Save this list of 7 hotpot eateries for the literal rainy days or when the cravings strike!
Happy Lamb
Highlight: Lamb-focused hotpot affair
Location: Pacific Plaza, #02-10
Happy Lamb is a concept hailing from the lauded lamb gourmet capital of China - Baotou, that pays homage to the Mongolian origins of hotpot. As its namesake suggests, lamb is the star of the show, sourced from the inner Mongolian grasslands and Scottish Highlands. One will not find dipping sauces here; instead, Happy Lamb goes to painstaking lengths to offer 4 rich broth bases with distinctive taste profiles to highlight the flavour of the lamb.
Recommendation: Lamb shoulder and happy spring lamb, complete with spicy lamb skewers!
Chicken Hotpot
Highlight: Deeply savoury hotpot meal served in a claypot
Location: Square 2, #04-02
Chicken Hotpot is a franchise concept originating from Shanghai and is not your run-of-the-mill steamboat eatery. Every experience starts with a sizzling claypot filled with tender bone-in chicken chunks that are fried with celery, bell peppers, onions, and chilli, and drenched in a savoury dark sauce reminiscent of Kung Bao Chicken - utterly delicious on steamed rice! Other protein options include shrimp, beef, fish, and pork tripe, each served with its respective soup bases.
Recommendation: Enjoy the chicken and vegetables as a claypot-style dish first, followed by adding broth and other ingredients to transform it into a mini steamboat.
Shi Li Fang
Highlight: Pocket-friendly hotpot just to satisfy the cravings
Location: Junction 10, #01-32 or Orchard Central, #08-13
Shi Li Fang is a local hotpot restaurant chain that prides itself on offering affordable hot pot dining and steamboat, with a wide spread of food choices, especially non-meat items. Aside from its modest pricing, Shi Li Fang is also pragmatic, understanding that sometimes we just need to satisfy a hotpot craving without the hassle of having to gather up all our friends and sit through a lengthy dinner.
Recommendation: Relish a one-person hotpot set that is quick and convenient, with the half-portion options perfect for one!
Upin Hot Pot
Highlight: A hotpot experience that rivals its competition
Location: Clarke Quay Central, #03-87 or West Coast Plaza, #01-02
This on-trend hotpot restaurant is alleged to be founded by people who once worked at a certain hotpot chain known for its high service standards and entertaining noodle-pulling performances. Hotpot aficionados would be quick to spot the similarities in the offerings but delighted to learn that they can get a similar experience at a fraction of the price and sans the long lines. While other hotpot restaurants have dual or quadruple pots, Upin Hotpot offers a trio of soup bases.
Recommendation: Tomato soup, spicy ma la soup, and black chicken bone soup.
Captain Kim Korean KBBQ & Hotpot
Highlight: Halal-certified BBQ & Steamboat
Location: Junction 10, #01-24
Captain Kim at Junction 10 is a MUIS Halal-Certified BBQ & hotpot buffet eatery, located just five minutes walk away from Bukit Panjang MRT. Its brightly lit buffet counters show off its impressive variety of quality meats, along with vegetables and fresh seafood. While you’re waiting for your food to cook, help yourself to the array of ready-to-eat foods like soups, japchae (Korean stir-fried glass noodles), chicken wings, fries, and more, including archetypal Korean banchan (side dishes) to complement your BBQ experience. There is also a salad bar, where one can find classic KBBQ sauces and dips, as well as a selection of refreshing drinks.
Recommendation: Round off your meal with the medley of fruits and desserts!
Gangnam Story
Highlight: Get the best of both worlds
Location: Orchard Central, #08-04
Sometimes choosing between having a steamboat or a BBQ becomes impossible, but at Gangnam Story, tables are outfitted with both a grill and a pot, so you don’t have to choose! Be spoilt by the vast selection of meats, including Korean classics like sesame chicken, spicy bulgogi pork, and beef short plate. Take your pick of two out of the five soup bases ─ numbing mala, nutritious ginseng chicken, rich collagen broth, classic kimchi seaweed, or tangy tomato soup, at no extra charge!
Recommendation: Have a go at making your own Jjampong (seafood soup) with the fresh selection of seafood like mud crabs, river prawns, clams, squid, and scallops with the classic kimchi seaweed soup base!
Da Long Yi Hotpot
Highlight: Mala soup bases that will thrill your tastebuds
Location: Orchard Central, #08-08
Szechuan cuisine is famed for its bold flavours, particularly the spiciness resulting from the liberal use of chilli peppers, as well as the unique numbing sensation of the Sichuan peppercorn. Fans of mala hotpot, rejoice! Here at Da Long Yi Hotpot, you will be spoilt for choice with unique soup bases such as butter mala, tomato flavoured hotpot, and more! Located on the rooftop level of Orchard Central, diners will be treated to a captivating view of the bustling Orchard Road below, while the Chinese-inspired décor creates an authentic ambience.
Recommendation: Lovers of mala hotpot where you can get ‘MA’ with Sichuan peppercorns in a spicy mala soup base!
Fun fact: Did you know that Hot pot is reputed to date back to the Mongol Empire, with the idea originating from Mongolian warriors who cooked over open fires, using their helmets as vessels to cook meat in simmering water, and their shields to sear the meat? Today, so many hotpot apparatuses have been developed for the numerous styles to enjoy this fun way of eating. Thankfully in Singapore, we don’t have to stick to just one! What’s more, you can earn rewards for all your hotpot escapades with the shopFarEast App by simply scanning your receipts!