LaMei Hot Pot

Pricey hotpot. Taste just average, broth is too salty. They charged for the sauces. One of the servers was rude. I miss Phoenix, the previous restaurant here that served Dim Sum.

Great authentic Chinese hot pot. A real gem I providence. More than pleasantly surprised!

Went here for my husbands birthday, they allowed me to bring his birthday cake so that was really nice. It was pretty busy, but our service was not very good. We never got waters and I had to repeatedly ask different people for napkins and cutlery. Besides all of that… The meal was amazing. Super fast and fun, made a great environment to hang out (so the bad service was offset a bit) and I will definitely return. I stuck with clear broth and the seafood platter but my husband and our buddy had the spicy broth with a variety of ingredients. They both liked it quite a lot, but both said they overdid it on the spicy broth. They got 2 different kinds of noodles and the veggie platter, as well as 2 kinds of meat. Hopefully the service was a one off, they had just opened and it was busy.

LaMei Hot Pot is a great addition to the PVD food scene. Went there on a Saturday around 5:00 pm with a reservation but was surprised to find it was a bit dead inside. The service was prompt, courteous and the food was excellent. While it did fill up later the reservation was not needed that early in the evening. The selection of «hot pot» ready foods was abundant and there was plenty to pick from for all kinds of food lovers. If you have never eaten lotus root before, LaMei is a great place to try it at.
We went with the spicy broth and it was delicious and had a perfect level of heat. As everyone else has noted, LaMei is not cheap and the additional cost of the «sauce buffet» per customer just meant that no one in my party got up to get sauces. Drinks were a bit pricey and the lack of specials was disappointing compared to all the specials you see at Hot Pot places in Boston but we’ll definitely come back the next time the desire for hot pot strikes and we’re in RI.

Wow, didn’t know that a place like this in the area existed. When it comes to hot pot/​Shabu Shabu, this is really your place to be. Now that summer is coming up, you may not be looking for something to warm you up especially with how hot it is outside. Let me tell you though that this place pumps up the air conditioning so that you can sit comfortably in an environment and enjoy warm and spicy foods.
If you’re not a big spicy person, perhaps this is not exactly your place although they do have a broth here that is non spicy. If you’re new to hot pot, then let me describe it to you. You start off with a communal broth at the center of your table that you will share with your friends. There isn’t much in the broth to begin with. Your job then is to order the raw materials. Literally, the meat, vegetables and everything are not cooked yet and are brought to you on large platters. They have a sauce station in the back to further flavor your soup and meats. One by one you add your proteins to the mix and watch it cook in the boiling soup. Take it out as they cook and eat it. The stuff here is so fresh and the food is bursting with flavor. You can also add noodles as well which is a particularly great way to end your meal. With the cooked noodles and now the nutrient rich soup, you have something that just very nicely washes everything down.
If I were you, I would get the half spicy and half butter base soup. That way you can give your mucosal tract a rest from the spiciness plus give you the option to mix and tune it all down. The meat choices were great. Choose the ribeye, you won’t be disappointed. For those who like texture and flavor, go with the tendon and the fish/​squid balls. The mushroom platter was excellent as well and added something other than meat into the mix. Like always, we were over zealous and ordered more than we really could handle but never regretted one bit. The spicy pig’s ear appetizer was very nicely done. Even for people who had never had it before, the texture and the flavor together was very very nice! I haven’t had something like that since I was young!
They have their own parking lot and they are very easy to miss because the front of the restaurant doesn’t face the main street. You likely will have to make a few U turns before you finally see it. Well worth the visit, though!

Delicious hot pot broths with average-​to-​smallish portions and add-​ins/​sauces ordered a la carte.
Some caveats:
–Reservations are recommended, it can get packed here during busy times.
–Not AYCE and again, sauces are an extra charge.
–VERY scatterbrained service on my first visit. Stuff like forgetting dishes, bringing incorrect dishes, empty water glasses, confusion, disappearing act, incorrect check… We had a large party, but still.
–some previously frozen food. This is pretty common for Chinese hot pot restaurants in New England tho.
In spite of the caveats, I’ll certainly be back. This is the only Chinese hot pot I’ve been to in the PVD and Boston areas where I’ve actually enjoyed food. It’s legit.

