Hai Di Lao is an international phenomenon. At countless outposts across Asia, hordes of steamboat fans queue up every day for hours on end to get a taste of their famous hot pot. Make no mistake, this is no David versus Goliath story. All we want is a really good hot pot for cheap.
The only caveat is the lack of seafood, as items like prawns and squid come at extra cost. While it may seem tempting to order the entire menu, try and show some restraint. You only have 90 minutes to eat, and excessive waste is chargeable. There are six house-made soup base options: ma la , pork bone, tomato, black chicken, tom yum and mushroom. We decided to torture our bellies with some fiery ma la before hopefully quenching the flames with soothing tomato broth.
The ma la stock is certainly intimidating on first look. Lemongrass stalks and plenty of dried chillies float on its surface, along with an angry red sheen of oil.
That impression was backed up when we scooped the bottom of the pot, uncovering enough Sichuan peppers to strike fear in our hearts. Even when taking photos from a few metres away, our noses were infiltrated by the fragrant scent of peppercorns.
A bouquet of spices ensured that it was aromatic, imbuing everything with punchy flavour. Ingredients with milder flavours were drowned out by the broth and became unpleasantly oily. In contrast, we were happy to slurp up ladles of the tomato broth. Apart from a lower oil content, wedges of Steamboat Springs Nearest Airport Journal tomato and cucumber imparted a mellow sweetness that was given body by a generous supply of chopped garlic. They combined to form a broth that was pleasant to drink in its own right.
However, this broth proved slightly too sweet to cook our meats in. It fared much better for simmering ingredients Steamboat Springs Nearest Airport 4k with natural sweetness or light flavours, such as cabbage and bamboo shoots. We were stunned by the amount of fat in each slice of beef. But even for a bacon fanatic like myself, this seemed a little excessive. This would create a meatier mouthfeel and stronger beefy flavour.
On the bright side, the fat content and thinness of each slice meant it was super tender after a momentary swim in the bubbling cauldron of stock. It absolutely disintegrated in our mouths, requiring minimal work from our jaw muscles. Our pork belly encountered a similar issue.
The slices were shaved a little too thin, with light shining through as we held it up. Regardless of scrawny slices, we lapped up these porky strips after dousing it in tongue-numbing ma la stock for a few seconds. Fans of leaner meat should plump for the lamb.
That aggressive spiciness masks most of the gamey flavour that some find unpalatable. It was eerily similar to salted egg yolk in terms of colour, flavour and consistency, with the fish roe providing a slight briny edge. What disappointed was its fish paste coating, which was bland and rubbery, likely coming out of a packet. Unfortunately, this seemed to be a trend, as both our fish and beef balls had an unmistakably artificial look and lack of flavour to match. A saving grace was their house-made fresh pork balls.
Bouncy and juicy, yet meaty, these were worlds apart from its fish and beef-based colleagues. One we particularly enjoyed was the bamboo shoots. Another reason why people love hot pot is customisation. But after asking the staff and a quick consultation with our trusty friend Google, we went down the classic route. A combination of sesame paste, garlic and spring onions, given zing by red fermented tofu paste, formed our first saucer. This robust and slightly funky mixture paired well with meat.
Meanwhile, a simple lao gan ma chilli paste with sesame oil and soy sauce concoction presented a spicy alternative more suited to lighter ingredients. More adventurous diners can bring out their inner Steamboat Toa Payoh University mad scientist by experimenting with options like oyster sauce, beef sauce, mushroom sauce and barbecue sauce.
A 5-minute walk from Toa Payoh MRT and bus interchange, this compact restaurant is semi-hidden in an alley of eateries behind Gong Cha. All orders were done through a convenient iPad system, similar to larger steamboat chains.
Otherwise, be prepared for a shower of sweat and steam as you devour your steamboat. Half the attraction of heading to the steamboat giant is the service and atmosphere. A small, no-frills hot pot joint can never replicate that. But what Shan Pin Steamboat delivers are robust broths, a wide selection of ingredients and great value. Hot pot novices can level up their game by checking out our list of Hai Di Lao hacks , while experienced steamboaters can look for new options with our list of Hai Di Lao alternatives and our review of Steamov.
Let us know your favourite hot pot spots in the comments below! Photos taken by Crystal Tan. This is an independent review by Eatbook. Pros � Great value � Well-marbled meats � Surprising fish roe balls. Address: Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, , Singapore Adam Tan Salt of the earth. Follow us on instagram eatbooksg. Past Contest Winners.
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