choose. I thought there was plenty of meat - I got lamb the 2nd time I came and there was a lot of lamb in it - this was not as good as the Seafood Soup thought in terms of intense flavor but it also hit the right spots.
(5)Lemme K.
Food was good, not great. I had the spicy Taiwan soup and it wasn't that spicy like most reviews say. The macaroon and ice cubes were ok, they were just ice cream, not anything special. Service was not that great though, we keep having to ask more water, and I'm pretty sure they charged me more than what I'm suppose to pay
(3)Jarenn N.
Went here on a weekday night and the wait wasn't very long for a party of 9. Like many others at my table, I ordered the Beef Hot Soup #4 with 2 stars of spiciness which was just enough to give it a kick yet still make the meal an enjoyable one. The broth was delicious and the portion was just right since it came with a side of rice. Service was excellent as they were so accomodating as our party grew from an anticipated 7 to 9 and we had some customized orders going on too. The only thing that made it tough was the bill could only be paid with up to 4 transactions. Luckily it was mostly couples there so it wasn't too difficult, but plan on a few of you bringing cash if you have a large group! Also the parking is free but the lot is pretty small and has a lot of reserved spaces for patrons of particular shops.
(4)Janet K.
I absolutely hands down LOVE boiling point!!!!! This place has great food! If ever here, you have to try their hokkaido milk tea. It's the best tea they have there in my opinion. The hot pot I always choose when there is the beef hot pot. Simple and original, yet super tasty! I recommend using the dipping sauces they give you at every table. I always mix the two sauces. Try it it's pretty good! The service and the workers are just whatever to me. I'm not very fond of them. I for sure go just for the food.
(5)Stephanie C.
This place is quite literally run by children. We walked in a step behind a party of 4. I quickly mentioned to the waitress that we had children with us and if the other party wouldn't mind, we would like the last remaining booth table. They asked the other party, and they obliged by taking another table by the window. As they were about to seat us, they realized that our entire party hadn't arrived, so they refused to seat us. Fine, that's ok that they don't want to seat us immediately (even though nobody was waiting behind us). Here's where you see that this place is run by children: they decide it's a great idea to now let the other party of 4 to take the booth seats. Even though they had just promised it to me, and the other party had ALREADY SAT DOWN at the window seat. Not only that -- they're missing a member of their party -- they're only 3, not 4. I understand the poor reviews this place gets. It's too bad because the food/concept are decent.
(1)Lin R.
It's hard to find anything to say about a chain restaurant but I was unimpressed with the quality of service at this place. The servers spoke little to no English and were extremely hard to flag down. The egg I got in my pot had egg shells still in it. With all the better options in the area there really isn't a good reason to come here.
(2)Kim L.
I like going here for hot pot. For lunch, you get a free green, black or red tea along with your meal. They have a variety of different individual hot pots that you can choose from. But my favorite and the one that I get every time is Beef hot pot. It comes with beef, tofu, beef balls, and a bunch of other things. It comes with a side of rice. For an extra charge, you can get noodles or udon noodles or other varieties besides rice. The beef hot pot comes in 0-5 stars spiciness. They also have milk tea-I tried the Hokkaido milk tea with boba today, which is good but a little bit on the sweet side. I have also tried their regular fresh milk tea, which is also good. They also have snow flake ice and macaron ice cream sandwiches, which I have not tried yet, but hope to try on my next visit if I'm not too full :P Service is alright. But the wait can be long sometimes, since their location is small. There is a sign in sheet at the front & you grab a # so that they can call your # when your table is ready. Also, trying to find parking sucks!! It's located right next door to Facing East and other small businesses. So usually i try to go around back and park on the side street behind the building.
(4)Vanessa W.
Love hotpot! Not so much the service at this place. Food wise, its good. Just enough and the right portion for one person per bowl. Theres a variety. I normally get the curry fish ball or the seafood one. Both are good. Their milk tea there is good too, or even their black tea. The one thing I dont like is the parking lot. It can sure be crowded and cars get tangled during busy hours. with that and not too great customer service, this place earns three stars. Food wise, four stars is good!
(3)Amos Y.
Small personal hot pot place next to Facing East. There's a small parking lot but between the shops it gets filled up easily. There's a bit of a wait at peak hours, so recommended time is to arrive right when they open. Menu is pretty simple, choose one of the 10 options they have, and it comes with a bowl of rice. For extra you can add more items, but most items are pretty pricey at $1-$3 per item. Lunch is $1 cheaper and you also get a free cold tea: black, green, or red tea (red one has milk). It's served in one of the bubble tea containers, but no bubbles. The tea is really sweet though. Pretty reasonable prices at $12 / person at lunch. Note the options 8-10 (Taiwanese Spicy, Japanese Miso, and Thai Flavor) are bigger sizes and cost $3 more. The normal sized hotpots when eaten with the rice are probably filling enough for most people. GOOD * Beef hot soup - Solid beef flavor. * Taiwanese Spicy Hot Soup - This was a mistake! I have an above average spice tolerance, but their flaming spicy is really really spicy! The ingredients were tasty, I liked the instant noodles especially, but after a few bites I could pretty much only taste fire and I was crying and my nose was running. So unless you really like your spice or pain, I'd stay away from this one. * Milk Tea - They use fresh milk in their tea, so it has a really strong creamy milky flavor. Also in general their milk teas are pretty sweet. Some people will like these some won't. MEH * Korean Kimchi - It's sweet with a slighty sour kimchi flavor. It's alright but if I want kimchi soup I'd go to a Korean restaurant and get some kimchi jigae instead. STAY AWAY * Macaroon Ice Cream - These are imported from somewhere and basically sit frozen in the freezer for who knows how long. The macaroon part is full of ice crystals, so instead of your expected soft moist macaroon texture you get a stale crusty crunchy dough. The ice cream part is alright.
(4)Thuy D.
Hotpot is something that is very easy to do at home especially when you can pick any protein and veggies you want to have in your hotpot. With that being said, I like going here for lunch especially on those cold rainy days. I usually just order number 9 which is the Taiwanese special, I like this one because I feel I can replicate all the other ones at home. Those who are adventurous and like spicy broth will love this, but to those who are sensitive to spice should stay clear. The portion is decent as I always get really full by the time I'm done. Their milk tea is also pretty good, I usually like to get the Hokkaido tea with egg pudding to go. Service here can be hit or miss and parking is terrible. I usually try to come here before 11:30 or after 12:45 to avoid the lunch crowd.
(3)Shirley W.
I love this place! I come here with my co workers few times a week or at least once a week for sure! Well here are some things I would like to point out: 1. Curry fish ball pot and spicy beef pot is so good! 2. They use star level for their spiciness, 1-4. 3. You cannot modify what goes inside of your pot because it's set. 4. Lunch hour is worth it because you get rice and a choice of green or black tea with your order. 5. Staff there are super nice and friendly! 6. There's usually a line due to limited space, so if you wanna go for lunch go at 11:30 or sometime in the afternoon like 4. 7. They have a reward card if you get 10 pots you get one for free over the time and same with their drinks. Well I can't wait to come back!
(5)Hoc P.
