The best hot pot and steamboat restaurants in Singapore

Touted to serve up the most true-to-style soup base outside of Chongqing, expect numbing spice with tingling sensations that seek to satiate even the most discerning of hot pot gourmands. If you didn’t already know, Uncle Fong is all the craze in Hong Kong and mainland China – even Hong Kong A-list celebrities such as Carina Lau can't resist. While the restaurant is particularly stylish, all eyes are on the unique nine-grid layout designed to allow the perfect cook for different ingredients by segregating the pot into three heat zones. Here, premium seasonal ingredients that aren't commonly found at other hot pot restaurants are available. Savour novelty ingredients such as homemade ebiko prawn paste, silky Putien soft tofu, thick chewy Wulong potato noodles and more. Our favourite is the coral mussels which are subtly sweet with a nice crunch.

Nothing beats the comfort of a steaming hotpot on a rainy day, and Tong Xin Ru Yi knows just how to hit the spot. This is a less run-of-the-mill hot pot joint that has plenty of interesting items on its menu. Nestled in the heart of Boat Quay, the ambience here is equal parts cosy and classy. Its most popular broth has got to be the golden chicken soup ($24), but Tong Xin Ru Yi has also amassed a surprising number of fans who come back just for the spicy rabbit broth ($68). Beyond your regular meat cuts, there are also lesser-seen options like beef tongue ($26) and the Hokkaido milk beef ($25) where beef slices are soaked in milk to lend it a richer flavour. While your ingredients simmer to perfection, enjoy small bites like BBQ frog legs ($10), scallion pancakes ($5), or handmade dumplings complete with Sichuan sauce (from $6).

Beauty In The Pot – affectionately called BIAP by some – specialises in soup bases that are purportedly good for your skin. Whether that’s true, we can’t say for sure. But what we can say is that the signature Beauty Collagen and Spicy Nourishing broths certainly live up to their hype. Both are made with a mix of conpoy, chicken, and pork bones, and the spicy broth even has Chinese herbs like red dates and ginseng. Like Hai Di Lao, the ingredients here are a bar above your average steamboat joint. There’s US wagyu ribeye, Kurobuta pork, and even a selection of fresh seafood. The fish tofu and fried beancurd rolls are popular picks, but our go-to's are the fish paste, tripe, prawn roll dumplings, and assorted handmade meatballs. And one of the best parts about dining here is the ice-cold yuzu slushie dessert that’s served at the end of your meal. 

Arguably the brand that kickstarted the hot pot trend in Singapore, Hai Di Lao needs no introduction. It’s the hot pot chain that revolutionised exceptional service in restaurants with its impressive hand-pulled noodle performances, manicure booths, over-the-top birthday celebrations, and much more. There are even free-flow snacks and wintermelon served while you wait for your table. Go big with the four-flavour pot. We recommend the spicy, tomato, chicken, and mushroom soup bases for a good variety of flavours. Then it’s time to get creative at the sauce station – make a fun competition out of it with your dining companions to see who’s made the best dip. The menu boasts an extensive selection of premium meats and seafood, but for first-timers, the kung fu noodles are a must. Whip your phones out as the skilled chefs personally come out to pull the noodles before your eyes in a theatrical flurry before serving them to you.

With joints in the heart of the CBD, City Hot Pot is a popular choice among the working folks. Everyone gets their own pot here so there’s no fussing over what flavour to pick for a sharing pot. Undisputed crowd favourites are the milky fish soup ($5.99) and fish maw fish soup ($8.99), but with 12 other options on the menu, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Diners can also opt for a set meal (from $22.99) or à la carte ingredients. All meats are freshly prepared and sliced, with highlights like the wagyu chuck eye roll, lamb leg, and minced pork paste. If you're looking to treat yourself, get the lobster set ($99.99) – good for two. And in case you need more to fill your stomach, City Hot Pot also offers braised pork rice ($3.99), fried man tou with condensed milk ($4.99) and more.

Xiao Long Kan throws it all the way back to ancient China. Not just with its food – which is done in the traditional Sichuan style – but with its decor as well, which sees dark wooden lattice panels, lanterns, and furniture that’ll make you feel like you’re royalty. Since Chengdu-style hot pot is the highlight, you can expect the signature mala base to come with an intense spice and a thick layer of oil. Don’t worry, this isn’t so much meant for drinking as it is for trapping the heat underneath it so that the ingredients cook well. Choose from flavours like the rich beef butter, mala, tomato, mushroom, and pork bone for your soup base – we recommend getting milder flavours for those who can’t take spice as the mala broth truly packs a punch. The meats and ingredients here are as fresh as it gets, and in true Sichuan fashion, a small can of oil is provided as you customise your sauce. 

Imperial Treasure has been around long enough for its Peking duck to amass a cult-like following, but many still don’t know that its steamboat restaurants are pretty impressive as well. As with most hot pot restaurants, the Sichuan spicy soup ($35) and chicken soup ($28) are popular picks, but we recommend going for the Imperial drunken chicken soup ($45) for a richer and more flavourful broth. The chicken is cooked in Shaoxing rice wine and the broth sees traditional Chinese herbs like wild yam, wolfberries and red dates. Another must-order is the four treasure ball platter ($18) – a combination of prawn, cuttlefish, pork, and Canton Dace fish balls handmade daily. Don’t mind a bit of a splurge? Pick from a wide selection of live seafood, from marble goby ($13 per 100 grams) to Australian abalones ($30 per 100 grams).

