Cash only 💰 | Tainan Shanhua Hot Pot 🍲
Group dining 👥 | Good parking 🅿️ | Restroom available 🚾
Basically, for me, it’s a one-time visit,
there's no particular reason that makes me want to revisit 😅
The freshness of the ingredients looks passable, but so far it hasn't reached my standards, so I can only describe it as "not bad."
In terms of price, I would prefer to go to the coastal areas to directly taste the freshest seafood.
This old street hot pot restaurant is located in Chinatown, Brooklyn. There are quite a few fruit shops nearby, so after a filling hot pot dinner, we can stroll and browse around.
We sat at a large table in the basement, which can accommodate 7 people (5 adults and 2 children). Each adult chose a pot of soup base. I selected winter melon clam soup. Someone chose tomato soup. We quickly ordered seafood, meat, and vegetables. This time, I didn't order too many meatballs, but opted for handmade fish paste.
The hot pot ingredients were served up quickly. We started cooking and eating for ourselves. If we wanted more of something, we could order extra. The hot and steaming food filled our stomachs, and the pot broth gradually dried up.
We were full without consuming too many starches (noodles or rice). What a delightful and satisfying dinner full of dishes and soup!
Located in Yongkang, Tainan, "Kumamoto Hot Pot" is a chain hot pot restaurant that offers 24-hour service. I often wonder if anyone really eats hot pot during late-night hours. This time, I had the kimchi hot pot and the stinky tofu with large intestines. Overall, the flavors were moderate; while not particularly impressive, they were also not disappointing. The kimchi hot pot had a certain level of sourness and spiciness, and the pork slices paired reasonably well with the kimchi. The stinky tofu in the stinky large intestine hot pot had a slight fermentation taste, and when paired with the intestines, it was a relatively stable performance, though the portions were not particularly large. However, if you're just looking to fill up, you can help yourself to rice and noodles available in the restaurant.
In terms of the environment, Kumamoto Hot Pot has a fairly spacious dining area with simple and comfortable decor, suitable for gatherings or family meals. During my visit, the ice cream machine was surprisingly being cleaned and making ice during peak dinner hours, so it was unavailable, which is something that needs improvement. As for the hot pot itself, while it wasn't particularly impressive, there were no major issues, and the overall quality was acceptable.
For those living nearby or not wanting to travel far, Kumamoto Hot Pot is a convenient choice. However, if you walk a few more kilometers, you might find better options. Personally, I know of other places that are more cost-effective and tastier, but it's not appropriate for me to recommend them here. 😆
Taichung Nantun District - A well-known hot pot restaurant, open from 11:00 AM to 4:00 AM, with exquisite decor and spacious surroundings. They specialize in soju and sesame oil hot pot, and guests can enjoy unlimited winter melon tea!
📍 Chilled Black Pork Tender Shoulder Soju Hot Pot NT$458
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
The soju hot pot comes with chicken, and the accompanying pepper salt really enhances the flavor! The broth has a strong alcohol taste, which is fragrant but rather bitter, with ginseng and Chinese medicinal herbs simmered in it. The vegetable platter is rich, including three clams, though the vegetables are not abundant. However, the black sesame glutinous rice balls and cheese balls do not pair well with the soju hot pot.
The chilled black pork tender shoulder has a firm texture, fresh and not overly fatty; it is genuinely delicious, and I highly recommend it!
📍 Extra NT$18 for Fried Enoki Mushrooms
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
The fried enoki mushrooms that come at an extra charge are said to be a signature dish by the staff, but I found them just okay, and they tend to be a bit greasy.
▶️ Environment
🔹 The dining space is very large, with strong and cool air conditioning.
🔹 Men’s and women’s restrooms are separate and quite clean.
🔹 Drinking water and winter melon tea are available for self-service.
🔹 The sauce area allows for self-service dipping sauces.
▶️ Friendly reminder
🔹 It is recommended to call ahead for reservations (can be done inline).