This is my favorite hotpot place. If you have been to those Chineese hotpot where tons of people dipping their spit in one pot, you will love this. Everyone has their own pot, no sharing. I always order the Taiwanese hotpot one. It's the large size and good for dinner (would be too heavy for lunch). Get #5 spicy. But be prepare for potential diarrhea flow later the day though. So go here on Fri so you have the weekend to recover and stay next to the toilet. Still WORTH IT. Other non-diarrhea stuffs are good too like House Special, Beef, Seafood (don't expect much seafood inside), and lamb. I like the lamb probably second, when I go on lunch. Enjoy your spicy diarrhea!! Boiling all the way down...
(4)Jennifer D.
Boiling point has been one of the hottest trends hitting Seattle. There are very few places that serve hot pot, let alone individual ones. I have tried a bunch of their pots but the house special is always a winner. It comes with meat and vegetable and just the right size for me. The other soups have quite a bit of spice and the food is already pretty much pre-cooked before they bring it out. The line can get quite long for dinner and the early part of lunch but if you miss the rush it's one of the best places to go. My favorite thing is to go during lunch because the price is reduced and a free drink! Parking is easy and validated for two hours worth, so it's easy and accessible. So you're in the international district and looking for a lunch spot, stop by boiling point!
(4)Lynn N.
The soups are good; like any other Boiling Point chain. But probably the worst service that I have experienced at any Boiling Point I have been in Washington. I've been here several times, and there is always a girl, not sure if it's the same one, that needs to work on her customer service skills. Whenever our table has a request, she was pretty rude. She would either roll her eyes or not say a word or give attitude. I went to Togo a drink once, and after she made it, she just tossed it on the table, and didn't say anything. I went to Redmond's Boiling Point grand opening, where there was a line through the door and it was about a 2 hour wait. The workers there were so busy and working hard, but they were so friendly and they still had way better service than Bellevue. Good food. Just need to work on customer service.
(2)Tiffany Valentine W.
I've been to several traditional Chinese Hot Pot style restaurants, including The Boiling Point and another one in the international district. The Boiling Point is the best hot pot experience I've had -- it is incredibly clean, and delicious. I feel safe consuming the food unlike some of the Chinese hot pot restaurants in ID. I love the style of the dishware they provide -- very trendy and enhances the overall experience. The only downside is the incredibly long wait -- we had to wait almost an hour. The line was out the door and people were crowding the sidewalks. It was worth it for a one time visit. I love their bubble tea selection. I'll be returning.
(4)Selena P.
My first visit at this location. I don't particularly like soupy kind of food but I tried it with noodles. I got the Japanese miso with mild spice. It was pretty good, tasty, a lot of food I didn't get to finish it all. The restaurant here is pretty small so they have a number system for lines take a number write down your party. Problem is, we were waiting for over 40 minutes. And apparently our number was called but we never heard it. I was standing by the door the entire time. Also the people who were right after us, their number was called out the door loudly and clearly and in my face and for some reason our number was not called the same like that. We went in to ask the host and she was a bit rude about it saying they called it and all. In the end we had a seat but in total of over an hour wait.
(3)Liz C.
Boiling Point was definitely on point! Too many times I see pictures of Boiling Point on Instagram and Facebook. I finally got to try it and see what all the commotion was about. We went on a Saturday for dinner. I've heard that you may have to wait extremely long lines on weekend nights. However, we got there around 5 pm and were taken to a table right away! The menus are set on the table already so we took a look. I felt pretty rushed by our servers because they came to us before I even got a good look at the menu (maybe a lot of regulars come and know what they want right off the bat). I asked for more time and in about 20 seconds, another server came and asked to take our orders. I still wasn't ready (obviously) and had to ask for more time again. We decided to go with the #8 Taiwanese Spicy and the #9 Japanese Miso. You can't change the spiciness level on #8 but you can for #9. The Taiwanese Spicy is automatically set to the hottest level (4 on a scale of 1-4). I chose to go with level 2 spiciness (Medium) for mine. Every order of hot pot comes with a side of rice and we also ordered some meat balls and sliced pork as add ons. The cost for #8, 9 and 10 costs more than the others because they are bigger and filled with more (they cost $17). We asked for water and it was given to us in paper cups (a little strange for a restaurant but alright). I guess most people get tea and milk tea. #8 Taiwanese Spicy comes with: Taiwanese cabbage, instant noodles, sliced beef, encomia mushroom, tempera, clam, foochow fishball, cuttlefish ring, pork blood, pork intestine, fried tofu skin, maitake mushroom, and iced tofu. Now it sounds like a lot inside the hot pot but usually there is only about one or a small amount of each thing. It comes out on it's own little burner which keeps the whole pot boiling. This one is really spicy but if you love spice then it's definitely for you. All the components to this tasted great, especially the fishball, cuttlefish ring and the intestine! The instant noodles were also a plus. Using the broth with the rice also adds great flavor to the rice. #9 Japanese Miso comes with: Taiwanese cabbage, udon, sliced pork, enoki msurhoom, clam, foochow fishball, fish fillet, king oyster mushroom, crab, fried tofu skin, and soft tofu. Just like most miso soup bases it is a tad bit on the saltier side. I'm glad that although it was salty, it wasn't so salty that I needed to drink a ton of water constantly. Medium spiciness gives you a kick without being too spicy on the tongue. I liked how the cabbage pieces were big and would soak up all the broth. The foochow fishball is this giant ball that looks like it will be solid but it's actually filled with something else. It tasted delicious. The fish fillet was a perfect portion size and was so flaky. I enjoyed the soft tofu pieces in the dish as well. There were some crab pieces but they looked impossible to crap. The legs were tiny so I didn't think there would be much meat so I skipped over these. I had plenty of long, thin slices of pork in mine. The sauces on the side are so good. Even if you don't know what they are, you can mix them in any way and it will probably taste good. I liked dipping most of the components in. The meat balls that we got look small but definitely pack a nice meaty flavor, especially when dipped into some sauce. Service was basically non existent here. We were never checked up on and our water was never refilled. We had to flag them down for water. When my partner asked for more water the server left before asking me if I wanted anymore and before I could even ask if I could have a refill. The only time that they actually came to us without us asking was to bring us our bill. I love the concept of eating individual hot pot and really enjoy how the whole dish stays hot the entire time! It's plenty of food and my partner and I left both feeling stuffed! Hopefully I'll come back to try the macaron ice cream sandwiches next time because they look adorable! The cost for both our hot pots and the add ons was around $42. A bit pricey but the meal was delicious, hot and satisfying.
(4)Vivian N.
I love the food here! I eat it almost weekly... oops! However, I do take off points for the table arrangements, I sit way to close to the table next to me, and could barely move my arms without hitting the person sitting next to me at the other table. The wait time is usually 35-45 minutes on average, but the food comes out quickly. Its hard to get the waiters & waitresses attention because it is pretty loud and they are busy, but they're helpful once they help you! The parking is horrible, I can't even stress that enough. Plan on circling around the parking lot 4-5 times before you get a parking spot that doesn't belong to another business. I recommend getting 1 star less than what you usually eat, because the heat will enhance the spiciness!
(3)Jackie M.
This is my first experience in a Taiwanese influenced hot pot. You order from the picture menu and choose your own pot. The food is already 70% cooked when the hot pot is serve in a pot of broth. I like the concept, because it's a quick way of hot pot when all the food is already cooked. I would say this is hot pot for lazy people like me. The flavor and portion was generous and decent. The macaron ice cream was ok. It was really frozen and had to thaw it out before eating. BTW, i came in weekday late night and waited about 30 min for a table
(4)Jhoana R.
