Hot Pots of My Dreams

Hot pot is more than a meal, it is a communal experience. Having hot pot with friends and family is a joy of life. In that hour or two, you can be in a sort of blissful heaven, one that I wish I could stay in forever. What’s also amazing about hot pot is how everyone can partake in it, no matter your dietary preference. The sauce, broth, and food are completely up to the person, which makes it able to accommodate everyone. When you are visiting my favorite hot pot restaurants, make sure you bring someone to enjoy the experience with!

左庭右院 (Zuo Ting You Yuan)

This is a hot pot restaurant made especially for beef. The chefs cut and prepare the beef in full view of everybody. There are no packaged meats or fake ingredients, and everything in the kitchen seems clean and sanitary.

When the beef is served to you at this beef restaurant, it is not on just any serving plate. Instead, a curved plate with a diagram showing what part of the cow the beef originates from is presented to the customer. Sometimes scooping food out of the hot pot pot can be a mighty struggle, so the beef restaurant supplies you with a cooking spoon. The entire experience is created for you to enjoy the best beef experience possible.

Address: 4F, 5001 Dushi Road, Minhang District

Hai Di Lao

HaiDiLao is a chain hot pot Chinese restaurant, with three main pillars of its excellent: the brand, the food, the service. What makes HaiDiLao distinct is its service. HaiDiLao makes all of their workers go through training unlike anywhere else, and it shows in leaps and bounds. These are just a few of the services HaiDiLao provides: a nail salon, children’s playground, birthday party shows, and live noodle dances. 

I recommend getting lots of beef as well as mushrooms of all varieties. HaiDiLao has an incredibly large range of possible foods, making it difficult to not feel accommodated.

Don’t forget to have tons of fun and enjoy the rambunctious HaiDiLao atmosphere.

Address: 3F, 1068 West Beijing Road, Jing’an District 

焱格格 (Yan Ge Ge)

Being vegetarian has never been better. This Yunnan mushroom hot pot restaurant is the gold standard for vegetarian hot pot. It has a modern, dark, misty atmosphere that feels enchanting as soon as you step through the door. It has a plethora of drinks, impeccable service, and as much vegetarian variation as you can imagine.

The number of options that you can cook in your broth might seem overwhelming, so don’t feel compelled to try everything. Just pick a couple of items that you know you will enjoy and if you love the restaurant don’t be afraid to come back to it.

If you are eating at this restaurant, make sure you also order their complementary side dishes. The fried rice at the restaurant was a life-changing experience for me. 

Address: 1F, A1, 800 Changde Road, Jing’an District

严记老北京涮锅 （Yan Ji Lao Beijing Shuanguo）

You didn’t think I would introduce a beef place without a lamb one? Let me give a slight preface: this is a very distinctly Chinese experience. You receive the utensils in disinfected plastic packaging and there is only one sauce: peanut sesame. The area is steamy, and occasionally rowdy, but a great alleyway experience in an easily accessible location. 

While the lamb restaurant (and most Chinese alleyway restaurants) are not particularly hygienic, there should be minimal risk of contamination because of the boiling water. In general, I would recommend buying the leanest type of lamb you can find, as you want to experience the peanut sesame sauce to the fullest. 

Address: 346 Middle Wulumuqi Road, Xuhui District 

鼎王无老锅 Ding Wang Wu Lao Guo

This Taiwanese hot pot restaurant is another chain across Shanghai, although not quite as well-known as HaiDiLao. While HaiDiLao is bright and rambunctious, this restaurant is higher-end, with a mellow tone to it. HaiDiLao is where you hold the party. This is where you come for a relaxing Friday afternoon. 

This restaurant’s sauces are different than many on this list because of their Taiwanese origin, so make sure to experiment. Like the beef restaurant, this Taiwanese spot also has a cooking spoon made especially for convenience. Whenever I have gone to this chain, I never found myself disappointed by anything on their menu.

Address: 1829 West Beijing Road, Jing’an District