🔹 Orders need to be placed by scanning the QR code on your phone, with payment options including LINE Pay or cash/credit card at the counter.
▶️ Overall evaluation
🔹 The dining environment is spacious and comfortable, quite impressive. Considering the quality at a price point under NT$500, it is quite good, which explains the high ratings. I particularly like that the winter melon tea is not too sweet! They also serve a sorbet after the meal.
📍Wanhua District, Taipei City (near Ximen MRT Station)
A spicy hot pot restaurant that maximizes the modern retro Taiwanese style 🕺🏻🍲🏰
Zhan Ji Spicy Hot Pot is one of the most famous and hardest-to-book hot pot restaurants in Taipei! After many years, eating here again still feels great 🤤
The newly opened site at Ximen Grand World is a star gathering point 🎶, and Zhan Ji has transformed it into a space with various Taiwanese flavors.
Before the opening, I saw extensive promotions for this restaurant. Upon entering, I found that the dining area is all located on B1. The entire space is not very large, but the tables are well-spaced apart, providing a comfortable dining experience 🎨
The service is also quite attentive; the staff informs you about each dish as they serve it, and they are considerate about guest dining conditions, such as adding soup or clearing empty plates.
🥘
Order items:
▫️Dual-flavor hot pot base ($500):
Suitable for 4-6 people, we ordered the spicy pot at a mild level. For those who can handle spice, it should be considered mildly spicy, but the aroma of the hot pot is rich without being harsh on the throat.
It includes a fixed amount of duck blood and tofu (remember it was 10 pieces each; we ended up ordering additional half portions (duck blood $110, tofu $70)
Zhan Ji's duck blood is truly unforgettable, with a very tender texture, no gamey taste, and it absorbs the spicy flavor well. The tofu has large holes and absorbs soup very well.
▫️American Angus beef short ribs ($620):
Beautiful marbling, rich in fat, can be cooked in under 10 seconds, very tender, and impressively good quality meat.
▫️Selected Taiwan pork shoulder ($370):
This dish can be ordered at a member discount price of $99. We later ordered two more plates.
The meat quality is also very nice, and you can taste the aroma of the pork.
▫️American beef brisket ($470):
This dish has more marbling than the short ribs!
▫️Taiwanese Matsusaka pork ($390):
Cut into long, thin pieces, it has quite a nice chewiness.
▫️Taiwanese beef balls ($210):
Large and very chewy, when bitten into, there's meat juice inside—a recommendation!
▫️Mushroom and meat dumplings ($160):
Very delicious! These are exceptional egg dumplings with fragrant egg skin and a filling of mushrooms and meat creating a different flavor.
Although now seeing the price of 40 each seems a bit too expensive 🙁
▫️Mystery egg vinegar ($15):
This is a type of dipping sauce that feels like it's just raw egg + vinegar + garlic; we all thought it didn't have much flavor when mixed.
▫️White chrysanthemum and plum juice ($259):
The name is cute, haha 🐶
It's actually white chrysanthemum and black plum juice; the base is black plum juice, and the restaurant prepares a cup with white chrysanthemum and some herbs.
▫️Taro meatballs ($75) half serving
▫️Raw tofu skin ($110)
▫️Baby bok choy ($140)
▫️Water lily ($100)
▫️Napa cabbage ($100)
▫️White rice ($20)
🍄
Would I visit again? Yes!
Aside from the difficulty in booking and the relatively high prices for a filling meal, the overall dining experience was wonderful. The atmosphere, ingredients, and service did not disappoint 🤩
🌶️ How Spicy Top-Grade Yunnan-Style Hot Pot 🌶️
Another great dining option in Qingpu!
After shopping at Huatai Premium Outlets, there’s a new place to choose from 🤩
How Spicy Top-Grade Yunnan-Style Hot Pot features authentic Sichuan flavors.