This was our first time here and atmosphere was a little cramped but the food was delicious! I ordered the beef hot pot and my husband ordered miso spicy hot pot. In the beef hot pot it included a corn on the Cobb, cabbage, noodles, beef with an add on of instant noodle. In my husbands he had a half a crab with the shell still on clam udon noodles fish cake and fish balls he got an add of quail eggs. The staff was friendly and attentive we also ordered the macaroon ices and those were BOMB but pricey lol
(4)Cindy N.
I had to update my review because they recently fixed up the restaurant with new booths. I hated the ones they had before with the rips and tears. I'm still here weekly and I still love it with all my heart. The food is delicious and at a very reasonable price. Being seated is your only problem, but the service is so quick as soon as you get a table. Servers here are always running back and forth, since it is always PACKED. But they try their best to be kind and meet your expectations. It's quite an experience.
(5)Summer Q.
I don't love it or hate it. I was here on a week day and the wait wasn't that bad. I got the beef hotpot and bf got the special hotpot. Mine was okay, nothing special. But bae did not like his at all. Poor thing couldn't finish it coz it was too smelly. Don't go for #1 if you can't take the smell. And this location is so small. It was not a good experience for us.
(3)Carl Y.
One of the most famous Chinese/Taiwanese restaurants that every C/T knows in Seattle/Bellevue. To me it was great but not that exaggerating. Some Taiwanese friends told me it is almost the same as what they eat in Taiwan. I guess that's why people love it. Go early on Friday evening and weekends if you do not want to wait too long.
(4)Sierra X.
I don't care for their any of their hot pot or the stinky tofu smell that hits you like a garbage truck when you walk in. But I'll come again and again because their snow ice is the best thing ever. That light, velvety, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth dessert is so good. Don't waste your time on crunchy, tasteless, rock-hard shaved ice at other places. Get the snow ice here!
(4)Joyce P.
If i lived here, i think i will be here once a week. Came here to visit Seattle, yelp the foodie spots and stumble upon this place and was craving hot pot. The bf and i ordered their tawainese hot soup and thai soup. Hands down thee best hot pot soup i ever had. Very tasty and Spicy! And also good portion too, I recommend ordering 1 hot pot for 2 people, that way you can always do add-ons after. ***warning*** make sure you're at the nearest toilet station the next day, you'll end up being thee bestest friends!!! (no joke) lol Other than that, thank you Boiling Point... You were well worth it! =D**
(4)Chen F.
If unlimited hotpot is not your thing, Boiling Point may be a good hangout spot. They offer an array of personal hot pots, in the size of an 8 inch woks. Been here several times trying the different soup bases. Highly recommend the lamb; the other ones are either way too spicy or lack the desired umami. For those with the physique to match their appetite, get a side of lamb and an udon to round off the meal.
(4)Vi K.
THEY CHANGE THE SAUCE!!! How could they?? Seriously. After they change the sauce ive realized that they lost a lot of their loyal customers. That is so saddening. The corporate should get their mind right and get the sauce back!!!!!!
(1)Lena L.
Pricey but good service and good food. :) The hot pot is literally boiling and super hot so it was kind of hard to eat the food without burning your tongue. Also the smoke/steam can get in your eyes so a little caution there. I wasn't amazed by the flavours because its of a clean and simple seafoodish broth with different vegetables, noodles, fishballs and other things depending on what you order. I also got the ice or snow cubes: matcha and chocolate which were pretty cute and perfect if you just want something sweet and small.
(4)Kim D.
FOOD: Individual size hot pots. There are two different sizes pot. Number 1-7 is $11.99 during lunch and $12.99 during dinner. Number 8-10 is $14.99 during lunch and $15.99 during dinner. My personal favorite is the Beef Hot Soup (#4) and Taiwanese Spicy Hot Soup (#8). It does not come with a lot of meat so if you are a meat eater, don't fear you can always order sides. There is a list of sides that you can order from ranging from $0.50 to $3.95. Also, the soups are really oily [I know that sounds weird] but yes the soup is very oily and fatty. Adds a lot of flavor but if you don't like oily soup then here is your warning! SERVICE: Not the best. It usually gets really busy and the waiters are running back and forth. LOCATION: It is located down the street from Bellevue Square Mall in a strip mall. Parking is tight and it is often packed. WOULD I COME BACK: Yes. I love soup dishes. ADVICE: I read a lot of reviews regarding the Taiwanese Spicy Hot Soup. If you like spicy and enjoy eating. It is NOT that spicy. But I love spicy food and could put hot sauce in anything. So if you can eat spicy foods and can handle the heat, it won't be that bad. Also, lines can be quite long so be prepared to wait unless you get lucky which i'm starting to get good at. You'll figure it out =)
(4)Mary C.
Free green or black iced tea for lunch (I chose green and it was really good!) I got the #5 lamb because it was one of the options without fish balls Your hot pot also comes with a side of rice It took about 15minutes to get a table for 2 They assign tables according to who is next on the waiting list no matter how big or small your party is which kind of sucks... Overall, good food, great atmosphere, and I definitely recommend people give this place a try!
(4)Dianna N.
i DON'T REMEMBER WHAT i GOT, BUT IT WAS SO GOOD! I believe my mother got the seafood, my dad got beef... and I maybe got the miso, i DON'T REMEMBER. BUT IT WAS GOOOOOOD. I Recommend the Hokkaido Milk Tea *heart* I miss it so much. I was to go again.
(5)Jonathan H.
I just ate here for lunch and i can see why this restaurant is always crowded. I've been meaning to eat here for awhile, but didn't want to wait in line. I had the spicy taiwan hot pot, and it was awesome! The broth is super flavorful. The best hot pot restaurant in the Seattle area.
(5)Dan K.
From my experience in LA, I was def looking forward to this and I was hyping it all up to my BF because this was his first time. The first thing he noticed was the smell in the restaurant which he described as smelling like butane which is probably the smell of the fire which keeps the hotpot going. Service wasn't grand, pretty typical but nothing that really stood out besides the fact that they weren't really engaged with their customers. As described from another post, they are very generous with their cabbage compared to the other components of the dish. The soup base (lamb soup) was good and savory and the sauce was def a plus (mix them all!). However, don't be fooled by the pictures because the meat kind of comes in a clump vs nicely sliced and easy to eat. My bf was not very happy trying to rip apart each slice so he chomped on the whole chunk (not very flattering!). Overall, it was OK....
(3)Ben B. N.
My wife and I eat here atleast 4 times a year. The only deterrent is how long the lines are. They are the best in the biz in Seattle and have major umami in their broth that alot of other hot pot places lack. Please open up in Tukwila. Please!! I hate the drive into the Cities.
(5)Hao H.
One of the best Chinese restaurants in Bellevue. The Taiwan hot soup served here is quite special - at least I've never been to a similar place in mainland China. Food is great - I almost always order their Lamb Hot Soup.
(5)Elina K.
