Ipot Restaurant - Sydney

My first time experiencing hotpot outside of home as I usually eat hotpot at home with my family. Cost wise it was very expensive, for two people it ended up around $100/$50pp. We did order a tad too much and ended up being really bloated but just keep it mind that it will obviously be cheaper if you have the traditional hotpot at home. If it is your first time at Ipot, they have steps to guide you in the menu but the first step is to always choose the soup as your base. Ordered: -Hearty beef & tomato soup* -Free range chicken soup* -Beef & lamb combination* -Hand-made mushroom & prawn mini wah -Hand-made cuttlefish mini wah -Chinese cabbage x2* -Glass noodles* -Crystal rice noodles -Ice chrysanthemum tea (by the carafe)* -Fish roe balls (can't remember the exact ones) * = recommended I did not particularly like the handmade wah, kinda expensive and did not taste that great.

The same amount of effort that went into this review would sum up the service.    The food is great, the ingredients fresh, the selection of meat, veg and seafood in the set menu for two ($49pp) diverse, the service here was more passive which makes sense since its essentially a DIY meal.

Anyone who ever experienced a communist county will know within 10 seconds of walking in what to expect, westerners will get a shock, at least you don't have to wait for it in line like they do across the road at Mamak.We used to go to the Chatswood store, the food was yummy but the staff act like they just woke up with a headache from a bad sleep and don't want to talk to anyone... and you're the one responsible for it. The city store is probably worse. The Chatswood store is now closed down replaced by a different Chinese restaurant with much friendlier staff.Anyways, once you sit down and understand that this is just how things work at iPot, and fight your way to ordering the food, and your interaction with the staff is no longer vital, things start to get better. Each person has a small pot (you choose the soup base) that boils in front of you. Once the vegetables, seafood, meats, noodles etc arrive you cook them in your pot and eat them when you feel they are ready. (Don't put everything in your pot at once, just cook enough for a bite or two at a time) I love this concept because I love my food extra hot! Especially in winter. Don't forget to pick up some sauces from the front of the store to dip your food in just before eating.Note that the fish comes much later after other items because it is frozen so it takes them a while to prepare. Also the noodles come out last just when you think that they forgot about them. I recommended the handmade noodles. They look like fettuccini and taste delicious.We had a spacious booth for just the 2 of us. The interior of the restaurant is nothing special so you will not impress your date if you take them here.The bill for 2 of us was just under $90, with no alcohol, but we ate a lot of food. To close off, yeah, the service is horrible, we look past it and enjoy the food.

Was here on a Sunday for lunch with some friends.The service was the absolute worst!They had pretty much ran out of everything we wanted and on top of that it took so long for our order to come out! Mind you, they didn't have to cook it.Very bad table service as the waiter we had would lean over you without any notice. It was also about 2pm where the waiter came over to us and said "can you pay your bill now"... and we hadn't received all our food yet!Extremely rude.. The only plus side is that their sauce bar is USUALLY... but they had run out of a lot of it.

Never had worse!!!!!! We have a booking and confirm 10 minutes before arrival. Upon arrival i was told the table was given to the boss's friend who walk in TWO minutes before us and just took our table and no more table available!! Definitely worst experience ever!