Currently, there’s a birthday promotion where you get shrimp based on your age! 🎉
Whatever your age, that’s how many shrimp you’ll get! It's perfect for bringing elders 🦐
The restaurant has two floors, and the high-ceiling design at the entrance gives a grand impression.
There are private rooms and regular seating.
The dining area and restrooms are clean and comfortable 👍🏻
They have a physical menu, and the dishes are primarily à la carte.
The dipping sauces are self-service, and there's a handwashing station nearby, which is a thoughtful design!
The spicy broth uses top-quality Sichuan local peppers, including Tianjiao, Erjing Tiao, and Dahu Red Lantern Pepper, paired with Pixian Doubanjiang 🌶️
I find the spiciness just right and quite enjoyable.
You can refill tofu and duck blood as much as you want, which is fantastic.
The "Sauerkraut and Pork" also allows free refills—definitely a plus!
▫️ Moon-viewing Slippery Beef $368
The beef is marinated and then mixed with raw egg yolk before being cooked 🥚
This is a popular dish that many people order.
▫️ Fire-Scented Roasted Pork $368
Using rice wine to ignite the meat adds a lovely wine aroma before cooking.
It's not recommended to cook for too long, as the wine flavor will dissipate.
If you're sensitive to alcohol, feel free to cook it a bit longer.
▫️ Top-Grade Spanish Matsusaka Pork $398
The Matsusaka pork has a fantastic texture that I really love.
▫️ Assorted Vegetable Platter $198
If you like vegetables, you must order this for a variety of veggies all at once!
▫️ Five Brother Meatballs $128
Five different meatballs to satisfy your cravings!
▫️ Mentaiko Shrimp Paste $228
The shrimp paste is made with generous amounts of shrimp 🦐
▫️ Spicy Noodles $128
Noodles cooked for one minute and topped with a special spicy sauce 🥣
The fragrance of Sichuan pepper is strong—it makes you want to keep eating bite after bite.
▫️ Secret Sour Plum Soup $128
Homemade sour plum soup, serves 2-4 people.
Sour plum soup is a must-have with the hot pot! 🍹
🌟Dining for 2 hours, pets are prohibited, reservations are recommended.
🌟Check out at the counter after QR self-service ordering.
"The Soup Hut Public Welfare Store" is located on Gongyi Road in Nantun District, Taichung, a primary battle zone, specializing in sesame oil chicken hot pot and skinless chili hot pot. If you’re exhausted and it’s chilly outside, having hot soup that’s spicy and nourishing is truly delightful. The air conditioning is extremely strong, and the spacious dining environment is very relaxing.
The Soup Hut features a Japanese Zen-style decor, with warm lighting and a spacious, comfortable area, so it’s advisable to bring a jacket. It makes you so full that you just want to fall asleep 😙. There are tables for 2, 4, and even 6 people, making it easier for a group of friends to dine together. The condiment area has unlimited drinks, including winter melon tea and drinking water.
Parking is not very convenient near The Soup Hut, as it’s located in a primary battle zone on Gongyi Road in Taichung. Even though there are several parking lots, they easily fill up during peak hours, so parking might be a matter of luck!!
Let’s eat!
Refrigerated Black Pork Sesame Oil Hot Pot 💰458
The vegetable platter includes cabbage, bok choy, tofu skin, enoki mushrooms, crab meat sticks, clams, and white mushrooms. All the ingredients are very fresh, with a rich aroma of sesame oil. The broth is smooth and warm, with ginger’s spice not being too overpowering, creating a comfortable sesame oil soup base. The refrigerated black pork is tender, with evenly distributed fat, so when cooked in the hot pot, it doesn’t feel greasy and has its own meaty aroma.
Spicy Duck Meat 💰68
The flavor of the spicy duck blood is a bit light and not very spicy. Overall, it’s average.
Deep-Fried Egg 💰30
Out of curiosity about what a deep-fried egg in a hot pot restaurant would be, it turns out to be just a crispy and fluffy fried egg—quite interesting.
