Hotpot First - Sunnyvale

Save your time. 100% stale food. Even the frozen fish ball is stale. Vegetable is not clean too.

They offer a combo special for dine-in only, which includes your choice of two broths, one appetizer, and two drinks. We opted for the Chongqing Mala Spicy broth and added some Udon noodles for just $3! The spice levels range from Mild to Fire. If you're not into spicy food, there are plenty of non-spicy options available as well. For appetizers, we tried the fried fish balls and fried pot stickers, both of which were delicious. The pot stickers were especially crispy. Our meal also included rice topped with minced meat, and we chose iced green tea for our drinks. As someone who loves really hot and spicy food, the Chongqing Mala was just perfect for me! It included a delightful mix of veggies, seafood, mushrooms, and tofu. If you're looking for something lighter, the clear glass noodles are a great option, but I personally love the udon. This dish was bursting with flavor, and overall, Hotpot First impressed me with both the quality of the food and the exceptional service. It has officially become one of my favorite restaurants!

The restaurant officially closes at 8 PM, but they stopped taking customers after 7 PM. It's quite frustrating!

This was the worst hotpot experience I've had in the Bay Area. I was drawn in by the appealing photos I saw on Yelp and thought it would be worth a try. Unfortunately, the ingredients in the soup were stale and tasted stale as well. The meat was of low quality, tough to chew, and seemed to have been frozen for a long time. I would highly discourage anyone from dining here—it's simply a waste of money.

Hotpot First was one of the first hotpot places I'd been to where they give you individual bowls for hotpot and it's one of my favorites! Food: I got the chongqing mala with medium spiciness and pork. The spiciness level is perfect and this bowl is loaded with goodies! There's glass noodles, fish cake, lots of meat, cabbage, etc. it's absolutely packed and definitely will leave you full after. I've also had some of the milk tea and it's the perfect combo to calm some of the heat if it gets too hot. Also, fair warning this place has the numbing effect ! Parking: super easy! There's a huge lot with plenty of parking. Wait times: they only have a couple tables inside (maybe 4? due to COVID and social distancing. So just make sure to come prepared to wait or early in case you want to get seated quickly! Overall, I love this place and definitely come frequently !