The Bubbly Pot

Although dubbed «The Bubbly Pot,» expect no pots and no bubbles! We thought this would be a hot pot joint, but they serve standard Chinese fare.
The interior is lavishly decorated with ornamental chairs with plush cushions that sink in when you sit down and granite tiles with golden flourishes. The Bubbly Pot looks like a place that can deliver something out of the ordinary. I was a little disappointed; despite the extensive, 6-​page long menu of Chinese dishes, there wasn’t anything that seemed to stand out. Prices also seemed a little steep– Mapo Tofu for $ 8? Fried rice for $ 8? Heck, I know this might be okay in other areas, but The Bubbly Pot is in Bellaire, and there’s some tasty competition around!
That said, the lunch specials (Tuesday to Friday, 11am — 2:30pm) are pretty cheap. There seems to be no language barrier even for non-​Chinese speakers, since my friend didn’t have a problem.
We ordered «Polar Ice Noodles» and «Si Chun Dan Dan Noodles» out of curiosity. Now that I am typing out this review, I just realized Si Chun = Sichuan /​Szechuan. Gahh total fail =.=! Both came out together in ginormous, tall bowls. My friend said the polar ice noodles didn’t have much savory flavor and was kind of sweet. When he dipped his chopsticks in, he found the noodles clumped in the shape of a bowl! Guess they forgot to stir it up ^^’ the texture reminded him of the Korean naeng myeon (cold noodles), really chewy. He liked his noodles, but said they weren’t beyond «good.»
The dan dan noodles where thick noodles with sliced cucumbers, cilantro, and a spicy mixed paste that seemed it could have come from a can. Don’t get me wrong, it was tasty (I demolished the whole bowl!), but I’m easy to please. The flavor came mostly from the oil, and I don’t think others would be too happy with how much oil and how little cucumbers or other substance there was. There was also a slight metal taste in the mix. However, if you’re craving a big bowl of noodles or carbs, this is a great dish for you! :D
Overall, the food was good and the ladies serving us were nice. I probably won’t be back, but if I somehow find myself here again, I want to see what «Sauce Stuffy Tofu» is!

China northern style restaurant, features lots of stews, stir-​fried dishes, as well as ＂pick-​and-​choose mini hotpot”.
The concept (food, service, decoration, and chinaware etc.) is very delicate. It is not hard to tell they put lots of efforts and thoughts into opening this restaurant.
The food is yummy. Probably better than most of the northern style food in Chinatown.
Waiters and waitresses are very nice and helpful. At the same time, service skills can be improved a little more.
I give the restaurant itself four stars. One extra is given to all the young people there dedicating their creativity and efforts to a restaurant. You don’t get to see much of that in Chinatown.