Don't be surprised when the soup base served at Tsukada Nojo comes out as a white pudding-like blob. The chicken collagen mixture needs to be melted down before you can enjoy a creamy, nourishing soup that supposedly works wonders for your skin. Only Japanese Jidori chickens are used and the chicken bones are stewed for eight hours here. There’s also the choice of going for soup flavours like tomato, sukiyaki, pumpkin, white miso soy milk, spinach, and spicy here, but we love the original collagen broth (from $19) just as it is. The meal is best enjoyed with a selection of fresh organic vegetables including lesser-seen hot pot ingredients like baby sweet potato leaves, sunflower sprouts, purple sweet potato, yellow zucchini, red radish and more. Make sure to order the signature chicken meatballs, and for the perfect mouthful, dip your ingredients in the four homemade condiments.

Goro-goro – a Japanese word that mimics the sound of your tummy rumbling – dispels just that, because you’re sure to be stuffed after a meal here, and for a good price too. Buffets vary between $18.90 and $29.90 depending on the time of day. For this price, you get a choice of over 50 ingredients to throw into your bubbling broth. Soups come in six flavours, including tom yam, ginseng chicken, and a collagen-based broth. The sprawling dining space makes it ideal for gathering loved ones to huddle together for a 90-to-120-minute all-you-can-eat marathon. Not to mention, kids dine for as low as $9.90, making this a great spot for family meals.

Tomato hot pot broth – you either love or hate it. But this packed-out joint in Clarke Quay Central proves that this refreshing soup seems to have quite the fanbase. Taking over the spot where Upin Hot Pot used to be, Xiao Yan Zi is unabashedly tomato-themed, with tomato plushies and bright oranges all over. The tomato broth here is robust and packed with flavour, thanks to generous chunks of tomato that lend a sweet and sour taste to the broth. Many even go as far as to say it’s better than Hai Di Lao’s. Not to mention, the more affordable price point for the quality of produce makes dining here a great alternative for casual meals. Meats are sliced fresh on the spot, and one thing you’ll find on every table is handcrafted shrimp paste which comes in interesting flavours like bamboo and even dragonfruit. 

Amid a sea of mookata stalls in Golden Mile Tower, you’ll find Thien Kee, one of the few remaining Hainanese steamboat restaurants left. Now run by second-generation owner Benjamin Boh, Thien Kee is perennially packed during dinner, so turn up early to avoid the queue. Don’t expect a five-star dining experience or a languid meal here, either – the auntie servers, who have worked here for decades, are as curt as they are efficient. You’ll see a traditional steamboat on every one of its 90 tables, and ingredients can be ordered à la carte or in sets. The soup is clean-tasting when it arrives, but add in the raw ingredients – from omasum (cow’s stomach) to cockles – and it quickly transforms into a flavourful broth. Don’t forget Thien Kee’s other Hainanese dishes, like its iconic chicken rice and deep-fried pork chops, which will give even the fussiest of kids something to gnaw on.

You can’t put together a hot pot list without mentioning Suki-Ya. With seven locations conveniently located in shopping malls across the island, you're bound to have come across one of its outlets on your day out. While the offerings may not be extensive as other hot pot joints, its seven broths are all hearty and warming, and there’s a selection of classic hot pot ingredients and fresh greens to choose from. Add that to the free-flow portions of wagyu beef, Iberico pork, Duroc pork collar, seafood, chicken, and more, and you'll definitely leave with your tummy full. Lunch starts at $34.90 while dinner starts at $39.90

It's easy to confuse Shabu Sai with Suki-Ya, given that both are affordable shabu and sukiyaki hot pot restaurants in shopping malls islandwide. The main difference lies in the selection of soup bases – Shabu Sai has a rotating roster of seven monthly specials that include herbal chicken with barley, and shiitake with scallops. The hot pot buffet at Shabu Sai also offers a ton of leafy greens, DIY sauce selections and a free flow of sliver-thin beef, pork and chicken. Furthermore, no two Shabu Sai outlets are the same. Depending on which one you patronise, you'll be able to find a variety of sushi, desserts, fresh fruits and waffle stations along with the standard buffet fare. With affordable prices ranging from $18.99 to $27.99, it's no wonder that it's become a popular spot to dine out at for a value-for-money hot pot fix.

This Thai-Chinese hot pot buffet restaurant stands out for its distinctive Thai ingredients and dishes. It offers six broths – tomato, Thai tom yam, mala, double-boiled treasure, Hua Diao Phoenix (additional $9), and collagen (additional $9). Sides include Thai mama noodles, spicy beef salad, black olive fried rice, and pineapple fried rice. Weekday lunch buffets start from $52 for adults and $30 for children. The family-friendly joint also has a promotion where kids below eleven dine for free with every two paying adults, and discounted prices are available for students and senior citizens as well.

Pork bone broth and mala broth with fatty pork belly slices and hand-pulled noodles, all for less than $15? Sounds too good to be true, but it exists at Shi Li Fang. The Taiwanese steamboat restaurant offers affordable set meals, a sauce station with a decent variety of condiments, plenty of drink options, and even an ice cream station. Pick a soup base, from classic mala to refreshing tomato, a main protein, and your preferred carb – we recommend going for the hand-pulled noodles. These aren’t served in Hai Di Lao’s show-stopping manner, but we can’t deny that they’re satisfyingly chewy and great for soaking up all that broth. On top of that, help yourself to a load of vegetables and sides, from cabbage and bok choy to tofu, black fungus, mushrooms, vermicelli, and eggs. It’s more than enough to induce a post-lunch food coma, but at least it doesn't break the bank.