I've been to Asia and back and tried all types of hotpots literally in several different countries and locations throughout Washington and this place is by far my favorite. I love how they come in individual pots for you but what my boyfriend and I do is split one of the bigger sized pots and add in everything! Like ramen, beef, fishballs, etc. I think it's fun to cook all the add ins at your table AND I love that there is so much flavor in every pot. Not only that but they have a variety of hot sauces you can use as a dip to your veggies or meat (I like to mix all the sauces together) It's pretty different from traditional hot pot but good different!! The icing on the cake is that their BUBBLE TEA is awesome!!!! I love the Hokkaido milk tea but I wish they had bigger sizes!! Lol i come here a lot just to pick up a tea for the road but get depressed because I finish it so fast :/ I probably come here way too often than I should but it's definitely my go to place when I'm feeling sickish or hungoverish or just craving something delicious!
(4)Sue Z.
Went on Sunday for dinner around 8pm. There was a lot of people there, had about 12 groups (2 or more) before us, the wait was about 30 mins so it wasn't too bad. We ordered a Korean hotspot and a beef hot pot. Both with level 4 spice, if you eat spicy often this is very doable for you (Asian standard). Originally I was going to get the Taiwanese spicy hot pot but it is both spicy and numbing so I changed last min. Each hot pot comes with one bowl of rice. You can order more for 50 cents. The portions were perfect for both my fiancé and I. We did not have to order any add ons. In the future I would probably just get one hot pot and have add ons (around $1.50), since you can keep on asking for more soup. One each table there should be some sauce available. I do recommend you to try it! It taste really good and gives the items you dip in there am extra kick of spice. I put 2 spoon garlic soy sauce, 1spoon bean paste,and 1 spoon spicy oil. (In case you want a reference.) There is plenty of parking but the restaurant itself is kind of on the small side. Very casual atmosphere, a good place to come on a cold day. I would not recommend it for groups though. The waitress seems to all speak English so I wouldn't worry about having to bring mandarin speaking friend. Next time if it's not so late I would totally try one of their bubble teas! Fiancé's input. soup tasted diluted after he ask for more soup, since it was just hot water. I didn't have any refills so the taste remained good. I guess my strategy wouldn't have worked then xD
(4)Henry D.
Tasting great. Service is good as well.
(5)Eileen J.
The food here is 5 stars for sure. The hotpot comes out bubbling hot and with the sterno burners it stays piping hot at each and every bite. The flavors, the options in just 1 single pot are enough to keep me coming back over and over and over again. I love the Japanese miso hot pot. They have a great selections of delicious iced teas and some herbal teas. Their desserts are cute and quite tasty. The 4 star review comes in for a couple reasons: 1. Service is never great. Their business model is similar to restaurants in many Asian countries. They don't let you do any substitutions unfortunately but they do have add ons and everything is kind of sold a la carte. If you need something you need to call for someone to come over. They don't really check in on you to see if you need anything. They don't bring you water if you don't ask for it. If you ask for some extra napkins they will bring you 1 or 2. When I'm eating an extra spicy udon I need more than a couple of napkins for the whole meal. It's a mess! My nose is running. I'm probably tearing up from the spice not to mention my glasses getting fogged up by the steamy goodness. 2. Location is not the best. This is a busy place and they only have 12 tables or so. The 2 top tables are fine but you feel crowded the whole time and when their waits go past an hour you feel a little rushed. Hotpot isn't a rushed thing, you are supposed to be able to sit and enjoy it for a while. They need a bigger space with more tables and a little more room in between the tables. (I've never been to the one in Seattle so it may be bigger. This is just for the one in Bellevue). The parking lot is also really small. It's tough to find a spot on a Friday or Saturday night or lunch during the week. All in all this is a great place. I almost feel bad giving them a 4 instead of a 5. The food is just that good. But I can't get past those other 2 points. In either case I will be back.
(4)An T.
I have to say this was one of the better Hot pot places. As far as individual hot pots this was very good! It was a long wait but definitely worth it. Came with friends in the afternoon and its a small place but the staff did an excellent job of getting customers served quickly. I had the Japanese miso with extra beef and bok choy and had it at 3 stars spicy. I thought i could handle it... at first i did but i succumb to the heat before the pot was empty...(fail) But it was delicious none the less. I read that getting the extras would be necessary to have a more filing meal but I think with the miso one it was pretty substantial. Or I just do no have the capacity as I once did. If i had a choice between this place and swish swish I would def choose this one!
(5)Meng W.
This is a terrific place to have mini hot pot. I always get item #8 (Taiwanese Spicy), which as suggested in its name is extremely spicy. Not too many Chinese restaurants in the US can make food this spicy (and delicious!). The service is good. Usually I have to wait for at least 20 minutes before getting a seat. One complaint is that the parking lot sucks. Very narrow drive way and small spaces. Many aggressive Chinese drivers. I've seen two accidents in person in this parking lot. I'd rather park at Bellevue Square and walk 5 minutes to here.
(5)Dalina L.
I came on a cold winter day, and it couldnt have been anymore perfect! Theres a number of choices you can choose from, and a variety of extra toppings! I had the curry one, and i usually do not get anything with curry flavor, not such a big fan but i decided to be a rebel and picked it, and im glad i did because i tried the other broths from my friends and it was pretty plain i'd say! I ordered an extra side of noodles to share with my friend just because they don't really add enough noodles, but if you're okay with that, it's good because they also give you a side of rice which should be good enough! I also had their passion fruit tea which was DELICIOUS, it was perfectly mixed the tea was still strong, but not too strong to take away the passion fruit flavor it was just perfect it was just a bit small. I had the Curry hotpot with the tea and my total was around 17 dollars, which isn't too bad, it was worth it, but i wouldn't come here on a regular basis just because that's a lot for hotpot, but its worth trying and i would love to come again!
(4)Whitney B.
I grew up eating hot pot, so the thought of me paying triple to have hot pot at a restaurant is bullshit. I was treated to a birthday lunch here and, much to my surprise, everything was fairly well-executed. The highlight of my visit was the sweetened, iced green tea they serve with your meal. Whatever formula they use for the tea is like spot on, SPOT ON. It tames the heat if the broth is too spicy for you. I had the Tomato Veggie hot pot for myself and it desperately needed salt. What is that? SLACKERS. Us Asians have a predilection to over-salt when thrown in any kitchen, so this is an outrage. The contents in my tomato veggie hot pot leaned more toward napa cabbage and noodles than anything else with which it came: tofu skin, vermicelli noodle, tofu, oyster mushroom, cabbage, corn, enoki mushroom. I think I found 1 slice of the oyster mushroom, which felt like finding gold among a gigantic pile of cabbage. Don't be concerned about the availability of stinky tofu or the possibility of the smell saturating your clothes. We ordered some and it was super lame. I was like, bitch, puh-rease. That shit is child's play. Boiling Point's "stinky tofu" is just soy sauce marinated tofu. If you want foulness that will hit you so hard, you'll have believed that you fell on a tree of dingleberries, try Henry's Taiwan in Chinatown. It's abnormally difficult to find parking anywhere and there's always a line. I can see Boiling Point being a mainstay for 1.) whiteys who want to expand their palette, and 2.) rich Asians who can't cook anything without supervision and a microwave.
(3)Lakshmy S.
Can't explain how much i love this place. Food is so yummy. This is mine n my husband's go to place. We have been there a million times. The food is worth the waiting:)
(5)Cici P.