Based on the pictures and reviews I was lead to believe this place would be just like any other hotpot places, we went there during lunch hour between 2−3pm, because usually places have lunch time deals, this place does not, matter of fact this place was completely dead, only two customers came, and one of the customers was an employee, I asked the waitress what broth options did she have, because (basic broth) does not really say what’s in there, she said vegetarian, beef bones and spicy broth, in which we can get half spicy and half basic, I was there with my elderly mother in law so I just got the vegetarian broth, got the vegetable platter and lettuce, the moment it came in I already knew it was lacking spices, and when I tasted it yep it was lacking taste, I was so pissed because I already knew how much it was going to cost me and I just couldn’t eat it, it was just too bland, but then I remember a spice bar that we saw when we got there, and just as I was about to grab stuff for it, I saw a measly sign that said 2.50 per person, and yep the waiter confirmed it, like are you serious? yes I will complain about the spices when it’s usually free, what if all I want is salt 2.50 extra??? cheap people!
After an unfinished plum juice (which does not taste like plum) unfinished meal, my mother in law said she wanted to take the broth home, since all the vegetables has been cooking in it and she wanted the nutrients (you know how they think), the guy said okay, what did he come back with??? HOT WATER in a take-​out container, with a straight face, like sir??? are you serious? we said we wanted our broth without the vegetables in it, he was so confused, the waitress had to come and ask what the issue was, and we had to explain to her that was wanted the broth, from our bowl, not freaking hot water, she said that their veggie broth is just hot water, lol so we paid for just hot water with no seasoning but MSG, anyways my mother in law ended up throwing away the MSG filled water, oh we found out towards the end that they have chicken broth, their Chinese menu is just white rice with a bunch of pork options, don’t worry folks we paid them 18% tip, but I still hate you guys!

I said nothing beats shabu zen and i was wrong! It was so satisfying ! Our bill was half of shabu zen which makes it much better! This will be my go to hot pot spot when i come to providence.

New spot in Rhode Island for hot pot! The restaurant is nice, bright and clean. I was so happy when I stepped in the restaurant, it didn’t smell like other American Chinese restaurants.
We had the half spicy half non spicy hot pot, but they also have other authentic Chinese food on the menu for you to choose. The red side of the hot pot wasn’t spicy at all to me. It will be great if they can let you choose the level of spicy. They also have the authentic butter hot pot broth, beef tripe (Mao Du) and Huang Hou (cow’s heart tube) on the menu. Thumbs up for the portion of food! Almost couldn’t finish it.
If you like hot pot, definitely check out this place

La Mei stands now in the location which once held the Phoenix Dragon. They’ve done a fabulous job with updating the space and décor.
As someone who is definitely not new to hot pot, my experience here has definitely been quite different from what I am familiar with, all my life having had hotpot in Boston and north of, as well as one other spot in Rhode Island.
Some things they do different here:
–Dipping sauces (typically scallions/​ginger/​chili peppers/​hoisin or soy sauce) are not complimentary ($ 2.50/person) though they do have a lot more options. Which brings me to my next point– the sauce ingredients are not delivered to your table, rather there is a «sauce bar» that you walk up to (all ingredients are labeled) and create your own sauce.
We weren’t informed of this on our first trip, and were a little confused when our sauce didn’t arrive with the rest of our order.
–Everything is a la carte. No combos here.
Also the first place I’ve been where your udon noodles arrive frozen, thus requiring cook time.
The food itself is very good. I do find that the broths here have a lot of flavor compared to most places. The spicy broth is super spicy, even to my bf who literally has every meal with some sort of heat, though as time went on there was some spice in the broth that developed into a flavor which became a bit too strong for him.
The service could use some improvement. A combination of polite, friendly, and awkward mixed in with a bit of a language barrier. Some parts of our order were mixed up/​duplicated/​missing, and you have to ask if you want water.
They don’t have much else on the menu besides hot pot.

The food is legit, broth is good, but service can be improved. The person who took our drink order was very friendly, but our server got the order wrong. Then not only that she did not admit her own error, she suggested that I got it wrong. We got 2 pots for a party of 8 and I asked for separate bills. In the end, there were two bills alight but the items were all mixed up. Price is okay, but I was not happy about them charging $ 2.50 per person for the condiment bar. Also, I wish there were combos to make the ordering process easier. I also wish there were bowls so we could have some of the clear soup. This place is rather new, I hope they get better so we can have a good hot pot place in the area.