My friend’s skinless chili chicken hot pot has a broth that’s both spicy and sweet. If you enjoy spicy food, I recommend it; it’s a bit too spicy for me 🤣🤣
(However, I was also attracted to it at first!!)
In the end, a cup of slushy ice was served, which relieved all the greasiness.
Thoughts: The soup base truly is important for hot pot. The slushy dessert at the end is a great design that alleviates all the greasiness. Overall, The Soup Hut is very comfortable.
If you prioritize the meal: sesame oil chicken leg and skinless chili are quite good.
If you prioritize the environment: strong air conditioning and spacious.
If you prioritize parking: it’s not very convenient, scooters might be parked nearby; cars will need to find street parking or a parking lot (depending on luck).
If you prioritize toilets: separated for men and women, and they are spacious.
If you prioritize waiting: reservations are recommended.
If you prioritize service: it is quite good.
If you focus on cost-performance ratio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(Discussing food and prices only)
This hot pot restaurant near the McDonald's in Tou Cheng has always been my first choice whenever I suddenly crave hot pot. The air conditioning is adequately cool, making it comfortable to enjoy hot pot even on hot days.
⭐️ Spicy Milk Broth
The spicy milk pot is quite unique, a flavor that those who love milk and spicy food shouldn't miss. Every time I think about having hot pot, I immediately think of this restaurant's broth.
⭐️ Spicy Hot Pot Broth
For me, it doesn't stand out as much. Compared to other spicy hot pots, there are those with even more distinct flavors.
🌟 Tender Shoulder Beef
Even after cooking, it remains very tender, not tough at all. Absolutely delicious! 😋
🌟 Sashimi-Grade Scallops
Since they are sashimi-grade, you can simply dip them in the pot for a brief moment before serving. The scallops have a strong seafood flavor and are incredibly fresh.
🌟 Taro Meatballs
For those who love taro, you can't miss these taro meatballs. Highly recommended for taro lovers!
#Three Gorges
Juju Japanese Hot Pot is a hot pot restaurant under the Wangpin Group. In recent years, it has transformed into a semi-self-service model. In addition to the main dishes, you can also choose other items you like, which is quite nice. Unlike typical hot pot restaurants, they have a good variety of vegetables, while the hot pot ingredients are relatively few. Coincidentally, I don't like hot pot ingredients very much, so this suits me well.
Today, I chose the shabu-shabu Wagyu beef and snowflake pork as my main dishes. I think the marbling of the Wagyu beef is decent, and the meat is quite tender, though it doesn't melt in your mouth level 😆. But it is still quite tasty.
The snowflake pork doesn’t have too much fat, but the texture is nice, very tender, and not dry. In comparison, the snowflake pork has much better cost-performance value 😆. Both types of meat are delicious, but the Wagyu beef isn't good enough to justify being twice the price.
The environment and service at Wangpin Group restaurants maintain a certain quality. There are many options for side dishes. The sukiyaki beef is very delicious, and the desserts are also quite nice. The ice cream is tasty, with a strong matcha flavor, and you can add your favorite toppings.
Overall, I quite liked it. The vegetable self-service bar has a wide variety, and the freshness is great. This is a place I would continue to visit.
🍲 Magma Hot Pot is a local hot pot restaurant that originated in Hsinchu, and currently has branches in Taipei and Taichung.
Before ordering, the staff prepared Oriental Beauty Tea, but I didn’t drink it as I don't usually have hot tea. When the broth is served, it comes with a jug of Peach Slush, which was quite nice! There's self-service white rice, and the sauce area has suggested recipes on the wall. Interestingly, they offer fermented bean curd sauce and sesame sauce, which seem to be homemade; there’s no satay sauce but there is soy sauce.
Yin-Yang Pot - Collagen Calcium Bone Broth
👍 It contains garlic, goji berries, frozen tofu, and slices of fermented tofu.
