California Hot Pot - Alhambra

Great addition to the hot pot craze in the 626. It 's definitely different from the other hot pot places in the area because everything comes raw in your pot. Unlike boiling point, this place has different flavored soup bases and I 'm sure you 're able to customize it. I ordered their Thai Tom Yum 'upgrade ' with their Peach Sunshine Green Tea. The soup has just the right amount of spicy and sour. The shrimp they give are indeed jumbo shrimp scampi. What I wish they did was devein the shrimps because it 's a black lining on the shrimp that makes it look gross. You 're only limited to certain sauces, which is located by their cash register. If I remember correctly, there was garlic, sesame, black bean, soy sauce and green onions. The next time I 'm here, I 'll have to give their tonkotsu a try because I was actually craving beef but got seafood instead. I did get to try my friends beef and it was amazing. Cooking it raw and eating it however you like it is indeed better than having it precooked and tasting overcooked. Tip: get there early to wait in line because it can take a while to be seated.

Friday lunch special is great. Get there early to get seating, and there's outdoor bench seating available too. Only con is getting your own sauce , there's normally a line.

Tasty soup bases and variety of different individual hot pots. The style of hot pot is individual based with all the meats and veggies already in the pot. A drawback to this place is the variety of dipping sauces is small, and the place is quite small so expect to wait a bit during peak hours. Also, this place is CASH ONLY.

Also! You should always upgrade your drink because their complementary lemonade or green tea taste super water down.

With so many hotpot places in the area, it takes a lot to stay competitive. It's good that this place offers 3 price levels for those who are on a budget versus those who want to splurge a bit. I got the hollywood protein upgrade and my friend got the Japanese tonkatsu spicy regular. I tasted her broth and it wasn't as spicy and portions were a lot for a regular size. For a Saturday, there were people waiting at least 15 minutes before the restaurant opened and at least 5 parties waiting 30 minutes after it opened. My friend and I chose to sit outside so we didn't have to wait. It was doable especially with the hot broth. It did get cold at the end of our luncheon. The place had 2 heaters that they brought outside but it was not used. Not sure if it was broken or the staff didn't want to set it up for only 2 customers. The staff was nice and checked on us a few times after we got our orders. The broth was on the blander side for me but I think I would give this place another chance by trying a different broth and spicy level. Overall, my experience was pleasant.