Seriously the best hotpot place Whenever I visit Bellevue I always, always have to go here because if I don't it feels like something's missing. What I love more than the hotpot itself is the garlic soy sauce and I know that it can be easily made but I wish they sold it xD Their customer service is better now compared to last year and it's always a good idea to come at exactly 11 when they're just open because there's always a long line.
(5)Hana L.
I'm so torn about this review...here's why. I had really high hopes coming here (all my friends raved about it!) but upon finally coming with my "hot-pot virgin" bf, we were both a bit disappointed. I can't say it was bad, but...it wasn't great. :/ The Good: - surprisingly, we didn't have to wait long. Maybe 5 minutes? And it was 6pm dinner time on a weekday. - Hokkaido milk tea! Omgggg this drink was amazing!! Get this! - strawberry shave ice dessert! It's just like shaved snow (from Hawaii) with real strawberry pieces frozen and shaved in the ice! - quick, friendly service! All the waitstaff were super jolly and smiley :) - portion: one hot pot can probably feed 2 people (just order more sides and meat). We ordered 2 separate hot pots and ended up wasting enough food to equal 1 whole hot pot. :( If we come back, definitely sharing 1 and getting extras (like everyone else was doing = sharing!) - price: $11 for dinner hot pot is really cheap! Lunch is even cheaper The Bad: - Kimchi hot pot: probably my own fault for ordering something Korean at a Taiwanese hot pot place but it was not what I was expecting. I wanted it to be kimchi jjigae (stew) style but was more soupy. And the flavor wasn't rich and hearty. Don't get this flavor. -spice level? Bf ordered the beef hot pot which was much better than my kimchi hot pot, but he ordered the lowest spiciness level and his ended being spicier than mine! He can't handle spicy foods so I think it was difficult for him to eat a lot...perhaps they mixed up our spice levels?? - stinky: Hehe it's expected...just a heads up to hot pot noobies The Ugly: - overhyped: that's it. I was just expecting amazing hot pot (has anyone ever been to Sweet Home Cafe in Hawaii??? Best hot pot I've had and we had to wait over an hour...Plus you can byob into the restaurant! Lol I'll review that place another time lol) and was excited for my bf to try it for the first time. He wasn't thrilled as we left and frankly, neither was I :/ I'll go back for that milk tea and shave snow dessert!! :)
(3)Nathasha S.
Despite all the hate of how since your food all comes together in one pot and is thus overcooked and blah blah blah, by FAR boiling point has the best soup base I've tasted. I love their soup soooo much its so yummy with many spices and hot hot hot. I have always gotten the beef hot soup cause I like the ingredients inside best, I also add a side of vermicelli noodles (.99 cents) to get a little extra noodles. Your hot soup comes with a bowl of rice for dinner and for lunch, a bowl of rice + free green/black tea (which in my opinion is naice woohoo). This bellevue location's parking sucks honestly and people can't drive, but you can always park in the bank's lot when they are closed. Recently, they've added these ice cream macarons and though there are indeed $4.50 (yikes) they are a perfect end to your dinner. My favorite is the green tea one! :)
(4)Riry P.
Pay attention to the portion sizes - although I know some people who can finish one by themselves, I sadly could not. I ordered the least hot/spicy one and I was literally dying. The only contributing factors that knocked this from a 5 star to a 4: The wait SUCKS!! especially when you're starving and looking at people eat something so insanely delish Water service is slow - especially when your mouth is burning and you rather drink your own blood then to let the pain continue on. Overall - a really good place to eat and portion size is a good deal for the $$.
(4)Ashley T.
I loved Boiling Point back when it was just where the Facing East overflow traffic went when they didn't want to wait in line any longer. This is as close to Taipei as you can get, with set personal hotpots in which you can pick your broth and any additional add-ons. The lunch special is great because you also get a cold tea of your choice, making the meal extremely worthwhile! My favorite broth is the tomato veggie soup, with a mild spiciness. It comes with oyster mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, tomatoes, tofu, sliced pork, and lots of cabbage. The broth is really light, which is perfect because I love to use the various dipping sauces that they provide. The bubbling pot cooks everything perfectly, and it also comes with a generous bowl of rice. Other options that are tried and true are the Japanese miso and the kimchi hotpot. The Japanese miso develops a delicious flavor after cooking with the meat, and the kimchi adds that savory and spicy kick that kimchi adds to any soup. Boiling Point also has a good selection of bubble teas, as well as other traditional Asian desserts. In my opinion, their boba is cooked to the perfect chew, and you can also pick your sweetness level as well. Eating here takes me right back to Taipei, and you truly cannot get better than that!
(5)Anh N.
Good food. Very crowded even at 10pm. The smoke from their rice is abnormally surplus though...
(4)Amy Y.
My first Boiling Point experience, wanted to try it in LA since i live here but ended up trying it first in Washington! :) Will always always always get the #1, stinky tofu for the win!! It's a bit on the pricier side than I expected but well worth it to me since it's my favorite food haha. Will definitely be going to a boiling point again- though might leave the b/f (he's white so he doesn't understand the amazingnes!) next time, feel bad for making him sit through the smells. :)
(5)Franklin H.
I wonder if this place is over rated - or did I come in on a bad day? I was here on lunch, coming here on a whim as I never ate here before. First entering the place - there is a crowd at the front door - glaring down at everyone else who is seated. Basically - it's hurry up, eat, and get out mentality. The facility is pretty small, and probably has less than 30 seating capacity. Second thing I notice was the odor - the lingering effects of probably excessive use of chlorinated sanitization agents. It wasn't overpowering, but I can still detect minute quantities of the chlorinated molecules bombarding my olfactory receptors. It was an annoying distraction to say the least. I ordered the tomato veggie pot - I would consider it edible and provided my allowance of nutritional supplements, but not something that I would venture towards. I was primarily disappointed in the broth - it was just red water, it had no body, unseasoned and didn't even taste like tomato. Even more disappointing is the rice, it was cold, dry, and stale. Basically, when I'm being served rice that is hours old during lunch hour - my opinion is set for that facility. The heavy crowding at the entrance, and heavy use of sanitization agents would be forgivable if the food was tasty - alas, this was not my experience. Perhaps in the future, I'll revisit them, but for the immediate moment, I'm not going to frequent this facility. Do note that the parking in the Belgate Plaza is horrendous, I often find myself parking about five to ten minutes away walking distance to be conducting errands in the Belgate Plaza.
(2)Elle K.
Expect long line up. This place on weekend night is equally packed as facing east(next door) and din tai fung nearby. Parking is a hastle too as they are located in a small plaza with very few parking spots. You can put your name on the waiting list and wait in the car, but most people just decided to stand in front of the restaurant blocking people's ways. I have to mention the odor when you first walk inside. It isn't pleasant. As far as the actual food goes, we had beef hot pot. The broth was nice and warm witn hint of cilantro. I liked the overall flavor. The problem was afterward when I felt the msg hot flash on my face for the rest of the night and drank about three bottles of water as I got so thirsty. I consider this to be the unhealthiest meal I had within a month even including my guilty pleasure, cupcakes. There were lot of people deciding to get one pot per person, but everyone in my group (3couples) decide to share a pot per two. Unless you are a big eater, i recommend sharing and add what you enjoy- with couple dollars, you can add extra beef/pork, veggies, or different kinds of noodles. I liked how they have smaller sized pots compared to other hot pot places I've been to (ex. Sechuan chef in id) Growing up in asian culture, I dont mind eating from one pot with my friends, but there is an option of not sharing if you don't want to.
