De Tasty Hot Pot Restaurant

Solid hot pot + amazing Sichuanese. De Tasty is a staple for Cornellians and Ithaca folks alike. The hot pot is comforting and consistent. The broth could be more flavorful. Garnishes (veggies, noodles, mushrooms) are a bit sparse but adequate for a small solo pot. They have a small sauce bar on the side for $2 as well. Sichuanese here is always a hit. Highly recommend the Mapo Tofu or spicy fish stew. Large family style portions that are perfect for sharing. Would recommend the entrees here over the hot pot. Prices are reasonable given the portion sizes and quality. HEADS UP: There is a 15% service charge automatically included in the check. Perfect place for large family/friend outings and cold snowy days. Will definitely be coming back

- Sonia Taa -

My favourite restaurant in Ithaca!!! Most dishes are very tasty and the price is reasonable too. Best if you come with a big group so that you can try various dishes! Some might find the food too oily though.

- Ornwara Tritrakarn -

If you love Sichuan hot pot or dishes … excellent food in this basement restaurant at Ithaca. Discovered this place during my daughter’s last semester in Cornell. We went there like 15 times within a 3 month period. Very memorable and will it miss it lots

- Evelyn Liew -

Delicious and authentic Chinese food! Great portions for the price, and some of the tastiest food in Ithaca regardless of cuisine. We didn’t get the hot pot. The spicy chicken with peppers, cumin lamb, and bok choy were flavorful and came out hot and fresh.

- Vivian Lu -

WOW. This place deserves 6 stars. If you like szechuan/spicy Chinese food, you NEED to come here. Seriously. Came in half an hour before closing and every single dish was amazing. I'm from NYC, which has no deficit of authentic Szechuan restaurants in flushing and Manhattan, but I can honestly say that this place is one of the best and it's a shame that I don't live in Ithaca to eat here more often. It's the perfect combination of great food and great prices. The prices here cannot be beat. Most of our dishes were less than $20. The food: again, every single dish we got was great. Beef stir fried with hot chili peppers, popcorn chicken with chili peppers (la zhi ji), lamb with cumin, and mao xue wan were all 10/10. The egg drop soup with beef was delicious too. The owner is really humble and came to ask for feedback after the meal and said that he uses customer feedback to improve their food. But honestly, I would come back just for the food alone. Price is a bonus. Note that they changed owners about 10 months ago.

- Jackie L -

Detasty is a great place in collegetown, they have good chinese food but at a bit of a price. Do remember I compare these with Indonesian restaurants which have crazy low prices. Try the chilli fried pork/chicken. The food here actually has spice for spicy food lovers

- Joshua Dirga -

Wow I was really impressed by this place! All the dishes we ordered were delicious. I especially love the lamb dish and the pork belly dish was also good. The string beans were also really flavorful. We went during a weekday for an early dinner in the summer so there wasn’t a lot of people and the service was prompt and the food came out fast. The restaurant itself is at the bottom of some stairs so you might miss it if you’re not looking for it. The inside has lots of seating and it feels like your typical Chinese restaurant with a somewhat of a dark interior.

- Monica -