One of my favorite restaurants in Providence. As an avid hotpot eater I find the hotpot here authentic and the broth is very flavorful. Personal favorite dish outside of the hotpot selection is the sichuan chicken in chili oil sauce (kou shui ji) — definitely worth a try.
To address a few points of confusion I see on here, the sauce bar is completely optional — so I don’t see why people keep complaining about the small $ 2.50 per person price when they can choose to enjoy their meal without. Also, if you just want regular salt and pepper and not the more extraordinary sauce they provide at the sauce bar, just ask for it, they won’t charge you for that.
For those who are unfamiliar with hotpots, if you feel your pot is running dry, just tell the waiters to add soup… it’s free.
I’d highly recommend anyone to visit this restaurant at least a few times to try their hotpot as well as their individual dishes — this place is seriously good.

I love Lamei hotspot! The food is wonderful, fresh and tasty. You start the broth and then you cook everything in the broth. It is a very fun experience for yourself as well as your family and friends. Besides, the environment is fabulous with real Chinese atmosphere. More importantly, the waiters and waitresses are very nice and friendly. They give great instruction on how you eat hotspot if you have never done this before. I highly recommend doing the sauce. It is a self serve which give you a chance to mix the way you like. I have to say it is place you definitely have to go. You can absolutely get an authentic Chinese experience! One last thing, having some ice cream after the hot stuffs makes your day as sweet as honey!

This place is phenomenal. This was my very first Hot Pot experience and I am ever so pleased with my experience. Fortunately the food was amazing, unfourtunately I dont have any other experience to pin against this one. I walked in on a Friday night, with 3 adventurous eating girls such as myself. It was 1030pm we were running extremely late and the place closed at 11pm (Sorry guys) Suprisingly we were greeted by a warm smiling staff and a fucking delicious aroma floating through the scene. I was damned near mystified by that pungent spicy scent… Through the haze, I noticed that there were about three groups of four enjoying there meals rather intently. I was growing a little bit intimidated watching the patrons comb thru several small plates and bowls of veggies and proteins. Our waitress came over immediately. I scanned the whole menu in 2 seconds flat, ordered a Tsing Tsao and agreed on some plates. We ordered The Seafood Platter: A serious abundance of head-​on Prawns, Squid, Mussels, Seabass (?) Boneless Short Rib (perfect tasty cuts of meat, highly suggest) Veggies/w.e: Cellophane noodles, Tofu, Cilantro, Shiitake Mushrooms (Warning! Do not consume raw UNLESS you are certain you have no allergies. Google Shiitake Dermatitis! It happened to me!) And a lovely bouquet of Napa Cabbage. The broth arrived and we dug in like never before. There was enough food there for about five people to have a good fill up. Beware: The Spicy broth will light your entire brain on fire but it is super addicting and full of flavor. All in All it was an experience that I could easily partake in every other week. And I will be there next Wednesday lol

It was fun. I will definitely go again and bring other friends. The staff was super friendly and seemed really excited and made us feel very welcomed, even though we showed up at 9pm for dinner. I am always weary of restaurants where they make you cook your own food. If I wanted to cook my own steak, or burger, I could stay at home. This place is a little different, however, beware, it is still possible to over cook your seafood. If you are in doubt, ask for help. If you have never had hotpot before, it is a fun experience. There is an induction stove in the center of the table and then you choose a plain or spice broth, and all the food you want to cook in the broth. Since it was our first time there, we went with the vegetable sampler, the seafood sampler and some beef. Next time I will skip the beef and stick with the fish. The vegetable sampler included baby bok choy, spinach, chinese cabbage, corn, potato and tomato. It was all very fresh. The seafood sample included cod, squid, crab sticks and a few prawns and the largest mussels I have ever seen. The shrimp are in their shell, so they are a little messy to eat. The mussels are on the half shell. The squid is only the bodies, no tentacles (my favorite part). It is not super expensive. It cost $ 40 for 2 and it was more than enough food and we had a beer too. They have a sauce bar, but we did not try anything from there. It was an extra $ 2.50 per person and that just seemed ridiculous. Why do they charge extra for soy sauce?
Heading away from town, it is on the left side of the street in an old house, and they have their own parking lot — a definite plus!