(2)Risa N.
It was okay since the food was good except the smell. The serving was very fast and prompt even they are busy. We've got a free ice tea which we didn't get one in Seattle brunch. I didn't know the original one has "the most extreme stinky smell" which I had to wash all my clothes when I got home lol. Even my hair got so stink. Lol Otherwise the taste was very good but I'm not sure it's worth to be in a long line.
(3)Laura F.
I was quite addicted with their hotpot. The three different hotsauce is my favorite, which can be purchased from this restaurant, too. I have al tried the boiling pot in LA, which is suppose to be chain stores. It is not even close to the one in bellevue.
(5)John A.
I definitely would prefer this place over the one located in International district. Even though the place is a lot smaller, and I mean SMALLER, by like half the size, the service was great and food tasted amazing. I was starving so that must've hot the spot....but that's not the point! The server were super nice, friendly and was always smiling. The place was crowded when my party of 3 was there but were lucky to have been seated promptly. I noticed a lot of their customers love to sit and chit chat even after their meal is finished. So something to take note off before going here, be prepared to wait. The entrance is quite small and waiting customers love to stand at the door which was annoying. Also only reason I'm docking off a star is because of the mission impossible of finding a parking spot. Met a lot of rude drivers. Overall the restaurant itself is great, just parking in the area sucks.
(4)Kisaburo D.
After a movie I decided to try this place out. Heard from others it was very good. They where right. It was fantastic. Tried the beef one and it was amazing. I had a choice on spicyness from 1-4. I had #2. Let's just say it cleared out my stuffy nose. Service was great but.... If I was Chinese the servers would have been greater. But I'm not, i'm Japanese. Lol. Anyways great place.
(4)Nanda L.
I came here for lunch and dinner before and I think lunch is definitely more worth it. Less people/more parking and you get a drink of choice. My bf and I usually order the flavors that comes in a bigger portion. We share that and ordered a few sides since I can't finish a whole one by myself. Our usual is the Taiwanese Spicy and it is pretty spicy. I can eat really spicy and this is the perfect level of spice. However, on some days it does fluctuates so it's a hit or miss. We went in recently and they had their summer special: Macaron Ice Cream!!! We had the Green Tea Macaron w/Strawberry Ice Cream as well as the Lavender Macaron w/Vanilla Ice Cream. Both were pretty good but I wouldn't say its life changing. I was pretty disappointed as they were a lot smaller than I thought for the price I'm paying.
(4)Kevin Y.
First of all, the food is way over priced... Most of them the choices are going to cost you around $20 by the time you get out. It's ok if the food is pricy... But it has to worth it. The serving portion is a joke and you can prep better quality of the food at home.... And of yeah... Parking is a disaster....
(1)Elisha T.
I'd say Boiling Point isn't too bad as far as friend hang out goes. The wait is long and you'll have to wait outside but that kinda gives you a chance to talk with your friends before you get busy eating once you get your order. Price of each hotpot is also in a fine range for lunch and individual hotpot takes away unnecessary hassle for group dining. The down side pretty much comes to the taste, it's just not that good and I prefer to make my own over hotpot here if I cared about the taste and not the convenience. So I would come here just to hang out with friends but never by myself or for the taste.
(3)Sophie S.
This place has won the hearts and stomachs of both my husband and I. The food is reasonably priced, plenty choices for broth base, able to pick the spice level, and the ingredients are fresh! Our bill was about only $20! Where can you find a restaurant in downtown Bellevue that would feed 2 people for $20?! We ordered 1 Korean kimchi hotpot ($12.99) which came with a bowl of rice, and ordered an extra serving of 6 pieces shrimp (about $4) & rice. It's usually an individual serving, but it was more than enough for my husband and I. The nice thing is that the food is already cooked when they serve the hotpot to you, so you don't have to wait for the broth to boil and cook the food. The service is a little spotty, but I can handle since the food was so good. The broth was so good, and they were very generous with the serving size as well. I'm a huge hotpot fan, and this tasted extremely authentic. The garlic soy sauce was yummy and definitely complemented the food too. The shrimps were extremely fresh and succulent, and actually came with their heads-on!! I find that shrimps with their heads-on taste so much better and sweeter. You get to choose the level of spice ranging from 0 (none) to 5 (very spicy), which is great. The wait can be a little long, so it'd be good to come for an early dinner, around 4.30pm, otherwise be prepared for a long wait. We will definitely be back to this place.
(5)Kevin H.
-2 Be careful of the stinky tofu aroma walking into the restaurant. I do love this place, but it gets a little too busy and especially the one in Bellevue where I feel the place is a little too small for the amount of people they are serving, especially w
(3)Jerry F.
The hot pot isn't that bad, but the line is WAAAAAAYYYY too long, and the service is crap. The hot pot you can't really mess up, but the lack of service is part of the reason it takes so long to get a seat/table.
(3)Kay N.
I came here for the first time to see what's the hype is all the about. Once you walk in, there is a particular smell you can't get over. It is a slight smell of stinky tofu. I ordered the #4 which is the beef soup. There are several different numbers you can choose from which represents the broth and the different meats and veggies that you will receive for your individual hot pot. Everyone gets their personal "pot" and burner. Overall my food had good flavor. You get a side of rice as well. For lunch, you get free green tea which is really refreshing with your food! I would recommend getting this during dinner time even though it is not free. A star is knocked off for their waiting method. it is basically pen and paper so you have to pay attention when they are calling your name. We were there during lunch and it was packed with 3-4 parties ahead of us.
(4)Namtran V.
I've tried to like boiling point the last four times I went, but I'm still on the fence. The hype is not worth it. Barely enough parking, long waits, and the portions are too big. Not a huge fan of the flavor of the broth and it's all very overwhelming. I'm impressed with the presentation and the fact that everyone gets their own personal burner, but you get over it once you realize you have to do laundry when you get home. Thumbs up for their boba and shaved ice.
(3)Jiayu L.
Always a fan here for 4yrs, but got really terrible service this time! Really feels unwelcome. If u re in bad mood, plz don't come to work and destroy ours' too!
(1)Hangie N.
First time went here with my bf. We kinda like the food here but the location is suck!! Really hard to find a parking because there are different stores around. We didn't have to wait long because it was on weekday. Food was great, lot of choices, and their bean sauce is really good. The service is okay! We probably will come back thou.
(3)Terrance D.
Hotpot here is amazing! My favorite #8 Taiwanese hotpot is unrivaled by any other hotpot in WA. Any spicy addict will enjoy this one. All their other hotpot is good as well. Parking lot is so small, but I rarely have any problems finding parking. The wait is long every single time I go, so expect to wait 30-45min before you get seated. There are a lot of people who love this place, so I understand why there is a wait. I gave this place a 4 star because they jacked up the price. Inside the restaurant is compact, but not terribly small. Perhaps people over 6ft tall and/or weigh over 200lb might find this place cramped, but us Asian people are fine with it.
(4)Kathleen C.
