Qingshu 86 Spicy Hot Pot 青蔬麻辣烫

This place is a dream for dry pot lovers. You pick all your own ingredients—meats, veggies, tofu, whatever you want—and they toss it in the wok with the most flavorful spices. The 1-pound minimum sounds like a lot, but trust me, it’s easy to hit with all the options. However, if you don’t hit the 1 pound minimum then they charge you for the soup base — $3.50, which I wasn’t a huge fan of. They speak pretty good Cantonese and English! I didn’t like how you always had to get up to ask for water or to order food or to get the check or even a takeout box! Other than that, the flavors are bold, smoky, and spicy (they don’t play with spice levels, so be ready!). Perfect spot if you’re craving something customizable and delicious. Quick service, good vibes, and seriously addictive food. Highly recommend!

Good soup bowl with lots of add on option and affordable price. It’s like hot pot but you don’t need to work for your meal. You pick the ingredients and they will prepare it for you. A good option if you want something different in the heart of 86th street food scene.

You want something filling and delicious? This is your place. Staff is super friendly and attentive. You get to pick your own toppings and portion sizes are big! Definitely would recommend bringing a friend for vibes.

Good to find a hot pot place in this area. Both the dry hot pot with seafood and the crispy fish with sour soup base are yummy. This place is spacious and clean. Customer can also pick their own ingredients for customized dry pot. However, the option cause risk of food quality. We noticed customers took long time to pick food and left the refrigerator open, and at the end did not close the refrigerator properly. The servers walked back and forth but no one pay attention and no one noticed that refrigerator were not properly close for a very long time. The refrigerator should have e been made to be able to close automatically to keep food fresh.

# Overall: I'm raring to come back to Qingshu! The Mala dry hotpot was an absolute game changer for me. You can also customize the spice level too if you're uncomfortable with spice. # Ambiance Qingshu sets up a warm homely feel with its lighting and tightknit seating. The freezers where you build your own bowl are right next to the register where you pay. # Food and Drink Salt and Pepper Squid Tentacles The salt and pepper flavor wasn't the strongest from this appetizer, but it overall wasn't bad. Husband and Wife Beef Tendon and Tripe Tripe is just a great appetizer choice, especially for sharing. Build Your Own Bowl Hotpot (Mala Dry hotpot) I've been to Qingshu on different occasions, but I've always built my bowl with a soup base. The mala dry hotpot base is definitely a game changer and will be my go to choice the next time I come back. The level of freedom in choosing what goes into the dry hotpot is great; the only restriction really is that the contents need to weigh over 1 pound. Yan Yan Milk Green Tea My friends have compared this to the pudding dessert at LaoJie hotpot, but I don't feel that it is similar enough. It's still a good drink to get that pairs well with the mala flavor, but it doesn't reach the same tier that LaoJie pudding resides in.