👍 The taste is a rich bone broth, and the garlic and goji berries don’t overpower the flavor; there’s no overwhelming garlic taste or medicinal herb flavor.
👍 You can also add more tofu and fermented tofu when replenishing the broth.
👍 There’s a large pork bone in the soup, and when pulled up, you can see the complete bone marrow that gracefully slides out, offering a rich essence with a milky flavor filling your mouth.
Yin-Yang Pot - Northeast Sauerkraut Broth
👍 It is filled with sauerkraut, and you can add more when replenishing; I’m not a fan of sauerkraut, but my companion’s mother loves this pot.
👍 The broth itself already contains slices of pork.
👍 The sourness increases as more broth and cooking time are added, so by the end, any ingredient put in will be well-flavored.
👄 I noticed many people packing up the broth after eating, as nearly every broth is rich in ingredients, and they will refill the broth and ingredients for you when packing (however, the menu notes that you cannot buy the broth separately, as it seems many people just take the broth to go!).
Welcoming Sea and Land NT$990
👍 There is a discount for members during a promotional period.
👍 It comes with two types of fish and beef; overall, everything tastes very fresh.
Deluxe Meat Tri Combo Free
👍 I happened to encounter a Mid-Autumn promotion where members get free meat (Wagyu beef, pork with marbling, belly pork).
👍 I initially thought the free portion wouldn’t be much, but it turned out to be a huge plate of meat. Luckily, we didn’t order more meat, because it was just enough for three people; ordering more would have been too much (the photo was taken halfway through eating, and there was actually much more meat).
Seven Seconds Old Fried Dough Stick NT$109
I wanted to try it because of the special name, but my mom said that after boiling for seven seconds, it was still a bit hard (I only thought to take a photo after eating a few).
👍 I myself boiled it for 7-10 seconds, let it cool for a bit, and then ate it after it absorbed some broth; the texture for me was just right (I personally like a bit of crispiness, not wanting the entire dough stick to be soft, so I thought it was quite nice).
Fresh Vegetable Plate NT$299
(Not photographed at all)
It’s just a basic vegetable platter with several vegetables, pumpkin, tomatoes, and wood ear mushrooms; everything tasted fresh.
Handmade Dumpling Platter NT$359
I’m not a big fan of dumpling hot pot ingredients, so my sister and mom ate it (I forgot to take a photo).
It includes wontons, egg dumplings, and crystal dumplings; the skin of the crystal dumplings is clearly handmade.
Braised Three Delicacies Platter NT$799
(I also forgot to take a photo of this.)
👍 It contains large intestines, beef tripe, and beef tendons, all braised to perfection (especially the large intestines). They only need a slight blanching before eating, and the braising sauce is completely sealed inside, which explains the name.
✔️ This old restaurant in Zhudong occupies an entire building and has an elevator; we dined on the 3rd floor this time.
✔️ After exiting the elevator, there was staff to greet us; reservations can be made by phone (online reservations are also available). At 12:30 PM, the third floor was nearly full, leaving just a table or two.
✔️ There’s a parking lot right next door; if it’s full, there’s another lot a little further down the road (the whole area is quite spacious, sparsely populated, and not very developed).
✔️ Ordering is done by scanning a QR code; when paying, you need to bring the QR code paper to the cashier and can pay with credit card or cash.
✔️ There’s an additional service fee.
🥹 The air conditioning is quite cold… although when eating hot pot, your body warms up afterward.
🥹 The staff seemed very busy; if you don’t tell the staff serving your table to refill the broth or address other requests, you might not get a response (in the end, I had to specifically ask my table's server to get a quick refill).
🥹 Overall, the price per item is on the high side; if it weren’t for the Mid-Autumn festival and membership promotion, it might not be so affordable (three people with service fee is about NT$2400).
👍 However, the restaurant's Facebook seems very active, so they likely announce many promotional offers regularly, and it’s worth checking out.
👍 I also encountered an event where you get free ice cream for leaving a Google review.