I've been here roughly 10 times in the past 1.5 years. My first few visits were probably a 3 star, but after that I've really come to enjoy the hot pot here; thus giving it a 4 star. I have too many complaints about this place though so rounding down! It's nice too because you don't end up ordering too much food since they're individual pots. Food: Everything is already cooked and it continues to boil in the pot (which is kinda odd, because it just ends up overcooking your meat etc). I get the beef hot soup. The portions aren't amazing. Not enough meat. I usually like to share a hot pot and just order extra sides (more beef, quail eggs, etc). so I can get have more than just veggies/napa, which is what the hot pot is mostly made up of. One of their dipping sauces is superrrr good! . Drinks: Their iced green tea is good. Free with lunch orders. Also, I like the Hokkaido milk tea. Notes: - I'd suggest not to come in the summer. I swear they don't have A/C. That does not work well with hot pot! I also suspect that they don't have heat...lol. But the warmth from the hot pot kinda makes it ok I guess. - Pretty long waits. Avoid 12pm-1pm for weekday lunches and probably weekend dinners. It's not a huge spot. - This place smells like stinky tofu the whole time you're there. Your clothes will def stink! - Parking lot sucks! Very limited spots for how many businesses are in this complex. If you do find one, the parking spots are super tiny. If you fail to find one, there are barely any street parking nearby. Eat somewhere else. Conclusion: As I re-read what I just wrote, I don't know why I come here so often. Like once every two weeks would be alright with me! Something addicting about this place.
(3)Emily K.
Okay, after about a year of loyalty to BP, I have to edit and lower the ratings because of the service. Something happened to this location!! The past maybe 5 or so visits to this location has been .... Bad. I wanted to get out of the wait line to help them. You know when sometimes you dine at a restaurant and the wait staff is running around with their heads cut off because they're stressed out because its so busy and they forget everything? BP Bellevue kind of turned into that.. Except that happens even when they are not busy. ------------------ I definitely come here way too much. I don't care what anyone says! The food is delicious!!!! I've tried every pot and if you're not into foods that are too funky then try my favorites - beef hot pot and curry fishball hot pot! Oh and if you want to cry spicy happy tears and have a spicy cough attack get the Taiwanese spicy hot pot!! (It hurts so good!!!) literally probably have been here 20 times in the past 2-3 months? (Yeah I got two free hot pots thanks to their stamp cards) I'm not ashamed. Just try it guys.
(3)Danielle M.
Got here 3 times, no really good feeling about their pots... First, their meat and corn and many other stuff are frozen food, not fresh. I saw those hotpot meat in their fridge, just like those sold in asian groceries... Second, we tried 4+ pots, only the #1 I think OK (which I had when very hungry). Nothing amazing and nothing special (As a girl cook almost everyday I can tell it's not difficult to make the soup base). I thought the spicy ones are worse than little sheep or other 'Chinese' place; well it's a Taiwanese, maybe I should not compare to other Chinese restaurants?? Also, it's always long wait during weekend. It's a little pricy considering its amount and frozen ingredients and un-amazing taste. Don't understand why so popular... The only thing I feel good here is the sauce, which of course you can buy similar from Asian grocery stores
(3)Yvonne K.
I enjoy the food here but the location sucks. It's next to Facing East and the postage stamp sized parking spots suck. The food is good but often over cooks if you don't grab a server to shut it off sooner then later. Try the curry hot pot. It's delicious!
(4)Monica D.
I really like this place. Went on a Thursday night at like 7pm, didn't have to wait in a line and got a parking spot right up front. It was crazy! The previous times I went there it was so packed and took forever to get a spot. Since they do first come first serve basis people get glared at when two people sit at a table for four but I totally understand the customer's feelings since they're starving and waited, they should be first! I always get the house special even though it's so stinky but paired with a iced black tea, I crave this place like once a week! If I lived closer I think I'd be going there all the time! Only con is it's pretty greasy and the soup could probably taste better but it's so good!
(4)Char Y.
So far, I've been here 3 times. Tried the beef hot pot which was fine. The spicy Taiwanese one is delish, good spicy flavor. Not a disappointment! For ppl who don't eat as spicy might be a bit too much for them to handle tho. My husband always order this one so I can just eat from his while I'm enjoying mine. Hehe I also tried the miso hot pot which was fine but a little bland for me so I wouldn't order this again. More likely order something else so I can try the other flavors as well. Also had tried the macaroon ice cream which was good for a one time try (a bit pricey for me). Same goes for the shaved ice. Yum for a one try taste. Not worth it for me to keep ordering dessert here tho. I would like to give a 3.5 but since it's either a 3 or 4, I'm putting it as a 3 for now. Only because there is not as much meats but tons of cabbage. I do enjoy the cabbage but I would prefer having more quantity of meat and other items instead. However if u in a soup mood more so, this would prob fancy you. overall the experience is good. Service is fine but you may have to grab their attention sometimes because theyre usually busy. Every once in awhile to come here is enjoyable especially when in mood for some fulfilling soup tasting such as the spicy Taiwanese one! Yum. It is a little pricey but it's not something you spend everyday (not for me at least). Recommend it for occasions except do expect a wait esp depending what time and day you go. If you don't have patience to wait to get seated, you might want to stay away. Enjoy !
(3)Nellie R.
I absolutely love this place! The staff is so friendly and will accommodate to your needs. We had such a friendly waiter who helped us order because it was our first time there. The only reason they got 4 stars was because it's such a tiny location and parking was horrible. The maximum occupancy I believe was 38 people! So this place is definitely not for larger groups. Especially during a lunch rush.
(4)Cody L.
The taiwanese pot is the best. I wish there was an option to adjust the spice level because it is SUPER spicy. Overall, the food is good. However, the ambiance and service really cater to the native Chinese, which can make it uncomfortable for others to eat there.
(3)Natalie Y.
My first Boiling Point experience in Seattle, not bad not bad. Service was friendly and had great sense of humor. Wait wasn't too long. And as usual, the pots were flavorful and delicious. Their version of spicy was on point as I was sweating a storm. It's great that they have one in Seattle considering the weather is so freaking cold all the time. The only downside is they don't offer any basil seeds to drink unlike the ones in Cali.
(4)Mandy S.
1. They have Hong Kong Style/Taiwanese Bubble Tea -Red bean instead of Tapioca! 2. This is an individual hot pot with all the ingredients included in the soup. 3. You will smell like fermented tofu all day I think Boiling Point is pretty 'on point' and exceeded my expectations compared to hot pot places like Little Sheep in Bellevue. It entails a less elaborate, simple and straight forward menu. You will need to be in the mood before coming here (perhaps on a cold rainy day and you're craving strong flavors that makes pho and thai look bland and mild in comparison) and I like that they refill your hotpot with extra water for extra broth too :)
(5)B C.
I've been here twice. Food was pretty tasty but it's just missing the flavor you'd expect. Everything comes already in a pot, which I think takes away from the experience of real hot pot, which has a more complex melody of flavors as you add foods and remove foods by eating it. Their spicier foods don't really phase me either, needs more pepper and peppercorns. Sigh, off to the International District for the real hot pot.
(3)peter c.
I have no complaints about the food as it's always pretty consistent and very good for single serve hot pot. No better way to clear your sinuses. The issue is this venue is super awful. There will be no parking, there will be a line that forces you to stand outside and the only alternative nearby, which is facing east, that just as terrible in this regard. The service sometimes is hit or miss. Once I had a waiter need to check with management about putting ice in my water. Seriously? If you have a choice the Seattle Location is superior even with parking.