LaMei was my first-​ever experience with hot pot and needless to say, I am hooked.
Ryan and I have been twice in the last few weeks and each time has been great. Initially, we tried the half basic and half spicy broth. While both were delicious, the spicy broth’s flavor was almost too strong to taste the flavor of the sirloin.
Helpful tip, if you do go with the spicy broth, you don’t need any of the additional condiments (which cost $ 2+ per person — which is silly).
Here’s what we ordered:
— Basic broth
— Assorted vegetables
— Sirloin
— Fish balls (stuffed with ground pork)
— small side of white rice
This was more than enough for two people. I’d love to try their ribeye but it’s a bit on the pricey side and the sirloin is quite delicious.
I took away one star for the additional cost for the condiments. As my fellow Unilocalers called out, the condiments they charge for are often free at other places.
LaMei is a great addition to Providence and we’ll definitely be back. I wonder if they have a loyalty program… :)

I feel conflicted about La Mei. The broths are very interesting, but the pot and quanity is small. So you basically end up with your cooked items of choice and a little bit of liquid. The serving dishes are also awkward. I would have felt more comfortable with small bowls instead.
Condiments are available only after you agree to an upsell and everything is ordered ala cart. No combo options. Some people have complained about certain items being frozen, but that doesn’t actually matter. The broth is hot enough to cook most items within a minute or two — and hot pot isn’t about rushing. Everything tastes good, but it’s the peripherals of the experience that make you feel so-​so.
Service is a little slow when you’re left waiting for your check to appear, but the place was also packed when we went. It would be interesting to visit again on a less busy night.

I just left here very full and very happy. Between 3 people we had an amazing spread, of 3 various cuts of beef, beef tripe, beef tendon, beef tongue, beef balls, pork balls, seafood balls, squid, shrimp, flounder, crabstick, potato noodles, shrimp, mussels, gluten balls, fried tofu, regular tofu, skin, the mushroom platter, Bok Choy, cabbage, sweet potato, winter melon I believe and I think that’s it?! LOL
We had the half and half broth which had both broth offerings and both were seasoned well and full of flavor and depth. I am partial to anything spicy but both were phenomenal.
I have absolutely no complaints! The place is open and the staff is friendly and inviting. Overall a great experience and a great thing to do with friends! Can’t wait to go back with friends from NY.

This is a hefty replacement from Phoenix Dragon, besides my argument of not being able to find good Chinese restaurants anywhere in RI! The menu is spectacular, many choices to eat and do plan to eat for at least 3 to 4 hours. Lounge it. Fresh ingredients, massive quantities of it and very delicious. I ordered the spicy broth, with pork, Bok Choy and tofu and my friend ordered noodles, beef, lamb and mushroom platter which was fabulous. I highly recommend the small which is enough for 2 if you can go greedy do the large but beware it’s large.

I will get the negatives right out of the way first.
That being said, it still earns a 5 star.
—–
Negatives:
Paying for sauces is a no-​no and really sucks that they charge you $ 2.50 pp to access the sauces.
Most of them basic staples to Asian cuisine.
Soy sauce, garlic, scallions are a standard of hotpot and shabu style establishments.
Siracha, sesame oil and bbq sauces and a few others round out the list… But also
Charging for salt?
It’s part of the experience and should be an automatic inclusion since you are paying for each plate of food to be used.
The other slight negative, the lighting was just a little too bright, it felt like a bar at closing when the lights are so bright you don’t feel comfortable.
Turn them down 15%
—–
Positives:
If you have never had hot pot before COME HERE!!!
It’s authentic, fresh and delicious.
The broths are spot on, we asked for a little less spice on the spicy broth and it was perfect.
I encourage you not to pick one, but do the split.
there are not many hot pot places in Rhode Island period, but this is the real deal.
Hot pot is popping up in a handful of places in the New England area and seems to be the next wave
As a west coast transplant I have had lots of hot pot and also in China was my very first experience.
This place is awesome and pretty authentic.
It is not all you can eat, nor is it an option, which is common at a lot of hotpot, but I think it factors about the same, for two people to eat until we couldn’t eat more, came to $ 60. (5 $ was the ridiculous condiment and sauce price)
And ayce typically is 25 – 30 $ pp.
We had the meat platter combo which was a pile of meat and was 14 $ I think, chicken, veggie assortment, mushroom assortment, shrimp dumpling, pumpkin, udon and a lot more.
The waitstaff was attentive and always came by and were refreshing our water glasses etc.
I hope this place thrives and survives as it is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, sad that the Chinese food restaraunt is gone, but happy it is replaced with something of equal quality.
I will be coming here again for sure!!!