(3)Mariko L.
I love me a good hot pot in the winter and this is one I frequent often. (Be forewarned if you have never smelled stinky tofu that this place can have a very steamy pungent stinky tofu smell but I don't mind). I like the miso, kimchi, and beef hot pot but my favorite is the curry fish ball. One downside/warning: this place is not great with food allergies. When I was testing food allergies I couldn't eat gluten/egg/dairy and the server told me that the only thing that might have gluten in it was the egg (!). Also a lot of their stuff comes pre-packaged so they can't verify ingredients even by asking the kitchen... It luckily boiled down to a (relatively) simple egg allergy but just a warning in case you have allergies/food sensitivities.
(4)Juyoung L.
This place is a "pre-ready" hot pot, meaning the food is already cooked and in the broth when they give it to you. The beef soup, kimichi soup and spicy taiwanese is pretty good, their broth is amazing and it's probably what makes it so popular. However... If you are sensitive to smell and time, this isn't the place for you. The stinky tofu smell is very strong and if you come during dinner time on fridays and weekends, it's a good hour wait. The hot pot is also mainly 80% cabbage and 20% meat, other veggies,etc. I usually only come here for lunch because they give you a free iced tea drink that's surprisingly very good. I recommend people to go to the Seattle one, it's more spacious, less humid, they give a little bit bigger portion in meat and the meat taste better.
(3)Stephanie Y.
The food here is so good.. I can literally eat it every single day if it was cheaper. Not giving five stars for two reasons.. 1. The wait which is ALWAYS so long and 2. They never have stinky tofu. Considering this place is technically called "stinky pot" in Chinese, not sure why this location never ever has it which is always very disappointing. Nevertheless, the servers are all very attentive and food is bomb.
(4)Iyelp W.
Taiwanese hot pot is the best! but this place is way too small... it always takes a long time to get seated. But i have to say, the servers here are a lot better than the one in Chinatown.
(5)Lucy Y.
Great place to get warmed up with the tasty soup. But need to plan ahead. Pros: Great flavor, can refill soup Lots of choices and fun to eat Affordable Cons: Hard to find parking Long wait after 11:30am For Kids: Tight space but can fit high chair Soup, rice, and some noodles. My kids will slurp it down. Shaved ice, ice cream sandwiches as treats.
(4)Sophia H.
Meh. I don't know why it's always so busy. Soup is bland. Service is horrible. Server looked annoyed the entire time. The only good thing is the dipping sauce, I basically drenched all my food in it. Every side order is over priced. most likely will not return.
(2)Mark Y.
Been countless more times.. love the food, don't love the wait but hey that's what you get when you have limited quality Chinese fare in Seattle. Still love it.. 5 stars.
(5)Marisa C.
I come to this location more than the Seattle one. Because I feel that the broth tastes a lot better. The location of this location is not the best, since it is very small and barely any parking. Wait can be at least an hour long, so if you come here be prepared to wait for awhile.
(4)Kazar L.
As the basis for any number of amazing dishes and recipes, a good broth or master stock can be worth it's weight in gold. Something as simple as chicken noodle soup can be escalated from mundane to amazing if done right and Boiling Point manages to hit all the marks to be part of the latter: affordable, ample portions, and yes, unforgettable. Though there are now two locations in the Pacific Northwest, I had heard nothing but good things about the Bellevue spot and decided on a perfectly chilly afternoon to make my first trek there. Opening the doors, you're hit initially by the smell of fermented tofu. Growing up around foul smelling delicious food all my life, it wasn't off-putting by any means, but it wasn't a smell I wanted lingering on my winter coat so I ended up stashing that back in my car. We were greeted and served promptly by the wait staff, myself partaking in the Taiwanese spicy hot soup, and my SO trying her hand at the Thai Flavor. What soon followed out of the kitchen was nothing short of spicy perfection. A literal vat of deliciously seasoned broth nestling a hodge podge of meat, vegetables, and noodles, placed atop a stand over a contained flame to keep the broth (wait for it)boiling. The Taiwanese broth held up to its name sake, leaving a satisfyingly numb feeling in my mouth from the sichuan pepper, while still imparting loads of flavor. The Thai broth though not as spicy, was rich in flavor and reminiscent of Tom Yum soup. Though ingredients were fresh and plentiful, it was the broth that literally stripped me of any composure I tried to hold on to before succumbing to eating and sweating with no shame or regret. Tis the season for frosty windshields, layers of clothing, and now, savory hot pot. If you find yourself with the need of something satisfyingly spicy and out of your normal comfort zone, this place is definitely worth the pain in the butt it is to find parking. Decor: 3/5 Service: 4/5 Food: 5/5 TL;DR- One of the few times being a hot sweaty mess at the end isn't necessarily a bad thing.
(4)Xuejiao Y.
I ask more soup, waitress said yes, then went away, she was not busy, and went around , didn't come back again, similar never heard my request, I was waiting, until another server came to me. I always come this place, but saw her attitude always same! She isn't a good server, maybe she didn't know what's meaning of service! Forget to say , her name is Ivy!
(1)Antonym N.
This is a very delicious restaurant, it almost resembles going to a noodle shop it japan and it gives off that vibe very well. Now for their food, it's very tasty. One of the best noodle joints I've been in, it has a lot of noodle variety. I had the house special with ramen noodles and it was amazing when you put some of the sauces they provide for you on the side. The reason stoping it from being five stars is the strong smell of propane when you walk it and it kind of smuggles it's stench into your clothing, and makes you feel nauseated if around for too long, other than the smell of propane, the food was amazing.
(4)KT E.
I've reviewed the one in Chinatown already. They get 3 stars for the delicious food but not so great service. They're just not very attentive but at least they weren't rude like the one server in Chinatown that laughed in my face when I tried ordering by pointing at the pictures on their menu. We waited for such a long time to get our check. My friend and I both tried getting the servers attn multiple times but felt like we were being ignored.
(3)Mark B.
Gave into the hype, and found myself at the Bellevue location. As expected the place was packed for lunch, but luckily a table had opened up right when I got there. The staff was very friendly and even nice enough to explain exactly what the dishes they served and what they recommended. The broth was delicious. I could used more meat instead of vegetables. They offered options that for extra meat, but the standard should include more in my opinion. We had their macaroon ice cream for dessert and was very satisfied.
(4)S S.
Great personal hot pot shop with great service! I frequent this place almost once a week and it typically doesn't disappoint! I usually get the Taiwanese hot soup which is ultra spicy and I love it! Their soup has enough flavor but does need to add the sauces to make it even better. Their pot usually include some meat, veggies and extra goodness like stinky tofu, or pig intestine or blood cubes! I love the mixture of things they have! Most of the times i don't need the rice but i see that most people enjoy that. Their bubble tea are always good! Because we are regular, they know what we need and are always nice about our requests for extra napkins, water, etc. The line is always long so I suggest getting here by 5:30 pm for dinner and before 11:30 am for lunch to avoid the long wait (which can sometimes be over 45 mins which seems to be eternity when you are hungry)! Parking is a pain but if you go late park at the bank parking spaces. The only thing I don't care for here is they added the frozen ice cream or something like that to the menu and they are always out! Why would you have it printed on the menu and never serve it?! That is ridiculous.
(4)